Organic Vegetable Seeds Online

Celery Celeriac Celtuce Chia Chicory Chilli

Celery
Apium graveolens
Celery is a cool season annual that does best with a temperature range between 12 - 24°C. It is difficult and slow to germinate (14 - 21 days), with a long growing season. Sow seed late winter - early spring and again late summer - autumn in temperate areas; sow April - September, avoiding frost periods in subtropical areas; sow April - August, in semi-shade in tropical areas. It is difficult to grow well in the tropics. Seed germinates best at 15 - 21°C soil temperature; soak seed overnight to improve germination. Sow seed 5 mm deep; cover very lightly with seed raising mix, firm down and keep very moist. Sow into a seedling tray, then prick out into small pots; tend carefully and liquid feed for 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting. Space plants 20 - 25 cm apart. Celery is a heavy feeder, prepare the soil 2 - 3 weeks before planting with compost, potash and well-rotted manure. It prefers a rich, moist, well-drained soil pH 6 - 7. Mulch well, keep well watered, avoid moisture stress. Celery can be harvested a few stalks at a time.

Celery 'Red Stalk'

'Red Stalk' is an heirloom vegetable with attractive red, slender stalks grown since the 1700's. The flavour is slightly stronger and herbier than modern celery. The leaves are edible too and add a great flavour to soups and stews. Days to harvest: 85.
SC491approx. 250 seeds
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Celery 'Tall Utah' UT
'Tall Utah' is a disease resistant variety with large, full hearts with round, smooth ribs. The dark green, stringless stalks are tender, crisp and tasty. Days to harvest: 100 - 120.
SC644approx. 250 seeds
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Celeriac 'Caesar'

Apium graveolens rapaceum
Syn. Turnip-rooted celery.
Celeriac is a close relative of celery but is grown for its large, fleshy root rather than stems. The flavour is milder than celery; it is used in soup or salads. Growing conditions are similar to celery but it is hardier with a wider climatic range.
SC191approx. 250 seeds
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Celtuce UT
Lactuca sativa var. asparagina
Syn. stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, wosun (Chinese).
Celtuce is botanically a lettuce harvested for the celery-like edible stem. The stem is crisp, moist with a mild to slightly bitter flavour and it is used raw, or in stirfries and soups; young leaves can be used in salads or steamed. It is hardy, frost resistant and slow to bolt. Sow spring and autumn. Suitable for temperate, subtropical and tropical areas.
SC510approx. 60 seeds

Chia

Salvia hispanica
An ancient Aztec food plant, Chia does best in subtropical and tropical areas. It is one of the highest sources of Omega 3 and is also rich in protein, calcium, Vitamin C, iron and potassium. It grows vigorously; it is heat and pest-resistant. The blue flower spikes are 10cm long; they develop into a seedhead with brown, shiny seeds on plants 40 - 80 cm tall. Chia seeds have a nutty, spicy flavour and can be sprinkled over cereal, meals, or grown as a microgreen or sprouts. It is also an excellent poultry forage. Chia is a warm season annual and requires frost-free growing conditions. Sow seed in warm temperate areas spring to early summer into a warm soil. In subtropical areas sow late summer to autumn. In tropical areas sow during the dry season. Harvest the ripe seedheads by bagging it and hanging it upside down to dry. Separate the seeds from the stems and winnow in a light breeze.
SC504approx. 400 seeds
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Chicory
syn. Radicchio and Endive
Chicory is a useful cool season crop to add interest to winter salads. It is also an excellent year round 'baby leaf' or microgreen and it can be sprouted. Chicory is hardy, disease-resistant and frost and drought tolerant. Sow late summer to autumn, directly where they are to grow. Sow 10 mm deep. Thin seedlings to 25 - 30 cm apart, rows should be 38 cm apart. Keep soil moist; add organic fertiliser when plants are half grown. It prefers a pH of 5.5 to 6.5; prepare soil by digging well-rotted compost or animal manure through the bed. Plant in full sun. Best in temperate and subtropical areas.

Chicory Coffee 'Magdeburg' UT
Cichorium intybus
A hardy plant with a long taproot topped by a rosette of leaves. It produces attractive blue spikes of daisy flowers to 1m. Roots can be dried, roasted and ground for a coffee substitute. Leaves and young roots can be cooked as vegetables. Roots can grow up to 30 cm long and weigh 1 kg. Prepare soil by deep-digging-in well-rotted compost or animal manure. It prefers a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Plant in full sun, in spring, directly where they are to grow. Sow 12 mm deep. Thin seedlings to 8 cm apart, rows should be 60 cm apart. Keep soil moist; add organic fertiliser when plants are half grown. It is frost and drought tolerant. It can also be used to break up compacted soil.
SC259approx. 100 seeds

Chicory 'Red Dandelion' H

Cichorium intybus
syn. 'Italico Rosso' syn. 'Ruby' or 'Red-ribbed Catalogna'
'Red Dandelion' has beautiful red stems and mid-veins with deeply cut, frilly, deep green leaves. Dandelion chicories have a range of common names including catalogna, Italian dandelion and asparagus chicory. The plants stand erect, up to 30 cm tall and have a thick rosette of leaves. American growers refer to them erroneously as dandelion greens, which look and taste similar. As a microgreen or 'baby leaf' they add great flavour to salads and it is a colourful addition to any mesclun mix. As a cooked green it is one of the few red leafy vegetables that retains the crimson colour when cooked. It can also be sprouted. It matures in 35 days as baby leaf, 55 days to full size. It becomes very bitter if harvested too late.
SC169approx. 100 seeds
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Chicory 'Red Palla Rossa'

Cichorium intybus
Chicory 'Red Palla Rossa' syn. radicchio is a small heading chicory, 8 - 10 cm across .The bright red, very tight heads have prominent white midribs. It has a slightly bitter, tart taste. As a 'baby leaf' they add great flavour to salads. It is one of the few red leafy vegetables that retains the red colour when cooked. A hardy vegetable and frost tolerant. It is a useful cool season crop to add interest to winter salads. Sow late summer to autumn, directly where they are to grow.
SC144approx. 100 seeds
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Looking for Endive? Find it here.

Growing Chilli
Capsicum spp.
Chillies are warm season, frost tender annuals to 60 - 80 cm tall. Seeds germinate best at 20 - 30°C soil temperature. Sowing at too low a temperature will cause delayed or failed germination.
In Temperate Areas: sow in early spring - either inside with extra heat by using a bottom heat propagator; behind a sunny window or on top of a hot water system; if sowing outside wait until all frost danger has passed.
In Subtropical Areas: sow March - October in frost-free areas; wait for spring in areas that receive frost
In Tropical Areas: all year but avoid January - February
Soil Type: fertile, well drained, garden loam with a pH of 5 - 6.0; prepare the soil by adding compost. Give moderate fertiliser and water throughout the growing season; avoid high nitrogen fertilisers as these will promote leaf growth at the expense of fruit.
Germination period: 7 - 14 days (longer if the soil is cool); liquid feed the seedlings once germinated.
Planting depth: 6 mm deep
Position: full sun
Sow Where: into seedling pots to reduce transplant shock; transplant when the soil is warm.
Plant Spacing: 45 cm between plants
Harvest: 10 weeks

Scoville Scale
The Scoville scale is a measure of the 'hotness' of a chilli pepper or anything made from chilli peppers, i.e. Tabasco sauce (2,500 - 5,000 Scoville). The scale is named after Wilbur Scoville who developed the test in 1912.

Chilli 'Birdseye Thai' H UT
Capsicum annuum
'Birdseye Thai' is a must for every keen cook of South East Asian and Indian food. A productive chilli with upright clusters of fruit, approx. 5.5 - 6 cm long, with thin walls and an intense spicy flavour. The fruit start green and ripen to deep red. A good choice to grow in a container as plants are compact. Days to harvest: 85. Very hot: 100,000 to 225,000 Scoville.
SC689approx. 20 seeds

Chilli 'Bishops Crown' H UT
Capsicum baccatum
Syn. 'Christmas Bell', 'Bishop's Hat'
A bushy chilli plant 75 cm high with unusual-shaped fruit. Very hardy, it will grow from the tropics right through to Tassie. It is highly productive and tolerant of poor soils. The fleshy fruit is spicy, crisp and fruity so is a good choice for chilli sauce. Days to harvest: 90 days for green fruit; 100 days for red. Scoville heat scale 5,000 - 30,000 units.
SC613approx. 20 seeds
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Chilli plants are available seasonally.

Chilli 'Cayenne Long Thin' H UT
Capsicum annuum
'Cayenne Long Thin' is a productive chilli with 12 - 15 cm long, curved, wrinkled, fiery-hot fruit that start green and ripen to crimson. Height of chilli bush is 90 cm. This is one of the best chillies for seasoning pickles, salsa and drying as chilli powder. Days to harvest: 60 - 85 days.
It is very hot, similar in heat range to Tabasco; Scoville heat scale 30,000 - 50,000 units.
SC475approx. 20 seeds

Chilli 'Cayenne Red Hot' H UT
Capsicum annuum
Cayenne is a hot and pungent chilli that take its name from a river in Guyana. It has a wide range of uses from drying to use as chilli flakes, steeping in oil or vinegar, seasoning salsa or pickles or dried and strung as 'ristras'. 'Red Hot' chilli fruit are 10 - 12 cm long, ripen to a glossy red and are fairly smooth, less wrinkled than other Cayenne. It is productive and hardy, producing over a long period. It can be long-lived in subtropical and tropical areas. Days to harvest: 60 - 85 days for red.
Scoville heat scale 30,000 - 50,000 units.
SC676approx. 20 seeds
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Chilli 'Habanero Red' H UT
Capsicum chinense
'Habanero Red' is an extremely hot chilli with a unique flavour described as a rich, smoky-citrus taste. The fruit are 5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. The productive, hardy, ornamental bushes grow to around 1 metre tall and have a multi-branching, upright growth habit. It can be perennial in subtropical and tropical areas. Habanero chillies have a bonnet shape.
Days to harvest: 90 - 100 days for red.
Very, very hot, Scoville heat scale 350,000 units.
SC641approx. 15 seeds

Chilli 'Hungarian Hot Wax'

Capsicum annuum
'Hungarian Hot Wax' is a hardy, highly productive banana chilli with smooth, waxy fruits tapering to a point. The fleshy fruit, 12 cm x 3.8 cm, turn from yellow, to orange, to red when ripe.
Days to harvest: 58 days for pale yellow fruit; 83 days for red 75 - 85 days.
It is definitely hot, similar in heat range to Jalapeno or Paprika. Scoville heat scale 2500 - 8000 units.
SC294approx. 35 seeds
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Chilli 'Lilac Cayenne' H UT
Capsicum annuum
'Lilac Cayenne' is a very hot chilli that turns from green to dark lilac-purple and then to a dark purple-red colour when fully ripe. The beautifully coloured, slightly curved fruits reach 6 - 8 cm long. The plants are strong, sturdy and highly productive; also ornamental with light-purple flowers and purple tinged leaves. Use in salsa, pickles, sauces and curries. Days to harvest: 85 - 90. Scoville heat scale 30,000 - 50,000 units.
SC481approx. 20 seeds
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Chilli 'Jalapeno' H UT
Capsicum annuum
'Jalapeno' chillies taper to a blunt end, are 7.5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. The fruit are glossy deep green in colour, turning bright red when ripe. The plants are sturdy and productive over a long period and begin cropping early. Plants also grow well in containers. It is a good choice for salsa and dishes where a milder chilli is preferred.
Days to harvest: 65 days for green fruit; 85 days for red.
Scoville heat scale 5,000 units.
SC279approx. 20 seeds
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Chilli 'Rocoto Tree' H UT
Capsicum pubescens
Syn. 'Hotlips', 'Locoto', 'Manzano'
This is a true heirloom, having been grown for thousands of years by the farmers of Bolivia and Peru. A 'must have' plant for anyone who likes really hot chillies, it grows well from the tropics right through to Tassie (in a suitably sheltered position). It is considered the most cold-tolerant of the chillies. The fruit is produced on a sturdy, wide, bushy, perennial shrub up to 2 - 3 m tall. It has small, dark purple flowers and dark green leaves with a purplish tinge. Highly productive, it crops nearly year round with fruit that start as green turning purple and then glossy bright red when fully ripe, the seeds are black. It is hardy and pest resistant including fruit fly but like all chillies, sensitive to heavy frost. Fruit ranges from medium hot to extremely hot depending on the weather. The fruit is fleshy like a capsicum so is a good choice for chilli sauce.
Days to harvest: 95 days for green fruit; 130 days for red.
Scoville heat scale 100,000 - 300,000 units.
SC514approx. 20 seeds
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Chilli plants are available seasonally.

Chilli 'Trinidad Scorpion' H UT
Capsicum chinense
It is a bit hard to understand why people want to grow such extremely hot chillies but they definitely do! 'Trinidad Scorpion' chilli is among the world's top ten hottest with a Scoville heat scale over 1,000,000 units. The sturdy bushes reach 60 - 90 cm tall and grow best in full sun. The chillies are 2.5 - 5 cm long and have a wrinkled red skin. Great care should be taken in handling them to avoid contact with bare skin and eyes. Days to harvest: 90 - 100.
SC674approx. 15 seeds