Community Seed Library – EcoRestore: Ecosystem Restoration Services

Welcome to the Community Seed Library information page! Here, you will find information about seeds that are available in the Community Seed Library and find out more about how it works!

How it works:

When you borrow seeds from the Community Seed Library, grow them, save some seeds from what you grow, and return some to the Community Seed Library, you are helping to build a community resource of locally adapted seeds!

Together, we will create a collection of seeds that are adapted to the local climate conditions and growing season. Over time, we will have a resources that is more than just saving money. We will have a community collection of seeds from plants that will grow in our area, and also help to preserve varieties that are becoming rare or are already not available to buy from commercial seeds sellers.

Seed Growing Information:

Did you borrow some seeds and now you need more information about how to grow them? This is the place for you! Click on the links below to get information about the seeds you have:

Seed Information Database

Use the search on the top right to find a specific seed.

Click on the + in the Common Name column to expand information for that seed.

Common Name	Variety	Scientific/Botanical Name	Family Common Name	Family Scientific Name	Subfamily	Category	Germination	Sowing	Harvest	Notes	Plant Type	Orgainic?	Untreated?	Heirloom?	Medicinal?	Perennial/Annual	Native?	Local?	Companions	Crop Rotation
Anise Hyssop		Agastache foeniculum				Native Flowers	Moist, cold stratification improves germination, but easily germinates. Requires sunlight to germinate, do not cover seeds with too much soil. Germinations in 1-4 weeks in optimal conditions.	Sow seeds in fall for improved germination, but as soon as soil can be worked will work, barely cover with soil.		Attracts pollinators. Used medicinally by Indigenous Peoples in North America for coughm fevers, wounds, and diarrhea.	Medicinal Herb, Pollinator Plant				Medicinal		Native
Bean	Xico	Phaseolus vulgaris				Legumes	Easy to germinate	Bush bean, direct sow, closely to surpress weeds	when pods are fully dry, collect and store dry beans for cooking.	Early dry bush bean, from town called Xico in the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. 85 days dry (more info: http://heritagepotato.ca/heritage-beans/xico-black-bean-bounty/ )	Food Plant		Untreated	Heirloom
Bean	Golden Wax	Phaseolus vulgaris				Legumes					Food Plant
Bean	Scarlet Runner	Phaseolus coccineus				Legumes		Pole Bean, direct sow outdoors after last frost, place supports for climbilng		Red flowers attract hummingbirds and pollinators. Nitrogen-fixing	Food Plant, Pollinator Plant
Beet	Kestrel Hybrid	Beta vulgaris				Roots					Food Plant
Borage	a.k.a. Starflower	Borago officinalis				Herbs	Easy to germinate directly outdoors or in containers	Sow in Spring		https://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X1470&show=&prodclass=F002&cart_id=111.100	Medicinal Herb, Pollinator Plant	Organic	Untreated			Annual			Dill, Celery, Beets, Borage, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Lettuce, Sweet potato, Chamomile, catnip, sweet basil, oregano, peas, radish, rhubarb, rosemary, tomato, eggplant, potato, marigold
Broccoli	Early Purple	Brassica oleracea (Italica) 'Early Purple'	Mustard Family	Brassicaceae		Brassicas	Easy to germinate, winter hardy	You can also plant directly in the soil, at a depth of about ¼ to ½ inch, in mid-Spring, or start indoors 6 weeks before last frost for earlier harvest.	When		Food Plant			Heirloom		Annual			Celery, Potatoes, Onions, Basil, Chives. Dill, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme; interplant with beets, garlic, lettuce, onions, radishes, spinach, shallots, swiss chard (DO NOT plant with asparagus, cantalope, fennel, sweet corn, pumpkin, watermelon; and beans or other spreading plants/vines)	Do not plant in the same location following cruciferous vegetables (Brassicas), including broccoli
Cabbage	Brunswick Sauerkraut	Brassica oleracea	Mustard Family	Brassicaceae		Brassicas	Start seed indoors in a sterile growing medium 4-5 weeks before plant out time. Seed can also be sown directly outside in mid to late spring.	Planting Depth: 6-12.5 mm (1/4-1/2”). Seed Spacing: 2.5 cm (1”). Transplant to: 45 cm (18”). Row Width: 75 cm (30”), Full Sun	Biennial Harvested as an Annual	Use for sauerkraut, coleslaw, soups, stews. Cabbages enjoy consistently cool, moist soil. This can be accomplished by even watering and by mulching the soil around plants with shredded leaves or straw. Long keeping winter storage cabbage. Mature cabbage tolerates hard frost.	Food Plant		Untreated	Heirloom		Biennial			chamomile, wormwood, chives, summer savory, coriander, tansy, yarrow, dill, mint, thyme, hyssop, chervil, geranium, rue, sage, and oregano	Avoid too much nitrogen
Calendula		Calendula officinalis	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Herbs	Best to direct sow outdoors in the Fall or early spring				Medicinal Herb, Pollinator Plant
Carrot	Parisian	Daucus carota var. sativus	Umbellifers	Umbelliferae/Apiaceae		Roots	Direct sow in Spring, keep seedbeds evenly moist. Germinates in 14-21 days.	Can grow in container because of small size. Planting Depth: 6 mm (1/4”). Seed Spacing: 6 mm (1/4”). Thin to: 5 cm (2”). Row Width: 50 cm (20”)	Matures in 60 days	Small, round, bright orange carrots to 3.75 cm (1 ½”) in diameter are tender and surprisingly sweet. Due to its small size, Parisian grows well in less than ideal soil. Super choice for the kitchen container garden. Matures in 60 days
Cauliflower	Snowball	Brassica oleracea var. botrytis	Mustard Family	Brassicaceae		Brassicas
Chives		Allium schoenoprasum	Amaryllis Family	Amaryllidaceae		Alliums	Easy to germinate directly outdoors or in containers	Direct seed (recommended): In spring, sow 1/4" deep as soon as the soil warms up. Place 4-6 seeds every 6" or 1-2 seeds per inch. Thin to 2-3 plants every 2-8"
Corn
Dill	Aneth Odorant	Anethum graveolens L	Umbellifers	Umbelliferae/Apiaceae		Herbs				Use for pickles!	Flowering Herb, Pollinator Plant			Heirloom	Medicinal
Echinacea	Purple Coneflower	Echinacea purpure	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Herbs		Sow seeds in fall or spring			Flowering Herb				Medicinal
Joe Pye Weed		Eutrochium purpureum	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Native Flowers	Colc Statefication Beneficial	Direct Sow outdoors in Fall			Pollinator Plant, Native Flowering Plant				Medicinal
Kale			Mustard Family	Brassicaceae		Brassicas
Lettuce	Brown Dutch Winter	Lactuca sativa	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Leafy Greens	Easy to germinate. Direct sow outdoors 4 weeks before last frost date, and sow weekly for a contunous harvest.			Cold-hardy, slow-bolting, loose heads	Food Plant			Heirloom
Lettuce	Buttercrunch	Lactuca sativa				Leafy Greens		Can grow indoors, in containers, or outdoors	55-65 days	Cool-weather crop	Food Plant
Lettuce	Great Lakes	Lactuca sativa	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Leafy Greens	Easy to germinate. Direct sow outdoors 4 weeks before last frost date, and sow weekly for a contunous harvest.
Marigolds		Tagetes	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Flowers
Mesclun Mix		Various/mix	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Leafy Greens
Michaelmas Daisy		Aster amellus	Sunflower Family	Asteraceae		Flowers
Milkweed	Swamp	Asclepias incarnata	Dogbane Family	Apocynaceae	Asclepiadoideae	Native Flowers	Requires Cold Stratification	in Fall or after cold stratefication	Seeds are ready to save when seed pods have opened	Monarch Butterfles lay eggs exclusivly on Milkweeds. Attracts Pollinators. Link for how to germinate milkweed: https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/print-publications/hla/hla-6503-native-milkweed-germination-guide-a.pdf	Pollinator Plant, Native Flowering Plant	Organic				Perennial	Native
Onion	Spanish		Amaryllis Family	Amaryllidaceae		Alliums					Food Plant
Peas	Delvey	Pisum sativum				Legumes	Easy germination, Direct seed outdoors	Direct seed as soon as ground can be worked, full sun to partial shade, soil pH of 6.0-7.0, well drained, rick and sandy soil, work in orgaic matter (compost or composted manure). Mulch to conserve moisture	Harvest when pods are young and tender	Prevent root rot and other plant diseases by regular crop rotation, plant before other crops in a rotation to enrich or restore the nitrogen.	Food Plant					Annual			Carrot, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, early potato, radish, spinach, pepper, turnip.
Peas	Oregon Sugar II	Pisum sativum				Legumes		Direct sow outdoors as soon as soil can be worked, and sow again each week for a longer harvest.			Food Plant					Annual
Peas	Sugar Snap	Pisum sativum 'Macrocarpon Group'				Legumes		Direct sow outdoors after the last frost date.	Harvest when pods are full and expanded, or harvest early when pods are still flat	Climbing vines need some support.	Food Plant		Untreated			Annual
Pepper	Cal Wonder	Capsicum annuum				Nightshades	Easy to germinate, start indoors weeks before the last frost. Transplant outdoors after risk of frost.				Food Plant					Annual
Pepper	Sweet Red	Capsicum annuum	Nightshades	Solanaceae		Nightshades
Poppy	Red	Papaver rhoeas				Flowers	Easy to germinate directly outdoors or in containers	Sow in Spring of Fall, will self-seed prolifically		3-4 Feet Tall, attracts Pollinators	Flower	Organic	Untreated			Annual		Locally Adapted
Radish	Daikon	Raphanus sativus	Mustard Family	Brassicaceae		Roots	Easy to germinate.	Direct sow before the last frost, stagger sowing to have a continuous harvest.	Harvest pods to eat, or harvest root before seedpods gorw.
Radish	French Breakfast	Raphanus sativus	Mustard Family	Brassicaceae		Roots	Easy to germinate directly outdoors, as soon as soil can be "worked". Space out plantings for continuous harvest	Sow in a full sun location, lightly cover in soil.
Root Parsley	Hamburg	Petroselinum crispum				Roots	Easy to germinate. Start early indooors, or direct sow 4 weeks before last frost date.			Nutty, parsely/celery flavour. Grows similar to parsnips
Sage						Herbs				Overwinter indoors or in greenhouse	Herb					Perennial
Sorrel		Rumex acetosa				Herbs
Squash	Butternut Waltham	Cucurbita moschata				Cucurbits								Heirloom
St. John's Wort		Hypericum perforatum				Herbs	Easy to germinate. Sow seeds in fall or spring. Press into soil without completely covering, as seeds need some sunlight to germinate. Average germination time 10-20 days. Prefers moderately fertile, moist and slightly acidic soil. Full sun – partial shade. Ht 1m.	Sow seeds in fall or spring		Although there are several varieties of St. Johns Wort, this is the standard variety. Commonly found in woodlands, fields and pastures all over the world, this woodland shrub blooms with cheery bright yellow flowers with leaves that appear perforated when held up to the light; hence its Latin name perforatum. This herb was believed to have magical qualities in the Middle Ages, as its leaves were hung from ceilings to ward of evil spirits and prevent lightning strikes. Although the first thing that comes to mind is St. Johns Worts traditional use as an anti-anxiety and anti-depressive remedy, it actually has a surprising number of additional benefits through its antimicrobial, astringent, vulnerary and anti-inflammatory properties. Harvest medicinal flower tops between June and August. Some say the best day to harvest is St. Johns Day (June 24th) which is when flowers first appear. Interestingly enough, although flowers are yellow, an infused oil and tincture made with fresh herb will turn deep red! Can be made into a topical oil or salve for minor injuries, bruises and sunburns; prevents infection, stops bleeding and speeds up healing.	Flowering Herb
Sugar Maple Tree		Acer saccharum				Trees
Sweet Corn	Golden Bantam	Zea mays convar. saccharata var. rugosa				Grain	Direct sow outdoors after last frost, plantings days apart for less plant stresses at silking	Sow close together in 3 rows or more for proper pollination, 3 cm depth	Harvest ears just before cooking for best taste, when kernel are full. 72 days to harvest.		Food Plant
Swiss Chrad	Swiss Chard	Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris				Leafy Greens	Easy to germinate, sow directly outdoors, or start indoors before last frost. Sucessional planting				Food Plant
Tomato	Amish Gold	Solanum lycopersicum	Nightshades	Solanaceae		Nightshades
Tomato	Black Cherry	Solanum lycopersicum	Nightshades	Solanaceae		Nightshades
Tomato	Mennonite Orange	Solanum lycopersicum	Nightshades	Solanaceae		Nightshades	Start indoors before the last frost, 6 to 8 weeks	Transplant from indoors after last frost	Harvest in about 80 days	Indeterminate variety, large orange fruits	Food Plants			Heirloom
Tomato	Yellow Pearshaped	Solanum lycopersicum	Nightshades	Solanaceae		Nightshades	Start indoors before the last frost, 4 to 8 weeks		70 days	Indeterminate, small "cherry tomato" size	Food Plant	Organic		Heirloom
Turnip	Purple Top White Globe	Brassica rapa subsp. rapa				Brassicas					Food Plant			Heirloom
Turnip			Mustard Family	Brassicaceae		Brassicas
Watermelon	Shiny Boy	Citrullus lanatus				Cucurbits
Winter Savory		Satureja montana				Herbs
Swiss Chrad	Bright Lights	Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris				Leafy Greens	Easy to germinate, sow directly outdoors, or start indoors before last frost. Sucessional planting				Food Plant
Tomato	Beefsteak	Solanum lycopersicum

Thank you!

The Community Seed Library recently received a generous donation from ExamPro which allowed us to purchase additional seeds, boxes, and seed envelopes we needed to complete 2 additional “collections” for the Community Seed Library which will be available in 2 additional towns. Thank you for supporting community food security ExamPro!

Crop Rotation

Use crop rotation to reduce or prevent plant diseases and pests, and to build soil nutrients!

The above image is from a short “Crop Rotation” article by Liz Yugov, on the Princeton Student Climate Initiative website, Princeton University. Read the article to learn the basics of crop rotation.

Looking for a deeper dive into crop rotation? You can download a free “Crop Rotation on Organic Farms – A Planning Manual” by Charles L. Mohler & Sue Ellen Johnson. This 163 page manual covers a lot more than simple rotation advice, including “Physical and Biological Processes in Crop Rotation” and information about intercropping and soil health. Download the PDF version for free, or order a print copy for a fee, from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).