Herb Seeds

A unique wild arugula, Wasabi’s leaves taste just like the complex, spicy flavor of freshly made wasabi paste. These delicious little plants grow quickly and easily, forming pretty leafy rosettes. More weather tolerant than other varieties, you can harvest whole plants or pick individual piquant leaves for zesty accents to everyday meals. When plants send up flower stalks, the little white blossoms are edible; use both leaves and flowers in salads, sandwiches, sushi, pasta and barbecue.

Approx: 1000 Seeds.

ANNUAL

Spring/summer/fall harvest
Frost hardy

EASIEST TO START OUTDOORS

Plant in spring (or late summer for a fall crop) directly into the garden in well-worked soil in full sun, or a spot that receives partial afternoon shade. Sow 1 inch apart and barely cover.

Keep the seed bed evenly moist until seedlings emerge in 10 to 12 days. Begin harvesting individual young leaves in 4 to 5 weeks. In hot summer areas, wait to sow again in late summer for fall use, as extreme heat makes leaves extra pungent.

GROWING NOTES

Harvest early by thinning seedlings to use in salads when they are several inches tall, leaving remaining seedlings to grow to maturity 4 to 5 inches apart. Pick individual leaves when they are 3 to 4 inches long, or snip each whole leafy rosette about 1 inch above the crown and let plants regrow for extended harvests. This long-lasting arugula stays leafy so you can use it all season. Pick the little edible flower stalks of dainty white blossoms off the plants to keep seed heads from forming as this diminishes leaf quality.

Chervil’s lacy leaves are finely cut and light green, as delicate and dainty as their flavor is subtle. This classic herb is essential in French “fines herbes” mixtures and used as a tarragon substitute. Chervil has a refined taste reminiscent of anise and parsley, delicious in salads or to highlight sauces, sautés and soups. Hard to find in U.S. markets, chervil is an important herb for kitchen gardeners to grow – its special flavor rewards your efforts many times over. Our imported seed is the best French variety.

Approx: 900 Seeds.

Non GMO

ANNUAL

Spring/summer/fall harvest
Takes light frost

EASIEST TO START OUTDOORS

Start chervil in early spring when weather is settled but still cool. Plant in filtered sun or light shade if climate is very hot. Sow seeds 1 to 2 inches apart in a well-worked fertile seed bed. Cover very lightly and keep evenly moist while awaiting germination. Sow again for a fall crop when weather cools in late summer or early fall.

 

THIN OR TRANSPLANT

Thin seedlings to stand 4 inches apart when they are large enough to handle.

 

GROWING NOTES

Chervil needs rich moist soil and ample moisture for lush growth. Thin early and keep well weeded and watered. Begin to harvest leaves sparingly once plants have 8 to 10 leaves. Fertilize every 2 to 3 weeks with a high nitrogen source or liquid fish emulsion solution. Because chervil goes to seed quickly in hot weather, the best way to have a good supply is to make successive sowings until the weather gets too hot, then plant again as summer begins to cool for fall harvest. Enjoy fresh as chervil does not hold its flavor when dried. Use the leafy sprigs in salads or add to hot dishes at the end of cooking to preserve chervil’s delicate flavor.

Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum. Greek oregano seeds offer the best, most pungently flavoured oregano leaves for cooking. Plants are very hardy when established and impart a wonderful wild mountain aroma in the garden with their tiny white or pink flowers. Bees adore oregano when it is in bloom. Germination may be slow, so be patient. Oregano is one of the best herbs for drying because it maintains a strong flavour for months after harvest. Pick and dry whole stalks or whole plants – hang them upside down in an airy place out of direct sunlight. Once the plants are completely dry, they can be stored in open plastic bags. Otherwise, pull off the leaves and store them in sealed jars.

Greek oregano pairs brilliantly with meats, eggs, and roasted vegetables like zucchini and eggplant.

How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors in plug trays from late winter to mid-spring. Starting indoors is more reliable than direct sowing. Use bottom heat to achieve a constant soil temperature of 15°C for best results. Germination occurs in 7 to 14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Oregano seeds are dust-like, so handle them with care. Prepare containers or plug trays using sterilized seed starting mix, and water the soil. Then try to evenly distribute the tiny seeds on the surface of the soil. Do not bury them. Using bottom heat will improve the overall success rate. As seedlings grow, keep soil on the dry side. Pot on as necessary or transplant to the garden in late spring to early summer.

How To Grow, Growing:  Grow in a sunny and warm spot. Aim for 25cm between plants. Cut plants back after flowering to prevent them from getting straggly. As autumn approaches, divide some to bring inside over winter. Cut back the year’s growth to about 6cm from the soil.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick the leaves throughout the season as needed. Oregano leaves can be dried or frozen. Store dried leaves or whole stalks in air tight containers away from bright light.

Approx: 228 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.

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

Mentha x piperata. Hot, rich mint aroma issues from the crushed or dried leaves of this spreading perennial plant. Consider growing Peppermint seeds in containers, as it will become hard to control over the years. Both the leaves and flowers can be dried for teas or use in stews and sauces. Peppermint grows well in moist soil in full sun to heavy shade. Mint flowers are edible, and highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. Mint plants spread by an ever-expanding rhizome that grows parallel with the soil. Along its length, new stems emerge with new leaves and flowers. This is why many gardeners prefer to grow mint in containers than in the open soil.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, or direct sow in late spring. Seeds should sprout in 10-16 days. Bottom heat will speed germination.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds no more than 5mm (¼”) deep in moist soil. Space plants 45-60cm (18-24″) apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Mint spreads in the garden with gusto via a vigorous root system, so it may be preferable to confine it to planters on the balcony or in a raised bed. Prune plants back hard in early summer to promote good top growth. Bring some inside to grow in a small container over winter to grow on a brightly lit windowsill.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Clip leaves or branches as needed throughout the year. Mint is so hardy and tough that it will grow right back. Dry the leaves and flowers for peppermint tea, or use them fresh. The flowers are edible and bring distinctive character to salads and sweets.

Approx: 990 Seeds.

Sweet Basil seeds produce vigorous plants that grow big, mid-green leaves all summer long. Keep picking the growing tips and the 2 pairs of leaves below them for the kitchen. More branches sprout more leaves. Sweet basil is a large-leaved Italian type that is glorious for pesto. Plant Sweet Basil seeds several times for a continuous supply until frost. Grow one on a warm and sunny windowsill through the winter, or try it as microgreens for a tasty and aromatic garnish. This basil makes excellent pesto, and it’s extremely easy to grow. Just supply good drainage and lots of sunshine.

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.