Snowdrops are among the very first flowers to emerge at the end of winter, so they are always a welcome sight. Galanthus... Read More
West Coast Seeds ships anywhere in North America. However, we are not able to ship garlic, potatoes, asparagus crowns, bulbs, onion sets, Mason bee cocoons, or nematodes outside of Canada. We regret, we cannot accept returns or damages for orders outside of Canada. The minimum shipping charge to the US is $9.99.
Snowdrops are among the very first flowers to emerge at the end of winter, so they are always a welcome sight. Galanthus Mount Everest snowdrops are the giants of their kind at 20cm (8") tall. They are deer resistant and hardy to Zone 4. They will work in patio containers, but they're even nicer naturalized into a landscape in full sun to partial shade. After several years, they take on a wild look. Five bulbs per package.
Plant height to 20cm (8")
Plant in full sun to partial shade
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Starting
Starting
Follow the directions on each package as you unpack your bulbs. The depth depends on what type of bulb it is, and how large the plants are expected to be. In a very general sense, bulbs are planted with the pointed end up about 15cm (6β³) deep. Be sure to follow the instructions on your individual bulb package.
Bulbs benefit from potassium-rich bone meal at planting time. They will probably produce flowers without bone meal, but a couple of tablespoons full buried with each bulb will produce stronger plants.
If you have some Complete Organic 4-4-4 Fertilizer, that will also help bulbs grow into strong flowering plants. It is sound advice to label or mark out where your fall bulbs are planted so you can remember not to dig there in the spring. Once growth starts in the spring and leaves begin to emerge, you have the option of top dressing (scattering on the surface of the soil) with a Complete Organic Fertilizer. This is a particularly good step if you plan on leaving the bulbs in the ground for the long term.
If you plan on lifting the bulbs after they have bloomed, spring fertilizing is not really necessary.
Once your spring tulips and daffodils have accomplished their task of bringing colour and joy to your spring, you should decide whether to lift them or not. Each plant would prefer to be left in place and send up leaves with which to gather more energy in the bulb for next spring. Most varieties will also begin to form new bulbs beneath the soil. But as the leaves become spent during the summer, they can be unattractive. So either remove spent leaves and leave the bulbs in place, or gently lift the bulbs and transplant them somewhere out of sight.
To lift bulbs, use a garden fork to gently loosen the soil. Your soil may have become quite packed down over winter, so take care when lifting. Try to dig down to the bulb itself, rather than pulling it up by its tender stem. The stem will tell you where each bulb is, so itβs important not to break the stem from the bulb.
After their foliage dies back, bulbs go dormant in preparation for winter. At this stage they can be lifted and labeled (by type or colour) and stored in paper bags for transplanting or giving away. Just like with garlic and onions, allow some time for your harvested bulbs to dry out by leaving them out in a cool, airy place out of direct sunlight. Brush off as much soil as possible, but do not peel away the layers that surround each bulb.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
Weβre a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We donβt just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what weβve learned with others.
Gardens donβt just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact β always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earthβs stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Potatoes are tolerant of cool soils and moderate frosts. Minimum soil temperature at planting time should be 6Β°C (43Β°F). Plants will emerge about 2-3 weeks after planting.
Set tubers approximately 7-10cm (3-4β³) deep, and 30cm (12β³) apart in prepared trenches spaced 60cm (24β³) apart.
Ideal pH: 5.5-6.5.
Well-drained, loamy soil rich in organic matter is preferred, but potatoes are not overly fussy. If heavy clay or clay/loam soils are used, double-digging and improving organic matter content by growing cover crops or adding compost or manure can correct drainage problems. Do not lime areas planned for potatoes. When the above-ground portion of the plant is 30cm (12β³) tall, βhill upβ soil 15cm (6β³) around the plants. Itβs okay to cover green leaves. Straw or grass mulch also works well. This process can be repeated up two or three times. It is recommended that no irrigation take place between planting and sprout emergence in order to avoid disease. It is important, though, not to let the soil become too dry, and to irrigate while plants are flowering.
Days to maturity: From direct sow.
βNewβ potatoes can be harvested about 7-8 weeks after planting. Potatoes grown for late summer and fall βfreshβ use can be dug when tubers are full size or when foliage begins to die. For potatoes grown for storage and winter use, harvest should take place after vines have died back, alternatively, the plants may have to be cut or mown. After killing and removing the plants, tubers should stay in the ground for another 2 weeks to allow firming of their skins for storage. Optimum storage conditions are a dark location 4-7ΒΊ C (40-45ΒΊF) and 90% relative humidity. Paper sacks stored in a garage will suffice. Check them often though to remove any that are starting to go soft.
The most common pests to bother your potatoes on the coast are wireworms (especially in gardens recently taken out of grass).
Wireworms are the larvae form of a very slender black beetle known as the Click Beetle because if you turn one over, when it goes to right itself, it makes a βClick!β sound. The beetle lays its eggs in grass, and the larvae eat in our gardens. They burrow into the roots, seeds, and underground stems of tomatoes, corn, potatoes, peppers, and squash. The damage is worse on land that has been recently been converted from lawn to garden. The larvae themselves are crisp, golden, up to 1cm long and can live for up to 7 years in the soil.
If your seeds donβt appear to sprout, or the plants wilt and die suddenly, your soil may have wireworms. An irregular pattern of plants dying in a field is typical of wireworm damage. To find out if you have wireworms before you start planting, create bait made of carrot and potato pieces. Bury the bait in 10cm of soil, and mark it with a stick. Dig it up in 3 or 4 days. If there are more than 1 or 2 wireworms per bait, you have a problem. They are difficult to control but regular cultivation of the top 10cm of the soil, as well as trapping them on pieces of potato, and crop rotation will slow the damage. Digging in an overwintered Cole crop can also be effective. Predatory nematodes work also.
