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Chrysanthemum Edible – Shungiku – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Glebionis coronaria.
Frilly Edible Chrysanthemum is commonly known as tong hao in Chinese, shungiku in Japanese, ssukgat in Korean and cải cúc or tần ô in Vietnamese. The mildly bitter leaves of this annual are frequently used in Japanese recipes. The flowers, which grow to around 1.3m tall, are various shades of yellow, and are also edible – outstanding additions to salads or any other food if used as a garnish. Grow Frilly Edible Chrysanthemum Shungiku seeds as you would an ornamental flower, in rich, well-drained soil, and the sometimes bicoloured flowers will bloom from spring to fall. Grows well in cool coastal gardens!
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors in late winter to mid-spring, and transplant or direct sow starting around late May. They can also be direct sown in mid-September to October.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow seeds on the surface of a sterilized starting soil. Provide bright light and use bottom heat to keep soil at 18-21°C. Seeds will germinate in 10-14 days. Space transplants at 25-45cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Grow in a rich, well-drained, evenly moist soil in full sun. Good drainage in winter is essential. Pinch back young plants to keep them bushy. Deadhead regularly. Taller plants may require staking.
45 Days.
Approx: 580 Seeds.
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Mustard Blend – Salad Mix – West Coast Seeds
$4.99A 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.
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Mustard – Mizuna Organic – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Brassica rapa var. japonica
Mild and sweet enough for salads, the thin, light-green, feathery leaves are deeply-cut but not curled. Plants grow vigorously so thin to at least 20cm. Cut the whole plant about an inch above the ground and it will re-grow or pick individual leaves. Mizuna can be cut and picked many times. Plant Mizuna Organic mustard seeds in late summer and cover with cloche – it will grow even under low light conditions. Note that it will bolt in April if overwintered.
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 (10′) 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.
Approx: 380 Seeds.
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Kohlrabi – Konan – West Coast Seeds
$6.99This 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.
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Lettuce – Lovelock Organic – West Coast Seeds
$3.99An all-season performer with excellent heat tolerance, Lovelock produces pretty pink tipped heads that are substantial in size. Slightly ruffled and savoyed leaves will close to form a dense head with a blanched green center at full maturity. Very easy to grow and pleasing to harvest. High resistance to Downy Mildew and Lettuce Mosaic Virus.
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°Cin 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.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.50 DaysApprox: 125 Seeds.Add to cart -
Tah Tsai – Tah Tsai Organic – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Brassica rapa var. rosularis. A beautiful, easy-to-grow delight, the small, glossy, spoon-shaped, dark-green leaves with white stems grow in a perfect flat rosette. It adds rich colour, mild flavour, and nutrition to salads and stir-fries. Size depends on spacing so thin to 15-30cm apart. Tah Tsai Organic pac choi seeds can be sown spring through fall, and work well in containers. This is a particularly nice vegetable for making the classic Chinese pickled mustard greens. Once pickled, tah tsai offers a crunchy, sour note to offset rich flavours like coconut. This vegetable is often listed as tatsoi, which is simply a variation in phonetic Chinese spelling.
How To Grow, Timing: All are cool season plants that grow quickly and then bolt. Direct sow with frost protection (a cloche or heavy row cover) as early as late winter, or without protection from four weeks before the last frost date to eight weeks after. Sowing short rows every 2-3 weeks allows for a fairly constant harvest time. Sow again in late summer, and provide frost protection as the first frost date approaches.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm-1cm deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest plant at a spacing of 15-20cm between plants in rows 30-45cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer will provide sufficient nutrition to 3m of row. Choi Sum is harvested just before it flowers, so keep a close watch on each row. Pac Choi can be harvested at any stage, but if you want full-sized plants, watch for signs of bolting. Flower buds will appear at the centre of each plant, and a stem will form quickly as the plant turns from urn-shaped into a tall cone. Harvest as quickly as possible once flower buds are visible. Keep plants well-watered throughout their growth.
How To Grow, Harvest: Use a sharp knife to cut the plants at ground level when they are ready to harvest. They will not grow back like some other crops, so plant several short rows every couple of weeks for a longer harvest.
35 Days.
Approx: 465 Seeds.
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Chamomile – German Chamomile Organic – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Matricaria recutita. Organic German Chamomile Seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC petite daisy-like flowers that nod on a low plant. To better harvest the flowers, it is best grown in a bed by itself. German Chamomile prefers cool weather so sow in early spring and again in late summer. Gather flowers before they fully open. Fresh or dried, use them for a soothing tea or in many medicinal preparations. German Chamomile has a tendency to self sow but is easy to control and does not grow aggressively. It is highly attractive to bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects. The flowers are edible whole or simply with the petals sprinkled over salads. Our organic German Chamomile seeds can be used in xeriscaping as the plants are quite drought tolerant.
How To Grow, Timing: Sow from the last frost date through early summer, either indoors or direct where it is to grow. If starting indoors, be sure to harden seedlings off before they are transplanted. Optimal temperature for germination: 19°C. Bottom heat speeds germination.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow seeds 1cm deep. Keep moist, and thin or transplant to 10-15cm apart. Seeds should sprout in 10-14 days.
How To Grow, Growing: Chamomile is a fairly adaptable plant, but does best in full sun in well-drained soil. Water well in dry weather, and deadhead thoroughly to prevent self-sowing. Otherwise, leave half the flowers unharvested and self-sowing is likely.
How To Grow, Harvest: Harvest the small, fragrant flowers when they are fully open. Use the petals fresh or dry. The leaves can be gathered in spring to early summer and used fresh or dry.
Approx: 1310 Seeds.
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Lemon Balm – Melissa Officinalis – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Melissa officinalis. Plant lemon balm seeds and rub the light green leaves for a sudden hit of lemon scent. Use in bouquets to lemon scent a room or brew an invigorating medicinal tea. Lemon Balm seeds produce a herbaceous perennial self-sows and bees love it. Plants grow vigorously so keep self-sown seedlings thinned out. The plants are deer resistant, so a useful filler plant for coastal areas. Chop back the plants by two thirds once the flowers have faded to prevent self sowing and to encourage the growth of new leaves. This plant belongs in every organic herb garden and has been cultivated for centuries as a medicinal plant.
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost, and transplant out or direct sow once day time temperatures are steadily above 10°C.
How To Grow, Starting: Barely cover the tiny seeds. Use a sterilized potting soil, and keep watering to an absolute minimum – just enough to keep the medium from drying out. Germination takes 10-14 days. Transplant at a spacing of 45cm into the garden.
How To Grow, Growing: Choose a shady spot or a location where plants can be protected from midday sun. Lemon balm prefers a fertile, moist soil in a cooler part of the garden. Plants grown in partial shade will be larger and more succulent than those exposed to full sun.
How To Grow, Harvest: Pick leaves throughout the summer for fresh use. The aroma is rapidly lost when dried or stored.
Approx: 410 Seeds.
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Cilantro – Calypso – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Coriandrum sativum. While other types of cilantro have sent up their tall flower stalks and set seed, Calypso cilantro remains bushy and productive. This compact, low-growing variety comes from a British breeding program, and it’s the slowest to bolt in side by side trials — resisting the urge to bolt by as many as three weeks. Its fragrance adds a distinctive flavour to broths, tacos, and countless other meals. Its low growing point allows it to regrow after multiple cuts for an extended harvest.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow from just after the last frost date to late spring. Direct sow in the fall under cover for a winter crop. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 15°C. Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow 2cm deep in short rows. Thin seedlings to stand 5-10cm apart if harvesting leaves. If growing for seed, allow 23cm between plants.
How To Grow, Growing: Cilantro is tricky because several factors can cause it to bolt. Avoid transplanting for this reason, and avoid hot conditions as well as too much moisture. It does best in light, well-drained soil in partial shade, in relatively dry conditions. This is easy to achieve beneath a cloche in winter, where cilantro will thrive. Once it blooms, the seeds ripen suddenly, in only a couple of days, so care should be taken to prevent self sowing or simply losing those useful seeds.
How To Grow, Harvest: Pick young leaves once they have reached about 10cm in height. The flavour, though intense when fresh, diminishes quickly when dried or cooked, so always add cilantro just before serving. Try freezing it in ice cube trays with water. The stems and roots are also full of flavour. Harvest the seeds by sticking 6 or 8 seed heads in a paper bag and hanging it up somewhere airy, away from direct sunlight. The bag will catch the seeds as they ripen and fall out.
50 Days.
Approx:100 Seeds.
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Oregano – Greek – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum. Greek oregano seeds offer the best, most pungently flavoured oregano leaves for cooking. Plants are very hardy when established and impart a wonderful wild mountain aroma in the garden with their tiny white or pink flowers. Bees adore oregano when it is in bloom. Germination may be slow, so be patient. Oregano is one of the best herbs for drying because it maintains a strong flavour for months after harvest. Pick and dry whole stalks or whole plants – hang them upside down in an airy place out of direct sunlight. Once the plants are completely dry, they can be stored in open plastic bags. Otherwise, pull off the leaves and store them in sealed jars.
Greek oregano pairs brilliantly with meats, eggs, and roasted vegetables like zucchini and eggplant.
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors in plug trays from late winter to mid-spring. Starting indoors is more reliable than direct sowing. Use bottom heat to achieve a constant soil temperature of 15°C for best results. Germination occurs in 7 to 14 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Oregano seeds are dust-like, so handle them with care. Prepare containers or plug trays using sterilized seed starting mix, and water the soil. Then try to evenly distribute the tiny seeds on the surface of the soil. Do not bury them. Using bottom heat will improve the overall success rate. As seedlings grow, keep soil on the dry side. Pot on as necessary or transplant to the garden in late spring to early summer.
How To Grow, Growing: Grow in a sunny and warm spot. Aim for 25cm between plants. Cut plants back after flowering to prevent them from getting straggly. As autumn approaches, divide some to bring inside over winter. Cut back the year’s growth to about 6cm from the soil.
How To Grow, Harvest: Pick the leaves throughout the season as needed. Oregano leaves can be dried or frozen. Store dried leaves or whole stalks in air tight containers away from bright light.
Approx: 228 Seeds.
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Parsley – Forest Green – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Plant Forest Green parsley seeds in your organic herb garden. The plants have short, strong stems that support big clusters of highly curled, dark-green leaves. The flavour is distinctly savoury without being bitter. Parsley adds a subtle, but key flavour to a host of Mediterranean dishes. It is widely used in companion planting because its strong scent repels insects like the Asparagus Beetle. Parsley likes asparagus, carrots, chives, corn, onions, and tomatoes. The leaves can be sprinkled on asparagus to repel asparagus beetles, and around roses, to improve their scent. Let some of your parsley go to bloom to attract hover-flies and predatory wasps.
Parsley is a biennial plant that forms a long (edible) tap root. Choose deep pots for container growing.
How To Grow, Starting: If starting indoors, sow seeds 1cm deep, in sterilized seed starting mix, in peat pots or plug trays. Like its cousins dill and cilantro, parsley develops a taproot that does better if left undisturbed. Sow outdoors in drills 3cm deep, spaced 8cm apart. Thin final plants to 15cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Grow parsley in a deeply dug bed. Add a generous amount of rotted manure or finished compost to the bed several weeks in advance, or the previous fall. For summer crops, aim to grow plants in a place where they will receive some shade during the day – either on the east or west side of a structure or fence works well. For winter crops, start new seeds in late summer and transplant out to a warm, sunny location by September. Parsley will grow all winter (in mild areas) if cloche protection is provided.
How To Grow, Harvest: Cut individual sprigs from the outside of the plant or the whole plant as needed. Sprigs can be dried in the food dehydrator. Chop sprigs into the portions that your favourite recipes call for, place into an ice cube tray and add water to cover. When frozen, bag and store until needed. This keeps the parsley fresh for months.
Approx: 1030 Seeds.
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Chives – Allium Schoenoprasum – West Coast Seeds
$3.49Sow chive seeds at any time of year. Hardy, perennial, and easy to grow, the chopped stems and pink flowers add a fresh, mild green onion flavour to sandwiches, salads and baked potatoes. Clumps can be divided in spring or fall. If grown in containers, divide frequently enough to provide for constant lateral growth. Chives are surprisingly hardy and can be harvested all winter if given some protection from extreme cold. They are also quite drought tolerant, so they’re good candidates for xeriscaping. The edible flowers are highly attractive to bumblebees, hoverflies, and other beneficial garden insects.
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors from late winter through mid-spring, and transplant or direct sow once the soil has warmed in late spring. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 19°C.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow 5mm-1cm deep and keep moist until germination. If starting indoors, use bottom heat and plant 10-15 seeds per cell in a 72 cell plug tray. Transplant either into containers or into the garden once the soil has warmed up. Space clumps 15cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Clumps of chives spread to about 30cm across. They should be divided at that point and replanted to stand 30cm apart or broken up for container planting. Remove flower stems before they open to increase foliage production. Keep chives watered evenly throughout the season. For a winter crop, try digging up a small clump after the foliage dies back in the fall. Plant this in a container using loamy potting mix, and bring indoors to a warm, and very bright windowsill.
How To Grow, Harvest: The whole plant can be cut down to 4cm from the ground. Use scissors and take as much as needed. Chives don’t dehydrate well, so use fresh portions regularly. The flowers can be used in salads or to flavour vinegars.
Approx: 760 Seeds
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Dill – Dukat Dill – West Coast Seeds.
$3.29Dukat dill seeds produce dill with a particularly fine bouquet and flavour. The darker-than-usual leaves are excellent fresh or dried. Dukat has exceptionally large seed heads. Dukat is the variety to grow for homemade dill pickles, and can be grown in a large container in full sun. This dill stays relatively short at 45-60cm.
The structure of dill’s flowers is known as an umbel. Thus dill is considered an umbelliferous plant. Other umbellifers include carrots, cilantro, fennel, parsnips, and Ammi. All of these plants are attractive to predatory insects such as lady beetles, Syrphid flies (hover-flies), lacewings, and tiny parasitoid wasps. West Coast Seeds encourages organic gardeners to grow dill precisely to attract these beneficial insects, for they will control pest insects like aphids, thrips, whitefly, and the caterpillar of the Small White Butterfly (cabbage moth).
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow late spring through summer, or sow when cucumbers are transplanted, to coincide maturity for pickling. Dill tends to bolt if transplanted, so it is best direct sown. Stagger the harvest by sowing every 2-3 weeks for a constant supply of fresh leaves. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 15-21°C. Seeds should germinate in 10-21 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Dill seeds need some light to germinate. Sow seeds no more than 5mm deep in rows 45cm apart. Thin the plants to stand at least 15cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 5.0-7.0. Grow in moderately rich soil in full sun. Water and feed regularly, and stop any overhead watering once plants are 60cm tall to prevent issues with mildew forming on the leaves.
How To Grow, Harvest: Begin harvesting the tasty leaves once plants reach 15cm tall. About 12 weeks after sprouting the seed heads begin to form. When the first seeds have turned brown, cut the whole head and hang it upside down for the drying seeds to fall out into trays or paper bags. Dill leaf loses most of its flavour when dried, so freeze it in ice cube trays filled with water for use all winter.
Approx: 510 Seeds.
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Lemongrass – Cymbopogon Citratus – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Cymbopogon flexuosus. Lemongrass is a tropical plant from the grass family (Poaceae) that will grow well in temperate regions if given the right conditions. Sow Lemongrass seeds indoors in late winter using bottom heat or a seedling heat mat. Maintain moist conditions and a temperature around 21°C, and the seeds will germinate in 5 to 21 days. Be sure to use sterilized seed starting mix, and either a clear dome over your seedling tray, or sealed into a plastic bag to maintain moisture. Transplant outdoors or into containers in full sun once the weather has warmed up in early summer. At the end of summer move container plants into a frost free environment with good air circulation. Reduce watering to almost none, making the soil barely moist once a week.
When using Lemongrass in the kitchen, remove any loose, outer layers. Either use whole pieces, crushed slightly with a pestle or under the back of your cleaver, or slice sections very thinly in cross section. This will help break up the strong fibres of the grass stalks. Tender perennial.
How To Grow, Timing: Sow seeds indoors in late winter. Transplant outdoors only when night time temperatures are steadily above 10°C.
How To Grow, Starting: Press the seeds gently 5mm into pre-moistened, sterilized seed starting mix. Use seedling trays with plastic domes, or containers sealed inside large plastic bags. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 21°C. Keep seed trays or containers in a dark room or cupboard. Seeds should germinate in 5 to 21 days. The trick is to maintain a moist, not wet, environment. Once seedlings appear, remove the dome or plastic bag, and move them into full sun or beneath strong, full spectrum, artificial light.
How To Grow, Growing: Harden seedlings off in early summer by gradually exposing them to full sun and cooler temperatures. Transplant individual seedlings into 5 gallon (or larger) containers, and apply high nitrogen organic fertilizer like Alfalfa Meal or Blood Meal at the time of transplanting. Just mix 1/2 cup into the soil before transplanting. Keep the soil relatively moist throughout the growing period, watering at least 2 or 3 times a week – more in hot weather.
At the end of the growing season, once night time temperatures begin to approach 10°C, cut back lemongrass plants to 15-20cm tall, reduce watering, and discontinue feeding. Move plants to a bright, airy spot, protected from frost. Water only enough to keep the soil barely moist to nearly dry. If plants seem congested, consider dividing them into clumps in early spring, and potting them on. Resume watering and feeding once spring growth appears.
How To Grow, Harvest: Use secateurs to snip whole stalks from the base of the plant as needed. Stalks should be at least 15mm thick before picking. Lemongrass dries well for use as a tea, and whole stalk segments can be bundled and frozen for use in soups and curry paste all winter long.
Approx: 240 Seeds.
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Shiso – Red Perilla – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Perilla frutescens var. crispa. Red Perilla shiso seeds grow into substantial plants with wide, deep purple leaves. The dark ruby leaves of this sharply flavoured Asian herb have nicely frilled edges. They look a little bit like stinging nettle leaves, but rounder, and without any prickles. Grow as a bright-red micro-green, or let the plants mature and enjoy the leaves in pho, salad rolls, or other dishes. Shiso makes a wonderful pairing with unctuous dishes like sushi, and it combines beautifully with cilantro, mint, Thai basil and fresh lettuce leaves. Shiso has a very similar growing season to basil, and performs just as well in containers as in the garden bed. Provide full sun and well drained soil.
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors in early spring, a couple of weeks after the last frost date, or direct sow outdoors in late spring, once night time temperatures are steadily above 8°C.
How To Grow, Starting: If starting indoors, use equal parts sterilized seed starting mix to perlite. Mix well and add to seed trays with domes. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 20°C. Seeds should germinate in 7 to 14 days. Be careful not to over-water, particularly once seeds have germinated, as the seedlings are prone to damping off. Remove the dome at germination, but maintain bottom heat until seedlings are large enough to pot on into larger containers.
Alternatively, direct sow outdoors into well-drained garden soil. Seeds should germinate in 14 to 20 days.
How To Grow, Growing: Shiso does best in full sun to partial shade, in fertile, well-drained soil. Allow transplants to become established, and then grow as you would basil — pinch growing tips regularly to produce bushier plants with more leaves. Water regularly, more so in hot weather. If growing in containers, mix equal parts potting soil and composted fine bark. Orchid bark works well.
How To Grow, Harvest: Pick leaves as needed throughout the summer, and harvest the flowering tops in late summer. As autumn approaches, harvest the seeds for planting next spring.
Approx: 330 Seeds.
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Shiso – Green Perilla – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Perilla frutescens var. crispa. Green Perilla shiso seeds make a wonderful addition to any herb garden. This profoundly flavourful culinary herb is used across south and east Asia, and has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Relatively unfamiliar to many Western gardeners and cooks, its distinctive, broad, round leaves combine with Thai basil, cilantro, mint, and other powerful leafy herbs. This hardy annual can grows to 60cm (24) tall. Shiso is a heat loving plant that thrives in summer as basil does, in well drained soil in full sun. Pick leaves as needed in summer, and then harvest the flowering tops in late summer. Harvest the open pollinated seeds in early fall for planting the next year.
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors in early spring, a couple of weeks after the last frost date, or direct sow outdoors in late spring, once night time temperatures are steadily above 8°C (45°F).
How To Grow, Starting: If starting indoors, use equal parts sterilized seed starting mix to perlite. Mix well and add to seed trays with domes. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 20°C (70°F). Seeds should germinate in 7 to 14 days. Be careful not to over-water, particularly once seeds have germinated, as the seedlings are prone to damping off. Remove the dome at germination, but maintain bottom heat until seedlings are large enough to pot on into larger containers.
Alternatively, direct sow outdoors into well-drained garden soil. Seeds should germinate in 14 to 20 days.
How To Grow, Growing: hiso does best in full sun to partial shade, in fertile, well-drained soil. Allow transplants to become established, and then grow as you would basil — pinch growing tips regularly to produce bushier plants with more leaves. Water regularly, more so in hot weather. If growing in containers, mix equal parts potting soil and composted fine bark. Orchid bark works well.
How To Grow, Harvest: Pick leaves as needed throughout the summer, and harvest the flowering tops in late summer. As autumn approaches, harvest the seeds for planting next spring.
Approx: 350 Seeds.
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Sage – Ceres – West Coast Seeds
$4.49Salvia officinalis. CERTIFIED ORGANIC! The wonderfully aromatic, silvery-green leaves of sage bring a potent savoury accent to stews, soups, salads, and traditional stuffing. Beneficial insects love this plant and hummingbirds will feed from sage flowers. Direct seed organic sage seeds in early spring and thin to 30cm apart. Harvest half of the plant before the purple flowers open in June, and dry the leaves in an airy spot away from direct sunlight. After flowering, cut back by a third to get a burst of fresh new leaves.
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors mid-winter to mid-spring. Transplant out or direct sow starting late spring. Starting indoors may be more reliable, particularly if using bottom heat and maintaining optimal soil temperature at 15-21°C. Seeds should sprout in 2 to 3 weeks.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow seeds 3mm deep, and keep soil just moist, not wet. Thin or transplant to 45-60cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: In spring, trim established plants back by a third to encourage new growth. Once the flowers have finished in June/early July, trim the plants back again. A second bloom sometimes follows, and this pruning will keep plants bushy and compact. After a few years, sage bushes can become quite large. Keep in check by pruning.
Approx: 100 Seeds.
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Summer Savory – Satureja Hortensis – West Coast Seeds
$3.29Satureja hortensis. This delicate, aromatic little plant grows quickly in rich soil. Used in bean, pea and lentil recipes, summer savory has a more delicate flavour than winter savory. Sow Summer Savory seeds in the spring. After flowering, pull it up and hang to dry. Let a few plants go to seed, and it should come back the following year. This herb grows to 25cm (10″) tall.
This is the better known savory – it is an annual plant as opposed to perennial Winter Savory. Maritime Canadians know and love it, and use it the way sage is used elsewhere. It’s nice with poultry stuffing and stews, and it is a key ingredient in herbes de Provence.
How To Grow, Timing: Sow the very tiny seeds indoors about 4-6 weeks before the last frost. They should sprout in 10-15 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow seeds on the surface of prepared starting mix. Do not bury them as they need light to germinate. Don’t bother using bottom heat, as the seeds will sprout well without it. When seedlings are large enough to handle, delicately pot them on or transplant out to the herb garden once all risk of frost is past. Both varieties benefit from careful hardening off to reduce transplant shock.
Approx 1400 Seeds
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Mint – Peppermint – West Coast Seeds
$3.49Mentha x piperata. Hot, rich mint aroma issues from the crushed or dried leaves of this spreading perennial plant. Consider growing Peppermint seeds in containers, as it will become hard to control over the years. Both the leaves and flowers can be dried for teas or use in stews and sauces. Peppermint grows well in moist soil in full sun to heavy shade. Mint flowers are edible, and highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. Mint plants spread by an ever-expanding rhizome that grows parallel with the soil. Along its length, new stems emerge with new leaves and flowers. This is why many gardeners prefer to grow mint in containers than in the open soil.
How To Grow, Timing: Sow indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, or direct sow in late spring. Seeds should sprout in 10-16 days. Bottom heat will speed germination.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow seeds no more than 5mm (¼”) deep in moist soil. Space plants 45-60cm (18-24″) apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Mint spreads in the garden with gusto via a vigorous root system, so it may be preferable to confine it to planters on the balcony or in a raised bed. Prune plants back hard in early summer to promote good top growth. Bring some inside to grow in a small container over winter to grow on a brightly lit windowsill.
How To Grow, Harvest: Clip leaves or branches as needed throughout the year. Mint is so hardy and tough that it will grow right back. Dry the leaves and flowers for peppermint tea, or use them fresh. The flowers are edible and bring distinctive character to salads and sweets.
Approx: 990 Seeds.
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Asclepias – Butterfly Bush – West Coast Seeds
$5.99Asclepias tuberosa. Butterfly Bush Milkweed seeds, sometimes called Orange Milkweed, is a hearty perennial intensely attractive to butterflies and other beneficial garden insects. It is highly drought resistant, so useful for xeriscaping. Unlike other members of the Milkweed family, Butterfly Weed does not issue a milky sap when broken. Waxy green stems to 70cm tall are topped by vivid orange flower clusters. Grown in small clusters, this plant attracts butterflies like no other, even in urban gardens. Flowers are followed by exotic looking fruits that release easy-to-harvest seeds. All milkweeds are useful, nectar rich food plants for butterflies, including the Monarch butterfly.
This is not the milkweed species that is used as a food plant by the Monarch caterpillar. That plant is A. incarnata, or Swamp Milkweed. Download our Butterfly Milk Fact Sheet.
NOTE: All parts of the plant are harmful if swallowed. Asclepias leaves can be toxic to chickens, so plant out of range of foraging flocks. Perennial.
How To Grow, Timing: Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date and transplant towards late spring. Milkweed requires cold stratification to break dormancy. Sow the seeds in damp soil in 18 cell plug inserts and place in a refrigerator for two weeks or place outside in early spring. Transplant when the seedlings are 5 cm tall. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-25°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-35 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Barely cover the small seeds using sterilized seed starting mix. Space transplants 30-60cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: For many years several Asclepias species were listed as invasive weeds because of their sometimes aggressive spreading by underground rhizomes and their giant, dandelion-like seeds. The seeds emerge from very conspicuous pods which are easily removed before they dry and crack. As the population of wild Asclepias diminished, so did the populations of many butterflies that depend on them as food and nursery plants (including the endangered Monarch). Now that they have been de-listed, we encourage home gardeners to grow them with the advance knowledge that they can spread. Try growing them in a large container like a half barrel, and be conscious of the seed pods as they develop. In short, please be responsible with Asclepias species.
Note: All parts of the plant are harmful if eaten. Flowers are not edible.
Approx: 50 Seeds.
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Asclepias – Showy Milkweed – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Asclepias speciosa. Native to western and central North America (including BC’s Okanagan region), Showy Milkweed is the plant at the center of Monarch butterfly conservation efforts. This is the particular species of milkweed that the Monarch caterpillars feed on after hatching, so it is highly prized by egg-laying adults. The flowers are notoriously generous with nectar, so they attract a host of other butterfly species, as well as bees, hummingbirds, and many other pollinators. The plants grow to around 90cm tall, with greyish green foliage topped by spherical clusters of pink flowers. Once the seed pods form, they can be cut and dried to good effect. Plant Showy Milkweed seeds anywhere to help with pollinator conservation.
Note: This species spreads by self-seeding as well as spreading its rhizomatous roots. In favorable settings, it can spread aggressively. For this reason, we recommend it for larger containers or for areas where it can be controlled through regular pruning. To avoid self-sowing, simply cut the seed pods off before they mature.
Showy Milkweed also happens to be pretty much deer-proof. Perennial.
How To Grow, Timing: Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date and transplant towards late spring. Milkweed requires cold stratification to break dormancy. Sow the seeds in damp soil in 18 cell plug inserts and place in a refrigerator for two weeks or place outside in early spring. Transplant when the seedlings are 2 inches (5cm) tall. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-25°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-35 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Barely cover the small seeds using sterilized seed starting mix. Space transplants 30-60cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: For many years several Asclepias species were listed as invasive weeds because of their sometimes aggressive spreading by underground rhizomes and their giant, dandelion-like seeds. The seeds emerge from very conspicuous pods which are easily removed before they dry and crack. As the population of wild Asclepias diminished, so did the populations of many butterflies that depend on them as food and nursery plants (including the endangered Monarch). Now that they have been de-listed, we encourage home gardeners to grow them with the advance knowledge that they can spread. Try growing them in a large container like a half barrel, and be conscious of the seed pods as they develop. In short, please be responsible with Asclepias species.
Note: All parts of the plant are harmful if eaten. Flowers are not edible.
Approx: 35 Seeds
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Tomato – Amish Paste Organic – West Coast Seeds
$4.49CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Amish Paste organic roma tomato seeds produce large, heavy fruit that will reward your growing efforts and your palate with the richest sauces and thickest pastes. These lovely, firm heirloom tomatoes are a culinary favourite. The deep red flesh is firm, not too juicy and the taste is a fine balance between sweet and rich. Of Amish origins circa the late 1800’s, originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The plants have a long growing season and will produce bountiful yields of flavourful fruit until late fall. Vines often reach over 6 feet and will require heavy staking for support.
The shape of Amish Paste organic tomatoes varies from “ox heart” to “plum” – both may often be found on the same plant at the same time. Vines continuously produce small clusters of large, up to 226g, deep-red fruits that are nearly seedless.
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.
Indeterminate (vine)
Matures in 75 days (Open-pollinated seeds)
Approx 40 Seeds.
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Tomato – Old German Organic – West Coast Seeds
$4.49CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Old German Organic tomato produces huge fruit striped with red and gold colours reminiscent of a Caribbean sunset. These delicious beefsteaks are fantastic sliced to compliment any meal with a gorgeous splash of colour.
This variety originates from a Mennonite community in the Shennandoah Valley of Virginia circa the mid 1800’s. The Mennonites take great pride in preserving their heritage, faith, and way of life and are responsible for cultivating many excellent heirloom vegetable varieties. The seeds came into commercial production in 1985.
The hearty potato leaf plants often grow to 2.4-3m tall. Plants produce moderate yields of up to 900g (2 lb.) fragrant, decorative and nearly seedless tomatoes. Sturdy staking is required to support the large vines and heavy fruit. It’s important to note this variety is not drought tolerant.
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.
Indeterminate (vine)
Matures in 80 days (Open-pollinated seeds)
Approx: 25 Seeds
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Tomato – Marzito – west Coast Seeds
$8.49Indeterminate 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.
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Tomato – Glacier Organic – West Coast Seeds
$3.99CERTIFIED ORGANIC. Glacier Organic is one of our earliest maturing tomato varieties. The productive little plants are compact and well suited to containers and balcony growing. Glacier’s ‘cocktail’ size fruits are small at just 5cm in diameter, but they are very sweet, with a superior flavour compared to some other early maturing varieties. The stout plants grow to only 60-75cm tall, and bear most of their fruit in a concentrated set. The plants are relatively cold tolerant and perform well in short season northern gardens.
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 50 Seeds.
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Tomato – Prairie Fire Organic – West Coast Seeds
$3.99CERTIFIED ORGANIC. Selected for sweetness and productivity, Prairie Fire Organic is a compact, semi-determinate variety with small, elongated, pointy-tipped fruits. The sweet little fruits have bright red skins with subtle golden striping over a solid red interior. Most fruits average 8cm long. They are early maturing and abundant on vigorous, healthy plants that perform well in the greenhouse or the open field.
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.
65 Days.
Approx:10 Seeds.
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Tomato – Sunrise Sauce – West Coast Seeds
$7.49Add 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.
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Turnip – Hakurei – West Coast Seeds
$4.99Hakurei turnip seeds produce gourmet turnips that are smooth and pretty, and with tidy tops too! Roots and smooth, dark green leaves are best used in salads. Japanese breeding produces uniform, globe-shaped roots with snow-white skin and a crisp texture. Plant short rows frequently so the fresh roots and tops are available to you from spring to fall, and so your whole turnip crop doesn’t come at once. Hakurei turnips can be harvested straight from the ground quite late into the fall. If frost is in the forecast, cover the turnips with heavyweight row cover or burlap. Or harvest the remaining roots and store them indoors in a cool, dry place. Root cellars are ideal.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow short rows starting just after the last frost date, through summer, and into the fall. Where winters are mild they can be started right into October. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 18-21°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow 5mm-1cm deep in rows spaced 60cm apart, and thin to 15-20cm apart in the row.
How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Humus-rich, deeply cultivated soil is key. Add plenty of well rotted compost or manure to the beds and cultivate to a depth of 20cm. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m of row. The real secret to success with turnips is speed. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks, thin them quickly, keep them watered, harvest, and then sow some more.
How To Grow, Harvest: Gather greens and roots throughout summer as needed. Their immature seed pods are also tasty.
40 Days.
Approx: 350 Seeds.
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Broccoli – Summer Purple – West Coast Seeds
$4.69The latest of the late sprouting broccolis, Summer Purple broccoli seeds begin producing spears the summer after planting – from June to October if kept well picked. Combining this and other varieties, you can now have fresh harvests of sprouting broccoli nearly year round. Big, cold hardy plants with tasty spears. This biennial broccoli variety does not make the big green heads one sees in the grocery stores, but rather a host of small, individual, purple heads, like the side shoots of a regular broccoli. The flavour is sensational, and the heads are extremely nutritious. Purple sprouting broccoli has been all the rage in the UK for several years, and is just finding favour in North American organic gardens in recent time.
How To Grow, Timing: Start indoors right around the last frost date or later in spring for summer harvest in 2 to 3 months. 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. Seeds will germinate in 7-10 days. Optimal temperature for germination: 10-30°C.
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. Mix ¼-½ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil under each transplant. Transplants should be set out by the time they have 6-8 true leaves. 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.
120 Days.
Approx: 30 Seeds
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Cabbage – Tiara Organic – west Coast Seeds
$4.99Expect 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
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Cabbage – Taiwan – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Taiwan 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
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Cabbage – Famosa Organic – West Coast Seeds
$5.99Main season savoy for planting spring through early summer. Famosa’s bright green, heavily blistered heads are formed within large, blue-green plants.
Make sure to leave enough space when planting for these large-frame plants. Flavour will sweeten in the fall as the weather gets cold. 1-1.8kg heads. Switch to Capriccio for your last planting, or sow together to extend the harvest into late fall.
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.
70 Days
Approx: 25 Seeds
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Carrot – Narvik – West Coast Seeds
$4.69A 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
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Carrot – Red Sun – West Coast Seeds
$4.69This uniform Nantes type is blood orange right to the core—the red hue means it is rich in the natural antioxidant lycopene. The texture is crunchy, and flavour is sweet but mellow, comparable to orange varieties.
Add to meals for a boost of nutrition! Best grown for fall harvest as flavour is best when allowed to mature in cooler conditions.
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: 365 Seeds
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Carrot – Bolero Pelleted – West Coast Seeds
$4.99Bolero is the first choice for storage carrots. This RHS Award of Merit winner is very sweet and crunchy and is a good keeper in storage or in the ground. Roots are bright orange, up to 20cm long, and slightly tapered, with the typical blunt Nantes tip.
Bolero is a great variety for home or market. Hybrid uniformity accompanies superb flavour and excellent storage ability. This variety is something of an industry standard. High level of resistance to Alternaria blights and powdery mildew.
This seed is pelleted with clay for easier handling. Conventional seed with COR-compliant pellet, suitable for use by certified organic growers. Note: This seed is pelleted to improve handling and planting accuracy.
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: 70 Seeds
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Cauliflower – Clarify – West Coast Seeds
$6.49Clubroot 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
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