Herb Seeds

A. tuberosum. This flat-leaf variety of Garlic Chives seeds has a strong garlic flavour and aroma. The white flowers and stalks are used (only a small amount is needed), to add the pungent taste of garlic to salads, vegetables, dumplings, and stir-fries. Popular in Asian cuisine, garlic chives are also known as ku chai in Chinese. While the leaves and flower stems are delicious and useful in the kitchen garlic chives are also very attractive flowering plants. Use this herb as companion plants to repel aphids from flowers or vegetables prone to attack.

How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors from late winter through mid-spring, and transplant or direct sow once the soil has warmed in late spring. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 19°C.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 5mm-1cm deep and keep moist until germination. If starting indoors, use bottom heat and plant 10-15 seeds per cell in a 72 cell plug tray. Transplant either into containers or into the garden once the soil has warmed up. Space clumps 15cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Clumps of chives spread to about 30cm across. They should be divided at that point and replanted to stand 30cm apart or broken up for container planting. Remove flower stems before they open to increase foliage production. Keep chives watered evenly throughout the season. For a winter crop, try digging up a small clump after the foliage dies back in the fall. Plant this in a container using loamy potting mix, and bring indoors to a warm, and very bright windowsill.

How To Grow, Harvest:  The whole plant can be cut down to 4cm from the ground. Use scissors and take as much as needed. Chives don’t dehydrate well, so use fresh portions regularly. The flowers can be used in salads or to flavour vinegars.

Approx: 240 Seeds.

Nepeta cataria. Not just for cats! Tall pink and white flower spikes are great in fresh and dried arrangements. Use the leaves in salads, sauces, teas, and soups – and of course fresh or dried for the cats! Catnip seeds are a good choice for a bee attractor that works well in containers on cat-free balconies. Protect seedlings from cats.

Catnip (and a few of its close relatives) contain the compound nepetalactone, which is extremely attractive to domestic and wild cats. It has the same effect on leopards, lynxes, and tigers as it does on house cats. Roughly 33% of all cats do not respond to catnip, and the response is believed to be hereditary.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow seeds indoors in late winter, and transplant or direct sow in 2-6 weeks after the last frost date. Catnip can also be direct sown in the fall where it is to grow. Bottom heat will speed germination. Ideal temperature for germination: 21-27°C (70-80°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-20 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow on the soil surface or barely covered with perlite. Thin plants or transplant to 30cm (12″) apart. Keep seedlings well protected from cats.

How To Grow, Growing:  Catnip does very well in containers, raised beds, or borders in full sun to partial shade. The main challenge to growing it is protecting it from cats. After the main bloom, plants should be cut back hard to encourage a second bloom and tidy shape.

How To Grow, Harvest:  To save the summer catmint bounty, harvest when fully grown, and keep the plant picked regularly.

Melissa officinalis. Plant lemon balm seeds and rub the light green leaves for a sudden hit of lemon scent. Use in bouquets to lemon scent a room or brew an invigorating medicinal tea. Lemon Balm seeds produce a herbaceous perennial self-sows and bees love it. Plants grow vigorously so keep self-sown seedlings thinned out. The plants are deer resistant, so a useful filler plant for coastal areas. Chop back the plants by two thirds once the flowers have faded to prevent self sowing and to encourage the growth of new leaves. This plant belongs in every organic herb garden and has been cultivated for centuries as a medicinal plant.

How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost, and transplant out or direct sow once day time temperatures are steadily above 10°C.

How To Grow, Starting:  Barely cover the tiny seeds. Use a sterilized potting soil, and keep watering to an absolute minimum – just enough to keep the medium from drying out. Germination takes 10-14 days. Transplant at a spacing of 45cm into the garden.

How To Grow, Growing:  Choose a shady spot or a location where plants can be protected from midday sun. Lemon balm prefers a fertile, moist soil in a cooler part of the garden. Plants grown in partial shade will be larger and more succulent than those exposed to full sun.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick leaves throughout the summer for fresh use. The aroma is rapidly lost when dried or stored.

Approx: 410 Seeds.

Plant Forest Green parsley seeds in your organic herb garden. The plants have short, strong stems that support big clusters of highly curled, dark-green leaves. The flavour is distinctly savoury without being bitter. Parsley adds a subtle, but key flavour to a host of Mediterranean dishes. It is widely used in companion planting because its strong scent repels insects like the Asparagus Beetle. Parsley likes asparagus, carrots, chives, corn, onions, and tomatoes. The leaves can be sprinkled on asparagus to repel asparagus beetles, and around roses, to improve their scent. Let some of your parsley go to bloom to attract hover-flies and predatory wasps.

Parsley is a biennial plant that forms a long (edible) tap root. Choose deep pots for container growing.

How To Grow, Starting:  If starting indoors, sow seeds 1cm deep, in sterilized seed starting mix, in peat pots or plug trays. Like its cousins dill and cilantro, parsley develops a taproot that does better if left undisturbed. Sow outdoors in drills 3cm deep, spaced 8cm apart. Thin final plants to 15cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Grow parsley in a deeply dug bed. Add a generous amount of rotted manure or finished compost to the bed several weeks in advance, or the previous fall. For summer crops, aim to grow plants in a place where they will receive some shade during the day – either on the east or west side of a structure or fence works well. For winter crops, start new seeds in late summer and transplant out to a warm, sunny location by September. Parsley will grow all winter (in mild areas) if cloche protection is provided.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Cut individual sprigs from the outside of the plant or the whole plant as needed. Sprigs can be dried in the food dehydrator. Chop sprigs into the portions that your favourite recipes call for, place into an ice cube tray and add water to cover. When frozen, bag and store until needed. This keeps the parsley fresh for months.

Approx: 1030 Seeds.

Sow chive seeds at any time of year. Hardy, perennial, and easy to grow, the chopped stems and pink flowers add a fresh, mild green onion flavour to sandwiches, salads and baked potatoes. Clumps can be divided in spring or fall. If grown in containers, divide frequently enough to provide for constant lateral growth. Chives are surprisingly hardy and can be harvested all winter if given some protection from extreme cold. They are also quite drought tolerant, so they’re good candidates for xeriscaping. The edible flowers are highly attractive to bumblebees, hoverflies, and other beneficial garden insects.

How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors from late winter through mid-spring, and transplant or direct sow once the soil has warmed in late spring. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 19°C.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 5mm-1cm deep and keep moist until germination. If starting indoors, use bottom heat and plant 10-15 seeds per cell in a 72 cell plug tray. Transplant either into containers or into the garden once the soil has warmed up. Space clumps 15cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Clumps of chives spread to about 30cm across. They should be divided at that point and replanted to stand 30cm apart or broken up for container planting. Remove flower stems before they open to increase foliage production. Keep chives watered evenly throughout the season. For a winter crop, try digging up a small clump after the foliage dies back in the fall. Plant this in a container using loamy potting mix, and bring indoors to a warm, and very bright windowsill.

How To Grow, Harvest:  The whole plant can be cut down to 4cm from the ground. Use scissors and take as much as needed. Chives don’t dehydrate well, so use fresh portions regularly. The flowers can be used in salads or to flavour vinegars.

Approx: 760 Seeds

Dukat dill seeds produce dill with a particularly fine bouquet and flavour. The darker-than-usual leaves are excellent fresh or dried. Dukat has exceptionally large seed heads. Dukat is the variety to grow for homemade dill pickles, and can be grown in a large container in full sun. This dill stays relatively short at 45-60cm.

The structure of dill’s flowers is known as an umbel. Thus dill is considered an umbelliferous plant. Other umbellifers include carrots, cilantro, fennel, parsnips, and Ammi. All of these plants are attractive to predatory insects such as lady beetles, Syrphid flies (hover-flies), lacewings, and tiny parasitoid wasps. West Coast Seeds encourages organic gardeners to grow dill precisely to attract these beneficial insects, for they will control pest insects like aphids, thrips, whitefly, and the caterpillar of the Small White Butterfly (cabbage moth).

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow late spring through summer, or sow when cucumbers are transplanted, to coincide maturity for pickling. Dill tends to bolt if transplanted, so it is best direct sown. Stagger the harvest by sowing every 2-3 weeks for a constant supply of fresh leaves. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 15-21°C. Seeds should germinate in 10-21 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Dill seeds need some light to germinate. Sow seeds no more than 5mm deep in rows 45cm apart. Thin the plants to stand at least 15cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 5.0-7.0.  Grow in moderately rich soil in full sun. Water and feed regularly, and stop any overhead watering once plants are 60cm tall to prevent issues with mildew forming on the leaves.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Begin harvesting the tasty leaves once plants reach 15cm tall. About 12 weeks after sprouting the seed heads begin to form. When the first seeds have turned brown, cut the whole head and hang it upside down for the drying seeds to fall out into trays or paper bags. Dill leaf loses most of its flavour when dried, so freeze it in ice cube trays filled with water for use all winter.

Approx: 510 Seeds.

Cymbopogon flexuosus. Lemongrass is a tropical plant from the grass family (Poaceae) that will grow well in temperate regions if given the right conditions. Sow Lemongrass seeds indoors in late winter using bottom heat or a seedling heat mat. Maintain moist conditions and a temperature around 21°C, and the seeds will germinate in 5 to 21 days. Be sure to use sterilized seed starting mix, and either a clear dome over your seedling tray, or sealed into a plastic bag to maintain moisture. Transplant outdoors or into containers in full sun once the weather has warmed up in early summer. At the end of summer move container plants into a frost free environment with good air circulation. Reduce watering to almost none, making the soil barely moist once a week.

When using Lemongrass in the kitchen, remove any loose, outer layers. Either use whole pieces, crushed slightly with a pestle or under the back of your cleaver, or slice sections very thinly in cross section. This will help break up the strong fibres of the grass stalks.  Tender perennial.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow seeds indoors in late winter. Transplant outdoors only when night time temperatures are steadily above 10°C.

How To Grow, Starting:  Press the seeds gently 5mm into pre-moistened, sterilized seed starting mix. Use seedling trays with plastic domes, or containers sealed inside large plastic bags. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 21°C. Keep seed trays or containers in a dark room or cupboard. Seeds should germinate in 5 to 21 days. The trick is to maintain a moist, not wet, environment. Once seedlings appear, remove the dome or plastic bag, and move them into full sun or beneath strong, full spectrum, artificial light.

How To Grow, Growing:  Harden seedlings off in early summer by gradually exposing them to full sun and cooler temperatures. Transplant individual seedlings into 5 gallon (or larger) containers, and apply high nitrogen organic fertilizer like Alfalfa Meal or Blood Meal at the time of transplanting. Just mix 1/2 cup into the soil before transplanting. Keep the soil relatively moist throughout the growing period, watering at least 2 or 3 times a week – more in hot weather.

At the end of the growing season, once night time temperatures begin to approach 10°C, cut back lemongrass plants to 15-20cm tall, reduce watering, and discontinue feeding. Move plants to a bright, airy spot, protected from frost. Water only enough to keep the soil barely moist to nearly dry. If plants seem congested, consider dividing them into clumps in early spring, and potting them on. Resume watering and feeding once spring growth appears.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Use secateurs to snip whole stalks from the base of the plant as needed. Stalks should be at least 15mm thick before picking. Lemongrass dries well for use as a tea, and whole stalk segments can be bundled and frozen for use in soups and curry paste all winter long.

Approx: 240 Seeds.

Perilla frutescens var. crispa. Green Perilla shiso seeds make a wonderful addition to any herb garden. This profoundly flavourful culinary herb is used across south and east Asia, and has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Relatively unfamiliar to many Western gardeners and cooks, its distinctive, broad, round leaves combine with Thai basil, cilantro, mint, and other powerful leafy herbs. This hardy annual can grows to 60cm (24) tall. Shiso is a heat loving plant that thrives in summer as basil does, in well drained soil in full sun. Pick leaves as needed in summer, and then harvest the flowering tops in late summer. Harvest the open pollinated seeds in early fall for planting the next year.

How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors in early spring, a couple of weeks after the last frost date, or direct sow outdoors in late spring, once night time temperatures are steadily above 8°C (45°F).

How To Grow, Starting:  If starting indoors, use equal parts sterilized seed starting mix to perlite. Mix well and add to seed trays with domes. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 20°C (70°F). Seeds should germinate in 7 to 14 days. Be careful not to over-water, particularly once seeds have germinated, as the seedlings are prone to damping off. Remove the dome at germination, but maintain bottom heat until seedlings are large enough to pot on into larger containers.

Alternatively, direct sow outdoors into well-drained garden soil. Seeds should germinate in 14 to 20 days.

How To Grow, Growing:  hiso does best in full sun to partial shade, in fertile, well-drained soil. Allow transplants to become established, and then grow as you would basil — pinch growing tips regularly to produce bushier plants with more leaves. Water regularly, more so in hot weather. If growing in containers, mix equal parts potting soil and composted fine bark. Orchid bark works well.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick leaves as needed throughout the summer, and harvest the flowering tops in late summer. As autumn approaches, harvest the seeds for planting next spring.

Approx: 350 Seeds.

Satureja hortensis. This delicate, aromatic little plant grows quickly in rich soil. Used in bean, pea and lentil recipes, summer savory has a more delicate flavour than winter savory. Sow Summer Savory seeds in the spring. After flowering, pull it up and hang to dry. Let a few plants go to seed, and it should come back the following year. This herb grows to 25cm (10″) tall.

This is the better known savory – it is an annual plant as opposed to perennial Winter Savory. Maritime Canadians know and love it, and use it the way sage is used elsewhere. It’s nice with poultry stuffing and stews, and it is a key ingredient in herbes de Provence.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow the very tiny seeds indoors about 4-6 weeks before the last frost. They should sprout in 10-15 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds on the surface of prepared starting mix. Do not bury them as they need light to germinate. Don’t bother using bottom heat, as the seeds will sprout well without it. When seedlings are large enough to handle, delicately pot them on or transplant out to the herb garden once all risk of frost is past. Both varieties benefit from careful hardening off to reduce transplant shock.

Approx 1400 Seeds

Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora. Siam Queen Thai basil seeds are the authentic heirloom basil variety that is native to southeast Asia. Known as horapha in Thai, and húng quế in Vietnamese. Highly regarded for its distinctive, spicy flavour. Vigorous, highly ornamental plants with purple stalks and flowers that open to pink, providing a nice contrast to its dark green leaves. This variety is particularly productive in hot weather or in a greenhouse, and will thrive in the Okanagan and in southern Ontario. It performs well in containers, but don’t let it dry out. Pick young shoots regularly to extend the harvest.

Siam Queen Thai Basil seeds produce plants that are perfect for soups, stir-fries, and spicy cuisine.

How To Grow, Timing:  Basil grows well in containers indoors at any time of year provided you can supply enough light. For outdoor growing, sow basil seeds throughout late spring for transplanting to the garden after the summer solstice. Or direct sow in early summer, once the soil has warmed up. Basil requires warm soil and full sun. Optimal temperature for germination: 21°C. Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 1cm deep in sterilized seed starting mix. Basil is prone to damping off, so once seeds sprout, make sure they are adequately ventilated, and kept under very bright light. Thin to 20-25cm apart. Using bottom heat speeds germination.

How To Grow, Growing:  Use any rich, loose, well drained soil. Once plants are 15cm tall, pinch out the growing tips to encourage really bushy growth prior to harvest. Watch for signs of flower buds forming in mid-summer, and pinch these off to promote more foliage.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Frequent harvesting will prolong the life of the plant. Basil leaves have the best flavour just before the plant flowers, and if you plan to preserve some of your basil or make a big batch of pesto, this is the best time to harvest. Flowering can be delayed by pinching or clipping off new flower buds.

Tear basil rather than chop with a knife because chopping tends to bruise the leaves. Add basil to food just before serving so as to get the full aroma and effect. Cooking for any length tends to make the minty side of basil come to the forefront.

Basil is best fresh, but can be preserved by drying or by freezing. To freeze, tear the leaves into small pieces and freeze small batches of them, with water, in ice cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes can be saved in zip-lock type bags and labeled for later use. This will preserve the fresh flavour of basil for up to four months.

Approx 370 Seeds.

Kitchen Basil Blend seeds combines three unique basil varieties with green and purple leaves for use in the kitchen. The Blend includes basil with large, smooth leaves that are suitable for pestos, pastas and salads, and also more pungent varieties to make vinegars and herbal teas. Basil flowers are also edible so add them to your dishes too! Basil also makes sensational microgreens – they take a little while to germinate but are worth the wait for the gourmet flavour. This Kitchen Blend can be grown on the windowsill, in the garden or in containers on the patio. All types of basil enjoy warm, freely draining soil and lots of moisture in summer heat.

How To Grow, Timing:  Basil grows well in containers indoors at any time of year provided you can supply enough light. For outdoor growing, sow basil seeds throughout late spring for transplanting to the garden after the summer solstice. Or direct sow in early summer, once the soil has warmed up. Basil requires warm soil and full sun. Optimal temperature for germination: 21°C. Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 1cm deep in sterilized seed starting mix. Basil is prone to damping off, so once seeds sprout, make sure they are adequately ventilated, and kept under very bright light. Thin to 20-25cm apart. Using bottom heat speeds germination.

How To Grow, Growing:  Use any rich, loose, well drained soil. Once plants are 15cm tall, pinch out the growing tips to encourage really bushy growth prior to harvest. Watch for signs of flower buds forming in mid-summer, and pinch these off to promote more foliage.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Frequent harvesting will prolong the life of the plant. Basil leaves have the best flavour just before the plant flowers, and if you plan to preserve some of your basil or make a big batch of pesto, this is the best time to harvest. Flowering can be delayed by pinching or clipping off new flower buds.

Tear basil rather than chop with a knife because chopping tends to bruise the leaves. Add basil to food just before serving so as to get the full aroma and effect. Cooking for any length tends to make the minty side of basil come to the forefront.

Basil is best fresh, but can be preserved by drying or by freezing. To freeze, tear the leaves into small pieces and freeze small batches of them, with water, in ice cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes can be saved in zip-lock type bags and labeled for later use. This will preserve the fresh flavour of basil for up to four months.