Semperflorens:
Annual, sow the very fine seed January-March on surface of compost, keep moist. Mixing the seed with fine silver sand makes it easier to spread it evenly over the compost. Germination takes 2-3 weeks at 22-24°C. Do not exclude light. Prick out after 6 weeks into 6-pack trays or pots. Supplementary light quickens development of the small seedlings. Grow on at 15-18°C. 70,000 seeds per gram. Total production time around 14-16 weeks depending on lighting and sowing time.
Sell in: 6 packs and 8-10cm pots.
End Use: Versatile, tolerant of rainy weather, long flowering season. For formal bedding, and baskets and containers.
For easier sowing choose pelleted seed.

Begonia Tuberous:
Cultural instructions as for semperflorens, except earlier sowing time (December-January) as takes 20 weeks sowing to flowering.
Sell in: 4 packs and 10cm pots.
End Use: Bedding schemes, baskets and containers. Resistant to rainy weather.

Semperflorens:
Annual, sow the very fine seed January-March on surface of compost, keep moist. Mixing the seed with fine silver sand makes it easier to spread it evenly over the compost. Germination takes 2-3 weeks at 22-24°C. Do not exclude light. Prick out after 6 weeks into 6-pack trays or pots. Supplementary light quickens development of the small seedlings. Grow on at 15-18°C. 70,000 seeds per gram. Total production time around 14-16 weeks depending on lighting and sowing time.
Sell in: 6 packs and 8-10cm pots.
End Use: Versatile, tolerant of rainy weather, long flowering season. For formal bedding, and baskets and containers.
For easier sowing choose pelleted seed.

Begonia Tuberous:
Cultural instructions as for semperflorens, except earlier sowing time (December-January) as takes 20 weeks sowing to flowering.
Sell in: 4 packs and 10cm pots.
End Use: Bedding schemes, baskets and containers. Resistant to rainy weather.

Semperflorens:
Annual, sow the very fine seed January-March on surface of compost, keep moist. Mixing the seed with fine silver sand makes it easier to spread it evenly over the compost. Germination takes 2-3 weeks at 22-24°C. Do not exclude light. Prick out after 6 weeks into 6-pack trays or pots. Supplementary light quickens development of the small seedlings. Grow on at 15-18°C. 70,000 seeds per gram. Total production time around 14-16 weeks depending on lighting and sowing time.
Sell in: 6 packs and 8-10cm pots.
End Use: Versatile, tolerant of rainy weather, long flowering season. For formal bedding, and baskets and containers.
For easier sowing choose pelleted seed.

Begonia Tuberous:
Cultural instructions as for semperflorens, except earlier sowing time (December-January) as takes 20 weeks sowing to flowering.
Sell in: 4 packs and 10cm pots.
End Use: Bedding schemes, baskets and containers. Resistant to rainy weather.

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.

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.

Annual, 2 weeks at 15-18°C, 12 seeds per gram. Sow January onwards.
Sell in: 8-10cm pots
End Use: Bedding plant sales, cut flowers.

Sow the pelleted seeds April-May into plug trays, germinates in 7-10 days at 20-22°C, plant out in greenhouse or polythene tunnel at 80 per square metre, takes around 16 weeks sowing to flowering in the Summer. Needs long days to grow and flower properly. (Can be grown as specialist winter crop with night break lighting.) Use as a filler in cut flower arrangements.