Swiss Chard – Bright Lights – West Coast Seeds

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  Rapini (Broccoli) – Sorrento – West Coast Seeds

  $3.69

  Broccoli raab is sometimes called rapini. Like broccoli, it is grown for its unopened flower buds. The flavour is very similar to broccoli, with a touch of bitterness that is surprisingly appealing. Broccoli raab is actually more closely related to turnips than broccoli, but is not grown as a root crop. Sorrento broccoli raab seeds produce uniform dark green florets approximately 5cm in diameter. Sorrento is the fastest rapini to mature. Gather the tender stems with a few leaves and the unopened flower buds for a reliable and nutritious addition to the kitchen or market garden. Plant in mid to late summer for a cool weather harvest well into winter. Expect plants to grow to 78cm tall.

  How To Grow, Timing:  Start indoors right around the last frost date or later in spring for summer harvest in 2 to 3 months. Seeds will germinate in 7-10 days. Optimal temperature for germination: 10-30°C.

  For fall harvest: Start indoors late spring and transplant in July, harvesting just before the first frost date.

  For overwintering sprouting broccoli (in mild winter areas): Start indoors late March to mid-April, and harvest the following February to May.

  How To Grow, Starting:  Sow indoors, 3 or 4 seeds per pot, 5mm deep, under very bright light. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm apart in rows 75-90cm apart.

  How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8  Broccoli is a moderate to heavy feeder that does best in humus-rich soil amended with composted manure. Set transplants out by the time they have 6-8 true leaves. Mix ¼-½ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil under each transplant. When plants are 20-25cm tall, push soil around the stems up to the first big leaf to encourage side shoots. Broccoli does best in cool weather.

  How To Grow, Harvest:  Cut the crown portion of the broccoli with 5 to 6 inches of stem, after it’s fully developed, but before it begins to loosen and separate and the individual flowers start to develop into bright yellow blooms. Removing the central head stimulates regrowth to develop for later pickings. Cutting the head lower on the stem will encourage fewer, but larger side-shoots. The regrowth portion grows from the base of the lower leaves. You can usually continue to harvest broccoli for several weeks.

  Matures in 40-45 days.

  Approx: 270 Seeds

  
  

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  Beans Bush – Campo de’Fiori – West Coast Seeds

  $4.49

  These big beans have big flavour. The 15cm pods are broad, flat, stringless, and medium green. The intense flavour of these Italian beans remains even after canning and processing. Or enjoy them straight out of the garden when they are sweet and crisp. Romano beans typically grow on tall vines that need to be supported by canes or trellises. Campo di Fiori Romano bean seeds produce tidy (determinate) bush bean plants that have a shorter harvest window. That is, the beans will all come at once during a two to three week period. The trade off is the convenience of smaller bush plants that will produce well in large containers.

  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.

  Matures in 58 days.

  Approx: 40 Seeds.

  
  

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  Beans Pole – Matilda – West Coast Seeds

  $6.49

  Matilda pole bean seeds produce big, nicely shaped, round beans with straight pods that average 15cm (6″) long are heavily produced on this variety from German breeding. The flavour is both sweet and mild. Plants are vigorous, productive, and early, but will produce all season long if you keep them well picked. We took harvest after harvest over a long period in summer during our seed trials. The pods have a nice crunch and good flavour raw, cooked, or pickled. They even stand up to blanching and freezing for winter use if any of the summer crop makes it that far.

  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.

  Matures in 70 days.

  Approx: 75 seeds

  
  

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  Beets – Golden Boy – West Coast Seeds

  $4.99

  A uniform, golden yellow beet with glossy, emerald green leaves. Golden Boy’s stems are more upright than other yellow varieties so tops stay cleaner and can be easier to manage in the garden. Yellow beets have a milder, sweeter flavour than most red varieties and hold their beautiful colour when cooked. Try steaming or baking with some red beets for a dish that looks like a sunset.

  How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow 4 weeks after last frost to mid-summer. Beets will not produce roots if planted when the soil is too cold. Seeds will germinate in 5-12 days, depending on soil temperature. Optimal soil temperature: 10-26°C.

  How To Grow, Seeding: Sow 1cm deep, 5-10cm apart in rows 30-45cm apart.

  How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  For uniformly sized beets, thin carefully to 7-15cm  apart when seedlings are 5cm tall. Eat any thinned plants, roots and all. Root size is controlled by spacing and variety.

  Approx: 345 seeds.

  55 Days

  
  

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