WCS Academy

Gardening advice, How To Grow Guides, and Seasonal inspiration.

Explore practical articles on seed starting, crop-specific growing tips, seasonal planning, pest management, and garden projects from the West Coast Seeds team.

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16 articles Updated seasonally by West Coast Seeds

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Seeds to Start in June

Now we’re just three weeks away from the longest day of the year (summer solstice on June 21st), so the soil is warm enough to...

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Seeds to Start in June

Now we’re just three weeks away from the longest day of the year (summer solstice on June 21st), so the soil is warm enough to plant squash and bean seeds. Even in colder climates...

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Seeds to Start in July

Who says your garden's bounty has to be a summer-only affair? There's a cornucopia of seeds just waiting to burst into life in July, especially...

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Seeds to Start in July

Who says your garden's bounty has to be a summer-only affair? There's a cornucopia of seeds just waiting to burst into life in July, especially in areas that enjoy milder winters. Many of these...

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Planting for Fall & Winter Harvests

Planting for fall & winter harvests has to start in the summer and fall. Just like we sow summer harvest crops in the late winter...

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Planting for Fall & Winter Harvests

Planting for fall & winter harvests has to start in the summer and fall. Just like we sow summer harvest crops in the late winter and spring – it’s the same concept. Did you...

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Companion Planting

West Coast Seeds has conducted significant research into the companion planting guidelines and has defined the best possible results and reasons for each of our...

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Companion Planting

West Coast Seeds has conducted significant research into the companion planting guidelines and has defined the best possible results and reasons for each of our recommendations in our companion planting chart, below are a...

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About Beets

Beets, like many root vegetables are biennials, which, if not harvested, will bloom in the second year of growth. One of the interesting facts about...

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About Beets

Beets, like many root vegetables are biennials, which, if not harvested, will bloom in the second year of growth. One of the interesting facts about beets is they are closely related to Swiss chard,...

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How to Grow Beets

Beets are incredibly nutritious. Both the roots and the leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamin C. They also contain betaine, a compound...

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How to Grow Beets

Beets are incredibly nutritious. Both the roots and the leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamin C. They also contain betaine, a compound that is essential for cardiovascular health. Eat them raw,...

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Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is the practice of not growing plants where similar plants grew the previous year. Crop rotation prevents the build up of pests and diseases...

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Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is the practice of not growing plants where similar plants grew the previous year. Crop rotation prevents the build up of pests and diseases and optimizes the use of soil nutrients. Plants from...

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Growing Food in Containers

No matter where you live, growing food in containers can be accomplished if you learn some basics. While some types of vegetables are simply better...

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Growing Food in Containers

No matter where you live, growing food in containers can be accomplished if you learn some basics. While some types of vegetables are simply better suited to growing with their roots in the ground,...

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Seeds to Start in August

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...

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Seeds to Start in August

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...

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Best Winter Gardening Varieties

Some vegetable varieties thrive in the cool conditions of fall and early winter, and offered a bit of protection from extreme cold, they can be...

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Best Winter Gardening Varieties

Some vegetable varieties thrive in the cool conditions of fall and early winter, and offered a bit of protection from extreme cold, they can be harvested right through until spring. The best winter gardening...

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Mother's Day Gift Bag

With Mom’s special day fast approaching, we put together a simple Mother’s Day gift bag you can print at home. Cut it out from the...

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Mother's Day Gift Bag

With Mom’s special day fast approaching, we put together a simple Mother’s Day gift bag you can print at home. Cut it out from the template and follow our instructions for folding and gluing...

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Succession Planting

Winter is finally over, and spring has arrived. It’s time to plant seeds! Many gardeners make the mistake of thinking of seed planting as a...

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Succession Planting

Winter is finally over, and spring has arrived. It’s time to plant seeds! Many gardeners make the mistake of thinking of seed planting as a one time, annual event, as though it was something...

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Commit to Grow Day 12: Salad

Back on Day 2 of our Twenty-one Days of Green, we talked about planting chives. We chose chives because they have to be among the...

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Commit to Grow Day 12: Salad

Back on Day 2 of our Twenty-one Days of Green, we talked about planting chives. We chose chives because they have to be among the very simplest of all herbs to grow from seed....

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Seed Sowing for the Longest Harvest

With careful planning, seeds can be sown from winter to autumn in order to keep the garden productive pretty much all year round. Here are...

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Seed Sowing for the Longest Harvest

With careful planning, seeds can be sown from winter to autumn in order to keep the garden productive pretty much all year round. Here are some tips for seed sowing for the longest harvest...

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Starter Seeds for Kids

In this time of garden dreaming, you may be dreaming of a child’s garden as well, whether it’s for your own family or for a...

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Starter Seeds for Kids

In this time of garden dreaming, you may be dreaming of a child’s garden as well, whether it’s for your own family or for a school or childcare centre. Or perhaps your budding gardeners...

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How to Grow a School Garden in September

It’s September. The kids are back in school and the you can’t keep up with the number of zucchinis that just keep coming. But seeings...

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How to Grow a School Garden in September

It’s September. The kids are back in school and the you can’t keep up with the number of zucchinis that just keep coming. But seeings as this is back-to-school time, it’s a good time...

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