Garden Wisdom Blog — category: Seed Talk

This is a list of seeds to start in April for south coastal British Columbia and the US Pacific Northwest. Finally it’s April and we are past the last average frost date in the BC Lower Mainland. Because this date is an average, it means that we may still get frost as late as mid-April, so embrace spring with caution. The soil is not yet warm at this time of year, and that is a very important detail to remember. If you plant beet seeds in cold soil, for instance, they may not develop large roots. Seeds like corn and...

There are loads of ways to start seeds indoors in the late winter and early spring. You can use really basic tools like egg cartons on a windowsill, and this will achieve a perfectly reasonable end for most types of seeds. But I’m used to starting a very high number of seeds in the spring, so I’m looking for ways to make the process highly successful and highly efficient. Here are some of my favourite seed starting tools. Professional V Plug Trays: I suppose the “professional” implies that these trays are used by professional growers, as I’m sure they are...

Although it’s still cold outside and the days are still short, there are many seeds to start in February indoors. The early start means your seedlings do some essential early development, and when they are transplanted outdoors in the spring, they’ve had a head start. This is especially important for perennial flowers and herbs that take longer to reach maturity and begin to bloom. These recommendations are for the BC Lower Mainland, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, and coastal WA & OR. If you live outside this area, please have a look at our other Regional Planting Charts. Click on the...

Well it’s that time of year again… The 2018 Gardening Guide is out in the hands of many gardeners, and providing a glimmer of hope about the coming season. Winter is just about to commence (three more days from the Solstice at the time of writing), but it marks the point when the days begin to grow longer. For gardeners, that’s a key turning point. Our main trial garden on our farm underwent a sizeable expansion in 2017 as we took on seed trials for the All-America Selections, [AAS] as well as our own extensive trials of new products. The...

Here's our list of seeds to start in August for fall and winter harvests. These fast-growing seeds are cold hardy, and will thrive as the nights get cooler in late August and September. Check the first average frost date for your area. In the Lower Mainland of BC, the first frost date is not usually until November 2nd. Arugula Beets Carrots Cauliflower (start indoors, transplant first week September for fall harvest) Chervil Chives (after the 15th) Cilantro Columbine Corn salad (after the 15th) Kale & Collards Kohlrabi Lettuce Mescluns Mustards Pac Choi Parsley Peas (before the 15th) Radishes (after the...