Perennial, 2-3 weeks at 10-18°C, sow June-July. Can be direct-sown into cell trays - do not exclude light. After 4-5 weeks prick off into 8cm pots, and grow on at 12-15°C. 2400 seeds per gram, 1g for 1,000 plants.
Sell in: 6 packs, or 8cm pots, as green plants or in flower in early Spring.
End Use: Rockeries and walls.

Perennial grown as biennial, sow June-July on the compost surface, germinates in 1-2 weeks at 15-20°C. 6,000 seeds per gram, 1/2g for 1,000 plants.
Ideal for mass Spring bedding.
Sell in: 6-packs. Sell in Autumn as green plants with a colour label, and in flower in the Spring.
Galaxy can be sold in flower in its first Autumn. Large flowered types also suitable for 9cm pot sales.
End Use: Bedding plant.

Another all-season crop offering various sales options - bunching, prepack, loose and processing. Long shelf life and good storage/handling abilities make carrots a good choice for the grower.
800-900 seeds/g. Germinates between 8 and 30°C. Spacing 2.5-7.5cm within, 40-75cm between rows.

Can be harvested during most of the year. Good shelf life and storage possibilities - also fresh market and young plant sales.
Specialist crops such as Romanesco types are increasing in popularity due to their raised profile; cauliflowers can be added into production programmes following on from other main season crops.
250-450 seeds per gram. Germinates between 8 and 30°C. Spacing early Summer types 46 x 61cm (41,000 plants per hectare), others 61 x 61cm (27,000 per hectare).

Endive is similar to lettuce but with a more bitter taste. Frisée types have curled, often deeply dissected leaves, while scarole types have broader leaves. The bitterness can be reduced by blanching. Crop time approx. 12 weeks, add two weeks for blanched crops.

High value crop for the greenhouse or under plastic, also well suited for plant sales for the home gardener. High yielding over a long period. Becoming increasingly popular.
120-200 seeds per gram. Germinates between 25 and 30°C. Sow early December-January, or for maincrop March- April. Seed rate 400-425g per hectare. Spacing 30-60cm x 45-90cm. Grow on at 16-23°C. Harvest from early April/May, or maincrop from July.
Please note that germination can be slow and erratic on some open pollinated hot peppers.

A mainstay amongst salad crops. For protected all year round cropping and open ground production. Curly and coloured lettuce are popular with consumers and retailers alike. Well suited to sales in packs and as young plants. The wide range of colours and textures available makes lettuce ideal for mixed sald packs and 'baby leaf' products.

Approximate crop spacing: (in row x between rows)
Mini & small Cos: 15cm x 20cmButterhead: 25cm x 30cm
Other types: 35cm x 38cm
(Actual spacing varies with production technique). Seed count: see variety entry.

Lettuce types:
Butterheads: flattish, rounded heads, soft texture, heart forming, can be grown nearly all year-round with careful varietal choice.
Cos/Romaine: Tall and upright, sweet flavour, loose heart forming. Both large and small types.
Crisp/Iceberg/Batavian: crisp leaves, compact hearts. Iceberg: very crisp leaves. Batavian: thinner leaves than Icebergs, but thicker and crispier leaves than Butterheads.
Curled/Oak Leaf/Salad Bowl: mainly non-hearting types. Wide variety of leaf textures and colours.
Lollo Bionda/Lollo Rossa: nonhearting types with very deeply curled leaves. Lollo Bionda varieties are green, Lollo Rossa varieties are red (triple red has more intense red colour than double red).
The wide range of colours and textures available are ideal for the production of mixed salad packs and ‘baby leaf’ products.

The higher cost of the F1 hybrids may be justified interms of uniformity, speed of flowering, clear flower colours and overall garden performance. In general, the larger flowered varieties tend to flower slightly later, and are especially suitable for late Spring and Summer flowering, as flower size tends to reduce as temperatures increase.
Seed count approx. 700 per gram.
Sow the seed into trays or plugs, cover lightly with vermiculite, and keep the compost moist. Germinate at 18-20°C, shading to avoid excessive temperatures which can depress germination. Germination should be apparent in about 7-10 days.
After 4-5 weeks, prick out into 6-packs or 8cm pots. Use a slow-release fertilizer or commence liquid feeding after 2-3 weeks.
For early Spring sales, it is necessary to harden off the plants prior to sale, by gradually reducing the temperatures.
Pansies are very susceptible to stretching where temperatures are high for a significant period of time. Where reasonably low temperatures (i.e. temperatures not above 14°C) cannot be guaranteed, then growth retardant chemicals should be considered, virtually all are suitable for use on pansies, subject to the manufacturers’ guidelines. Side effects may include a reduction in flower and leaf size.
Sow June for sales Aug-Sept.
Sow July for sales Sept-Oct.
Sow Aug for sales Nov-Feb.
Sow Oct-Dec for sales March.
Sow Jan for sales in April.

Pumpkins are a group of winter squshes, normally characterised by their vibrant orange skin. The Hallowe’en pumpkin market is as popular as ever. Relatively easy to produce, with good storage qualities. Also gaining popularity for its culinary uses. Good for young plant sales and for P.Y.O. use.
4-10 seeds per gram. Germinates between 15 and 30°C. Sow from late March-May into modules, or June direct. Spacing 90-150cm x 180-240cm. Harvest from July to October. Stopping the plants with only 2-3 fruits on the the vine will result in bigger fruits. Pumpkins can be ripened off the plant. All our varieties are vine types unless stated otherwise.

A fast-maturing, long season crop which is suitable for bunching and prepack. A popular salad item which is high yielding, in limited space. An excellent catch crop throughout the season.
80-100 seeds/g. Germinates between 14 and 30°C. For early glasshouse production sow January-March. Sow maincrop March-August. Sow late glasshouse crop September-October. 60-75kg seed per hectare. Spacing 1.5-2.5cm x 20-45cm.

Treat as biennial. For technical details see Pansy. 750-1000 seeds per gram.
Sell in: 6-packs, 8cm pots 1L pots 3 plants per pot.
End Use: Containers, baskets, borders.
Freckles
Perennial, best sown October-February, 2-3 days at 12-15°C, then cold frame, 600 seeds per gram.
Viola Odorata
Perennial, sow October-November, 2-3 days at 12-15oC then cold frame. 225 seeds per gram.

Sow at around 1.5kg/acre (3.5-4 kg/hectare). Drill in June to early July, rows 40-50cm apart, when soil is not too dry. Thin to 6-8cm in the row, to allow enough space for plants to bush out. Lift and bunch in Autumn. A market also exists for pack sales, pricking out seedlings into 6- or 9-packs for sale in the Autumn. 500 seeds per gram.
Sell in: field grown and lifted, or 6packs, 9-packs, pots and containers.
End Use: Borders, containers.