Planting Guides

  • BEANS

    PLANTING GUIDE

    Plant bean seeds directly into the soil (not indoors) in full sun after the last spring frost (April 15 in Zone 9b for Napa County). Plant seeds 1 inch deep, spaced 2 inches apart (for bush type) or 3 inches apart along a trellis (for pole type). Beans sprout in 4-10 days. Eat whole bean pods fresh when they are tender and crisp about 50 to 60 days after planting. Remove beans from the dry pod and eat them cooked when they turn brown, crisp, and dry. Allow them to fully dry to save the seeds. To save bean seeds WATCH How to Save Bean Seeds andEasy Seed Saving: Beans

  • HERBS

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save herb seeds WATCH Easy Seed Saving: Cilantro or Easy Seed Saving: Dill.

  • PEAS

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save pea seeds WATCH Easy Seed Saving: Peas. Part 1 & Part 2.

  • FLOWERS

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save flower seeds WATCH How to Save Seeds from Flowers and How to Collect Seeds from Flowers and Pods.

  • LEAFY GREENS

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save lettuce seeds WATCH Easy Seed Saving: Lettuce and the DIY Seeds film on how to save seeds from lettuce.

  • BRASSICAS

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save seeds from the Brassica plant family WATCH the DIY Seeds film on how to save seeds from Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussels Sprout, Cauliflower, and Chard.

  • ROOTS

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save root seeds WATCH the DIY Seeds films on how to save seeds from carrot. beet, and parsnip.

  • TOMATOES

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save tomato seeds WATCH Easy Seed Saving: Tomato. Part 1 & Part 2 and the DIY Seeds film on how to save seeds from tomato.

  • SQUASH

    PLANTING GUIDE

    To save seeds from squash WATCH How to Hand Pollinate Squash Part 1 & Part 2; and the DIY Seeds film on zucchini, squash, and manual pollination of Cucurbitaceae.