Herb Seeds

Astro arugula seeds produce plants with leaves that are less lobed and more strap-like. Its mild flavour add depth and sophistication to any salad. Astro is perfect for baby greens in early spring and fall – even in winter, as it’s very cold hardy. Baby greens are ready to cut in only 21 days. Arugula is very well suited to microgreen growing. As microgreens it is delicious and tender, strongly flavoured, but delicate on the palate. With a nutty, spicy taste that is sometimes pungent or peppery, arugula really perks up salads, sandwiches, and even pizza. It is very cold hardy, and has a milder flavour when grown in cool weather. It is high in vitamin A and potassium.

How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow every 3 weeks from mid-March to April and again in September for a fall/winter crop. Arugula is a productive, cool season, annual salad green that works best in spring and fall, and can be managed all winter under cloche protection where winters are mild. In hot weather, arugula tends to bolt and go to seed. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 4-12°C.

How To Grow, Seeding:  Sow no more than 5mm deep in well drained soil in full sun. Thin seedlings to 10-15cm apart in rows 45-60cm apart. Overcrowded plants will bolt earlier.
Seeds germinate in 4-8 days.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.5-7.0.  In optimum conditions at least 75% of seeds will germinate. Keep moist until germinated and then just keep the area weeded.

Matures in 30-40 days

Approx 490 seeds.

Fragaria vesca. Yellow Wonder Alpine strawberry seeds are a bit easier to start than some others. Start the seeds indoors as early as December, and transplant outdoors one week after your last average frost date. That’s around the first or second week in April. With this kind of head start, the plants will produce fruit in the first year. Yellow Wonder has the lovely oblong shape of alpine types, but with yellow skin and flesh and incredible sweetness. The plants are low growing, but very productive, even in containers. The seeds can also be sown later in the year, but plan on harvesting berries from the second year of growth forward.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors in the winter. An earlier start may result in berries the first year. Start any time between December and the beginning of February. After that time, they will still produce plants, but berries may not be produced during the first season. Transplant out at least 3 weeks after last frost. Strawberry seeds will germinate at any time of the year if some simple steps are taken.

How To Grow, Starting:  Germination is the trickiest aspect to growing strawberries. Be patient, and try the tricks below.

Tuck strawberry seed packet inside a sealed plastic bag or airtight container and place in the refrigerator freezer (not deep freeze) for 3-4 weeks. After removing the bag or container, do not break the seal until it (and its living contents) have reached room temperature. This may take several hours. Err on the side of caution. Opening the package too quickly may result in water condensing on the cold seeds, and this will reduce your chances of success.

Once the sealed package has “thawed” to room temperature, the seeds are ready to plant. Sow the seeds on the surface of pre-moistened, sterilized seed starting mix in trays or small containers. Place these on a piece of felt or other thick cloth that has its end sitting in water. The idea is to wick up water from below so that the seedling medium stays constantly and evenly damp until germination.

An alternative method is to sow strawberry seeds on the surface of moistened soil in a germination tray (or in small pots). Tuck the tray or pots inside a sealed plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

Move the seeded trays under bright fluorescent lights at a constant temperature of 18-24°C. Seedling heat mats work very well. Germination may take anywhere from 7 days to 6 weeks: Be patient. Once germination occurs, increase ventilation around the plants to prevent damping off.

Once the seedlings develop their third true leaf, they can be gently transplanted into their own pots. Be sure to harden strawberry seedlings off carefully and gradually before transplanting outside.

How To Grow, Growing:  Space transplants 60cm apart in rows 90-120cm apart. Ever-bearing varieties (such as ours) tend to produce fewer runners, and may produce more fruit if the runners are removed. In the first year of growth, it may be preferable to encourage runners, and let them fill in the spaces between transplants with new offspring plants.

Grow strawberries in a well-drained, sandy loam that has been generously dug with organic matter such as finished compost or well-rotted manure. Dig ¼ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Keep soil moist, but not soggy. A mulch of straw around plants may help prevent the soil from drying out.

Matures in 150 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)