WCS Academy

September 23, 2020

Learn how to grow microgreens from seed, and you’ll have an unlimited supply of fresh, nutritious, and tender salad greens. Microgreens can be pulled from...

How to Grow Microgreens

September 23, 2020

Learn how to grow microgreens from seed, and you’ll have an unlimited supply of fresh, nutritious, and tender salad greens. Microgreens can be pulled from the soil and rinsed until all the soil particles...

Time to Plant Legumes

September 14, 2020

It’s September, and much of the garden has been put to bed. As we approach the autumnal equinox, daylight hours begin to recede noticeably. Sunflower heads have...

Time to Plant Legumes

September 14, 2020

It’s September, and much of the garden has been put to bed. As we approach the autumnal equinox, daylight hours begin to recede noticeably. Sunflower heads have been cut for drying, tomatoes have been picked green...

HUGE BUZZ: West Coast Seeds Partners With Urban Bee Supplies

September 09, 2020

Urban Bee Supplies is joining the West Coast Seeds family and we couldn't ask for a better match! The world of bees & seeds is...

HUGE BUZZ: West Coast Seeds Partners With Urban Bee Supplies

September 09, 2020

Urban Bee Supplies is joining the West Coast Seeds family and we couldn't ask for a better match! The world of bees & seeds is closely related, and we are all excited about taking...

How to Harvest Quinoa

September 03, 2020

Every fall people ask us how to harvest quinoa. These tall plants produce masses of seeds, each seed resulting from the pollination of a single...

How to Harvest Quinoa

September 03, 2020

Every fall people ask us how to harvest quinoa. These tall plants produce masses of seeds, each seed resulting from the pollination of a single flower in their beautiful inflorescences (flower clusters). When the...

Flower Arrangement Inspiration

August 16, 2020

One day this past summer several of us got together to photograph some of the flowers and produce from the trial fields in a more...

Flower Arrangement Inspiration

August 16, 2020

One day this past summer several of us got together to photograph some of the flowers and produce from the trial fields in a more studio setting. Jill, who normally works in customer service,...

Green Manure Cover Crops

August 10, 2020

“Green manure” is the name given to cover crops that are planted for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. These...

Green Manure Cover Crops

August 10, 2020

“Green manure” is the name given to cover crops that are planted for the purpose of adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. These plants can be as effective as animal manure in...

About Onions

August 05, 2020

Onions begin to form bulbs in response to temperature, but also the length of the day. In southern Canada and the northern U.S., choose “long-day”...

About Onions

August 05, 2020

Onions begin to form bulbs in response to temperature, but also the length of the day. In southern Canada and the northern U.S., choose “long-day” onions. Our summer days are much longer than our...

About Cucumbers

August 04, 2020

About Cucumbers Cucumbers originated in India where they have been in cultivation for at least 3,000 years. The English word “cucumber” is a derivation of...

About Cucumbers

August 04, 2020

About Cucumbers Cucumbers originated in India where they have been in cultivation for at least 3,000 years. The English word “cucumber” is a derivation of the Indian word kachumbar, which is still used today...

How to Store Seeds

July 29, 2020

One of the factors that most influences the germination rate of seeds is how they are stored. Like the plants that produce them, seeds come...

How to Store Seeds

July 29, 2020

One of the factors that most influences the germination rate of seeds is how they are stored. Like the plants that produce them, seeds come in all sorts of forms and sizes. They are...

All creatures great and small eat seedlings

July 28, 2020

Organic gardeners share one challenge that has many faces – how to nurse newly emerged seedlings along to the point when they are strong enough...

All creatures great and small eat seedlings

July 28, 2020

Organic gardeners share one challenge that has many faces – how to nurse newly emerged seedlings along to the point when they are strong enough to defend themselves. Because seedlings are so tender and...

How to Grow Cover Crops from Seed

July 27, 2020

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...

How to Grow Cover Crops from Seed

July 27, 2020

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.

Seeds to Start in August

July 27, 2020

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...

Seeds to Start in August

July 27, 2020

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...

About Melons

July 21, 2020

About Melons: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) & Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) Melons picked fresh from the vine are unbelievably sweet and, like so many other kinds of...

About Melons

July 21, 2020

About Melons: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) & Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) Melons picked fresh from the vine are unbelievably sweet and, like so many other kinds of garden produce, are nothing at all like the ones...

Squash Pollination

July 13, 2020

Where bees are scant, or in settings like balconies that cannot accommodate flowers to attract bees, hand pollination is another option. The principle is fairly...

Squash Pollination

July 13, 2020

Where bees are scant, or in settings like balconies that cannot accommodate flowers to attract bees, hand pollination is another option. The principle is fairly straight forward: Pollen is transferred from the open male...

About Tomatoes

July 09, 2020

There are some very interesting facts about tomatoes. No one can say for certain, but the ancestor of all modern tomato varieties appears to have...

About Tomatoes

July 09, 2020

There are some very interesting facts about tomatoes. No one can say for certain, but the ancestor of all modern tomato varieties appears to have been a scrambling vine that was native to the...

How and When to Harvest Potatoes

July 09, 2020

Whether the goal is to harvest tender, immature “new potatoes,” or to harvest fully mature potatoes for storage and use over the fall and winter,...

How and When to Harvest Potatoes

July 09, 2020

Whether the goal is to harvest tender, immature “new potatoes,” or to harvest fully mature potatoes for storage and use over the fall and winter, it’s helpful to follow some basic guidelines on how...

Planting to Attract Predatory Insects

July 08, 2020

Planting to attract predatory insects is one of the key tactics for pest control in an organic garden system. Insects, like plants, come in all...

Planting to Attract Predatory Insects

July 08, 2020

Planting to attract predatory insects is one of the key tactics for pest control in an organic garden system. Insects, like plants, come in all shapes and sizes, and play many different roles in...

Seed Saving

July 06, 2020

Harvesting seeds from your garden for planting in the future is a great idea for all kinds of reasons. Most obviously, it’s an economical way...

Seed Saving

July 06, 2020

Harvesting seeds from your garden for planting in the future is a great idea for all kinds of reasons. Most obviously, it’s an economical way to keep your garden going from year to year...

Plant Flower Seeds for Bees

June 22, 2020

With pollinator conservation in mind it’s a good idea to plant flower seeds for bees. But which are the best pollinator plants? Which bee flowers...

Plant Flower Seeds for Bees

June 22, 2020

With pollinator conservation in mind it’s a good idea to plant flower seeds for bees. But which are the best pollinator plants? Which bee flowers are the easiest to sow and grow? What flowers...

About Cilantro

June 17, 2020

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) This annual herb is known officially as coriander just about everywhere outside of the Americas. We often think of the fresh leaves...

About Cilantro

June 17, 2020

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) This annual herb is known officially as coriander just about everywhere outside of the Americas. We often think of the fresh leaves as cilantro, and the seeds (which are very easy...

About the Summer Solstice

June 16, 2020

The arrival of third week in June brings us the last day of spring and the first day of summer. This year, it will occur...

About the Summer Solstice

June 16, 2020

The arrival of third week in June brings us the last day of spring and the first day of summer. This year, it will occur at 2:43pm (PST on the west coast of North...

Homegrown Super Foods

June 15, 2020

All homegrown vegetables are nutritious. The fact that you can eat them fresh, just after they have been harvested, means that they will be at...

Homegrown Super Foods

June 15, 2020

All homegrown vegetables are nutritious. The fact that you can eat them fresh, just after they have been harvested, means that they will be at the peak of both flavour and nutrient value. But...

Birding in Delta

June 14, 2020

The towns of Ladner and Tsawwassen (which form South Delta) are situated between the Fraser River estuary and Boundary Bay, which happens to make the area incredibly...

Birding in Delta

June 14, 2020

The towns of Ladner and Tsawwassen (which form South Delta) are situated between the Fraser River estuary and Boundary Bay, which happens to make the area incredibly suitable for birds. This whole region is part of...

About Spinach

June 14, 2020

Spinach also contains oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of iron by the body. The availability of iron in spinach is increased if it is...

About Spinach

June 14, 2020

Spinach also contains oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of iron by the body. The availability of iron in spinach is increased if it is eaten with foods rich in vitamin C and calcium,...

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