In 2016 we are working with three popular crops here in BC to start off the BC Seed Trials. Read a bit about each crop below and check out the variety list for each crop which follows.
Beets
- Golden
- Chioggia
Beets are a popular crop at BC farmers markets and golden beets are becoming more and more common. The southern coast of BC has a great climate for beet seed production.
Kale
- Lacinato
- Winter Curly
Kale is a staple crop for most small farms in BC and is popular for its year-round production. The Lacinato style kales are very popular and we will be assessing them for may traits including overwintering
Spinach
- Savoy
- Arrowhead
Spinach is another popular spring and fall crop at BC farmers’ markets. It is also a great seed crop for the region with much commercial spinach seed production happening just south of us in Washington State.
These crops all grow well in BC as market crops and hold the potential to be significant seed crops as well. In coastal Washington State these crops are grown on a commercial scale for seed production, suggesting they would be successful seed crops here in BC.
Beet Variety and Supplier List
Type | Variety | OP | Source |
Red | Red Ace | F1 | Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
Golden | Touchstone Gold | OP | Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
Golden | Touchstone Gold | OP | Wild Garden Seeds |
Golden | Yellow Sunrise | OP | Osborne |
Golden | Golden | OP | Osborne |
Golden | Golden | OP | Full Circle Seeds |
Golden | Boldor | OP | Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
Golden | Golden Grex | OP | Fedco |
Golden (Grex) | 3-beet-grex | OP | Planting Seeds Project |
Chioggia | Chioggia | OP | Sunshine Seeds |
Chioggia | Chioggia Guardsmark | OP | Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
Chioggia | Chioggia | OP | Uprising |
Chioggia | Chioggia | OP | West Coast Seeds |
Chioggia | Chioggia | OP | Eagleridge |
Kale Variety and Supplier List
Type | Variety | OP | Source |
Lacinato | Black Magic | OP | Osborne |
Lacinato | Dazzling Blue | OP | Wild Garden Seeds |
Lacinato | Wild Garden Lacinato | OP | Wild Garden Seeds |
Lacinato | Lacinato | OP | Osborne |
Lacinato | Lacinato | OP | West Coast Seeds |
Lacinato | Toscano | OP | Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
Lacinato | Lacinato | OP | Full Circle Seeds |
Lacinato | Lacinato | OP | Eagleridge |
Lacinato | Rainbow | OP | Sugar Shack |
Lacinato | Black Tuscan | OP | Siskiyou |
Lacinato | Nero di Tuscana | OP | William Dam |
Lacinato | Cavolo Nero | OP | Seeds from Italiy/Franchi |
Lacinato | Dinosaur Kale | OP | Planting Seeds Project |
Curly | Nash’s Green | OP | High Mowing Seeds |
Curly | Winterbor | F1 | Stokes |
Curly | Layla | OP | Osborne |
Curly | Westlandse | OP | William Dam |
Curly | Westlandse | OP | Eagleridge |
Curly | Grand Forks | OP | Sheila from Grand Fork |
Lacinato | Rainbow | OP | Salt Spring Seeds |
Spinach
Type | Variety | OP | Source |
Savoy leaf | Bloomsdale | OP | Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
Savoy leaf | Bloomsdale | OP | Sunshine Seeds |
Savoy leaf | Bloomsdale Dark Green | OP | William Dam |
Savoy leaf | Bloomsdale Long Standing | OP | Sugar Shack |
Savoy leaf | Long Standing Bloomsdale | OP | Wild Garden Seeds |
Savoy leaf | Abundant Bloomsdale | OP | High Mowing Seeds |
Savoy leaf | Winter Bloomsdale | OP | Uprising Seeds |
Semi-savoy | Winter Bloomsdale | OP | Osborne |
Semi-savoy | Winter Giant | OP | Adaptive Seeds |
Semi-savoy | Giant Winter | OP | Full Circle Seeds |
Semi-savoy | Giant Winter | OP | Fedco |
Savoy leaf | Viroflex (Giant winter) | OP | William Dam |
Savoy leaf | Heirloom Bloomsdale | OP | BN |
Savoy leaf | Popeye | OP | Siskiyou |
Savoy leaf | Samish | F1 | West Coast Seeds |
Savoy leaf | Giant Noble | OP | Eagleridge |
Arrowhead leaf | Flamingo | F1 | Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
Arrowhead leaf | Monstrueux de Viroflay | OP | West Coast Seeds |
Arrowhead leaf | Monstrueux de Viroflay | OP | Planting Seeds Project |
Arrowhead leaf | Verdil | OP | Adaptive |
Arrowhead leaf | Verdil | OP | Sugar Shack |
Arrowhead leaf | Elly’s Dutch | OP | Full Circle Seeds |