Vegetable Seeds

C. maxima. Sweet Mama Kabocha squash seeds form single long vines with almost no side shoots. Each plant produces 1.3kg fruits with dark green, hard skins over sweet, nutty, deep orange flesh. This AAS Winner has outstanding storage ability and flavour. Kabocha is sometimes called Japanese pumpkin. These are the squash most often used for tempura – thin slices are coated in batter and deep fried until just soft. It’s a wonderful way to accentuate the natural sweetness of the fruits. Sweet Mama can be started indoors or direct sown. If direct sowing, be sure that the soil is nice and warm in late May or early June. Train the vine along a fence or up a trellis.

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.

Storage: Field-cure for 10 days in the sun, or cure indoors in a warm room for 4 or 5 days. To prevent mould sponge the skins with a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part chlorine bleach. Store at 10-15ºC with low humidity with good air circulation. Try on a shelf in the garage.

90 Days.

Approx: 14 Seeds.

C. pepo. Brilliant orange little spaghetti squash are stunning nestled in their tidy plants. These have higher beta-carotene than other spaghetti squash. About 1kg each. Small Wonder spaghetti squash seeds produce heavy yields of fruits that store particularly well. Fruits average 15cm long and 12cm in diameter, so they are celebrated as personal size or single serving size spaghetti squash. Small Wonder performs well out in the field, but also in raised beds. You will get excellent germination from Small Wonder spaghetti squash seeds, and fast spring growth. We recommend interplanting sunflowers with your squash bed, to lure pollinators on site so that you get maximum fruit production from each plant.

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.

B 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.

Storage: Field-cure for 10 days in the sun, or cure indoors in a warm room for 4 or 5 days. To prevent mould sponge the skins with a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part chlorine bleach. Store at 10-15ºC with low humidity with good air circulation. Try on a shelf in the garage.

90 days.

Approx: 10 Seeds.

C. maxima. Turk’s Turban squash seeds are a highly productive HEIRLOOM plants yield several brightly coloured, attractive gourds to 25cm across. Fair quality for baking and stuffing, the bright red, white and green squashes also look stunning in fall displays as decorative gourds or on the market table.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow or transplant in late spring once the soil is warm. Start transplants indoors 3 to 4 weeks prior. 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.

Storage: Field-cure for 10 days in the sun, or cure indoors in a warm room for 4 or 5 days. To prevent mould sponge the skins with a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part chlorine bleach. Store at 10-15ºC with low humidity with good air circulation. Try on a shelf in the garage.

100 Days.

Approx: 6 Seeds.

C. pepo. Dating back to 1863, Small Sugar pumpkin seeds are the heirloom of choice for baking pies. Just look at the various names this old time variety has been known by: New England Pie Pumpkin, Northeast Pie, Boston Pie, Sugar Pie, Early Sugar Pie, and Sweet Sugar – to name a few! This is the classic (if not original) pie pumpkin with small, round, slightly flattened orange fruits that have very light rib indentations. Each fine-grained, stringless pumpkin averages 20cm tall by 23cm wide. The votes are in, making Small Sugar one of the best of all pumpkins for canning and pies.

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.

110 Days.

Approx: 22 Seeds.

These dark purple, glossy pods are slightly curved, round to oval, and stringless. Harvest Purple Queen’s abundant pods when they are 15cm long and pencil thick. The bush plants have good disease resistance and produce over a long period if kept picked.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow mid-to late spring. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm—if it is not warm enough, seeds may rot, especially since our seeds are not treated with fungicide. Sow drying beans as early as possible, so they can mature before rainy/cold weather sets in. Optimal soil temperature: 21-2°C. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on conditions.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow bush bean seeds 2-5cm deep, 5-8cm apart, in rows 45-60cm apart. Thin to at least 15cm apart in each row. If the weather is too wet, beans can also be started in pots indoors and set out carefully a few weeks later. For a longer harvest, plant at 3 week intervals.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5  Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m of row. Raised beds help with both drainage and warmth. Too much nitrogen fertilizer is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If the plants flower but do not set pods, the cause may be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp-based fertilizer.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick beans regularly to keep the plant producing (if pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering). The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.

52 Days.

Approx: 60 Seeds.

A tasty blend of easy to grow mild and spicy favourites. Enjoy a visually pleasing mix of green and purple Asian greens and mustards that complement each other well. Harvest young leaves to eat fresh in salads or let them grow to full size for use steamed or lightly sauteed. None of these components require warm soil to germinate, so they’re great for cool season growing from spring to fall. Extend the season even more by growing under cover or under lights indoors. For full size plants, thin to 10cm apart. Baby leaf greens can be harvested as individual leaves or cut plants just above the growing tip, leaving a few leaves for fast regrowth.

Components may change due to availability.

How To Grow, Timing:  Mustards are cool season plants that grow quickly and then bolt. Direct sow with frost protection as early as late winter or without protection from early to late spring. Sowing short rows every 3 weeks allows for a continuous harvest of both baby leaves and full sized plants. Sow again in late summer for late fall and winter harvests. Optimal soil temperature: 21°C. Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  If growing to full size, sow 3-4 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow. Sow 5mm-1cm deep and thin to the strongest plant, spaced 10-15cm in the row. All mustards can be grown in containers for baby salad greens. Sow these as you would mesclun mixes, with seeds spaced as near as possible to 1cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.  One cup of complete organic fertilizer will provide nutrition for 3m of row. Water regularly. Expect mustards to bolt in hot weather. Provide protection in winter by using a cloche or heavy row cover. At all other times, plan on growing fast and harvesting fast, like spinach. Planting short rows every two weeks works best for the home garden for a constant harvest.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Cut individual leaves, or the whole plant at whatever stage of maturity you desire. Young leaves tend to be more tender and less powerfully flavoured as mature leaves. Some varieties will develop a slight bitterness in fully mature leaves. The leaves can be blanched (or run through a food processor) and then frozen, or even dried and flaked for soup mixes. But the plants are so cold hardy, fresh leaves should be available to the determined gardener 12 months of the year. Whole plants can also be pickled for long term storage.

45 Days.

This uniform and vigorous hybrid has large, light green bulbs and firm white flesh. These can reach 15cm (6”) wide without losing any flavour or light texture. We grew this All America Selection Winner in our summer field trials, and it was a hit. The upright leaves are resistant to insect damage, so each one in the row looks perfect, which is good news for market growers and home gardeners alike. The upright shape means that Konan kohlrabi is suitable for container growing. We tried it in raised beds and in the trial field, and there seemed to be no impact on performance, uniformity, or flavour.

These seeds are coated with an inert, organically certified layer which helps to minimize clumping in storage and seed sowing machines. The coating is approved by organic certifiers in Canada, the US, EU, and Japan.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow several times during the four to six weeks after the last frost date for a crop to mature starting in about 8 weeks. Sow again after mid-July to early August for fall and winter crops. Planting between mid-May and mid-July causes kohlrabi to mature in hot weather, resulting in inferior bulbs. In short season areas, start kohlrabi indoors in cell trays about 4 weeks before the last frost date and transplant out once day time temperatures are steadily above 10°C. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-30°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 5mm deep with plants spaced 10-15cm apart in rows 30-45cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  Kohlrabi is a moderate to heavy feeder that does best in humus-rich soil amended with composted manure. Mix ¼-½ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil under each plant.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Spring-sown kohlrabi will get larger than tennis balls in fair soil, but if you pick them when they are still less than 5-8cm in diameter they will be sweet and tender. Fall-grown kohlrabi can grow larger yet stay tender. Kohlrabi is frost-hardy, and may last well beyond Christmas in mild winter areas.

50 Days.

Approx: 25 Seeds.

Indeterminate vine. Multi-use mini tomato for fresh snacking and cooking. Marzito yields an abundance of uniform, small bright red fruit with the classic San Marzano shape and excellent flavour. The 2-bite fruit are sweet eaten right off the plant and are equally delicious cooked down into a sauce or dried. Fruit matures very early and holds well on disease resistance plants, producing late into the season.

How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors in early spring over bottom heat. When seedlings germinate, remove from the heat and grow under bright lights. Grow seedlings on for 6-8 weeks at around 10°C. Early season tomatoes can be planted out once night time temperatures are reliably above 7°C – or later. Other types should be transplanted out when night time lows are 10°C or warmer – or later. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C. With bottom heat seeds should germinate in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 5mm-1cm deep. Keep seedlings under very bright light to prevent legginess. You may have to pot on seedlings more than once before they go out to allow for root growth. Space bush (determinate) transplants 45-60cm apart and vine (indeterminate) types 50-75cm apart in rows 1m apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  Tomatoes like fertile, well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Dig in finished compost and manure, and add 1 cup balanced organic fertilizer beneath each transplant. The nutrition from heavy clay soils is excellent for tomatoes, but they are slow to warm, so transplanting should be done later. By the same token, lighter soils warm more quickly, so transplants can go out sooner. Adding glacial rock dust will supply all the calcium they will need. Regular watering is vital, but don’t let the plants sit in water. Tomatoes are tropical plants so they require full sun and lots of heat. Vine varieties will require some kind of support such as a wire to grow up, or a trellis to be tied to as the plant grows. Bush types benefit from the support of a tomato cage in order to prevent sprawling. At the time of final transplant, plants can be buried up to their first pair of true leaves. This will encourage greater root growth, helping with both nutrient uptake and the plants’ ability to stand up to dry conditions.
Stop watering around the end of July to encourage the fruit to ripen. If tomato plants are grown under cover, you can encourage pollination and fruit set by tapping the stem from time to time. Tomatoes do not rely on insects for pollination. Vibrating the plant shakes pollen loose within the flowers, which then self-pollinate.

Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow and produce fruit until they are killed by frost. Remove any suckers (stems growing from the crotch of leaves) to keep the foliage under control, and they will set a later crop of larger fruit. Determinate varieties normally set fruit in a concentrated time period. Their suckers are not normally removed, though some trimming helps with ventilation.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Harvest when the fruit is the desired colour. Green tomatoes can be ripened indoors at a cool temperature when they are blemish free. Very dark green tomatoes are unlikely to ripen fully.

55 Days.

Approx 10 Seeds.

Add some colour to your sauces and other tomato dishes with this vibrant orange roma. Sunrise Sauce produces an abundant, concentrated set of 115-170g blocky oblong fruit on its bush plants. Excellent fruit quality and flavour. Easy to grow, low maintenance plants.

How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors in early spring over bottom heat. When seedlings germinate, remove from the heat and grow under bright lights. Grow seedlings on for 6-8 weeks at around 10°C. Early season tomatoes can be planted out once night time temperatures are reliably above 7°C – or later. Other types should be transplanted out when night time lows are 10°C or warmer – or later. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C . With bottom heat seeds should germinate in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 5mm-1cm deep. Keep seedlings under very bright light to prevent legginess. You may have to pot on seedlings more than once before they go out to allow for root growth. Space bush (determinate) transplants 45-60cm apart and vine (indeterminate) types 50-75cm apart in rows 1m apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  Tomatoes like fertile, well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Dig in finished compost and manure, and add 1 cup balanced organic fertilizer beneath each transplant. The nutrition from heavy clay soils is excellent for tomatoes, but they are slow to warm, so transplanting should be done later. By the same token, lighter soils warm more quickly, so transplants can go out sooner. Adding glacial rock dust will supply all the calcium they will need. Regular watering is vital, but don’t let the plants sit in water. Tomatoes are tropical plants so they require full sun and lots of heat. Vine varieties will require some kind of support such as a wire to grow up, or a trellis to be tied to as the plant grows. Bush types benefit from the support of a tomato cage in order to prevent sprawling. At the time of final transplant, plants can be buried up to their first pair of true leaves. This will encourage greater root growth, helping with both nutrient uptake and the plants’ ability to stand up to dry conditions.
Stop watering around the end of July to encourage the fruit to ripen. If tomato plants are grown under cover, you can encourage pollination and fruit set by tapping the stem from time to time. Tomatoes do not rely on insects for pollination. Vibrating the plant shakes pollen loose within the flowers, which then self-pollinate.

Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow and produce fruit until they are killed by frost. Remove any suckers (stems growing from the crotch of leaves) to keep the foliage under control, and they will set a later crop of larger fruit. Determinate varieties normally set fruit in a concentrated time period. Their suckers are not normally removed, though some trimming helps with ventilation.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Harvest when the fruit is the desired colour. Green tomatoes can be ripened indoors at a cool temperature when they are blemish free. Very dark green tomatoes are unlikely to ripen fully.

60 Days.

Approx: 10 Seeds.

Expect early and extra tender leaves from Tiara. Fast maturing cabbage that performs well spring through fall with a compact plant that is perfect for small spaces. Tiara is loved by growers for its 0.5-1kg heads that are dense and crunchy with a short internal core.

Unlike most early maturing varieties, Tiara holds well without splitting, even in the fall. Can be more densely planted than other cabbages, as close as 20cm for mini heads.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors beginning in late winter and transplant outdoors from 2 weeks after the last frost date to early summer. Overwintering cabbage is sown outdoors during July where winters are mild. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3 or 4 seeds per pot, 5mm deep, under very bright light. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm apart in rows 60-90cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.5-7.0.  Cabbage does best in humus-rich soil amended with composted manure. Mix ½ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. If growth slows, side dress with a little more balanced organic fertilizer. Heads of early varieties can split from over-maturity, rapid growth after heavy rain, or irrigation after dry spells. Splits can be delayed by twisting the plant or cultivating deeply next to plants in order to break roots and slow growth. Fall and winter varieties stand in the garden longer without splitting. If direct sown, add 20-25 days to the maturity date.

If cabbages won’t form heads, it may be from an imbalance of too much nitrogen in the soil in relation to phosphorus. Cabbages require cool temperatures to form heads well. Hot weather can interfere with the development of heads.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Cabbage heads are ready when they’re firm to the touch, and when the interior is fairly dense. Heads will split when they’re allowed to overly mature. Rapid growth due to excess watering and fertility will also cause splitting of the head. Plant early, mid-season and late varieties to spread out your harvest. Late varieties tend to be better for storage or for making sauerkraut. Early (summer harvest) varieties tend not to store as well.

60 Days.

Approx: 25 Seeds

Taiwan Cabbage is an oblate, or flat-growing, hybrid known as KY Cross, with heads that are wider than they are tall. These are surrounded with massive wrapper leaves that are easily separated. This popular variety has really nice flavour, great for wrapping and stuffing.

Taiwan Cabbage has outstanding heat tolerance with heads averaging 1.5kg but reaching up to 2.5kg in warm summers with good soil fertility. Rely on KY Cross for good production in coastal settings, with hybrid uniformity and excellent culinary potential.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors beginning in late winter and transplant outdoors from 2 weeks after the last frost date to early summer. Overwintering cabbage is sown outdoors during July where winters are mild. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3 or 4 seeds per pot, 5mm deep, under very bright light. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm apart in rows 60-90cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.5-7.0.  Cabbage does best in humus-rich soil amended with composted manure. Mix ½ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. If growth slows, side dress with a little more balanced organic fertilizer. Heads of early varieties can split from over-maturity, rapid growth after heavy rain, or irrigation after dry spells. Splits can be delayed by twisting the plant or cultivating deeply next to plants in order to break roots and slow growth. Fall and winter varieties stand in the garden longer without splitting. If direct sown, add 20-25 days to the maturity date.

If cabbages won’t form heads, it may be from an imbalance of too much nitrogen in the soil in relation to phosphorus. Cabbages require cool temperatures to form heads well. Hot weather can interfere with the development of heads.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Cabbage heads are ready when they’re firm to the touch, and when the interior is fairly dense. Heads will split when they’re allowed to overly mature. Rapid growth due to excess watering and fertility will also cause splitting of the head. Plant early, mid-season and late varieties to spread out your harvest. Late varieties tend to be better for storage or for making sauerkraut. Early (summer harvest) varieties tend not to store as well.

55 Days

Approx 50 Seeds

A fantastic main season Nantes type from the same breeders of Yaya and Mokum. Narvik’s dark orange 18cm roots are attached to strong, upright tops that make harvesting a breeze.

An excellent option for large scale plantings with good storage potential into the winter. Compared to Yaya, Narvik has stronger tops that market growers will appreciate. A more robust, main season variety.

How To Grow, 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. Seeds may take as long as 14-21 days to germinate.

How To Grow, 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 deep, 4 seeds per 2cm, 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.

How To Grow, 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 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.

How To Grow, 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 apart when the young plants are 2cm 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.

How To Grow, 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.

70 Days

Approx: 250 Seeds

Clubroot resistant cauliflower with extremely tender, sweet curds. Clarify is fast to produce large heads that are well wrapped within vigorous plants.

If clubroot has stopped you from growing cauliflower, make sure to give Clarify a try and enjoy a successful harvest. Exceptional flavour that is fantastic for raw veggie platters.

How To Grow, 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. Overwintering types are started in July where winters are mild, and transplanted by mid-August. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm apart in rows 60-90cm apart.

How To Grow, 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.

How To Grow, 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.

65 Days

Approx: 25 Seeds

The Multi-Colour Blend cauliflower seeds offers a painterly selection of surprising cauliflower colours. Orange, purple and green cauliflower heads each mature in summer to fall. Chock-full of nutrients and amusing on the plate, our blend belongs in every foodie’s garden. Grow as you would regular white cauliflower, by starting indoors in trays and transplanting into rich, fertile soil using a balanced organic fertilizer at transplant time. If growth seems to slow at any point in the season, increase irrigation and top dress with more organic fertilizer. Be sure to plan a late summer garden party and serve these eccentric florets raw with a dip – the colour is less intense and fanciful when cooked.

How To Grow, 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. Overwintering types are started in July where winters are mild, and transplanted by mid-August. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm  apart in rows 60-90cm apart.

How To Grow, 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.

How To Grow, 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.

70-90 Days

Approx:15 Seeds

This is the first true sweet sprouting cauliflower to hit the market. Like sprouting broccoli, it was bred to have longer interior stems, inside the head. Tiny white florets appear in dense clusters atop long, narrow, pale green stems, all with a flavour sweeter than regular cauliflower, and a nice crunchy texture. When the head is cut from the main stem, it falls into scores of individual florets. Before it is cut, it looks like any other cauliflower. The plants were uniform and productive in our field trials. Fioretto 60 is great for home and market growers.

How To Grow, 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. Overwintering types are started in July where winters are mild, and transplanted by mid-August. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm apart in rows 60-90cm apart.
How To Grow, 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.

How To Grow, 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.

60 Days

Approx: 10 Seeds

This “everbearing” heirloom variety was developed at the University of Wisconsin in 1958. It produces masses of small, crisp, sweet fruit over the whole growing season, and it’s one of the best for pickling.

In our trials, Wisconsin SMR-58 performed better outdoors than in the greenhouse. This productive variety is resistant to scab and mosaic virus. Be sure to keep your cucumber vines carefully picked so that they continue to produce over a long harvest season.

How To Grow, Timing:  Cucumbers need very warm soil to germinate. If direct sowing, wait until mid-June. If weather turns cool and wet after that, just re-sow. Or start transplants indoors in individual peat or coir pots 3-4 weeks before transplanting out into warm soil. If starting indoors, use bottom heat. Transplant when the plants develop their third true leaf. If the plants are too big, they may experience transplant shock. Optimal soil temperature for germination (and transplanting): 15-30°C.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3-4 seeds 2cm deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest seedling. Space plants 23cm apart in rows 90cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  Choose a warm, well-drained soil. Raised beds work well. Add diolomite lime and compost or well-rotted manure to the bed and ½-1 cup of complete organic fertilizer mixed into the soil beneath each transplant. Cucumbers are vigorous and need lots of nutrition and water. Use plastic mulch, plant under floating row cover or cloches – anything to warm things up. Once the weather warms up, keep soil evenly moist. When plants begin to flower, remove covers so bees can access the flowers to pollinate. Fruit that is not fully pollinated will be very small and shriveled, and should be removed from the plant. Most varieties should produce fruits until the weather begins to cool down. Keep plants well picked for better production. Try to water the soil only, keeping the leaves as dry as possible.

Almost all cucumbers benefit from being trained onto a trellis of some kind. Some vines can reach 7 or 8 feet in length, so growing them upward onto a trellis makes good use of garden space. Fruits that grow hanging into space tend to be straighter than those that form on the ground.

How To Grow, Harvest:  For a continuous harvest, make successive plantings every 2 to 3 weeks until about 3 months before first fall frost date. Keep picking the cucumbers regularly, because if they get too big, the plant will stop producing. About one month before first frost, start pinching off new flowers so plants channel energy into ripening existing fruit.

55 Days

Approx: 18 Seeds