Popular supply of winter greens when other brassicas are not available for bunching and leaf sales. Also used as a game cover crop.
300-450 seeds per gram. Germinates between 10 and 25°C. Sow between mid May and July, at 250-500g per hectare for a transplanted crop, or around 2 kilos per hectare for direct drilled crop. Plant spacings 60 x 60cm. Harvest in autumn and winter.

Cabbage can be produced throughout the year, providing growers with a continuous supply to their outlets. Faster-maturing spring greens are ideal for utilising redundant polytunnel or glasshouse space over the winter months. Cabbages are popular for young plant sales to home gardeners.
200-400 seeds per gram. Germinates between 10 and 25°C. Sowing and harvesting times as given in the charts. Seed rate approx. 600g per hectare transplanted, 1.25-2.5 kilos per hectare direct sown. Spacings 30 x 60cm, up to 60 x 90cm.

A range of annuals, biennials and perennials grown for culinary and medicinal purposes. Ideal for plant sales. Sell in 9cm pots and upwards. Best sold as green plant with label.

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.

Perennial varieties:
Perennial, sow April-July, or January-February for Gallery same-year flowering, germinates in 2-3 weeks at 15-18°C. After 5 weeks prick out into 9 or 10cm pots, grow on at 15°C. Sell as green plant with label, or can be sold in larger pots in bud/flower in the Spring. 40 seeds per gram (sow 50g for 1000 plants).
Poisonous if eaten.
Sell in: 8cm pots (green plant with colour label) up to 2 litres for Gallery Lupins in flower.
End Use: Borders.

Annual varieties:
Annual, sow directly into open ground in late April-early May, 10 seeds per gram.

Oriental vegetables are becoming an important market for the producer as an increasingly culturally diverse population has led to the wider culinary use of such products. Speciality leaves are now an established sector of the salads market. The colour, texture, shape and flavour of these products adds interest to mixed salad packs and baby leaf mixes.

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.

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.

Seed raised strawberries are popular for young plant sales, and sales of flowering/fruiting plants in hanging baskets. Sow in January, germinate at 18-20°C, cover lightly with vermiculite - takes several weeks to germinate - keep moist during this period. Prick out when large enough into packs/pots as required, grow on at 15°C, down to 10°C once established. Can be sown in September, to bring flowering forward by around a month. 1800 seeds per gram.
Sell in: 6-packs, 9cm pots and baskets
End Use: Baskets, containers.

Alpine Varieties
Cultural Details: Perennial, sow seeds in Autumn and place in cold frame, 1800 seeds per gram.

Strawberry plants:
By careful selection from our range of varieties, strawberries can be harvested from mid June until early Autumn. Use a row width of 30-36in and an intra-row spacing of 17-21in for matted rows or a row width of 60in and intra-row spacing of 13-15in for raised beds.

All our Strawberries have been checked by Ministry Inspectors to be substantially free of pests and diseases and are classed as certified stock.

We offer a wide range of varieties designed to meet most growers' requirements. While the old established favourites are still popular, the recent hybrid introductions have resulted in plants which not only perform better but taste better, an important characteristic in any tomato variety. New hybrid varieties with more unusual fruit shapes, colours and sizes are proving very popular both with fresh market sales and retail plant sales. Young tomato plants remain the best seller for vegetable plant sales to the public.
For varietal fruit shape, size, colour and suitability please see technical table and individual product descriptions.

We offer a wide range of varieties designed to meet most growers' requirements. While the old established favourites are still popular, the recent hybrid introductions have resulted in plants which not only perform better but taste better, an important characteristic in any tomato variety. New hybrid varieties with more unusual fruit shapes, colours and sizes are proving very popular both with fresh market sales and retail plant sales. Young tomato plants remain the best seller for vegetable plant sales to the public.
For varietal fruit shape, size, colour and suitability please see technical table and individual product descriptions.

We offer a wide range of varieties designed to meet most growers' requirements. While the old established favourites are still popular, the recent hybrid introductions have resulted in plants which not only perform better but taste better, an important characteristic in any tomato variety. New hybrid varieties with more unusual fruit shapes, colours and sizes are proving very popular both with fresh market sales and retail plant sales. Young tomato plants remain the best seller for vegetable plant sales to the public.
For varietal fruit shape, size, colour and suitability please see technical table and individual product descriptions.

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.