Cover Crop Seed Cool Season Soil Building Mix Growing a cover crop (aka Green Manure) is a wonderful way to build soil organic matter, protect the soil against erosion, fix nitrogen, provide habitat for beneficial insects & pollinators and so much more! We typically plant cool season cover crops after harvesting the last of the summer garden which is typically in October here in Oregon.  Alternately, they can be planted as early in late winter or early spring as possible.   This mixture of cool season varieties is a proven mix that we use here on our farm and in gardens. The cereal grain Oats sprout quickly and provide a vertical scaffold for the peas and vetch to climb. The 2 peas sprout quickly and provides fast growth and coverage and abundant nitrogen fixation.  A cereal grain and legume mix can grow from 2 to 5 tons (!!!) of biomass per acre, that's 40-100 pounds for a 100 square foot area. * We regret that we are unable to ship this product internationally in amounts larger than 1 pound * Seeding rates:   75-150 pounds per acre  1/4-1/2 pound per 100 sq.ft., 5-6# for 1000 sq.ft.  A cereal grain and legume mix can grow from 2 to 5 tons (!!!) of biomass per acre, that's 40-100 pounds for a 100 square foot area. Cool Season Soil Building Mix contains: (Cayuse Oats, Lana Vetch, Magnus Peas, Dundale Peas, Barley, Bunker Triticale) 1/5th each. Roughly 60% legume and 40% grain. 1 Pound, 3 pounds, 5 pounds. If you are interested in technical data, then here is a great research report done in Western Oregon by the USDA-NRCS: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/orpmcsr13282.pdf...

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Milkweed, Swamp  Asclepias incarnata This is a perennial that is native to most of the continental US and parts of Canada.  It is an excellent food source for not only Monarch catapillars, but other butterflies such as Swallowtails. Easy to start from seed, it grows to about 4' tall and spreads to 2-3' wide.  This is a wonderful nectar source for all manner of pollinators late in the season, especially after many other wildflowers have faded.  You will be dazzled with the visitors that you get with these growing in your garden! Packet: (0.5g~95 seeds)  Bulk: 2.5 g. * Growing Tip: Being an undomesticated plant, milkweed benefits from a period of cold stratification to help the seeds "wake up".  To do this, one method is to plant in the fall, as would happen in nature. Or...you can place the seeds on a moist paper towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for about 30 days.  Check it periodically to see if mold is forming, in which case change the paper towel.  This will greatly improve germination.  ...

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Milkweed, Showy Asclepias speciosa   This is the most common milkweed in western Oregon and the best choice for folks in the Pacific Northwest or similar climates with dry summers to attract and support Monarch butterflies. Tropical, non-native species of milkweeds may not die back as well in the winter as our native species. Theoretically, with non-native milkweed, monarchs could hang around and potentially breed at the wrong time for our climate.  Plant is a drought hardy perennial with fuzzy gray-green leaves and pale pink white flowers that come on in mid summer.  To grow our native showy milkweed from seed, you need patience. It takes about three years from seed to really get going in my experience. Seeds should be planted in the fall, in a pot or flat outdoors, as they need cold and wet to germinate. The first spring after sprouting, native showy milkweed plants are tiny and often die back over the summer. If you want to coax seeds to grow in the summer, put them in a damp paper towel and refrigerate for a couple weeks before planting them. Adult monarchs use many species of flowers for nectar besides milkweed. Goldenrod, aster, coneflower, black-eyed Susans and other open flowers make good nectar plants.  Packet (0.4g~35 seeds) * Growing Tip: Being an undomesticated plant, milkweed benefits from a period of cold stratification to help the seeds "wake up".  To do this, one method is to plant in the fall, as wold happen in nature. Or...you can place the seeds on a moist paper towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for about 30 days.  Check it periodically to see if mold is forming, in which case change the paper towel.  This will greatly improve germination.  ...

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 Milkweed, Narrow Leaf Aesclepias Fasicularis   A perennial herb native to the Western United States, Narrow Leaf Milkweed is a favorite among Monarch butterflies.  Grows to 3 foot with long, narrow leaves and produces approximately 5-inch white or rose-white flower clusters.  Flowers give way to seed pods which split and reveal seeds and silk when mature.  This milkweed has a broad tolerance for garden conditions, but also manages to survive heavy clay, salty, dry soils, and seasonal flooding.  A great choice for butterfly and pollinator gardens.  Likes sun and readily reseeds. Packet: (.4g~35 seeds) * Growing Tip: Being an undomesticated plant, milkweed benefits from a period of cold stratification to help the seeds "wake up".  To do this, one method is to plant in the fall, as wold happen in nature. Or...you can place the seeds on a moist paper towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for about 30 days. Check it periodically to see if mold is forming, in which case change the paper towel. This will greatly improve germination....

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Look no further for the perfect gift for your green-thumbed friend! Give them the gift of seeds so they can choose to grow beautiful flowers or sunkissed veggies. Give the gift of a blooming garden!  We offer gift certificates in $25, $40, $50, $100 or $200 values. Just click on the appropriate one to get started.  Thank you! Wishing you all the best, Siskiyou Seeds ON SHIPPING: *Please note this is a physical gift certificate, sent in the mail and as such may take up to 5 business days for order fulfillment. If you wish to purchase an online gift card code sent via email please select the Siskiyou Seeds Digital Gift Card   ...

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Beet, Russian Sugar  (60-65 days)  Beta vulgaris This white sugar beet called Nesvizhskaya, from Belarus Tests 0% for Genetically Modified Organisms. It has a 17-18% brix sugar content and is vigorous and productive. Classically used as fodder for animals, as well as production of sugar. LKF. Packet: (1.5 g. ≈ 200 seeds) Bulk: 1 oz...

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Cactus, Luther Burbank Spineless Cutting Oputina hybrid Between 1907 and 1925, Luther Burbank introduced more that 60 varieties of spineless cacti. These were developed mostly from hybrids of varieties of the Indian fig (Opuntia ficus-indica) and the Mexican prickly pear (Opuntia tuna), and were offered in two main types: the fruiting varieties, grown for their variously colored and flavored prickly pears, and the forage varieties, grown for their edible pads (properly called thalli or nopalitos), which could be fed raw to livestock or cooked for human consumption. This cactus can grow to over 10' tall, however, in most northern areas it is more likely to grow to 5-6' tall. Staking may be necessary.  Hardy to USDA Zone 8 and is generally frost hardy down to 20 degrees once established, however, young plants may be more frost sensitive. Throughout Mexico and Central America, the young pads are peeled and fried or pickled. For more information on recipes and historical background of eating cacti please visit the Luther Burbank web page for this unique variety: http://www.lutherburbank.org/about-us/specialty-gardens/spineless-cactus We will send you a pad from a mother cactus that will need to be rooted, which is a fairly simple procedure of placing it in a gallon pot of potting soil and not watering until you observe new growth.  At this point is when new roots are growing.  Watering before this point will make it rot. You will receive more detailed growing instructions with your order. 1 Un-rooted Cactus Pad: $12.00...

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