Vegetable Seeds

Our blend of new lettuces is selected for exceptional heat tolerance, striking ornamental beauty and wonderful flavor. Dutch Redina has loose-leaf rosettes with ruffled ruby leaves tapering to speckled green centers. Batavian Nevada’s broad heads of shiny rich green leaves are known for their sweet taste and juicy texture. Stunning French Cardinale has large vase shaped heads of crispy-sweet leaves with gorgeous burgundy edges and green hearts. Plant this summer bouquet to please your eye and palate.

Equal parts: Redina, Nevada, Cardinale

Approx: 600 Seeds.

Non GMO

START SEEDS OUTDOORS

In cool early spring weather, start seeds in finely worked soil in full sun. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows 6 to 8 inches apart or broadcast thinly in beds and cover lightly. Tend carefully and keep evenly moist. Gradually thin seedlings to stand 10 to 12 inches apart to allow heads room to mature. Make several sowings a few weeks apart until summer weather turns hot for a constantly maturing supply. Plant again in late summer for fall harvesting.

GROWING NOTES

Lettuce thrives in cool conditions with consistent moisture. Weed, water and thin carefully for best quality heads. If birds are attracted to young seedlings, cover them with floating row covers or netting.

HARVEST AND USE

Savor early young thinnings in your first spring salads. Then harvest plants either by picking outside leaves after plants are well established or by cutting mature heads. To extend the lettuce season into hotter weather, sow seeds indoors with a strong light source, or outside in containers in light shade. Transplant young seedlings into the garden, shading for a few days. Harvest while still young for best flavor. Pull and discard or compost over-mature plants if they begin to elongate (“bolt”) and get bitter in hot weather.

This centuries-old French heirloom bibb lettuce has big heads of radiant color with beautiful ruby-red leaves that surround tightly folded green hearts. Marveille is a visual treat that is wonderfully ornamental in the garden. This cherished favorite of many generations will please your palate with large heavy rosettes of crispy, fine-flavored leaves. We import our selected cultivar of Marveille from Europe, because it reliably produces an abundance of big, heavy heads with a particularly lovely color, form and flavor.

Approx: 1050 Seeds.

Non GMO

START SEEDS OUTDOORS

In cool early spring weather, start seeds in finely worked soil in full sun. Sow 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows 6 to 8 inches apart and cover lightly. Tend carefully and keep evenly moist. Gradually thin seedlings out by cutting them with scissors, leaving remaining plants to stand 12 inches apart so heads have room to fully size up and mature. For a constant supply, make several sowings a few weeks apart until summer weather turns hot. Plant again in late summer for fall harvest.

GROWING NOTES

Lettuce thrives in cool conditions with consistent moisture. Weed, water and thin carefully for best quality heads. If birds are attracted to the young seedlings, cover them with floating row covers or netting.

HARVEST AND USE

Savor young thinnings in your first spring salads. Then harvest plants by cutting mature heads when they feel firm and well-filled out. Be sure to thin properly and keep evenly moist for sweet tasting, full heads. Pull and discard or compost over-mature plants if they begin to elongate (“bolt”) in hot weather as leaves turn bitter at this stage.

We’ve blended seeds for an emerald-green baby butterhead with softly folded leaf rosettes together with a lovely, deep-red, ruffled and crispy mini leaf lettuce. This glowing duet makes a beautiful tapestry of contrasting colors, textures and shapes. Both heat tolerant varieties make compact 5 to 6 inch heads at maturity. A feast for the eye and scrumptious to eat over a long harvest period, this duet is pretty as a picture in the garden or in big pots on a patio or deck.

Approx: 640 Seeds.

Non GMO

START SEEDS OUTDOORS

In cool spring weather, start seeds in full sun. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in fertile, well-drained soil mix. After the seedlings germinate and begin to grow, it’s important to thin the young plants so they have room to mature into heads. Thin seedlings when a few inches tall to a final spacing of 5 inches apart so they have room to mature to full heads (extra seedlings will transplant easily to grow elsewhere). Plan on 9-11 full heads in a 16-18 inch pot or a 9 x 12 inch windowbox. Plan on 3 full heads in an 8 inch pot.

GROWING NOTES

Lettuce thrives in cool conditions. Be sure to thin properly and keep evenly moist for sweet tasting, full heads. For a constant supply, make several sowings a few weeks apart until summer weather turns hot.

Plant again in late summer for fall harvest. In hot weather, give lettuce some afternoon shade and check water daily. Feed with liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks. Try setting seedlings around the edges of a big pot holding a young tomato or pepper plant. Harvest the lettuce as the bigger plant grows to need the space.

HARVEST AND USE

Savor young lettuce thinnings in your first spring salads. Then harvest plants by cutting mature heads when they feel firm and well-filled. Pull over-mature plants if they begin to elongate (“bolt”) in hot weather, as leaves turn bitter at this stage.

Our mixed seed packet offers an easy way to grow 3 different colored, extra-fancy zucchinis. Plump pastel green Salman is creamy and tender stuffed or baked; glossy dark green Twilight is sweet and succulent steamed or sautéed, and the buttercup yellow fruits of Golden Delight are delicate and nutty.

Seeds are color coded with USDA food grade stain to distinguish varieties. Be sure to plant some of each for show stopping harvests.

Pink seed = Salman F-1
Undyed seed = Golden Delight F-1
Green seed = Twilight F-1

Approx: 15 Seeds.

Non GMO

START SEEDS OUTDOORS

Zucchinis need full sun, rich fertile soil and warm temperatures. Plant only when spring weather is warm and night temperatures stay above 10°C. Sow 2 to 3 seeds, 1 inch deep, every 2 feet, in rows 3 feet apart. Thin to leave only 1 seedling every 2 feet. Or, plant in slightly mounded hills, 2 feet in diameter, sowing 5 or 6 seeds in each hill. Thin hill-planted seedlings to 2 or 3 strongest plants.

GROWING NOTES

Amend soil well before sowing with lots of aged manure or compost. Protect young seedlings from marauding birds by covering with plastic berry baskets at planting time, removing when plants get crowded. Be sure to thin properly — you will have more productive, disease-free plants if seedlings have enough room to mature.

HARVEST AND USE

Harvest zucchini when no more than 5 to 6 inches long for best flavor and tenderness. Frequent harvesting keeps plants producing tasty new fruits instead of maturing fat, tough, huge ones. Steam, stirfry or grill sliced zucchinis and sprinkle with fresh parsley, dill, basil or thyme. Try the tasty blossoms sautéed or stuffed and baked. Heap a platter with spears of all 3 colored zucchinis picked at baby size and serve with your favorite dip for nutty tasting, crunchy appetizers or snacks.

ur mixed seed packet offers you an easy way to grow three different colored sweet bell peppers. Cougar Red ripens up deep crimson-red, Tabby turns glossy golden yellow and Oreny matures glowing orange. These plump vigorous varieties combine mouth-watering rich flavor and juicy texture with high yields and excellent disease resistance.

Seeds are color coded with USDA food grade stain to distinguish varieties; make sure to plant some of each.

Undyed seed = Tabby F1 Golden Bell (TMV & PVY resistant, Stip tolerant)
Green seed = Cougar Red F1 Red Bell (TMV & TEV resistant)
Pink seed = Oreny Orange F1 Bell (TMV resistant, Stip tolerant)

Approx: 17 Seeds.

Non GMO

STARTING SEEDLINGS

In early spring, start indoors about 2 months before outdoor night temps are reliably in the 10-13°C range. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in a container of starting mix. Keep moist but not soggy, and very warm, 27- 29°C. Provide a strong light source until seedlings are ready to plant outside.

When seedlings are 2 inches tall, transplant 2 inches apart into deeper containers or individual pots. Maintain at 21-24°C. Feed with half-strength fertilizer every 2 weeks until weather is warm enough to gradually acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions. Plant out 2 1/2 feet apart into rich soil in full sun.

GROWING NOTES

Don’t plant peppers outdoors until night temperatures are above 13°C. Prepare soil with aged manure or compost. Plant only robust seedlings with well-developed roots. Mulch plants to maintain even soil moisture. Stake or cage your plants to help support their heavy fruit set.

HARVEST AND USE

Ready to pick in late summer, pepper fruits start out green and ripen up to rich red, orange or golden yellow, depending upon variety. Edible at any stage, glossy, fully colored fruits have the best flavor and are high in vitamins A and C. Carefully cut rather than pull peppers from plants. Enjoy these pretty peppers sliced up raw, sautéed, stir fried or grilled.

Little Hero is perfect for growing in containers and small spaces with crunchy-sweet leaves that are easy to harvest at baby size for scrumptious fresh spinach salads. The crisp, but tender-textured smooth leaves have a mild, nutty flavor with no metallic overtones. Plan on going right into the garden with your salad bowl to pick the deep green oval leaves at their fresh flavor peak. This vigorous and fast-growing spinach is highly ornamental in containers.

Approx: 400 Seeds.

Non GMO

CONTAINER PLANTING

Plant in early spring when danger of hard frost is over. Use a pot at least 15-18 in. in diameter and 12 in. deep, and start with fresh potting mix. Sow seeds 2 in. apart or simply broadcast seeds thinly, aiming for 2 in. spacing. Cover with 1/2 inch of potting mix and firm soil well over seeds. If first sowing germinates unevenly, plant more seed as seedlings will catch up fast.

GROWING NOTES

Birds love tender young seedlings, so protect as necessary with netting or floating row cover. Sow again in late summer for a fall crop. Keep spinach well watered and weeded and fertilize every few weeks and especially after harvesting.

HARVEST AND USE

To harvest by the “cut and come again” method: when plants are 4 to 5 in. tall, cut as much as you need, by using scissors to shear off leaves 1 to 2 in. above the soil level. Water well and fertilize lightly and plants will regrow for several more cuttings. Little Hero’s tender, baby leaves are delicious in fresh salads with additions like thinly sliced sweet onions, sliced radishes, thin wedges of apple or orange, toasted nuts, chopped scallions, crispy bacon bits, hard-cooked egg quarters and grated cheese. Or stirfry, braise or sauté very quickly for healthy, tasty greens.

These heavy, thick-walled, cone-shaped little peppers have a crunchy texture and sweet flavor with an occasional bit of mild spice to savor. Try the crisp, juicy, 3 1/2 inch peppers sliced up to top pizza, added to fresh salads, grilled to succulence on the BBQ or just eat them out of hand like an apple — they are that good! Pizza My Heart pepper plants are compact and produce early, prolific harvests — perfect for containers or in garden beds.

Approx: 20 Seeds.

STARTING SEEDLINGS

Start indoors 8 weeks before outdoor night temperatures reach 13°C. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in a container of seed starting mix. Keep moist but not soggy, and very warm 27°C. Provide a strong light source until seedlings are ready to plant outside. When seedlings are 2-3 inches tall, transplant into 4 inch pots. Keep at 18-21°C. Feed with half-strength liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks.

When night temperatures reach 13°C, acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions. If planting in garden beds, space 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart in rich soil in full sun.

CONTAINER GROWING

Transplant each plant into a pot at least 15 inches tall and deep. Using fresh potting mix prevents soil borne diseases. Fertilize twice per month for best plants and yields.

GROWING NOTES

Peppers need full sun at least 6 hours per day. Mulch well to maintain even moisture. Provide short stakes or cages to support heavy sets of ripening fruit. Check containers often and water regularly; when plants begin setting fruit they may require daily watering.

HARVEST AND USE

Harvest when peppers have ripened to red. Cut rather than pull peppers from plants. Enjoy them sliced up raw, sautéed, stir-fried, grilled or piled on pizza. Discard all pith and seeds to avoid even a hint of heat.

Black Bellota is a large acorn producing high yields of 1kg deeply ribbed fruit on semi-bush plants. Uniform, dark green, almost black squash have high quality, orange flesh with a mildly sweet, nutty flavour. Intermediate resistance to powdery mildew.

82 Days.

Approx: 10 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow or transplant in late spring once the soil is warm. For transplants, start seeds indoors during the first two weeks of May. Optimal soil temperature: 25-35°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 2cm deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot where you want a plant to grow, and thin to the strongest plant. Space summer squash 45-60cm apart in rows 90-120cm apart. Give winter squash and pumpkins even more room with a minimum of 90-120cm apart in rows 120-180cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer worked into the soil beneath each plant. All squash grow male flowers first, at later female flowers. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of their petals and require pollination by bees mostly. Incomplete pollination often happens at the beginning of the season, and results in misshapen fruits that are withered at the blossom end. Just discard these damaged fruits before they begin to rot. Encourage bees to visit the garden by growing Phacelia, sunflowers, or buckwheat for improved pollination.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Summer Squash: Pick when small, if fruit gets big the plant stops producing. Check the plants regularly.  Winter Squash:  Fruit is ripe if your thumbnail doesn’t mark the skin and the stem is dry and brown. Cut the stem about 4cm from the fruit. Squash survive a light frost, but store better if harvested before frost.

How To Grow, Pests and Diseases:  Bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila) – Remove and destroy infested plants. If striped or spotted cucumber beetles appear, control as early as possible. Powdery mildew – avoid wetting foliage if possible. Water early in the day so that above ground parts of the plants dry as quickly as possible. Avoid crowding plants and eliminate weeds around plants and garden area to improve air circulation. Viral disease – remove and destroy entire infested plant along with immediately surrounding soil and soil clinging to roots.

How To Grow, Companion Planting:  Companions: corn, lettuce, melons, peas, and radish. Avoid planting squash near Brassicas or potatoes. Borage is said to improve the growth and flavour of squash. Marigolds and nasturtium repel numerous squash pest insects.

Match is an all-season corn salad that can be grown throughout the year if soil temperature is below 22°C. It’s upright habit means an easy harvest of the whole, petite plants for fresh salads. Slower growing than Frost during the winter.

40 Days.

Approx: 460 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow corn salad in early spring and again in September for fall and winter harvests. Ideal temperature: 5-18°C. Seeds sprout best in cool, moist soil. Seeds germinate in 7-21 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3 seeds per inch 1cm deep in rows 30cm apart. Thin to 5cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Grow in light, fertile soil with a pH range of 6.5-7.0. Corn salad grows best on fertilizer remaining in the bed after summer crops have been harvested, so it’s perfect for following any crop that ends in September, like bush beans or lettuce. Try filling a raised bed with corn salad for fall & winter harvests: Fifty feet of planted row will provide a big bowl of tender leaves harvested once a week.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Delicately bunch small groups of leaves together and cut with a sharp knife 2-5cm above the soil, so the plants can grow back. Or sow very densely, and gradually thin the plants throughout winter, cutting them at the soil line. Corn salad leaves frequently come in contact with soil, so rinse them thoroughly.

A vigorous Japanese scallion with attractive blue-green colour. Fukagawa has fantastic uniformity and boasts excellent performance in hot weather. It can be direct sown spring through mid-summer for a continuous supply of fresh, green onions.

65 Days.

Approx: 450 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Start shallots and storage onions indoors in late winter and early spring, and transplant 2-4 weeks after the last frost date. Overwintering onions need to be started in early summer, and transplanted by the middle of August. Scallions can be direct sown every 3 weeks from two weeks after the last frost date to late summer. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 21-25°C. Seeds will emerge in 6-12 days, depending on conditions.

How To Grow, Starting:  Transplants are preferred for home gardeners. Sow 3 seeds 5mm-1cm deep in each cell of a 72-cell tray. Transplant as a clump, spacing each 15cm apart in rows 45-75cm apart. Scallions can be spaced at 2-5cm apart in rows 15cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 5.5-6.5 (6.0-6.8 for scallions). Fertile and well-drained soil in full sun is essential. Add well-rotted compost and dig ½-1 cup balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each 3m of row. Keep moisture high in the top 20-30cm of soil. Most of the bulb should form on the surface of the soil, so don’t transplant too deeply. Bulb size is dependent on the size of the tops: the bigger the tops, the bigger the bulb. Provide August-planted scallions with the frost protection of a cloche or heavy row cover as the first frost date approaches.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Stop watering in the beginning of August to mature the bulbs in dry soil. After half the tops have fallen, push over the remainder, wait a week and lift the bulbs. Curing is essential for long storage: Spread bulbs out in a single layer in an airy spot out of direct sunlight. Once no more green is visible on any of the leaves, and they are dry and crisp, the onion is cured. If weather is poor, cure indoors. Storage: Keep onions in mesh sacks or hang in braids so they get good ventilation, and hang sacks where air is dry and very cool, but not freezing. Check them regularly and remove any sprouting or rotting onions. Well-cured storage onions should keep until late spring.

How To Grow, Pests and Diseases:  Botrytis blast and downy mildew are common leaf diseases. One starts with white spots and streaks, the other with purple-grey areas on leaves. Leaves wither from the top down and plants die prematurely. Separate the overwintered and spring crops because disease starts in older plants and moves to younger. Avoid overhead watering and plant in open sunny locations. Use lots of compost and practice strict sanitation and crop rotation.

How To Grow, Companion Planting:  The pungent odour of onions repels many pests and also protects nearby garden vegetables. Plant chamomile and summer savory near onions to improve their flavour. Onions also work well alongside beets, Brassicas, carrots, dill, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Don’t plant onions near asparagus, or peas of any kind.

An early maturing red onion with good storage potential of 4-6 months. Cabernet produces medium-large, globe shaped onions that have nice internal colour and mostly single centers. A great choice for regions with a short growing season.

100 Days.

Approx: 50 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Start shallots and storage onions indoors in late winter and early spring, and transplant 2-4 weeks after the last frost date. Overwintering onions need to be started in early summer, and transplanted by the middle of August. Scallions can be direct sown every 3 weeks from two weeks after the last frost date to late summer. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 21-25°C. Seeds will emerge in 6-12 days, depending on conditions.

How To Grow, Starting:  Transplants are preferred for home gardeners. Sow 3 seeds 5mm-1cm deep in each cell of a 72-cell tray. Transplant as a clump, spacing each 15cm apart in rows 45-75cm apart. Scallions can be spaced at 2-5cm apart in rows 15cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 5.5-6.5 (6.0-6.8 for scallions). Fertile and well-drained soil in full sun is essential. Add well-rotted compost and dig ½-1 cup balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each 3m of row. Keep moisture high in the top 20-30cm of soil. Most of the bulb should form on the surface of the soil, so don’t transplant too deeply. Bulb size is dependent on the size of the tops: the bigger the tops, the bigger the bulb. Provide August-planted scallions with the frost protection of a cloche or heavy row cover as the first frost date approaches.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Stop watering in the beginning of August to mature the bulbs in dry soil. After half the tops have fallen, push over the remainder, wait a week and lift the bulbs. Curing is essential for long storage: Spread bulbs out in a single layer in an airy spot out of direct sunlight. Once no more green is visible on any of the leaves, and they are dry and crisp, the onion is cured. If weather is poor, cure indoors. Storage: Keep onions in mesh sacks or hang in braids so they get good ventilation, and hang sacks where air is dry and very cool, but not freezing. Check them regularly and remove any sprouting or rotting onions. Well-cured storage onions should keep until late spring.

How To Grow, Pests and Diseases:  Botrytis blast and downy mildew are common leaf diseases. One starts with white spots and streaks, the other with purple-grey areas on leaves. Leaves wither from the top down and plants die prematurely. Separate the overwintered and spring crops because disease starts in older plants and moves to younger. Avoid overhead watering and plant in open sunny locations. Use lots of compost and practice strict sanitation and crop rotation.

How To Grow, Companion Planting:  The pungent odour of onions repels many pests and also protects nearby garden vegetables. Plant chamomile and summer savory near onions to improve their flavour. Onions also work well alongside beets, Brassicas, carrots, dill, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Don’t plant onions near asparagus, or peas of any kind.

Candy Cane Chocolate Cherry is an improved Candy Cane pepper that retains its stripes when mature. These tasty mini bells are truly unique with their fun stripes that change from light and medium green to red and chocolate. 9cm (3.5”) elongated fruit are tasty at every stage.

72 Days.

Approx: 10 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Peppers need plenty of time to mature before they will bloom and set fruit. Start indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date, and grow under bright lights. Transplant only when weather has really warmed up. Night time low temperatures should be consistently above 12°C before hardening off pepper plants and transplanting outdoors. Soil temperature for germination: 25-29°C. Seeds should sprout in 10 – 21 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow indoors 5mm-1cm deep. Keep soil as warm as possible. Seedling heating mats speed germination. Try to keep seedlings at 18-24°C in the day, and 16-18°C  at night. Before they become root-bound, transplant them into 8cm pots. For greatest possible flower set, try to keep them for 4 weeks at night, about 12°C. Then transplant them into 15cm pots, bringing them into a warm room at night, about 21°C.

How To Grow, Growing:  Soil should have abundant phosphorus and calcium, so add lime and compost to the bed at least three weeks prior to transplanting. Mix ½ cup of balanced organic fertilizer beneath each plant. Though peppers will tolerate dry soil, they will only put on good growth if kept moist. Harden off before planting out 30-60cm apart. Five gallon containers also work well, but require good drainage and regular irrigation. Using plastic mulch with a cloche can increase the temperature by a few degrees. Pinch back growing tips to encourage leaf production. This helps shade the developing fruits and prevents sun-scald in hot summers.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Fruit can be picked once it is firm and has reached desired size, however, sweetness can increase dramatically as the fruit ripens. If you pick the peppers when they are still young/green, the plant will keep producing more fruit. Fruit that sets after late August will not usually develop or ripen. Pull out the entire bush just before the first frost and hang it upside down in a warm, dry place to ripen hot peppers.

How To Grow, Disease and Pests:  To prevent rot and wilt, plant in well-drained soils and follow a strict 4-year crop rotation.  If cutworms are a problem, use paper collars at the plant base. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV): young growth is malformed and leaves are mottled with yellow. To prevent it: wash hands after handling tobacco (including Nicotiana), before touching peppers. Control aphids, which spread the disease.

How To Grow, Companion Planting:  Pepper plants make good neighbours for asparagus, basil, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, oregano, parsley, rosemary, squash, Swiss chard, and tomatoes. Avoid planting them next to beans, Brassicas, or fennel.

A prolific producer of mildly spicy shishitos. Shishimai will bear an abundance of medium-green, 7-9cm (2.5-3.5”) thin-walled peppers that taste delicious sauteed or grilled with some coarse salt. Plants benefit from staking to support the heavy fruit load. Harvest pepper as soon as they size up, while still green, for continuous production through the season.

60 Days.

Approx: 10 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Peppers need plenty of time to mature before they will bloom and set fruit. Start indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date, and grow under bright lights. Transplant only when weather has really warmed up. Night time low temperatures should be consistently above 12°C before hardening off pepper plants and transplanting outdoors. Soil temperature for germination: 25-29°C. Seeds should sprout in 10 – 21 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow indoors 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Keep soil as warm as possible. Seedling heating mats speed germination. Try to keep seedlings at 18-24°C in the day, and 16-18°C  at night. Before they become root-bound, transplant them into 8cm oots. For greatest possible flower set, try to keep them for 4 weeks at night, about 12°C. Then transplant them into 15cm pots, bringing them into a warm room at night, about 21°C.

How To Grow, Growing:  Soil should have abundant phosphorus and calcium, so add lime and compost to the bed at least three weeks prior to transplanting. Mix ½ cup of balanced organic fertilizer beneath each plant. Though peppers will tolerate dry soil, they will only put on good growth if kept moist. Harden off before planting out 30-60cm (12-24″) apart. Five gallon containers also work well, but require good drainage and regular irrigation. Using plastic mulch with a cloche can increase the temperature by a few degrees. Pinch back growing tips to encourage leaf production. This helps shade the developing fruits and prevents sun-scald in hot summers.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Fruit can be picked once it is firm and has reached desired size, however, sweetness can increase dramatically as the fruit ripens. If you pick the peppers when they are still young/green, the plant will keep producing more fruit. Fruit that sets after late August will not usually develop or ripen. Pull out the entire bush just before the first frost and hang it upside down in a warm, dry place to ripen hot peppers.

How To Grow, Disease and Pests:  To prevent rot and wilt, plant in well-drained soils and follow a strict 4-year crop rotation.  If cutworms are a problem, use paper collars at the plant base. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV): young growth is malformed and leaves are mottled with yellow. To prevent it: wash hands after handling tobacco (including Nicotiana), before touching peppers. Control aphids, which spread the disease.

How To Grow, Companion Planting:  Pepper plants make good neighbours for asparagus, basil, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, oregano, parsley, rosemary, squash, Swiss chard, and tomatoes. Avoid planting them next to beans, Brassicas, or fennel.

Red Tah Tsai’s dark purple, oval leaves are complimented by vivid green stems for an equally tasty and attractive addition to salads and braising mixes. Upright growth means the tender plants are easy to harvest as bunches or individual leaves for multiple cuttings.

40 Days.

Approx: 480 Seeds

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow as early as four weeks before the last frost date and continue sowing through early autumn.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 5mm-1cm deep, 3-4 seeds per 2.5cm in rows 10cm apart.  For full, bunch size leaves, thin plant to 5cm apart.  Lettuce greens seeds do not require warm soil to germinate.  Keep moist until established.

How To Grow, Growing:  Nearly any relatively fertile soil in full sin (or even part shade) will suit the mustard family.  They tend to germinate well and grow very quickly.  6.0-6.5 is the ideal PH range.  Treat as cut-and-come again, or allow plants to mature to their full size.  Mustard is quite cold hardy and with frost protection, plants may produce until the following spring.

AKA: Tatsoi or Tat Soi

San Juan is an early maturing Ananas type melon with a good set of 2-2.5kg fruit. Pale creamy yellow flesh is aromatic and very sweet. The netted exterior turns golden yellow at maturity when fruit slips from the vine. Intermediate Resistance to Powdery Mildew and Fusarium Wilt.

75 Days.

Approx: 5 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  It is essential to start seeds indoors or in a greenhouse 4-6 weeks after the last frost date. Transplant when the plants are 5 weeks old. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 20-25°C. Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 1cm deep. Set transplants 60-90cm apart in rows 1.5-2m apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Choose a warm, well-drained soil. Add dolomite lime and compost or well-rotted manure to the bed and ½-1 cup of balanced organic fertilizer beneath each transplant. Melons need warm growing conditions. Use black plastic mulch, cloches, or floating row covers. Success may improve in raised beds. Melons plants require 8-10 weeks of good, hot growing weather from the middle of June to the end of August. During that time, a melon vine must grow 5-9 leaves before starting to flower, then set 4 or more male flowers before making its first female flower, and then ripen its fruit before cool, damp weather sets in. Melons do not ripen off the vine. During the entire growing season, make sure to provide ample water.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Fruit will ripen in late August to early September. Ripe cantaloupe will easily detach from the vine when light finger pressure is applied to the stem. Watermelon is ripe when the tendril nearest to the fruit withers and dries up.

How To Grow, Companion Planting:  Melons are great companions for corn, marigolds, nasturtiums, pumpkin, radish, squash, and sunflowers. Avoid planting near potatoes. Melon leaves are full of calcium, so they’re good for the compost heap.

C. pepo. There’s no question that Jack of All Trades pumpkin seeds are the top choice for farmers producing for the Halloween Jack-o-Lantern market. With only 95 days to maturity, it is the earliest maturing Halloween pumpkin, with as much as 95% grower pack-out rate. The pumpkins are notably uniform at 7-8kg each, globe shaped, and 27cm in diameter. This is the ideal size and shape for carving, but also taste great. Fruit exteriors have a light suture and the traditional golden red-orange color. Jack of All Trades will perform well for the home gardener, but you will not need more than one or two of these productive plants.

95 Days.

Approx: 15 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow or transplant in late spring when soil warms up. For transplants, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks after the last frost date. Try to get the plants into the ground no later than the summer solstice. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 2cm deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest plant. Space plants at a minimum of 90-120cm apart in rows 120-180cm apart. If starting transplants indoors, consider using the 12-cell plug inserts.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  These big plants need lots of food. Choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil. Dig in a generous quantity of finished compost and/or composted manure. Dig in 1 cup of a general well-balanced organic fertilizer under each plant. All pumpkins grow male flowers first, then the female flowers are produced. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of the petals and require pollination by bees, mostly. Incomplete pollination is common at the beginning of the season, and results in small fruits that are misshapen at the flower end. Discard these damaged fruits before they rot.

For the largest pumpkins, feed weekly throughout the growing season with fish or kelp based fertilizer. Keep the huge plants well watered, particularly in hot weather. Always water the soil, and avoid any form of overhead watering other than rain. Fruit will grow larger if you keep only one fruit per vine. As the fruit develops, try to gently encourage it to grow at a 90° angle to the vine itself. The largest pumpkin varieties will grow on their sides.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Like other winter squash, pumpkins are mature when they have coloured up well and their stems are crisp. For the best sugar content, cut the stem about 4cm or so from the body of the fruit. If the weather is dry, allow the pumpkins to cure in the field for 10 days, or in a warm room for 4-5 days. Bring pumpkins in under cover before rain.

How To Grow, Tips:  Powdery Mildew: An airborne fungal disease that causes white spots on the leaves at the end of the season. Several home-sprays are said to be somewhat effective. Spray any of the following at 7-10 day intervals. 1tsp baking soda and 1 quart of water with a squirt of dish soap, or 1 part milk to 9 parts of water. You can add a little kelp based fertilizer to the mix. Resistant varieties get the mildew just a few days later than the other varieties.

Create delightful displays with these bright yellow stacking pumpkins. Expect large yields of 15-20cm fruit weighing 1.5-2.25kg (3-5lbs) on vining plants. Stack Lemon Cake alone, with Moon Cake, or with our other stacking varieties. Early maturity makes them very adaptable.

80 Days.

Approx: 5 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow or transplant in late spring once the soil is warm. For transplants, start seeds indoors during the first two weeks of May. Optimal soil temperature: 25-35°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 2cm deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest plant. Space plants at a minimum of 90-120cm apart in rows 120-180cm apart. If starting transplants indoors, consider using the 12-cell plug inserts.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food. Choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil. Dig in a generous quantity of finished compost and/or composted manure. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer under each plant. All pumpkins grow male flowers first, then the female flowers are produced. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of the petals and require pollination by bees, mostly. Incomplete pollination is common at the beginning of the season, and results in small fruits that are misshapen at the flower end. Discard these damaged fruits before they rot.

For the largest pumpkins, feed weekly throughout the growing season with fish or kelp based fertilizer. Keep the huge plants well watered, particularly in hot weather. Always water the soil, and avoid any form of overhead watering other than rain. Fruit will grow larger if you keep only one fruit per vine. As the fruit develops, try to gently encourage it to grow at a 90° angle to the vine itself. The largest pumpkin varieties will grow on their sides.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Like other winter squash, pumpkins are mature when they have coloured up well and their stems are crisp. For the best sugar content, cut the stem about 4cm or so from the body of the fruit. If the weather is dry, allow the pumpkins to cure in the field for 10 days, or in a warm room for 4-5 days. Bring pumpkins in under cover before rain.

Patio Baby’s compact plants are perfect for growing in containers on a sunny patio or balcony. These spineless little plants have bright purple flowers that continuously set an abundance of 7cm (3”) long oval fruit. A true mini eggplant. AAS Winner.

50 Dyas.

Approx: 10 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors four weeks before your expected last frost date. Use bottom heat, and keep seedlings warm. Optimal soil temperature: 24-32°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-12 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 5mm-1cm deep. Use individual peat or coir pots to reduce root disturbance when transplanting. Transplant after night time temperatures are steadily 10°C or warmer. Space with 45-60cm between plants. Medium size (3-5 gallon) containers for individual plants also work well.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 5.5-6.0. Soil should have abundant phosphorus and calcium, so add lime and compost to the soil three weeks prior to transplanting. Mix ¼-½ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Using a clear plastic cloche or floating row cover helps growth by increasing heat. Cool temperatures increase leafy growth, but delay fruit set. Once most eggplants get going in the summer, they are highly productive right up until the first frosts.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pinch off blossoms 2 to 4 weeks before first any expected frost so that plants focus on ripening any existing fruit, not producing new ones. Harvest the fruit anytime after the fruit reaches half of their size. Harvesting early prevents fruit from becoming too seedy, and will encourage more production from the plants.

Do not pull the fruit off the plant, but cut it with scissors or secateurs, being careful to avoid any sharp spurs at the stem end.

Very early maturing, bicolour Supersweet (SH2) corn with strong seedling vigour and excellent eating quality in this maturity slot. Solstice’s yellow and creamy white kernels are deliciously sweet and tender, holding their quality in the field and after harvest much longer than other types. A fantastic choice for commercial growers and home gardeners. Intermediate resistance to Northern Corn Leaf Blight.

70 Days.

Approx: 50 Seeds.

Non GMO

How To Grow, 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 – 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.

How To Grow, Starting:  Do not soak corn seeds prior to planting. Plant 2-5cm deep (shallower for sh2 seed or in cool soil). Sow seeds around 7.5cm apart, in rows 60-90cm 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.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 5.8-6.8. Corn is a heavy feeder, so add manure or compost, and use 500g of complete organic fertilizer per 6m of row, mixing it thoroughly into the soil beneath each seed furrow. Thin to at least 20-25cm apart in the row. Large eared and double-eared varieties need to be 30cm 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.

How To Grow, Harvest:  When the silks at the end of an ear are a dry brown, the cob seems to start to droop, and the kernels release milky juice when cut.

How To Grow, Harvesting Popcorn:  Leave the ears of popcorn varieties on the plants to dry as long as possible into late summer and early fall. The husks should turn yellow/brown as they dry and the kernels should harden. Once the plants appear to be completely dry, or if wet weather is in the forecast, harvest the ears and bring them indoors. Remove the husks. Store the ears in mesh bags in a warm, dry, airy location. The ideal humidity level for curing popcorn is 13 to 14%. Curing is the process after drying that allows for long term storage of popcorn kernels. Once a week, remove a few kernels and try popping them. Popcorn that is chewy or kernels that have jagged edges after popping both mean that the kernels are not dry enough. Continue curing and test-popping until the desired texture is reached. Then remove the kernels and store them in an air-tight container.

A refined purple pole bean that produces slender, 20-22cm pods. These high-quality beans are tender and sweet raw or cooked. Carminat’s stunning dark purple colour turns green when beans are cooked. A sturdy trellis is required for these tall climbers.

62 Days.

Approx: 55 Seeds.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow from late spring to early summer. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm – if it is not warm enough, seeds may rot, especially our untreated seeds. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32°C.

How To Grow, Starting:  Seeds can be started indoors, or sowed directly. Set seeds 7-10cm apart and 3.5cm deep at the base of a support. Plants will climb by twining around almost anything. Try rough poles, lumber, re-bar, or build a strong trellis 2-2.5m tall. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on soil conditions.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of balanced organic fertilizer for every 3m of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manure is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp based fertilizer. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and avoid touching the leaves while they are wet.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Because pole beans are always climbing, there are always beans at different stages of maturity. It is important to keep picking regularly so the plant does not fully mature seeds and stop producing new pods. If pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering. The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.

A dwarf snap pea perfect for container growing. Little Snappea Crunch’s compact 60-75cm plants are loaded with juicy 3.75-7.5cm pods that have a fantastic crunch. Enjoy a sweet snack right on the balcony or patio.

58 Days.

Approx: 55 Seeds.

How To Grow, Timing:  Peas prefer cool weather. Plant as early in spring as the soil can be worked. If planting on the west coast after April 1, sow varieties that are listed as being enation resistant if you live in an area where aphids carry the enation virus. Sow again through the summer for a fall crop. The success of a fall crop will depend on the weather. Optimal soil temperature: 10-20°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Soaking seeds is not advised for damp soils. Sow seed 2cm deep. After April 15th, sow seed 5cm deep. Space seeds 2-7cm apart in the row. Do not thin. If the seeds fail to sprout, try to dig some up and check for rot or insect damage. The challenge with untreated pea seeds is to give them an early start but to avoid rot.

How To Grow, Growing:  Use well-drained soil amended with finished compost. Add 2 cups of rock phosphate or bonemeal for 3m of row. Plant most varieties along a trellis or fence for support as they climb. Dwarf varieties do not need a trellis, but may benefit from the support of some twigs poked into the soil in the row.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick when pods at the desired stage. In theory, all peas can be harvested before the seeds mature, as snow peas, and then as tender snap peas, and finally as shelling peas. Most varieties have an intended maturity for picking. Make multiple sowings or grow several varieties to extend the harvest season.