Author: Jim

Carrot ,

Jaune Du Dobs Carrot

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Daucus carota

70 Days

70 Seeds

Originating from Eastern France in the area of the Doubs River, bordering Switzerland, these carrots date back to 14th Century French cooking guides. These yellow carrots retain their color after cooking and will grow a conical shaped, sweet, 5-8″ long carrot. Flavour improves with cooking and they store well.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds 1/4″ deep, 2-3″ apart, in full sun, 3 weeks before last frost or as soon as the ground is workable. Carrots take up to 3 weeks to germinate and the ground must remain moist. Its a good idea to soak the ground very well before sowing the carrot seeds or even laying wood or row cover down to retain moisture while checking underneath every couple of days for germination.

Cucumber , ,

Marketmore 76 Cucumber

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Cucumis sativus

Marketmore 76 Cucumber seeds Marketmore 76 Cucumber seed

Introduced in Ithaca, New York’s, Cornell University, by Henry Munger, and is one of the most popular with home gardeners. This cucumber is heavy producer with a range of fantastic attributes, a dark green, long, slender, smooth skinned slicing cucumber, that grows 6-9″ long on shorter vines then typical of a cucumber. Plants will grow to 4-5′ tall on large baskets or a trellis and produce heavily so decent support is needed. These almost sweet, very rarely bitter cucumbers are heat tolerant, and produce all season till frost, if harvested continually. Resistant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus, Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew and Scab.

58 Days

25 Seeds

Growing Directions

Sow seeds indoors 1/2″ deep, 3-4 weeks before last frost in pots big enough to not disturb roots when transplanting in 3-4 weeks as cucurbits don’t like their roots disturbed at all. Or sow seeds directly outdoors, when all chance of frost has past by a week and soil temperatures have reached at least 10 degrees Celsius. Space plants 2-3′ apart and support with trellis or strong taller cages. Benefits from organically rich soil amended with compost/manure.

Chard , ,

Fordhook Giant Chard

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Beta vulgaris

60 Days

40 Seeds

Introduced by Burpee Co in 1924, this heavy all season producer grows fabulous 2’ high dark green crinkled leaves packed with fiber and nutrition. The crumpled leaves have a nice mild flavour, and are great fresh, steamed or frozen.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds in spring, 1/2” deep, 4-6” apart in full sun, when ground is workable and heavy frosts have past. Harvesting will bring new growth continually all season long. Will benefit from compost or manure amended soil.

Cucumber , , ,

Snow’s Fancy Pickling Cucumber

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Cucumis sativus

Snow's Fancy Pickling Cucumber seed Snow's Fancy Pickling Cucumber seeds

60 Days

25 Seeds

Originally developed by JC Snow in Rockford, Illinois, and introduced publicly in 1905, this cucumber produces high yields of crisp, tender, 4-6″ long by 1.5″ wide, dark green, pickling cukes.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds 1″ deep indoors 2 weeks before last frost or sow directly outdoors when ground is warm and all chance of frost has past, in hills 6′ apart. Water consistently and support vertically to save
space. Benefits from composted soil.

Kale , , ,

Dwarf Siberian Kale

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Brassica napus

Dwarf Siberian Kale seed Dwarf Siberian Kale seeds

50 Days

40 Seeds

Siberian Kale was most likely came to be way back in the Middle Ages from a fluke hybridization in the wild from common kale (Brassica oleracea) and a turnip variety like Asian mustard (Brassica rapa).
This kale is even more frost tolerant than others and is tender, milder and not bitter, making it appealing for salads, instead of having to steam or saute. The leaves are flat and only slightly
crinkled on the edge, and the plants grow low to the ground, only reaching a height of 20″.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds 1/4″ deep, 24″ apart in full sun, a week before last frost. As with most kale, the leaves are sweeter and more tender after a frost. Can be harvested up to -20 Celsius and even after a snowfall.

Kohlrabi ,

De Vienna Bianco Kohlrabi

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Brassica oleracea

De Vienna Bianco Kohlrabi seed heirloom seeds

55 Days

40 Seeds

Also known as Early Vienna White, and thought to be from Austria in the 1800’s, but recorded in Italy as early as the 1550’s. This kohlrabi is earlier, milder and slightly smaller than the purple, with a thin pale green skin and white, crisp flesh, great for salads or steamed.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds 1/4″ deep, 4″ apart in full sun or partial shade, as soon as ground can be worked and all chance of heavy frost has past. Benefits from compost and lots of water. Harvest when when above ground bulb reaches 2-3″. Sow additional seeds every couple weeks for all season harvesting.

Lettuce , ,

Great Lakes 118 Lettuce

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Lactuca sativa

Great Lakes 118 Lettuce seeds

75 Days

50 Seeds

Introduced in 1948 by Associated Seed Growers in New Haven, Connecticut, this iceberg type lettuce produces large, crisp, medium green coloured heads of crumpled, thick, glossy leaves.. Heat
resistant and very hardy, this head lettuce is great for sandwiches, hand held lettuce wraps and salads.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds 1/8” deep, 8” part in full or partial sun when ground is warm and all chance of frost has past. Benefits from compost amended soil and consistent watering.

Lettuce ,

Lolla Rossa Lettuce

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Lactuca sativa

 Lolla Rossa Lettuce seeds

55 Days

50 Seeds

First cultivated by the Egyptians and then thought to be grown by Italians, Lolla Rossa’s mild flavour, beautiful colour, great texture and frilly leaves make it a hit at Farmer’s Markets and with gourmet
chef’s everywhere. The leaves can be completely harvested down to a couple of inches and will regrow time after time. This slow to bolt variety is tolerant of extreme weather and is easy to grow anywhere.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds 1/4″ deep, 6″ apart, in full sun or partial shade when all chance of frost has past. Benefits from organic compost amended soil. Cut leaves off, while still leaving 2″ left above ground and it will
regrow a new crop.

Onion ,

Walla Walla Onion

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Allium cepa

Walla Walla Onion seeds

125 Days

25 Seeds

Peter Pieri, a French soldier brought a sweet Italian onion from the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean, to the Walla Walla valley in southeastern Washington and continued growing and developing it into the famous sweet onion that it is today. Walla Walla onions are sought after for their sweet, crisp, juicy white flesh. The low amounts of pyruvic acid in these onions allow for it to be less sharp and unpleasant, and the high amount of sugar and water in them makes them absolutely wonderful when cooked. These are a long day onion meant for growing in Northern latitudes where the sun shines for 14+ hours per day.

Growing Directions

Sow seeds 1/4″ deep indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Germination occurs around 15-20 degrees Celsius, so do not use a heat mat for germination. Transplant outdoors 8″ apart in good organic compost amended soil, in full sun when all chance of frost has past. When 50% of the onion tops fall over, push the rest down and harvest within a week. Cure in the sun for 10 days in the field and cover if rain occurs during those 10 days. Curing onions is crucial for storage.