Overwintering Vegetable Crops: Seed Sources
September 11, 2015
California gardeners who live in mild winter climates (all but the Sierra foothills and mountains), can grow overwintering types of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. We may also be looking for varieties of some other crops that grow well in our winter months. For example, some lettuce varieties handle cold better than others. In addition, if you live in a coastal part of California, you will want to locate vegetable varieties that will thrive in cool summers. For the widest choice of varieties, you can start them from seed. In my book Golden Gate Gardening, I have described many of the best overwintering and cool-tolerant varieties, given sources for seed, and included a chapter explaining when and how to start seedlings. Following is a short list of some of our best mail order seed companies for regionally adapted varieties, and two local stores that sell seed from some of these otherwise mail order companies.
Overwintering 'Purple Sprouting' Broccoli
Bountiful Gardens Bountiful Gardens Web Site
Kitazawa Seed Company Kitazawa Web Site
Niichols Garden Nursery Nichols Web Site
Territorial Seed Company Territorial Web Site
Two East Bay stores offer seeds from some of these seed companies:
Pollinate Farm and Garden, 2727 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland, 510-686-3493
Berkeley Horticultural Nursery, 1310 McGee Avenue, Berkeley, 510-526-4704