Seed Instructions
We are posting our past seed instructions. Click your seed type to jump to each section
Jump to:
    Arugula     Asparagus     Basil
    Beans     Beets     Broccoli
    Brusselssprouts     Cabbage     Cactus
    Calendula     Carrots     Cauliflower
    Cilantro/Coriander     Collard Greens
    Coneflower     Corn     Cosmos
    Cucumbers     Daffodils     Dill
    Eggplant     Garlic     Garlic Chives
    Gladiolus Bulbs     Gourds     Hibiscus Mallow
    Hollyhock     Hyacinth Bulbs     Iris
    Kale     Kohlrabi     Lettuce
    Lupine     Mallow     Marigolds
    Melon (Cantaloupe & Honeydew)     Mint     Moonflower
    Morning Glory     Mustard Greens     Nasturtium
    Nigella (Love in a Mist)     Okra     Onion
    Oregano     Parsley     Peas
    Pepper     Poppy     Potatoes
    Pumpkin     Radish     Raspberries
    Roses     Rose Mallow     Rutabaga
    Sage Flowers     Sage Herb     Shallots
    Snapdragon     Spinach     Strawberry
    Strawflower     Succulents     Summer Squash
    Sunflowers     Sweet Pea     Sweet Potato
    Swiss Chard     Thyme     Tomato
    Tulips     Turnip     Watermelon
    Wildflowers     Winter Squash     Zinnia
Strawberry
Strawberries - Mignonette
- These tiny seeds can take up to 6 weeks to germinate (be patient!)
- Use a shallow tray with a well-draining soil mix
- Keep your tray in a sunny area or grow indoors under a grow light
- Sprinkle seeds across the top of the soil - if putting outdoors, lightly cover with soil
- Allow plants to grow strong roots Before transplanting
- Easy to take care of once it is well established!
- Small but tasty fruit
- Unlike most strawberries, this plant has very few runners, making it ideal for containers
- A disease hardy plant
- Like most strawberries, use mulch to keep berries out of the soil and their roots protected
Back to Top
BEANS
Beans - Bush
- Bush beans will not climb like pole beans
- Beans can be planted directly about 1/2in deep
- Beans can be up to 3 feet wide, so keep your plants at least 1 foot apart
- Plants can take about 50-60 days to mature, then will produce regularly
- Pick beans when they are 5-7in long
- Pinch beans off the stalk or pull the stem to ensure you get the full bean
- Do not pick or handle bean plants when wet as this can spread "rust", a common fungus
- If your bean plant starts to lean, you can use a pole to give it support

Buy Royal Burgundy Bean Seeds
Buy Organic Midori Giant Edamame Beans
Back to Top
Beans - Pole
- Pole beans climb and require a trellis or fence (they will also climb other plants, such as corn and okra
- Beans can be planted directly about 1/2" deep
- Vines can be up to 10 feet long, so Make sure your trellis is large and your plants are at least 1 foot apart
- Plants can take about 60-70 days to mature, then will produce regularly
- Pick beans when they are 5-7" long
- Pinch beans off the stalk or pull the stem to ensure you get the full bean
- Do not pick or handle bean plants when wet as this can spread "rust", a common fungus
Buy Blue Lake Pole Beans
Back to Top
Beans - Hyacinth
- Hyacinth Bean is actually a member of the Pea/Peanut family, so it is a nitrogen fixer AND almost completely edible! Fresh pods, leaves, flowers, and roots are all able to be eaten, HOWEVER, if the beans have dried/matured (they are hard) THEY MUST BE COOKED THOROUGHLY - mature/dried Hyacinth Beans develop a high amount of cyanogenic glucosides, which is toxic. You must soak the seeds/beans overnight, then boil them for hours in fresh water (or boil twice with a water change) - basically, if the seeds have become hard, just save them for planting or prepare for long cooking times
- Do not plant until all danger of frost for your area has passed
- If you decide to start your seeds indoors, begin them 4-6 weeks before the last frost date and use a seedling germination mat for better growth
- Find a sunny area with lots of available vine support, such as a fence or large trellis, and prepare the soil with compost
- Ensure that your area has good drainage
- Soak the seeds overnight for best results
- Plant beans 6-8” apart
- Germination can take 2-3 weeks to occur (be patient!)
- Vines will find their own way up the trellis, but if needed, can be guided
- Hyacinth Beans are known for being lush and dense vines, so they are often used to cover eyesores
- The beautiful lavender flowers smell great and attract butterflies - don’t be surprised if you find caterpillars munching your vines (like milkweed, they will grow back!)
- If left to mature, Hyacinth Bean seeds may fall to the ground and regrow next season (just make sure that no pets or small children find and eat those fallen seeds)
Back to Top
WATERMELON
- Watermelon need 70-90 days to fully mature, so if your summers are short, start seeds indoors up to 2 weeks before your last frost date. Wait until the soil is at least 70ºF to help seed germination (or use a heat mat).
- Watermelons are heavy feeders, so amend your soil with compost, seaweed, manure, or a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen level. Your soil should be on the slightly acidic side.
- Pile your soil into hills, and plant 1-2 seeds in the top of each hill. Each plant needs 2-6’ around it to spread vines - as a side note, watermelon vines can be trellised, but the fruit will need support as it gets heavier (we use old pantyhose), or let the vines stay on the ground.
- Watermelons are 90% water, so consistent watering is key, make sure that your soil is well draining, and water 1-2” per week - be sure to only water at the base of the plant.
- Watermelon flowers come in male and female flowers, like other squash varieties. Male flowers appear first and will be just a normal flower. Female flowers will have a tiny melon at the flower base. If there are nutrient problems or watering issues, blossom-end rot or weirdly-shaped fruit can occur. Blossom-end rot will make the fruit unusable, and the affected fruit should be removed before disease sets in.
- Try to keep the fruit off the soil by putting cardboard or mulch underneath. Knowing when a melon is ready takes some practice.
A few signs we look for:
- the little tendril CLOSEST to the watermelon stem will turn brown and shrivel up
- the light mark on the bottom of the melon is yellow/cream colored (NOT white)
- the stripes of the watermelon should start to blend together
- gently knock on the watermelon, if it sounds hollow, it should be ready
- Watermelons do not sweeten off the vine. When ready to harvest, use a knife and cut the stem closer to the fruit.
- One final note, since watermelon is a form of squash, it can be susceptible to squash vine borers (the bane of the squash grower’s existence), but if you’re growing any kind of squash, your watermelon should be fine.
Back to Top
CABBAGE
- Cabbage seeds can be started indoors and transplanted outside, which is ideal if your area is still too hot, or if you’re saving for a spring planting.
- For spring, start your seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. For fall, start your seeds 10-12 weeks before the first frost date. Cabbage seeds need the average temperature to be between 65-75ºF to germinate.
- Plant your seeds only 1/4-1/2” deep. You can also soak the seeds overnight in tepid (lukewarm) water to give them a head start germinating.
- Keep seedlings moist, but be sure that your soil drains well. Greens with wet feet tend to rot.
- Cabbage seeds (and most greens) will have initial leaves, but need 2-3 sets of true leaves before they can go outside. If starting indoors, you’ll transplant the cabbage 6-8 weeks before the first frost date in fall or 2-3 weeks before the last frost date for spring plantings.
- You’ll need an area with 6 hours of full sunlight, and be sure not to plant near other brassicas, like cauliflower and broccoli, and strawberries and tomatoes. Good companion plants are cucumbers and beans.
- Plant cabbages 2’ apart and do the transplant on a cloudy day to prevent shock to the seedlings. Add mulch - ground leaves, finely ground bark, or compost, then water deeply (mulch usually sucks up water, so you need to water more to penetrate the extra layer).
- Keep your seedlings well watered, you’ll water them about 1.5”/week until they approach maturity.
- Stop watering about 3 weeks before harvest to prevent splitting.
- Add a nitrogen rich fertilizer when the head begins to develop. You’ll determine if the head is ready to harvest with a squeeze test. The head should be between 4-10”, and when squeezed, it should be firm. If it is soft or loose, it needs more time.
- Once you harvest the main head, if you remove it carefully and leave the stem in the ground, they can regrow new, smaller heads which will mature sooner. Chinese cabbage grows upright and will only make one head.
- Extra cabbage heads can be stored for later use. Clean the heads from dirt and bugs and let dry. You can wrap it in plastic and store in the fridge for 2 weeks, store it in a cellar for up to 3 months, dry or freeze it, or make sauerkraut!
- Days to maturity: Red Acre: 75 days, Golden Acre: 62 days, All Seasons: 87 days, Pak Choy: 75 days
Back to Top
COLLARD GREENS
- Great for spring or fall, but not in 90°+ weather
- Plants can be 2-3 feet tall and wide
- Grow in full sun
- Soaking for 24 hours can improve germination
- For microgreens, harvest in 7-10 days
- For full leaves, harvest in 85-95 days
Back to Top
LETTUCE
- Easy and quick to grow - We do NOT recommend starting lettuce and transplanting it, while it is possible to do, it will likely never grow the full head, and the leaves will be skinny.
- Scatter seeds along the surface and tamp down. If you can avoid covering them with soil, they will germinate faster, but if birds are prevalent, cover with a very thin layer of soil, no more than a 1/4”.
- Once seedlings are at least 2-3” tall, thin to 6-8” apart. Because lettuce has very shallow roots, use scissors to cut the seedlings off at ground level and utilize the cutting in salads or sandwiches as microgreens.
- Lettuce can be harvested as growing occurs, by taking off outer leafs and leaving the hearts in place, however, this will not produce a proper head like you see in the store. To get this, you must leave the plant until the head has formed and harvest the whole thing.
- You can also stagger your growing to harvest leaves from some plants while others are left to grow the whole head.
Buy White Boston Lettuce
Buy Red Romaine
Buy Buttercrunch Lettuce
Back to Top
ARUGULA
- Prefers shade to full sun
- For microgreens, harvest in 7-10 days
- For baby leaves, harvest in 24 days
- For mature leaves, harvest in 35 days
- Does not form a head like other lettuce varieties
- Slow bolting unless grown in too much heat
Sage Flowers
All Sage flower seed species benefit from being started indoors, but they grow fairly reliably
if sown outdoors in warm soil where summers are hot.
- Plant Sage seeds outdoors after frost danger has passed and prepare soil by weeding it and loosening it
- Lightly rake seeds into the soil and keep the seeds and young seedlings moist until well-established
- If you want to save your seeds for spring, start these seeds indoors 10 weeks before last frost. Sow in starter trays, press the seed
into the soil and barely cover. Sage needs light to germinate. When the frost season has passed, transplant the seedlings
into the garden 12 - 18 inches apart in a sunny location
- Give them plenty of water in dry weather
- Seeds will fall into the soil and germinate continuously all year except during freezing temperatures
- Great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds!
Buy Now
Swiss Chard does well in practically every season!
Did you know: Swiss Chard is actually a type of beet that doesn't produce a bulbous root!
- You can soak the seeds in water for 15 minutes to help speed up germination
- Start your seeds as soon as possible, or if waiting til spring, be sure that the soil is at least 50°F
- Swiss Chard needs loose, well-draining soil with full sun to partial shade (they like shade)
- Keep your Swiss Chard well spaced (they can get quite large, but need a minimum of 6-12")
- If you're expecting early frosts, use a hoop house or row covers to protect your plants and extend your season
- Swiss Chard can be harvested when it is 9-12" tall, but can grow up to 2 feet
- Plant near tomatoes, cabbage and brassicas, alliums, beans, radish, lettuce, mint, and celery
- AVOID planting near most herbs, potatoes, corn, cucumbers, and melons
- Swiss Chard is a perfect plant for containers and can be grown indoors for a year-round supply (just give extra water)
- Swiss Chard is super hardy - it tolerates summer heat, poor soil, neglect, and light frosts (not frozen ground)
- When harvesting, remove no more than half the stems and leaves, use fresh or cooked
- If the plant bolts (goes to seed), the leaves will taste bitter
Buy Now
IMPORTANT: Hyacinth Bulbs can cause itching and skin irritation (they contain oxalic acid) - this is only caused by handling the bulbs for an extended period of time - handle bulbs as little as possible!
Hyacinths can be grown indoors or outside, depending on when you would like to see flowers!
Planting indoors/Using a Hyacinth Glass