A collection of 8 popular "Cool Season Crops" that yield reliable, productive, frost-tolerant leafy greens with minimal pests in Florida's Winter. Seeds grown in Central Florida, Zone 9b using organic methods.
The "Florida Winter Greens Collection" features 8 Seed Packets grown by @SeedTheStars :
Japanese Mizuna, Ethiopian Kale, Florida Heirloom Broadleaf Mustard & Parris Island Romaine Lettuce, Komatsuna, Bok Choy, Cilantro & Arugula.
#1. MIZUNA:
Fast-growing, sweet-tasting, mildly-zesty greens. Mizuna is a versatile leafy vegetable in the kitchen, lending its balanced flavor to both raw & cooked dishes. Named for its crisp, slender white stems, Mizuna translates to “water greens” in Japanese. Apply the “Cut & Come Again” method to harvest mature leaves while allowing intact baby greens to grow out to maturation. Gather mature leaves together and snip the sweet spot: Harvest just below the leaf base of mature leaves and well above the smallest, baby greens.
Mizuna Japanese Mustard
Latin Name: Brassica rapa
Zone: Full/Part Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount: 50 seeds ~ .15+grams
Germination temperature: 45- 85 F
Germination days: 5 - 10 Days
Days to Maturity: 30 - 50 Days
Sow Depth: 1/8 inch
Spacing: 4- 6 inches
#2. ETHIOPIAN KALE:
A cold hardy, kale-like mustard that grows abundant, mild-flavored, leafy greens in drought-prone soils. Extensive roots help to outperform other Brassicas in tropical climates. Tap rooted plants prefer well drained soil, a mild growing season, & tolerates some heat. Harvest tender, protein rich foliage & stems after 5 weeks & consume raw or sauté like collard greens. Seeds grown with organic methods in Central Florida - Zone 9b. Cultivated over 4000 years ago in the Ethiopian highlands.
Ethiopian Kale
Latin Name: Brassica carinata
Zone: Full Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount: 50+ seeds
Germination temperature: 59- 68 F
Germination days: 5 - 14 Days
Days to Maturity: 50 Days
Sow Depth: ⅛ inch
Spacing: 12 inches
#3 FLORIDA HEIRLOOM BROADLEAF MUSTARD
A versatile Southern Heirloom; widely adapted to many diverse growing regions as a favorable leafy green. Baby mustard greens add a fresh kick to salads while mature, mild flavored mustard leaves are best sautéed, steamed, or added to soups. This Florida Heirloom is treasured as a “cool season crop”; known for its reliable, productive, frost-tolerant, leafy greens with minimal pests. Grow as a “cut and come again” crop to yield several tasty harvests!
Florida Broadleaf Mustard
Latin Name: Brassica juncea
Zone: Full Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount: 50+ seeds
Germination temperature: 45- 85 F
Germination days: 7 - 14 Days
Days to Maturity: 30 - 50 Days
Sow Depth: 1/4 inch
Spacing: 6 - 9 inches
#4 PARRIS ISLAND ROMAINE LETTUCE SEED PACKET
Harvest sweet baby greens, or crisp lettuce heads! Tall, tightly spaced, upright leaves build dense heads of dark green foliage with a crunchy texture; ideal for lettuce-wraps. Frost-tolerant, large-lobed, leaves are slower to bolt & are tip burn resistant; granting growers both an earlier & a later seeding succession of this cool season heirloom of South Carolina. Sow Shallowly - Requires sunlight to germinate rapidly.
Latin Name: Lactuca sativa
Zone: Full/Part Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount: 25+ seeds ~0.05
Germination temperature: 40- 75 F
Germination days: 5 - 10 Days
Days to Maturity: 21 - 68 Days
Sow Depth: 1/8 inch
Spacing: 10-16 inches
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#5 KOMATSUNA - JAPANESE SPINACH MUSTARD
Large, tender, leafy-greens are deliciously reminiscent of spinach; versatile in salads, smoothies, soups & stir-fries. Komatsuna has a nutritious spinach-like flavor that is very mild and sweet when compared to other mustards. Its thin, crisp stems and tender leaves hold up well when simmered in broth or noodle dishes. Used in similar ways to other leafy cruciferous vegetables, the entire plant is edible raw or cooked; starring in stir frys, soups, & salads with a balanced flavor, rich in potassium, calcium, and Vitamins A, C & K.
Latin Name: Brassica rapa var. perviridis
Zone: Full/Part Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount:50 Seeds
Germination temperature: 55- 75 F
Germination days: 5 - 10 Days
Days to Maturity: 45 - 55 Days
Sow Depth: 1/4 inch
Spacing: 6-12 inches
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#6 BOK CHOY - PAC CHOI
Crisp, robust stems yield tender, delicious foliage. Versatile, fast growing leafy-greens, ideal for cool-season gardens. Cantonese for “white vegetable”, Bok Choy has tightly layered, white, celery-like, stems that support soft, cabbage-like, mild tasting foliage.Used in similar ways to other leafy cruciferous vegetables, the
entire plant is edible raw or cooked; starring in stir frys, soups, & salads with a balanced flavor, rich in potassium, calcium, and Vitamins A, C & K. Tender leaves cook faster than crisp stems, separate before cooking.
Latin Name: Brassica rapa var. chinensis
Zone: Full/Part Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount: 50 Seeds
Germination temperature: 55- 75 F
Germination days: 5 - 10 Days
Days to Maturity: 45 - 55 Days
Sow Depth: 1/4 inch
Spacing: 6-12 inches
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#7 ARUGULA - ROCKET
Famous for its sharp, peppery flavored, leafy greens. Fast-growing plants tolerate frost & regrow after harvest. A favorite for centuries in Mediterranean cuisine, salads, pesto, sandwiches, wraps, pizza toppings & steamed greens. Apply the “Cut & Come Again” method to harvest mature leaves while allowing the smallest greens to remain & grow out to maturation. Gather leaves together in one hand and snip an inch above the baby leaves, allowing the plant to re-grow. A cool season crop in Florida.
Latin Name: Eruca sativa
Zone: Full/Part Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount: 50
Germination temperature: 45- 65 F
Germination days: 7 - 10 Days
Days to Maturity: 40 - 50Days
Sow Depth: 1/4 inch
Spacing: 2 - 6 inches
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#8 'SLOW BOLT' CILANTRO
An easy-to-grow, slow-to-bolt, culinary-herb. Grown by many cultures as an essential, cool-season garnish.Cilantro adds a fresh, zesty flavor to many dishes and is also valued for its seeds, referred to as coriander. This variety is “slower to bolt” than other varieties, so it matures at a slower rate & grows more leaves. Leaves can be harvested when the plant reaches 4-6 inches in height, while seeds should be left to fully mature and dry before collection. In Florida’s subtropical climate, cilantro grows best in the cooler months.
Latin Name: Coriandrum sativum
Zone: Full/Part Sun, Cool Season Crop for Florida
Weight/Amount: 50 Seeds
Germination temperature: 70 F
Germination days: 10 - 20 Days
Days to Maturity: 45 Days
Sow Depth: 1/4 inch
Spacing: 16 - 10 inches
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Seed the Stars is an urban gardening company focused on raising naturally grown and adapted seeds. Plants are raised using natural methods and organic practices. Our seeds are non GMO and open pollinated.
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How to Grow the Cool Season Greens Collection:
*Seeds are small, and in natural conditions will typically germinate on top of the soil. Remember this when you are seeding! The number one mistake we see with new growers is seeding to deep and using media with improper drainage .***
Store seeds in a cool /dark space and use them within 1 year of purchase to maintain viability and high germination rates. To ensure optimal germination results follow the recommended germination process and use the method & materials we have shared. Since we have successful germination experience and run all germination tests using the shared methods, we do not take responsibility for germination issues using other methods and materials.
MATERIALS:
Germination -Soilless seed starting mix (we use Organic Promix), well draining pots/seed trays, heat mat(optional), water. Potting up & Transplanting- potting mix and compost.
Soilless media contains no soil and limited nutrients, usually composed of peat moss or coconut coir and perlite. Soilless media is great for maintaining moisture and proper drainage, where starting in potting soil you run the chance of media that stays too wet which can rot the soft sided seeds before they have a chance to germinate. Soilless media also provides adequate pore space which will not inhibit the emergence of cotyledons or root growth. Since the plant initially obtains its energy from the seed, they do not need fertilizer, compost, or any degradable materials from the media in the first stages of germination
WHEN TO START SEEDS:
Locate the "days to maturity" under the item description on our shop or on the seed packet. Research your average first frost date(in the fall) and refer to the amount of days the seeds take to grow to maturity. If you still have adequate time before that first fall frost date and provide the ideal growing conditions you have time to start seeds for a successful harvest. Seeds can be started indoors 8 weeks before your last frost date if needed.
STEPS TO GERMINATION IN CONTAINERS (POTS)
1. Prepare seeding flats/pots with consistently moist (not soaked) and loose soilless seed starting media. Peat pellets/discs/pods are NOT recommended.
2. Create a small depression, and follow the sowing depth recommended on the seed packet. A good guide to seeding is to sow the seed as deep as the seed is wide and place two seeds in each depression.
3. Lightly cover the seeds with media and water them in, make a note for the day of seeding.
Keep the media consistently moist with a gentle spray to keep seeds at the same depth that it was sown. Thin to one plant per hole/container.
4. Once plants emerge, place in a protected area with adequate dappled sunlight and thin to one seedling per pot/planting hole.
***If you need to start indoors due to cool weather, it's recommended to use a grow light with the proper light spectrum and place directly above seedlings to prevent leggy plants.
Germination tips:
Seeds are small, and in natural conditions will typically germinate on top of the soil. Remember this when you are seeding! The number one mistake we see with new growers is seeding to deep and using media with improper drainage . Seeds can be directly sown 1/8th of an inch deep, or transplanted out from a small, well drained seed starting tray. Seeds can be started in the early spring or fall when soil temperatures are consistently above 50*F.
Transplanting/Potting Up:
When seedlings have 2-3 sets of “true leaves” and have developed a root ball that stays intact when gently removing it from the container they are ready to be potted up or transplanted.
“Harden off” the young plants by gradually extending their time in sunlight and the natural elements that they will experience when planted out, therefore they are less likely to go into shock. Once they have acclimated, transplant them out to the garden or new container and water deeply for the first three days.If potting up use a mix of potting soil and compost, planting the seedling at soil level in the new container. Mix a little compost in the planting hole when transplanting into garden beds. Top mulch around plants (keeping away from stem) in pots or in the garden with a 1 to 2 inch layer of compost and reapply throughout the growing season. Once plants are established, water early in the morning or in the late afternoon to prevent fungal issues and provide soil saturation time and only water when soil has had a chance to dry out in between watering.
Fertilizer: We fertilize with organic slow release fertilizer and fish emulsion. We amend our soil with compost and worm castings.
✨ Seed the Stars stewards a collection of locally trialed, regionally appropriate, organically grown seeds selected from their best performing “star” varieties that thrive in Florida’s unique growing conditions.
🌱 Their unique varieties of heat tolerant annuals and tropical perennial plants are raised at their Central Florida seed saving gardens converted from underutilized urban lawns. When your seeds wake up, will they be expecting to grow in Florida?
