West Coast Seeds
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Kale – Starbor – West Coast Seeds
$5.99Add to cartThese uniform, compact plants are the best kale choice for harvesting all in one go at 45cm (18″) tall. The dark blue-green leaves are very tasty, and appealingly curled, with short internodes – meaning they’re packed more tightly on the stem than other types. Sow Starbor kale seeds for your small farm and use mechanical harvesting, or sow them for your raised allotment bed and enjoy a huge crop of nutritious super-food. Starbor kale seeds do not need warm soil to germinate, so they can be started outdoors as early as March here on the coast. In colder climes it is sensible to start some indoors for transplanting when the warm weather arrives. Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Matures in 50 days.
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Zinnias – Sanguinea Cupcake – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Add to cartZinnia elegans. Scores of 5cm (2″) wide, blood-red flowers appear high atop medium-green plants that grow to 75cm (30″) tall. The stems are strong and upright, and ideal as cut flowers. Each time they are cut, the stem divides to produce even more flowers. As they open, the flowers are instantly recognizable as Zinnias, but then they unfold and ruffle from the centre outward to take on the distinctive cupcake look of the ‘Scabiosaflora’ series. Direct sow Sanguinea Cupcake Zinnia seeds in loamy soil in full sun, and enjoy the seemingly endless cut flowers from early summer into September. Annual.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow after last frost. Zinnias don’t transplant well, but can be started indoors, if necessary, in peat or coir pots, 6-8 weeks before planting out. Maintain a soil temperature of 21-26°C (70-80°F). Seeds should germinate in 5-24 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Just cover Zinnia seeds, and aim for a final spacing of 25-30cm (10-12″) between plants.
How To Grow, Growing: Depending on the variety, it takes about two months after sowing for the first flowers to appear. Take regular cuttings of Zinnia stems to enjoy indoors, starting mid-summer right into the fall. Cutting encourages the production of new flowers and seems to stimulate the plants for greater vigour. Watch for signs of powdery mildew on the leaves, usually in late summer. Try to avoid overhead watering to prevent mildew.
Approx. 51 seeds
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Zinnias – Lemon Cupcake – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Add to cartZinnia elegans. Each flower opens as a conventional looking Zinnia, but then ruffles from the centre with so many petals that it resembles the pincushion flower, Scabiosa. Hence its inclusion in the ‘Scabiosaflora’ series. The truly handsome blooms top tall, upright stems that are superb as cut flowers. The plants grow to 75cm (30″) tall, and produce from early summer right into September. These flowers drew consistent interest in our summer seed trials, and made it into a great many bouquets. Direct sow Lemon Cupcake Zinnia seeds, and begin cutting flowers in as few as nine weeks. Annual.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow after last frost. Zinnias don’t transplant well, but can be started indoors, if necessary, in peat or coir pots, 6-8 weeks before planting out. Maintain a soil temperature of 21-26°C (70-80°F). Seeds should germinate in 5-24 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Just cover Zinnia seeds, and aim for a final spacing of 25-30cm (10-12″) between plants.
How To Grow, Growing: Depending on the variety, it takes about two months after sowing for the first flowers to appear. Take regular cuttings of Zinnia stems to enjoy indoors, starting mid-summer right into the fall. Cutting encourages the production of new flowers and seems to stimulate the plants for greater vigour. Watch for signs of powdery mildew on the leaves, usually in late summer. Try to avoid overhead watering to prevent mildew.
Approx. 50 seeds
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Zinnias – Giant Blue Point Formula – West Coast Seeds
$3.49Add to cartA special blend for the cut flower grower and owners of big vases! Giant Blue Point Zinnias produce dahlia-flowered zinnias with tall stems in large double blooms. Crimson red, lilac, rose, canary yellow, deep red, white and orange. This is the earliest flowering variety. Giant Blue Point Formula zinnia seeds zinnias are long blooming with excellent disease resistance. Picking off the dead flowers (deadheading) will prolong the bloom time, but so will cutting them for bouquets. The colours are brilliant and the stems are strong and upright, perfect for cutting. Annual.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow after last frost. Zinnias don’t transplant well, but can be started indoors, if necessary, in peat or coir pots, 6-8 weeks before planting out. Maintain a soil temperature of 21-26°C (70-80°F). Seeds should germinate in 5-24 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Just cover Zinnia seeds, and aim for a final spacing of 25-30cm (10-12″) between plants.
How To Grow, Growing: Depending on the variety, it takes about two months after sowing for the first flowers to appear. Take regular cuttings of Zinnia stems to enjoy indoors, starting mid-summer right into the fall. Cutting encourages the production of new flowers and seems to stimulate the plants for greater vigour. Watch for signs of powdery mildew on the leaves, usually in late summer. Try to avoid overhead watering to prevent mildew.
Approx. 125 seeds
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Sweet Peas – Late Spencer Blend – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Add to cartLathyrus odoratus. The Spencers bloom when the heat of mid-summer arrives after a cool spring. The plants produced by Late Spencer Blend sweet pea seeds have strong stems and outstanding fragrance. The upper petals are ruffled, and the lower “wings” are longer than other varieties. All the beautiful, bold colours so loved in these reliable performers—red, pink, white, rose, purple, and blue. Be sure to pick off any spent flowers to keep the vines producing more flowers. If any seed pods form cut them off to keep the plant blooming. Combine some of the earlier flowering varieties with your Late Spencer Blend, and you’ll enjoy a much longer sweet pea harvest window.
Timing: Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date for your area. Or direct sow outdoors in early spring, while the soil is still cool and light frost is still possible. Plants are strongest from an early, indoor sowing. Sweet peas can also be direct sown in the fall where winters are mild.
Starting: Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep. If starting indoors, chip seeds or soak them in warm water for 24 hours. Use a seed inoculant for the best results. Maintain a soil temperature of 12-18°C (55-65°F). Seeds should germinate in 10-20 days.
Growing: For best results, prepare the sweet pea bed the previous fall. Cultivate the soil to 45cm (18″) deep, incorporating a generous amount of finished compost. Also dig in bone meal. At transplant time, dig ¼ cup balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each plant. Space vines at 15cm (6″) and provide trellis support. Mulch around plants to keep the soil as cool as possible, and water during dry weather. Keep plants picked to prolong the blooming period.
Approx. 60 seeds
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Sweet Peas – Royal Family Blend – West Coast Seeds
$4.99Add to cartLathyrus odoratus. Royal Family Blend sweet pea seeds produce tall vines that bloom after Mammoth and before Late Spencer, so they can be sown with these other varieties for a whole summer of cut flowers. These graceful and elegant plants have more heat resistance than the Spencer Series, very large flowers, and long stems on vines that reach 150-180cm (36-48″). Blooms of crimson, lavender, mid-blue, navy blue, rose pink, salmon pink, scarlet, and white appear over a long period, especially when plants have all their spent flowers removed. Try Royal Family in a hanging basket or decorative patio container.
Timing: Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date for your area. Or direct sow outdoors in early spring, while the soil is still cool and light frost is still possible. Plants are strongest from an early, indoor sowing. Sweet peas can also be direct sown in the fall where winters are mild.
Starting: Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep. If starting indoors, chip seeds or soak them in warm water for 24 hours. Use a seed inoculant for the best results. Maintain a soil temperature of 12-18°C (55-65°F). Seeds should germinate in 10-20 days.
Growing: For best results, prepare the sweet pea bed the previous fall. Cultivate the soil to 45cm (18″) deep, incorporating a generous amount of finished compost. Also dig in bone meal. At transplant time, dig ¼ cup balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each plant. Space vines at 15cm (6″) and provide trellis support. Mulch around plants to keep the soil as cool as possible, and water during dry weather. Keep plants picked to prolong the blooming period.
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Sunflowers – Procut Gold Lite DMR – West Coast Seeds
$6.49Add to cartEasy to grow, downy mildew resistant sunflower with strong, single stems and 10-15cm (4-6”) pollenless blooms. ProCut Gold Lite DMR’s high quality, erect flowers have overlapping golden yellow petals with light green and golden centers. 120-180cm (4-6’) plants. Loved by professional cut flower growers.
Timing: Direct sow repeatedly after the last frost date. Starting indoors is possible, but does not gain much time. If sunflowers are allowed to get root-bound, they will lack stability at transplant time, and will require staking. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 21-30°C (70-85°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-14 days.
Starting: Sow seeds 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Space dwarf varieties 15cm (6″) apart, but give the giants lots of room at 1m (3′) between plants.
Growing: To grow really big plants with really big flowers, enrich the soil with organic matter and incorporate 2 cups of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m (10′) of row, and irrigate regularly. When the plants are 30cm (12) tall, dissolve 5ml (1 tsp) of borax (for boron) in 350 ml (12 fl oz) of water and spread the solution over 5m (15′) of row. Be careful not to over-apply this solution. This application of boron will produce bigger seeds and flower heads. Do not apply boron to other garden plants. When the back of the flower head turns yellow, it is ready to be cut from the plant.
Companion Planting: Sunflowers planted near rows of corn are said to increase yields. Sunflowers can be used to draw heavy metals, toxins, and even radiation from soil, but should be burned at the end of the season if grown for this purpose. Plant sunflowers amid squash plantings to improve pollination and overall production.
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Snapdragon – Madame Butterfly Cherry Bronze – West Coast Seeds
$5.99Add to cartUnique azalea type snapdragon with ruffled, double-petaled blooms. Cut Madame Butterfly’s tall spikes of rose and coral hued flowers for full displays with an antique look. Harvest when the lower 1/3 of flowers on the stem are open. 66-89cm (26-35”) plants can be grown in a greenhouse or in the open field and garden.
Timing: Start snapdragons indoors, 8-10 weeks before planting out. Transplant out after last frost. Direct sowing is less reliable. Provide bright light and a soil temperature of 12°C (55°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-21 days.
Starting: Sow on the surface of a sterilized seed starting mix. To avoid damping off (to which snapdragons are somewhat prone), increase ventilation, use a layer of vermiculite on top of the soil, and water only from below. Transplant out once daytime temperatures are consistently above 10°C (50°F) and space 30cm (12″) apart.
Growing: Grow these easy sub-shrubs in rich, soil with a neutral pH. Pinch back young plants once 6 leaves have appeared for bushier mature plants. Feed lightly twice, before any flowers appear. Deadhead often. If flowering seems to subside, cut back dramatically, and then feed and water generously.
Approx. 50 seeds
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Poppies – Shirley Double Mix – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Add to cartPapaver rhoeas. Vivid red, pink, salmon, and white blooms come in singles and doubles atop 80cm (31″) stems. Sow Shirley Double Mix poppy seeds at two week intervals from late February to mid-April for flowers from mid- to late summer. These poppies will self sow, and they look spectacular in mass plantings. All parts of the plant are mildly toxic, and acrid enough that they avoid damage from grazing deer. The flowers have a very delicate appearance, but the plants are actually quite tough. If you sear the cut end right away with a match, these poppies will last quite a long time as cut flowers. Rely on Shirley Double to self sow without becoming weedy.
Timing: Start perennial poppies outdoors in early spring, when some chance of frost is still a possibility. Start annual varieties outdoors at the same time in Zones 3-7. In Zones 8-10, the best bet is to direct sow in the fall. Poppies are famously difficult to transplant, so starting them indoors is not recommended. If absolutely necessary, use peat or coir pots, and maintain a soil temperature of 12°C (55°F). Seeds will sprout in 20-30 days.
Starting: Sow on the surface of the soil, or barely cover seeds. Thin to a minimum of 15cm (6″) apart.
Growing: Poppies are easy to grow and the self-sow with abandon, without becoming weedy. Simply pull up unwanted plants (an easy task) before they bloom, or better yet, let them tell you where they want to grow. They will thrive for years at a time in surprising spots, like a crack in the driveway. Other times, they simply won’t take, no matter how much you try. Keep them moderately well watered in hot, dry weather, and do not fertilize. For the largest heads on Papaver somniferum, sow seeds in the fall or early winter. Thin plants to allow them some space, and keep the area weeded as plants grow larger. Grow this variety in full sun in well-drained, but ordinary garden soil. If spring and summer are cool and damp, or plants are over-crowded, expect smaller seed heads.
Approx. 1670 seeds
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Poppies – California Orange – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Add to cartEschscholzia californica. This is the true orange single California poppy, and the state flower of California. California Orange California poppy seeds are great in wild looking beds, the colour is intensified when grown near anything purple. Eschscholzia californica is a wildflower native to Mexico and California, where it is the state flower. It thrives in arid regions and is substantially drought tolerant so it is a very good choice for xeriscaping. This plant can eject the seeds from its dried seed pods a surprising distance, so they may self sow in favourable conditions. But it is not listed as a noxious weed, and is easily controlled if it seems to be getting out of hand. Its unusual Latin name is in honour of the German botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz.
Timing: Direct sow outdoors in spring after the local last frost date. Otherwise direct sow in autumn. It can be started indoors, but does not like being transplanted.
Starting: Sow seeds 5mm (¼”) deep, spaced 20-25cm (8-10″) apart. Seeds should sprout in 14-21 days.
Growing: Grow in any average, well-drained soil. Deadhead regularly to prevent self sowing. California poppies are very likely to self sow when conditions are favourable.
Approx. 225 seeds
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Pansies – Swiss Giants Mix – West Coast Seeds
$4.69Add to cartViola tricolor var. hortensis. The classic heirloom Swiss Giants Mix Pansy seeds blend has single colours with blotched faces and some bicolours, with flowers held high above the leaves. Technically a perennial, this plant is usually grown as a cold hardy annual that will bloom in mild climates from October through to May from a late summer sowing. Swiss Giant Pansies grow to about 20cm (8″) tall, with a really beautiful range of warm colours and markings that seem to lend the flowers even more personality. This pansy blend works very well in containers and hanging baskets, but the real show is from mass plantings in a flower bed display.
Timing: Start indoors 10-12 weeks before planting out. For spring planting after last frost, that means up to 3 months growing time indoors. Otherwise, sow direct outdoors in summer to early autumn. For winter-flowering pansies in Zones 7-9, start seeds in mid to late June. For V. odorata: Direct sow in autumn or early spring. This variety benefits from a long exposure to cool soil.
Starting: Even though the seeds are tiny, they need to be sown 5mm (¼”) deep. Keep the soil at 18-25°C (65-75°F), in complete darkness until they germinate in around 14 days. Then provide bright light to keep plants compact. Space at 15-23cm (6-9″) in the garden. For V. odorata: Barely cover the tiny seeds. Sow in flats sunk into the ground against a north-facing wall, and cover with glass or plastic. Remove cover when seedlings emerge. Germination can take up to 50 days, so be patient.
Growing: After germination, violas are easy. Fertilize once or twice in early growth and provide a mulch around plants to keep roots cool as weather warms. Deadhead to prevent self-sowing, particularly with Johnny-Jump-Ups. For V. odorata: Transplant after last frost or in the autumn where winters are mild, spacing at 15-30cm (6-12”) apart. Grow in partial shade, or in full sun where summers are cool. This variety prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-7.0. Add well-rotted manure at transplant time.
Approx. 400 seeds
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Foxgloves – Dalmation White – West Coast Seeds
$7.99Add to cartFirst year flowering foxgloves with uniform blooms on vigorous plants. Dalmatian White has bright white bells with contrasting dark purple freckles. Flower bells form on one side of the stem, sitting close together on sturdy stems. Grow these vigorous plants in the garden or in pots as a hardy annual.
Timing: Direct sow outdoors after last frost for flowers the following year. In mild winter areas, direct sow in autumn as well. For flowers the first year, sow indoors very early, in December or January for transplanting 2-3 weeks before last frost. Seeds take 14-21 days to germinate. If starting indoors, provide bright light and a soil temperature of 15-18°C (60-65°F).
Starting: Sow on the surface. Space or transplant 45-60cm (18-24″) apart.
Growing: Water plants deeply on a regular basis. Cut off finished flowering stems to prevent self-sowing. Otherwise, expect foxgloves to naturalize around your garden. Foxgloves will languish in periods of heat and drought, so provide extra moisture during those times. If allowed to go to seed, foxgloves tend to self sow for several generations.
Approx. 25 seeds
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Foxglove – Dalmation Peach – West Coast Seeds
$7.99Add to cartDalmation Peach is a first year flowering foxglove with uniform, creamy peach-pink blooms and pale freckled throats. Flower bells form on one side of the stem, sitting close together on sturdy stems. Grow these vigorous plants in the garden or in pots as a hardy annual.
Timing: Direct sow outdoors after last frost for flowers the following year. In mild winter areas, direct sow in autumn as well. For flowers the first year, sow indoors very early, in December or January for transplanting 2-3 weeks before last frost. Seeds take 14-21 days to germinate. If starting indoors, provide bright light and a soil temperature of 15-18°C (60-65°F).
Starting: Sow on the surface. Space or transplant 45-60cm (18-24″) apart.
Growing: Water plants deeply on a regular basis. Cut off finished flowering stems to prevent self-sowing. Otherwise, expect foxgloves to naturalize around your garden. Foxgloves will languish in periods of heat and drought, so provide extra moisture during those times. If allowed to go to seed, foxgloves tend to self sow for several generations.
Approx. 25 seeds
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Poppies – Hungarian Blue – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Add to cartPapaver somniferum. Hungarian Blue poppies produce elegant purple flowers atop tall, strong stems. From flower bud to seed pod stages, they are highly ornamental, and grow to around 60cm (24″) tall. Save the dried seed pods for arrangements, and empty out the edible seeds for use in breads and spreads. The fleeting flowers only last a day or two, but they keep appearing over several weeks, and they look spectacular in mass plantings. Hungarian is highly attractive to bees, but resistant to grazing deer. Annual.
How To Grow, Timing: Start perennial poppies outdoors in early spring, when some chance of frost is still a possibility. Start annual varieties outdoors at the same time in Zones 3-7. In Zones 8-10, the best bet is to direct sow in the fall. Poppies are famously difficult to transplant, so starting them indoors is not recommended. If absolutely necessary, use peat or coir pots, and maintain a soil temperature of 12°C (55°F). Seeds will sprout in 20-30 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow on the surface of the soil, or barely cover seeds. Thin to a minimum of 15cm (6″) apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Poppies are easy to grow and the self-sow with abandon, without becoming weedy. Simply pull up unwanted plants (an easy task) before they bloom, or better yet, let them tell you where they want to grow. They will thrive for years at a time in surprising spots, like a crack in the driveway. Other times, they simply won’t take, no matter how much you try. Keep them moderately well watered in hot, dry weather, and do not fertilize. For the largest heads on Papaver somniferum, sow seeds in the fall or early winter. Thin plants to allow them some space, and keep the area weeded as plants grow larger. Grow this variety in full sun in well-drained, but ordinary garden soil. If spring and summer are cool and damp, or plants are over-crowded, expect smaller seed heads.
Approx. 570 seeds
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Carrots – Scarlet Nantes – West Coast Seeds
$3.49Add to cartThese Scarlet Nantes carrot seeds are hand-harvested in the Northwest. This carrot has been grown and selected for North American conditions for at least 50 years, and is a workhorse variety that is widely adapted and often out-performs some of the more finicky nantes hybrids. Strong tops and excellent heirloom flavour in 18cm (7″) roots that colour up early for optional harvests as baby carrots. When Scarlet Nantes reach maturity, they are some of the best storage carrots, and they freeze particularly well for winter use. This is also one of the top yielding juicing carrots because its tender flesh is so easily rendered. Matures in 65-70 days.
Timing: Direct sow from just after the last frost date to late summer for harvests from summer through early winter. Sow at 3 week intervals for a continuous harvest. Direct sow winter-harvest carrots (where winters are mild) in the first two weeks of August. Optimal soil temperature: 7-30°C (45-85°F). Seeds may take as long as 14-21 days to germinate.
Starting: Because carrot seeds are tiny, they need to be sown shallowly. The trick is to keep the top-most layer of soil damp during the relatively long germination period. Water deeply prior to planting. Direct sow the tiny seeds 5mm (¼”) deep, 4 seeds per 2cm (1″), and firm soil lightly after seeding. Make sure the seeds are only just buried. Water the area with the gentlest stream possible, and keep it constantly moist until the seeds sprout.
Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. The softer and more humus-based the soil, the better. When soil is dry enough in spring, work it to a fine texture. Broadcast and dig in ½ cup complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. Avoid fresh manure. Carrots will become misshapen, but still edible if they hit anything hard as they grow down into the soil. Keep weeded and watered.
Thinning: This is the process of removing some seedlings, if necessary, so each has enough space to grow in the row. It is very important to thin carrots so they don’t compete for available nutrients, moisture, and light. Thin to 4-10cm (1½-4″) apart when the young plants are 2cm (1″) tall. Use wider spacing to get larger roots. As they grow, carrots may push up, out of the soil, so hill soil up to prevent getting a green shoulder.
Harvest: Carrots can be harvested at any size, but flavour is best when the carrot has turned bright orange – or its other mature colour. After harvest, store at cold temperatures just above 0ºC. Store in sand or sawdust, or simply leave carrots under heaped soil in the garden during the winter, and pull as needed.
Approx. 355 seeds
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Corn – Golden Jubilee F1 – West Coast Seeds
$4.99Add to cartGolden Jubilee corn seeds are the highest-yielding, main crop variety for canning or freezing. The tall plants bear 20-25cm (8 1/2-9″) ears that have 16-20 rows of deep, sweet, yellow kernels with a rich corn flavour. If you don’t process or cook the cobs soon after harvest, they only stay sweet for a relatively short time. But cooked fresh, they are sweet and flavourful, and worth waiting for. Make sure that the soil temperature is 15°C (60°F) before planting these untreated corn seeds. Corn is wind pollinated to it needs to be planted in blocks as opposed to single rows. Isolate Golden Jubilee from all other super sweet varieties for the best results.
Matures in 95 to 105 days.
Timing: Direct sow in late spring. If the soil is not warm enough, seeds often rot before sprouting – especially when not treated with fungicide. Untreated corn seeds should be planted only when the soil has warmed up above 18°C (65°F) – warmer for super-sweet (sh2) types, and even warmer for a good stand. Use a soil thermometer. If spring weather is cold, consider planting in flats or individual pots, indoors with bottom heat, for transplanting. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days. If it rains after planting and corn does not emerge, just re-plant the area.
Starting: Do not soak corn seeds prior to planting. Plant 2-5cm (1-2″) deep (shallower for sh2 seed or in cool soil). Sow seeds around 7.5cm (3″) apart, in rows 60-90cm (24-36″) apart. Because corn is wind pollinated, plant in a dense block of at least 4 rows, rather than in single rows. This increases the chance of corn pollen, which emerges from male flowers at the growing tip, to fall down onto the receptive female silks that extend from each corn cob.
Growing: Ideal pH: 5.8-6.8. Corn is a heavy feeder, so add manure or compost, and use 500g (1 lb) of complete organic fertilizer per 6m (60′) of row, mixing it thoroughly into the soil beneath each seed furrow. Thin to at least 20-25cm (8-10″) apart in the row. Large eared and double-eared varieties need to be 30cm (24″) apart. Keep free of weeds until knee-high, and then leave it alone.
Use the days to maturity listed for comparative purposes among the varieties only – every garden may be different.
Pests: Wireworms are a pest in home gardens and may burrow into the seeds. Loopers are pale olive-green caterpillars up to 2.5cm (1″) long. They chew into the centre of young corn plants and can kill the plant if the growing tip is damaged. Seed corn maggot is a small, legless maggot that attacks germinating seed. Planting in warm soil or using predatory nematodes may help prevent seed-destroying soil creatures.
Approx. 45 seeds
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Cauliflower – Amazing – West Coast Seeds
$4.69Add to cartThis cauliflower lives up to its name with its amazing holding ability in the garden. Some cauliflower varieties develop heads that are open and exposed to sunlight, but Amazing has large outer wrapper leaves that grow upright, sheltering the head from the sun. As a result, the heads do not need to be harvested with any great urgency and you can pick them as you need them. The plants are medium sized, with domed, tightly packed curds, and they’re not particularly fussy about temperature stress, either cold or hot. If you’ve had trouble in the past growing cauliflower, try some Amazing cauliflower seeds – it’s an excellent choice for cauliflower newbies. Matures in 75 days.
Timing: Start indoors four weeks before the last frost to late spring. Transplant in 5-6 weeks. Direct seed when temperatures are reliably above 10°C (50°F). Overwintering types are started in July where winters are mild, and transplanted by August 15th. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C (50-85°F). Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.
Starting: Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm (¼”) deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 60-90cm (24-36″) apart.
Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Humus-rich soil amended with composted manure is best. Mix ½ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. From seedling to harvest, cauliflower must grow steadily to make a large plant and curd. If growth slows, scratch additional fertilizer into the surface of the soil around each plant. Maintain even soil moisture with regular watering. Shade the developing curds from sun by tying up leaves or using newspaper. This is known as “blanching,” and will keep them white. Add 20-25 days to the maturity dates if direct sowing.
Harvest: Once curd forms, check every day and cut when the florets are just beginning to separate. At this point the flavour is at peak quality and the size is maximum.
Approx. 18 seeds