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.

70 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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As the festive energy of the holidays gives way to the quieter days of early winter, it's a prime time for gardeners to engage in...

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As the festive energy of the holidays gives way to the quieter days of early winter, it's a prime time for gardeners to engage in contemplative planning and to dream about the upcoming season's...

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Envision a holiday gift that sprouts into a beautiful garden. Seed bombs are the answer, blending utility with a touch of whimsy. These small but...

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Envision a holiday gift that sprouts into a beautiful garden. Seed bombs are the answer, blending utility with a touch of whimsy. These small but mighty spheres are a cinch to craft and can...

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Composting: The Garden's Gift That Keeps on Giving Imagine a process that transforms your kitchen scraps and garden waste into a nutrient-rich, soil-enhancing marvel. Welcome...

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Composting: The Garden's Gift That Keeps on Giving Imagine a process that transforms your kitchen scraps and garden waste into a nutrient-rich, soil-enhancing marvel. Welcome to the world of composting! This eco-friendly practice, deeply...

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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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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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Even in large scale, chemically dependent farm systems, Integrated Pest Management can reduce human and environmental exposure to chemical pesticides, and save a great deal...

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Even in large scale, chemically dependent farm systems, Integrated Pest Management can reduce human and environmental exposure to chemical pesticides, and save a great deal of money. For the organic grower IPM is the...

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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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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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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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Are chafer beetles causing your lawn grief in early spring? Consider replacing your lawn with White Dutch clover, or at least inter-planting with your grass...

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Are chafer beetles causing your lawn grief in early spring? Consider replacing your lawn with White Dutch clover, or at least inter-planting with your grass seeds. This clover is very hardy, and will stand...

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The purpose of this cover crop is not to build soil as much as toΒ generally benefit the garden. This is exactly the same seed that...

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The purpose of this cover crop is not to build soil as much as toΒ generally benefit the garden. This is exactly the same seed that we sell for flower gardens, only in bulk sizes...

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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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This is one of the fastest growing grasses of all, growing from seed to mow-able lawn in just 21 days. It’s a very tough, hardy...

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This is one of the fastest growing grasses of all, growing from seed to mow-able lawn in just 21 days. It’s a very tough, hardy grass that forms clumps, rather than spreading by rhizomes,...

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Oats are not particularly cold hardy, so a summer planted crop will die back, holding the soil in place, and providing ample carbon-rich organic matter...

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Oats are not particularly cold hardy, so a summer planted crop will die back, holding the soil in place, and providing ample carbon-rich organic matter to till under before planting spring vegetables. Continue reading...

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We love red clover as a cover crop. Its thick, deep roots access nutrients lower in the soil column than many plants can reach and...

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We love red clover as a cover crop. Its thick, deep roots access nutrients lower in the soil column than many plants can reach and bring them to the surface. It can stand up...

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Use Klondike Ladino clover as aΒ nitrogen fixing cover crop, or as a long term ground cover, either on its own, or in combination with grasses....

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Use Klondike Ladino clover as aΒ nitrogen fixing cover crop, or as a long term ground cover, either on its own, or in combination with grasses. It tolerates wet conditions and foot traffic. It reduces...

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The roots of this hardy annual extend deeply into the soil, improving porosity and drainage, and fixing nitrogen as they grow. The tops are lanky...

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The roots of this hardy annual extend deeply into the soil, improving porosity and drainage, and fixing nitrogen as they grow. The tops are lanky and sprawling, and can be cut in spring to...

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Fava Beans cover crop seeds produce hardy annual, upright plants. This small-seeded broad bean is a popular nitrogen fixer. The large brittle plants work in...

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Fava Beans cover crop seeds produce hardy annual, upright plants. This small-seeded broad bean is a popular nitrogen fixer. The large brittle plants work in easily with front end tillers, or can be cut...

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This cereal grain grows quickly in the fall and survives winter weather even in zone 3. It bursts into growth in the spring so try...

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This cereal grain grows quickly in the fall and survives winter weather even in zone 3. It bursts into growth in the spring so try to turn under or cut back before it reaches...

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Within ten days of blooming (orΒ at any time before), Crimson clover produces ampleΒ organic matter that can be used as a mulch on the surface, or...

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Within ten days of blooming (orΒ at any time before), Crimson clover produces ampleΒ organic matter that can be used as a mulch on the surface, or cut and tilled under to improve soil tilthΒ and promote...

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