Vegetable Seeds

Ailsa Craig forms huge, straw-coloured globes up to 20cm in diameter. They are firm with mild, sweet flesh, for fresh use and short storage. This customer favourite is fine textured, and excellent for salads and sandwiches. It is tolerant of cold weather, so it can be ready for harvest before some other Spanish storage onions. Ailsa Craig is a stony island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland.

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.

Matures in 100 days.

Approx: 140 Seeds.

This is the classic large overwintering onion of the Pacific Northwest. A very large, juicy onion with a mild sweet flavour. It can be planted in the spring if given a really early start indoors, or in August to overwinter. Spring planted Walla Walla sweet onion seeds result in bulbs that are not quite as mild as the overwintered ones and may not size up as well. Plants can also be harvested as a delicious, sweet bunching onion.This variety is hardy to -23°C. It is most definitely a long day onion, suitable for planting between the 35th and 55th parallels. It might not have good storage ability, but it makes beautiful, caramelized onions!

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.

Matures in 125 days, spring sown – 300 days fall sown.

Approx: 275 Seeds.

Known in Italy as Catalogna frastagliata, Italian Dandelion Chicory Seeds produce not a dandelion, but a chicory, a kind of endive. Fast growing, upright, dark-green notched leaves stand in thick bunches. Cut the plant at any height and it will re-grow again. Steamed like spinach, they have a pleasant “wild” flavour. Raw, they add bite to salad. May bolt mid-summer from spring planting. Italian dandelion chicory is quite winter-hardy, and suitable for winter gardening. If allowed to bloom, it sends up tall stalks of attractive, edible blue flowers that produce seeds that are easy to harvest and save for next season.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow after the last frost date and again in mid-summer to take advantage of the fall growing season. Optimal soil temperature: 10-22°C. Seeds sprout in 2-15 days, depending on conditions. In hot weather plants may go to seed quickly, so have new plantings ready to go.

How To Grow, Starting:  Either direct seed or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm deep, and thin or transplant to allow 30-45cm between plants in rows 30-45cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.  Enrich soil with compost and add ¼ cup balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Rapid, continuous growth is essential for good yields and high quality. Regular watering is essential.

Fall plantings can be protected from rain by putting a cloche over them. Endive heads can be blanched to reduce bitterness by placing a cardboard or plastic disc on top. Radicchio requires a good supply of phosphorus and potassium, but will not head and may bolt if there is too much nitrogen available. Days to maturity shown are from date of direct sowing. If transplanting, subtract 10-15 days.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Use as a cut and come again crop or let the heads develop and cut at ground level. Many will grow back.

Matures in 65 days.

Approx: 750 Seeds

Nasturtium officinale. True Watercress seeds produce a perennial cress that is rich in vitamins and has a delicious, distinctive taste for salads and vegetarian dishes. Little, dark-green leaves grow on crisp stems that come from thick, long roots. Direct-seed watercress about 5mm deep and 1cm apart, ideally in full sun near clear running water. Thin plants to 10cm and keep very well watered. Watercress does not thrive in acidic soil, so spread enough lime in the growing area to bring the pH as close to 7.0 as possible. Well finished compost is the other trick that will keep watercress growing rapidly. If you fail with watercress in your summer garden, try planting it beneath a cloche row cover for winter harvesting. The low light levels and cool temperatures seem to be ideal.

How To Grow, Timing:  Seed every three weeks from just before the last frost date until the end of summer for a continuous harvest. Provide frost protection with a cloche or heavy row cover when frost looms in the fall. Many mesclun types and mixes will continue to grow all winter where winters are mild.

How To Grow, Starting:  Plant in a block or in a wide row. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over prepared, moist soil. Try to space seeds about 1cm apart. Cover lightly with soil, and firm them in. Four grams of seed will plant a 12m row that is 7cm wide, so don’t plant the whole packet at once. For container growing, choose containers that are at least 10cm deep. Wider is better. The most common mistake is over-planting.

How To Grow, Growing:   Ideal pH: 7.0 Moderately fertile soil – particularly if you’re planning multiple harvests. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m of row. For containers, use peat or coir based mix with compost added. Water regularly. If growth slows after harvest, use a bit of kelp or fish based fertilizer to provide a boost of nutrition for the next growth spurt.

How To Grow, Harvest:  There are two methods of gathering salad greens. You can use scissors to cut everything about 2-5cm from the ground, when the plants are about 10-15cm tall. Or, you can pick individual leaves as they’re needed. The first cutting may contain more brassicas than lettuces (arugula, mizuna) but if you cut the mix back when the leaves are still small, the lettuce will catch up. The salad greens will regrow for a second harvest in another 2 or 3 weeks.

Matures in 60 days.

Approx: 990 Seeds

This vigorous red heirloom variety has bright burgundy leaves with green centres that are great for baby leaf salad mixes. Red Salad Bowl lettuce seeds form big rosettes with the deeply indented leaves that we love in an oak-leaf lettuce; and is slow to bolt, tender, and mild-tasting. The bright red colour is best in cool temperatures. This popular lettuce grows well all year long, and right through winter if grown in a cold frame or polytunnel. Try some in patio containers for the convenience of picking individual leaves for salads and sandwiches.

How To Grow, Timing:  Lettuce grows best in cool weather in the spring and fall, but it can be grown in the summer, and all winter long in milder regions. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks following the last average frost date for a continual harvest. Using a cloche, cold frame, or greenhouse over mid-late summer plantings can extend the harvest period right into winter. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-22°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-15 days, depending on conditions. Lettuce seeds don’t sprout easily when the soil temperature is over 22°C in summer. Get around this by sprouting them indoors in a cool area, or pre-sprout by sprinkling seeds on a damp paper towel and placing it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days. In hot weather most lettuce goes to seed rapidly, so have new plantings ready to go, and watch for “good resistance to bolting” in the product description.

How To Grow, Starting:  Direct sow or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm deep, or on the surface of the soil where the soil can be kept evenly moist. Space or thin heading lettuce to 30cm apart. Space or thin looseleaf varieties to 20-25cm apart. Space rows for all types 45-90cm apart. Babyleaf lettuce can be planted quite densely, as it is harvested at an immature size. Sowing babyleaf lettuce seeds closely together in narrow rows makes harvesting simpler.

Note on Pelleted Seeds: A number of our lettuce seeds are pelleted for machine planting. The white clay ball that covers each seed makes them easier to handle and easier to see when planted. While most lettuce seeds need to be barely covered (or sown on the surface of the soil), pelleted seeds need to be buried by about 1cm. Please keep your newly sown pelleted seeds evenly moist – use more water than with conventional seeds. If the soil is allowed to dry out, the clay pelleting material can wick water away from the seed, causing uneven or lower germination.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.  Aim for a soil with ample drainage and lots of organic matter. Add compost and lime at least 3 weeks prior to planting. One cup of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m of row will give adequate nutrition. Seedlings should be hardened off by reducing water and putting the plants outdoors 2 or 3 days before transplanting. This will help to prevent transplant shock and premature bolting. Regular watering is essential to prevent leaves from developing a bitter taste.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick individual leaves or wait and harvest full heads. Mature summer lettuce stays in prime eating condition only a short time, so harvest promptly and keep planting. In fall and winter the plants stay in good harvest condition longer.

Matures in 50 days.

Approx: 520 Seeds.

This red-spotted, open romaine lettuce is sure to turn some heads. The mid-sized plant is open with glossy, green leaves flecked with maroon; making it a delightful and colourful addition to salad mixes. As the leaves get larger, the markings become even more prominent. The leaves of Freckles lettuce are speckled, not blotchy, so they have quite an elegant look. And the flavour is excellent. Freckles lettuce seeds, also known as Forellenschluss are an heirloom variety of Austrian lineage. Be sure to plant some Freckles lettuce seeds in your organic vegetable garden this spring.

How To Grow, Timing:  Lettuce grows best in cool weather in the spring and fall, but it can be grown in the summer, and all winter long in milder regions. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks following the last average frost date for a continual harvest. Using a cloche, cold frame, or greenhouse over mid-late summer plantings can extend the harvest period right into winter. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-22°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-15 days, depending on conditions. Lettuce seeds don’t sprout easily when the soil temperature is over 22°C in summer. Get around this by sprouting them indoors in a cool area, or pre-sprout by sprinkling seeds on a damp paper towel and placing it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days. In hot weather most lettuce goes to seed rapidly, so have new plantings ready to go, and watch for “good resistance to bolting” in the product description.

How To Grow, Starting:  Direct sow or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm deep, or on the surface of the soil where the soil can be kept evenly moist. Space or thin heading lettuce to 30cm apart. Space or thin looseleaf varieties to 20-25cm apart. Space rows for all types 45-90cm apart. Babyleaf lettuce can be planted quite densely, as it is harvested at an immature size. Sowing babyleaf lettuce seeds closely together in narrow rows makes harvesting simpler.

Note on Pelleted Seeds: A number of our lettuce seeds are pelleted for machine planting. The white clay ball that covers each seed makes them easier to handle and easier to see when planted. While most lettuce seeds need to be barely covered (or sown on the surface of the soil), pelleted seeds need to be buried by about 1cm. Please keep your newly sown pelleted seeds evenly moist – use more water than with conventional seeds. If the soil is allowed to dry out, the clay pelleting material can wick water away from the seed, causing uneven or lower germination.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.  Aim for a soil with ample drainage and lots of organic matter. Add compost and lime at least 3 weeks prior to planting. One cup of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m of row will give adequate nutrition. Seedlings should be hardened off by reducing water and putting the plants outdoors 2 or 3 days before transplanting. This will help to prevent transplant shock and premature bolting. Regular watering is essential to prevent leaves from developing a bitter taste.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick individual leaves or wait and harvest full heads. Mature summer lettuce stays in prime eating condition only a short time, so harvest promptly and keep planting. In fall and winter the plants stay in good harvest condition longer.

Matures in 55-70 days.

Approx: 480 Seeds.

Green Salad Bowl’s large, lime-green rosettes resist bolting for a long time in summer and do not get bitter. The frilly, deeply lobed oakleaf shape has excellent flavour and good texture, adding loft and character to salads. Rapid cool-weather growth makes it a prime candidate for spring cold frame growing. This heirloom lettuce dates back to 1952, the year it was given a well-deserved AAS Award. It’s also a winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Give it a try in patio containers to keep near the kitchen. The individual leaves are a nice addition to sandwiches, or just as garnishes.

How To Grow, Timing:  Lettuce grows best in cool weather in the spring and fall, but it can be grown in the summer, and all winter long in milder regions. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks following the last average frost date for a continual harvest. Using a cloche, cold frame, or greenhouse over mid-late summer plantings can extend the harvest period right into winter. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-22°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-15 days, depending on conditions. Lettuce seeds don’t sprout easily when the soil temperature is over 22°C in summer. Get around this by sprouting them indoors in a cool area, or pre-sprout by sprinkling seeds on a damp paper towel and placing it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days. In hot weather most lettuce goes to seed rapidly, so have new plantings ready to go, and watch for “good resistance to bolting” in the product description.

How To Grow, Starting:  Direct sow or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm deep, or on the surface of the soil where the soil can be kept evenly moist. Space or thin heading lettuce to 30cm apart. Space or thin looseleaf varieties to 20-25cm apart. Space rows for all types 45-90cm apart. Babyleaf lettuce can be planted quite densely, as it is harvested at an immature size. Sowing babyleaf lettuce seeds closely together in narrow rows makes harvesting simpler.

Note on Pelleted Seeds: A number of our lettuce seeds are pelleted for machine planting. The white clay ball that covers each seed makes them easier to handle and easier to see when planted. While most lettuce seeds need to be barely covered (or sown on the surface of the soil), pelleted seeds need to be buried by about 1cm. Please keep your newly sown pelleted seeds evenly moist – use more water than with conventional seeds. If the soil is allowed to dry out, the clay pelleting material can wick water away from the seed, causing uneven or lower germination.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.  Aim for a soil with ample drainage and lots of organic matter. Add compost and lime at least 3 weeks prior to planting. One cup of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m of row will give adequate nutrition. Seedlings should be hardened off by reducing water and putting the plants outdoors 2 or 3 days before transplanting. This will help to prevent transplant shock and premature bolting. Regular watering is essential to prevent leaves from developing a bitter taste.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick individual leaves or wait and harvest full heads. Mature summer lettuce stays in prime eating condition only a short time, so harvest promptly and keep planting. In fall and winter the plants stay in good harvest condition longer.

Matures in 50 days.

Approx: 910 Seeds.

We love the flavour and delicate texture of the leaves for lettuce wraps! Buttercrunch butterhead lettuce seeds are a Bibb type lettuce that forms a tight little rosette of soft, dark-green, upward-facing leaves surrounding a tender, pale centre. The small hearts don’t become bitter in hot weather. Later plantings stand well into fall and make good growth in spring cold frames. Buttercrunch lettuce is a good candidate for growing all winter if you can provide cloche or greenhouse protection, or even a simple cold frame. Sow some extra early indoors in February for transplanting to the cold frame in March.

How To Grow, Timing:  Lettuce grows best in cool weather in the spring and fall, but it can be grown in the summer, and all winter long in milder regions. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks following the last average frost date for a continual harvest. Using a cloche, cold frame, or greenhouse over mid-late summer plantings can extend the harvest period right into winter. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-22°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-15 days, depending on conditions. Lettuce seeds don’t sprout easily when the soil temperature is over 22°C in summer. Get around this by sprouting them indoors in a cool area, or pre-sprout by sprinkling seeds on a damp paper towel and placing it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days. In hot weather most lettuce goes to seed rapidly, so have new plantings ready to go, and watch for “good resistance to bolting” in the product description.

How To Grow, Starting:  Direct sow or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm deep, or on the surface of the soil where the soil can be kept evenly moist. Space or thin heading lettuce to 30cm apart. Space or thin looseleaf varieties to 20-25cm apart. Space rows for all types 45-90cm apart. Babyleaf lettuce can be planted quite densely, as it is harvested at an immature size. Sowing babyleaf lettuce seeds closely together in narrow rows makes harvesting simpler.

Note on Pelleted Seeds: A number of our lettuce seeds are pelleted for machine planting. The white clay ball that covers each seed makes them easier to handle and easier to see when planted. While most lettuce seeds need to be barely covered (or sown on the surface of the soil), pelleted seeds need to be buried by about 1cm. Please keep your newly sown pelleted seeds evenly moist – use more water than with conventional seeds. If the soil is allowed to dry out, the clay pelleting material can wick water away from the seed, causing uneven or lower germination.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.  Aim for a soil with ample drainage and lots of organic matter. Add compost and lime at least 3 weeks prior to planting. One cup of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m of row will give adequate nutrition. Seedlings should be hardened off by reducing water and putting the plants outdoors 2 or 3 days before transplanting. This will help to prevent transplant shock and premature bolting. Regular watering is essential to prevent leaves from developing a bitter taste.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick individual leaves or wait and harvest full heads. Mature summer lettuce stays in prime eating condition only a short time, so harvest promptly and keep planting. In fall and winter the plants stay in good harvest condition longer.

Matures in 67 days.

Approx: 980 Seeds.

Grand Rapids TBR Looseleaf lettuce seeds produce a large, upright rosette of thick, juicy, light-green, frilly leaves and a blanched centre. This tipburn resistant (TBR) variety has good flavour. The variety features very rapid growth in spring and fall, and grows better than any other variety under cool, damp, low-light conditions. Try Grand Rapids TBR in cold frames or beneath a cloche greenhouse for salad production all winter. In the spring and summer, sow short rows often so the crop can be harvested over a long period, and so that you are not overwhelmed by a garden full of mature lettuce all at once.

How To Grow, Timing:  Lettuce grows best in cool weather in the spring and fall, but it can be grown in the summer, and all winter long in milder regions. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks following the last average frost date for a continual harvest. Using a cloche, cold frame, or greenhouse over mid-late summer plantings can extend the harvest period right into winter. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-22°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-15 days, depending on conditions. Lettuce seeds don’t sprout easily when the soil temperature is over 22°C in summer. Get around this by sprouting them indoors in a cool area, or pre-sprout by sprinkling seeds on a damp paper towel and placing it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days. In hot weather most lettuce goes to seed rapidly, so have new plantings ready to go, and watch for “good resistance to bolting” in the product description.

How To Grow, Starting:  Direct sow or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm deep, or on the surface of the soil where the soil can be kept evenly moist. Space or thin heading lettuce to 30cm apart. Space or thin looseleaf varieties to 20-25cm apart. Space rows for all types 45-90cm apart. Babyleaf lettuce can be planted quite densely, as it is harvested at an immature size. Sowing babyleaf lettuce seeds closely together in narrow rows makes harvesting simpler.

Note on Pelleted Seeds: A number of our lettuce seeds are pelleted for machine planting. The white clay ball that covers each seed makes them easier to handle and easier to see when planted. While most lettuce seeds need to be barely covered (or sown on the surface of the soil), pelleted seeds need to be buried by about 1cm. Please keep your newly sown pelleted seeds evenly moist – use more water than with conventional seeds. If the soil is allowed to dry out, the clay pelleting material can wick water away from the seed, causing uneven or lower germination.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.  Aim for a soil with ample drainage and lots of organic matter. Add compost and lime at least 3 weeks prior to planting. One cup of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m of row will give adequate nutrition. Seedlings should be hardened off by reducing water and putting the plants outdoors 2 or 3 days before transplanting. This will help to prevent transplant shock and premature bolting. Regular watering is essential to prevent leaves from developing a bitter taste.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick individual leaves or wait and harvest full heads. Mature summer lettuce stays in prime eating condition only a short time, so harvest promptly and keep planting. In fall and winter the plants stay in good harvest condition longer.

Matures in 65 days.

Approx: 965 seeds

Medusa is one of the prettiest kales available with its dark green, heavily frilled leaves and contrasting bright purple stems and veins. Plants are tall and vigorous, and the stems are long and sturdy for easy harvesting and bunching. The thick waxy leaves hold up well on the plants and after harvesting. Excellent cold tolerance for harvesting through the fall. Plants grow 60-80cm tall.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow in early spring to mid-summer for summer to winter harvests. Or start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost, and transplant out as soon as the soil warms up. 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 where a plant is to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space 45-60cm apart in rows 75-90cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  Add lime to the bed 3 weeks prior to sowing. Kale likes well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter. This plant prefers plentiful, consistent moisture. Drought is tolerable, but quality and flavor of leaves can suffer. Mix ¼ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant, or use 1 cup beneath every 3m of seed furrow.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Kale and collards can both be grown as a cut and come again crop for salad mixes by direct-seeding and cutting when plants are 5-8cm tall. They will re-grow. Or pick leaves from the bottom up on mature plants as you need them. In spring, the surviving plants start to flower, so eat the delicious flowering steps and buds.

60 Days.

Approx: 50 Seeds.

Named for Ping Tung, Taiwan, the town of its origin. The fruits are light purple, from 30-45cm (12-18”) long, and only 3cm (1¼”) in diameter. Hardy, disease resistant plants bear heavy yields of sweet and tender fruits — as many as twenty per plant. Be sure to stake the bushy plants for the straightest fruits. Eggplants thrive in containers, but the trick is to keep the soil evenly moist, particularly during the hot weather of mid-summer, when the plants are most productive. The plants work equally well in the open field, but benefit from full sun and some protection from harsh wind.

How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors in the four weeks following the 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 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.

Matures in 65-90 days.

Approx: 70 seeds

These blimp shaped cucumbers are medium green with small white spines and a crisp interior. You can pick them at 4cm for baby sweet pickles or wait for bigger ones. In time, they can grow to around 13cm long, but maintain their appealing pickle shape. Homemade Pickles cucumber seeds produce plants that are vigorous with excellent disease resistance and high yields. Provide a sturdy trellis for this rampant climber, and keep plants picked to keep more fruits coming over a long period. This cucumber can be eaten raw, but it is a little drier and crunchier than regular slicing cucumbers. These are the traits that make such high quality dill pickles.

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.

Matures in 60 days.

Approx: 30 Seeds

Tasty Green cucumber seeds produce vigorous vines bearing long English cucumber fruits up to 30cm in length. Allow the sweet tasting, burpless fruits to hang as they grow by providing a strong trellis for each plant. Tasty Green is productive in raised beds or in containers in the greenhouse, but keep the plants picked to extend the harvest period. This was the first long English hybrid slicing cucumber to be bred for “burplessness,” meaning that it is easy to digest. Many sources refer to it as Burpless Tasty Green F1. For containers, use three to five gallons with fertile soil and excellent drainage.

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.

Matures in 65 days.

Approx: 15 Seeds

Patio Snacker cucumber seeds produce compact little plants that grow to only 90-150cm, but producing numerous full-sized slicing cucumbers from mid-summer on. Trellis the little plants, or try them in a hanging basket and allow the short vines to spill over the sides. Patio Snacker is a parthenocarpic variety, bred with the small-space gardener in mind, so it’s ideal for balcony growing. Be sure to keep the plants picked so that new flowers and fruits continue to come.

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.

Matures in 50-55 days.

Approx: 10 Seeds

Yellow Nantes type with similar sweet flavour to our best orange varieties. Gold Nugget’s 15cm bright yellow roots pair well with our other mid-season varieties like Redsun, Narvik, and Purple Haze for a tasty, colourful harvest. Hill to avoid green shoulders.

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.

75 Days

Approx: 250 Seeds

The ultimate in baby carrots, Little Fingers is a fast-maturing Nantes type with smooth, golden orange skins, crisp texture, and a tender core. Short at 10cm, Little Fingers carrot seeds are well suited to container growing and may succeed in heavier soils. For best results, plant these gourmet carrots in well-cultivated soil from March to July for continuous harvests right into early winter. The sweet flavoured, uniform roots are perfect for pickling, or eating fresh out of the garden.

Bred in France to develop their characteristic orange colour earlier than other varieties, these carrots can be harvested early at 8-9cm. Don’t let them stay in the ground beyond around 68 days or they begin to lose their gourmet qualities.

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.

Matures in 60 days.

Approx: 40 Seeds