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.

276 articles Updated seasonally by West Coast Seeds

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Season & ZoneExposure: Full sun to partial shade. Zone: This blend is hardy to Zone 4. TimingDirect sow during the period two weeks before and...

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Season & ZoneExposure: Full sun to partial shade. Zone: This blend is hardy to Zone 4. TimingDirect sow during the period two weeks before and up to eight weeks after your last average frost...

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Grub Resistant Lawn Blend stands up to pests, traffic, drought, and summer stress. It combines tough Turf Type Tall Fescue with Micro-Clover to create a...

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Grub Resistant Lawn Blend stands up to pests, traffic, drought, and summer stress. It combines tough Turf Type Tall Fescue with Micro-Clover to create a resilient, low-thatch lawn that discourages beetle egg laying. Designed...

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Seed bombs offer an easy and impactful way to grow native wildflowers, whether you’re restoring habitat, supporting pollinators, or simply adding natural beauty to your...

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Seed bombs offer an easy and impactful way to grow native wildflowers, whether you’re restoring habitat, supporting pollinators, or simply adding natural beauty to your space. They require minimal maintenance and are designed to...

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The Scoville Scale measures the pungency or spiciness of peppers in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The higher the SHU, the hotter the pepper: 0 SHU...

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The Scoville Scale measures the pungency or spiciness of peppers in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The higher the SHU, the hotter the pepper: 0 SHU (No Heat): These peppers are sweet and have no...

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Whether you've harvested a bumper crop or picked a bunch ofΒ carrotsΒ from your local market, storing them properly means you can enjoy their crisp, earthy goodness...

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Whether you've harvested a bumper crop or picked a bunch ofΒ carrotsΒ from your local market, storing them properly means you can enjoy their crisp, earthy goodness well into the cooler months. Let's walk through the...

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Coleus is often grown as an annual bedding plant or in patio containers to provide a showy splash of vivid colour. Native to tropical regions...

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Coleus is often grown as an annual bedding plant or in patio containers to provide a showy splash of vivid colour. Native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia, this shade tolerant plant can...

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Gomphrena, commonly known as Globe Amaranth, belongs to the Amaranth family and are often grown as annual bedding plants.

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Gomphrena, commonly known as Globe Amaranth, belongs to the Amaranth family and are often grown as annual bedding plants.

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Commonly known as Lace Flower, Didiscus is admired for their delicate umbels of tiny, star-shaped flowers that are mildly fragrant.

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Commonly known as Lace Flower, Didiscus is admired for their delicate umbels of tiny, star-shaped flowers that are mildly fragrant.

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The Monarch butterfly's fascinating journey and precarious situation has been capturing hearts and headlines recently. If you search "Monarch butterfly" on YouTube, you'll discover a...

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The Monarch butterfly's fascinating journey and precarious situation has been capturing hearts and headlines recently. If you search "Monarch butterfly" on YouTube, you'll discover a multitude of videos dedicated to preserving this unique species....

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Let's face it, traditional lawns can be a real resource hog. They guzzle water, demand constant trimming and generally return very little for your efforts....

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Let's face it, traditional lawns can be a real resource hog. They guzzle water, demand constant trimming and generally return very little for your efforts. Plus, they take up space that could be transformed...

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Comfrey is the perennial cousin of borage and their pink and blue blooms attract just as many pollinators. This fast-growing herb has multiple utilities. Learn...

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Comfrey is the perennial cousin of borage and their pink and blue blooms attract just as many pollinators. This fast-growing herb has multiple utilities. Learn how to grow comfrey below. LatinSymphytum OfficinaleFamily:Β Boraginaceae DifficultyEasy Season...

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About StingingΒ Nettle Although maligned in modern times due to its hairy leaves that cause skin irrititations, Stinging Nettle actually has many favourable attributes. It is...

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About StingingΒ Nettle Although maligned in modern times due to its hairy leaves that cause skin irrititations, Stinging Nettle actually has many favourable attributes. It is a nutrient-rich food (cooking neutralizes the stinging) and both...

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One stalk of cooked broccoli gives you 75mg of vitamin C, 1300 IU of beta carotene, 3g of protein and 5g of dietary fibre with...

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One stalk of cooked broccoli gives you 75mg of vitamin C, 1300 IU of beta carotene, 3g of protein and 5g of dietary fibre with only 40 calories. The crown portion tastes great when...

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Early this year I was so excited to get a hold of African Violet seeds, I wanted to start growing them right away! However, African...

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Early this year I was so excited to get a hold of African Violet seeds, I wanted to start growing them right away! However, African Violets need warm temperatures (20Β°C or higher) for germination,...

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Water close to the soil, and avoid overhead watering. Place your irrigation near or beneath the soil surface rather than spraying the top of the...

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Water close to the soil, and avoid overhead watering. Place your irrigation near or beneath the soil surface rather than spraying the top of the plant. The plant’s leaves will act as a sun...

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How do you know when to harvestΒ garlic bulbs and if they have matured to the right point for harvest? Each leaf on the above-ground garlic...

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How do you know when to harvestΒ garlic bulbs and if they have matured to the right point for harvest? Each leaf on the above-ground garlic plant represents one potential papery wrapper around the mature...

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The Chafer Beetle Resistant Lawn Blend is one lawn solution for home owners challenged by the animals that feed on the European chafer beetle, and...

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The Chafer Beetle Resistant Lawn Blend is one lawn solution for home owners challenged by the animals that feed on the European chafer beetle, and dig up lawns in the process of hunting them.Β Continue...

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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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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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There are fundamental gardening basics that all new gardeners need to learn for the best success. Understanding the needs of plants β€” as living organisms...

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There are fundamental gardening basics that all new gardeners need to learn for the best success. Understanding the needs of plants β€” as living organisms β€” is essential to cultivating their health and productivity....

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Predatory nematodes can be applied in the spring to combat chafer beetles, wireworm, and other soil dwelling beetle larvae. Predatory nematodes are effective against over...

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Predatory nematodes can be applied in the spring to combat chafer beetles, wireworm, and other soil dwelling beetle larvae. Predatory nematodes are effective against over 250 species of insect pests.

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This biennial relative of White Dutch cloverΒ improves soil structure, fixes nitrogen, provides nutritious pasturage, and feeds honey bees. Its widely branchedΒ taproots penetrate the subsoil deeply,Β drawing...

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This biennial relative of White Dutch cloverΒ improves soil structure, fixes nitrogen, provides nutritious pasturage, and feeds honey bees. Its widely branchedΒ taproots penetrate the subsoil deeply,Β drawing up nutrients unavailable to other plants. Continue reading below...

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The benefit of winter wheat is its hardiness. It all but eliminates winter soil erosion, and thenΒ supplies a source of carbon-rich organic matter to till...

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The benefit of winter wheat is its hardiness. It all but eliminates winter soil erosion, and thenΒ supplies a source of carbon-rich organic matter to till under before planting vegetable crops. Continue reading below for...

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This fast-growing annual produces ample organic matter that can be used as a mulch on the surface, or tilled under to improve soil texture and...

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This fast-growing annual produces ample organic matter that can be used as a mulch on the surface, or tilled under to improve soil texture and promote soil health. Continue reading below for tips on...

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