Community Seed Library

Seed Library Code: BEE001

Common name: Detroit Supreme Beet

Genus species 'variety': Beta vulgaris 'Detroit Supreme'

Family: Amaranthaceae

Description: Mildew resistant beet with deep red roots with smooth skin and medium tops. The tasty, nutritious leaves are dark green with red veins and a small crown. They are particularly nice for pickling, as the brine will turn a very dark red claret colour, and they stay tender but crunchy.

Type: annual, edible, heirloom

Days to maturity: 65

Days to germinate: 5 to 12

Requires: full sun to partial shade

Seed depth for planting: 1cm

Plant spacing: 5 to 10cm

Timing: Direct sow 4 weeks after last frost to mid-summer. Beets will not produce roots if planted when the soil is too cold. Optimal soil temperature: 10-26°C.

Growing tips: For uniformly sized beets, thin carefully to 7 to 15 cm apart when seedlings are 5cm tall. Eat any thinned plants, roots and all. root size is controlled by spacing and variety.

Companion planting: Beets add minerals to the soil. The greens are very good for the compost. Plant with bush beans, Brassicas, corn, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, and mint. Add cut mint leaves as a mulch for beets. Avoid planting beets near pole beans, as the nitrogen fixed by the beans may encourage leafy beet growth and diminished root development.

Harvesting: Harvest at any size, but for the best flavour, pull the beets as soon as they have reached full-size. Eat the greens too. Store in the ground, or in moist peat or sand just above freezing.

Seed Library Code: BEE002

Common name: Touchstone Gold Beet

Genus species 'variety': Beta vulgaris 'Touchstone Gold'

Family: Amaranthaceae

Description: The roots are smooth and orange on the outside and golden flesh beneath. the green tops are tall and strong, sweet and delicious.

Type: annual, edible, open pollinated

Days to maturity: 53

Days to germinate: 5 to 12

Requires: full sun to partial shade

Seed depth for planting: 1cm

Plant spacing: 5 to 10cm

Timing: Direct sow 4 weeks after last frost to mid-summer. Beets will not produce roots if planted when the soil is too cold. Optimal soil temperature: 10-26°C.

Growing tips: For uniformly sized beets, thin carefully to 7 to 15 cm apart when seedlings are 5cm tall. Eat any thinned plants, roots and all. root size is controlled by spacing and variety.

Companion planting: Beets add minerals to the soil. The greens are very good for the compost. Plant with bush beans, Brassicas, corn, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, and mint. Add cut mint leaves as a mulch for beets. Avoid planting beets near pole beans, as the nitrogen fixed by the beans may encourage leafy beet growth and diminished root development.

Harvesting: Harvest at any size, but for the best flavour, pull the beets as soon as they have reached full-size. Eat the greens too. Store in the ground, or in moist peat or sand just above freezing.

Seed Library Code: BEE003

Common name: Boltardy Beet

Genus species 'variety': Beta vulgaris 'Boltardy'

Family: Amaranthaceae

Description: Medium sized, deep ret beets. Can be sown earlier then other beets.

Type: annual, edible, heirloom

Days to maturity: 56

Days to germinate: 10 to 14

Requires: full sun to partial shade

Seed depth for planting: 1cm

Plant spacing: 2.5 to 5 cm

Timing: Direct sow early in the spring.

Growing tips: For uniformly sized beets, thin carefully to 7 to 15 cm apart when seedlings are 5cm tall. Eat any thinned plants, roots and all. root size is controlled by spacing and variety.

Companion planting: Beets add minerals to the soil. The greens are very good for the compost. Plant with bush beans, Brassicas, corn, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, and mint. Add cut mint leaves as a mulch for beets. Avoid planting beets near pole beans, as the nitrogen fixed by the beans may encourage leafy beet growth and diminished root development.

Harvesting: Harvest at any size, but for the best flavour, pull the beets as soon as they have reached full-size. Eat the greens too. Store in the ground, or in moist peat or sand just above freezing.

Seed Library Code: CUC001

Common name: Early Russian Cucumber

Genus species 'variety': Cucumis sativus 'Early Russian'

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Description: Developed for prairie growing conditions. A prolific variety that is superb for all types of pickles and relishes. The short cucumbers are light green with black spines, juicy, sweet and crunchy.

Type: annual, edible, heirloom

Flower colour: yellow

Days to maturity: 50-70

Days to germinate: 8-10

Requires: sun

Seed depth for planting: 13 mm

Plant spacing: rows spaced 1.2 m apart

Timing: If planted too early in cool damp soil, germination rates will be significantly decreased.

Growing tips: Poorly-shaped fruit are usually the result of poor pollination. For most cucumber varieties the first yellow flowers appearing on the plants are male flowers that provide pollen. These flowers normally drop off after blooming. The small cucumber is evident at the base of the female flower (even before it opens) and should develop into an edible fruit if properly pollinated. Anything that interferes with pollination of the female flowers reduces fruit set and yield, including cold temperatures and rainy weather. Cucumbers will not cross-pollinate with squashes, pumpkins, muskmelons, or watermelons.

Companion planting: Good companions are bean, celery, lettuce, pea, and radish. Consider planting near corn where the height of the corn shelters cucumbers from the wind and helps hold the heat which makes cucumbers thrive.

Harvesting: Regular harvesting from plants will give higher yields. Cucumbers can be picked at various stages of their growing period to be enjoyed for eating and pickling.

Seed Library Code: GOU001

Common name: Birdhouse Gourd

Genus species 'variety': Lagenaria siceraria

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Description: A durable gourd bulbous at the blossom end, restricting at the neck and, then forming a smaller bulb. Good for attracting pollinators.

Type: annual, ornamental, open pollinates

Days to maturity: 125

Requires: full sun

Seed depth for planting: 6-13 mm

Plant spacing: 90cm apart

Growing tips:Start indoors 3 weeks before transplanting. Requires a warm soil temperature of 27 degrees C and constant, even moisture. Sow outdoors like squash mid June. Sow 3 seeds3 per hill in rows or trellis vines for cleaner fruit.

Companion planting: celery, corn, melon, onion, radish

Harvesting: Wash gourds in warm, soapy water and rinse in a strong solution of non-bleaching disinfectant. Dry with a soft cloth and store 4-6 weeks in a well-ventilated room. Hanging is best for maximum air circulation. Check weekly and discard immature or soft gourds. They are cured when thoroughly dry and hard shelled. Wax and polish.

Seed Library Code: LET003

Common name: Yugoslavian Red Lettuce

Genus species 'variety': Lactuca sativa 'Yugoslavian Red'

Family: Asteraceae

Description: Red-tinged leaves form loose heads. Cutting the head in half exposes solid green interior leaves and an almost white center. Excellent mild flavor, a reliable germinator and slow to bolt.

Type: annual, edible, heirloom

Days to maturity: 55

Days to germinate: 7-14

Requires: sun

Seed depth for planting: 6 cm

Plant spacing: 2.5 cm then thin to 25 cm

Timing: Direct sow. Sow continuously for a constant supply of lettuce. Best grown in cooler weather.

Seed Library Code: PEA002

Common name: Dwarf Grey Sugar Pea

Genus species 'variety': Pisum sativum 'Dwarf Grey Sugar'

Family: Fabaceae

Description: Produces the earliest and most dwarf edible pods of all. Prolific, bushy vines with attractive sweet pea-like flowers followed by clusters of flat, fleshy, curved, semi-pointed pods forming at the tops of the plants for easy picking. Heirloom variety has been in production since before 1773. This is one of the best choices for growing pea shoots and pea tips.

Type: annual, edible, heirloom

Flower colour: purple

Days to maturity: 66

Height of mature plant: 1.5m

Days to germinate: 7-14

Requires: sun

Seed depth for planting: 5cm

Plant spacing: 2-7cm

Timing: Soaking seeds is not advised for damp soils. direct sow. Do not thin.

Growing tips: Dwarf varieties do not need a trellis, but may benefit from the support of some twigs poked into the soil in the row.

Companion planting: Plant near beans, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radish, spinach, strawberries, and turnips. Avoid planting peas near onions.

Harvesting: Peas can be harvested before the seeds mature, as snow peas, and then as tender snap peas, and finally as shelling peas. Make multiple sowings to extend the harvest season. Allow your best plant to set seed and save for the Seed Library.

Seed Library Code: PEA003

Common name: Super Sugar Snap Pea

Genus species 'variety': Pisum sativum 'Super Sugar Snap'

Family: Fabaceae

Description: An improved Sugar Snap variety. The 8cm long, fat, dark-green pods are the sweetest of the snap peas. The crunchy pods are excellent for eating cooked or raw. Super Sugar snap pea seeds produce vigorous climbing vines that should be trellised.

Type: annual, edible, open pollinates

Days to maturity: 62 to 70

Days to germinate: 7-14

Requires: sun

Seed depth for planting: 5cm

Plant spacing: 2-7cm

Timing: Soaking seeds is not advised for damp soils. direct sow. Do not thin.

Companion planting: Plant near beans, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radish, spinach, strawberries, and turnips. Avoid planting peas near onions.

Harvesting: Peas can be harvested before the seeds mature, as snow peas, and then as tender snap peas, and finally as shelling peas. Make multiple sowings to extend the harvest season. Allow your best plant to set seed and save for the Seed Library.

Seed Library Code: PEA004

Common name: Bolero Shelling Pea

Genus species 'variety': Pisum sativum 'Bolero'

Family: Fabaceae

Description: Pairs of 8cm long pods containing seven to nine peas each are borne atop bushy plants. The fat peas are sweet and perfect for fresh eating or freezing. Bolero shelling pea seeds produce strong plants with good disease tolerance. High resistance to Pythium and Fusarium race.

Type: annual, edible, open pollinates

Days to maturity: 68

Height of mature plant: 75 cm

Days to germinate: 7-14

Requires: sun

Seed depth for planting: 5cm

Plant spacing: 2-7cm

Timing: Soaking seeds is not advised for damp soils. direct sow. Do not thin.

Companion planting: Plant near beans, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radish, spinach, strawberries, and turnips. Avoid planting peas near onions.

Harvesting: Peas can be harvested before the seeds mature, as snow peas, and then as tender snap peas, and finally as shelling peas. Make multiple sowings to extend the harvest season. Allow your best plant to set seed and save for the Seed Library.

Seed Library Code: PEP002

Common name: Paprik Peppers

Genus species 'variety': Capsicum annum 'Paprik'

Family: Solanaceae

Description: Hardy, vigorous plants that are very productive. Fruits have small seed cavities, so they dry easily, turning from scarlet to dark brown as they do. Fruits average 12cm long with a narrow conical shape.

Type: annual, edible, open pollinated

Days to maturity: 90 from transplant

Height of mature plant: 45 to 60 cm

Days to germinate: 7 to14

Requires: full sun

Seed depth for planting: 6 cm

Plant spacing: 30 cm

Timing: Peppers need plenty of time to mature before they will bloom and set fruit. Start indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date, and grow under bright lights. Sow indoors 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Keep soil as warm as possible. Seedling heating mats speed germination. Try to keep seedlings at 18-24°C (64-75°F) in the day, and 16-18°C (61-64°F) at night. Before they become root-bound, transplant them into 8cm (3″) pots. For greatest possible flower set, try to keep them for 4 weeks at night, about 12°C (55°F). Then transplant them into 15cm (6″) pots, bringing them into a warm room at night, about 21°C (70°F).and transplanting outdoors. Soil temperature for germination: 25-29°C (78-85°F).

Growing tips: Likes heat and does well in containers if staked.

Companion planting: Pepper plants make good neighbours for asparagus, basil, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, oregano, parsley, rosemary, squash, Swiss chard, and tomatoes. Avoid planting them next to beans, Brassicas, or fennel.

Harvesting: Fruit can be picked once it is firm and has reached desired size, however, sweetness can increase dramatically as the fruit ripens.Fruit that sets after late August will not usually develop or ripen. Pull out the entire bush just before the first frost and hang it upside down in a warm, dry place to ripen hot peppers for your own paprika. When the pods are completely dry, grind them in a clean spice mill to a very fine consistency. The fresh peppers can also be smoked prior to drying for smoked paprika: remove the stems, pith, and seeds from the fruits and cut them into 1/4″ wide strips. Use some wood chips covered in pierced aluminum foil in an outdoor grill to produce the smoke that will flavour your peppers. Then use a dehydrator or simply allow the strips to dry naturally before grinding into powder.

Seed Library Code: PUM001

Common name: Small Sugar Pumpkin

Genus species 'variety': Cucurbita pepo 'Small Sugar'

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Description: Small, round, slightly flattened orange heirloom pumpkin. The sweet flavour is good for canning and pumpkin pie.

Type: annual, edible, heirloom

Flower colour: orange

Days to maturity: 110

Days to germinate: 7-14

Requires: full sun

Seed depth for planting: 2cm

Plant spacing: 90 to 120cm

Timing: Direct sow when soil warms up. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C . Plant in small hills 4 to 6 seeds per hill. Thin to 1 to 2 plants per hill.

Growing tips: Choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil. All pumpkins grow male flowers first, then the female flowers are produced. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of the petals and require pollination by bees, mostly. To increase chances of fruit hand pollinate male to female flowers. Incomplete pollination is common at the beginning of the season, and results in small fruits that are misshapen at the flower end. Discard these damaged fruits before they rot.

Harvesting: Pumpkins are mature when they have good orange colour and their stems are crisp. For the best sugar content, cut the stem about 4cm from the body of the fruit. Allow the pumpkins to sit in a warm room for a few days before using. Save the biggest seeds, rinse and allow to dry to save for the Community Seed bank.

Seed Library Code: SQU001

Common name: Spaghetti Squash

Genus species 'variety': Cucurbita pepo

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Description: Fruits that appear to be stuffed with cooked spaghetti. The pale yellow, oval fruits grow to 25cm on long, productive vines.

Type: annual, edible, open pollinated

Days to maturity: 100 days

Days to germinate: 7-14

Requires: full sun

Seed depth for planting: 2cm

Plant spacing: 45 to 60 cm

Timing: Direct sow in warm soil when there is no risk of frost.

Growing tips: Sow 3 seeds in each spot where you want a plant to grow, and thin to the strongest plant. Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer worked into the soil beneath each plant. All squash grow male flowers first, at later female flowers. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of their petals and require pollination by bees mostly. Incomplete pollination often happens at the beginning of the season, and results in misshapen fruits that are withered at the blossom end. Just discard these damaged fruits before they begin to rot.

Companion planting: Encourage bees to visit the garden by growing Phacelia, sunflowers, or buckwheat for improved pollination.

Harvesting: Pick when small, if fruit gets big the plant stops producing. Check the plants regularly.The yellow rind of this squash is smooth and very hard. After the fruits have ripened on the vines, give them a quick wipe down with a highly diluted bleach solution. If the skin is not nicked, the fruits will last for months.