Butter & Eggs Day Seeds - Grow Your Own Bounty!

We hope you enjoy the seeds you received at the Petaluma Butter & Eggs Day parade. Plants these seeds in whatever space you have and enjoy eating fresh vegetables from your own garden this summer.

Here are instructions on how to grow your veggie seeds and care for them until they are ready to be eaten.

First - For all of the seeds, you can either start the seeds in small containers, or plant them directly into the ground where you want them to grow. If you plant them directly in the ground, you’ll need to be sure to check them frequently to make sure they are getting enough water, until they germinate. Starting the seeds in small containers is an extra step , but it may help to ensure that more of your seeds will germinate successfully.

To start your seeds in a container:

1. You can either start your seeds in “six pack” containers (like you buy in nurseries), or you can use Dixie cups or any other small container with holes poked in the bottom for drainage. You can place all of the containers on a cookie tray after you’ve sown them, to for easier watering.
2. Plant your seeds in the containers using an all-purpose soil potting mix (ideally for growing vegetables), following the instructions below for your seed type. Place your seeded containers in a south or east facing window inside your house or put them outside. Water the tray with a watering can with holes at the spout, or just water the seeds very gently with a cup of water.
3. Check the moisture level of the containers daily (sometimes 2-3 times a day depending on the weather). The soil should be moist, but not soaked, somewhat like the feeling of a wrung out sponge. Don’t let the soil dry out while the seeds are germinating, and also don’t overwater them as the seeds may rot.
4. See specifics below for how long to grow these seeds in containers before transplanting them out into the ground. Once they are ready, squeeze the sides the each container to loosen the roots, and transplant the small plant into loose soil to which you’ve already added approximately a 1/2 pound of compost per square foot.

Rainbow Chard – Sow 1 to 2 seeds per container at a depth of 1/2 inch. Cover lightly with a sprinkling of soil. The chard should be grown in its container for about 4-5 weeks before you transplant in your garden or in containers on your porch.Transplant chard at one foot spacing. Chard can grow all year round in Petaluma. It is ready to eat once the leaves get to be 6 inches or longer. Chard is mature in about 55 days from transplanting. Harvest the outer most leaves while leaving the center, smaller leaves to keep growing.

Thompson Broccoli – Broccoli is a cool season crop so it is best to sow this one immediately or wait until August or September to start these seeds for a fall crop. Sow 1-2 seeds per container at a depth of ¼ inch and cover lightly with soil. Grow broccoli for 4-5 weeks before transplanting out. Transplant broccoli at one foot spacing. Thompson broccoli should be mature at around 90 days and is ready to harvest when the buds on the head haven’t opened yet. You can harvest side shoots too.

Marketmore 76 Slicing Cucumber – Sow 1 to 2 seeds per container at the depth of 1 inch and cover generously with soil. Once the cucumbers emerge, thin out (remove) one plant if two emerge in a container. Water the cucumber seeds only when the surface of the container has dried down completely before watering again while the seeds are germinating. If you water too frequently you can rot the cucumber seeds. Grow in containers for 3-4 weeks and then transplant out at 2 feet apart. You can make small mounds to plant your cucumbers on if you like. Once they come into bearing, (60 days) pick the cucumbers every day so they don’t get too big and bitter.

Buttercrunch Lettuce – Lettuce likes cooler conditions but can be grown in the summer if care is taken to water frequently and possibly plant in a space in your garden that gets a little bit of shade (3-4 hours a day). Sow 1-2 seeds per container on the soil surface and very lightly cover with soil. Lettuce seeds need light to germinate. Find a space to germinate the lettuce that doesn’t get to be over 75 degrees. Lettuce won’t germinate in hot weather. Take extra care to make sure the soil surface doesn’t dry out while the lettuce is germinating. The seeds are just on the surface so it is easy to dry out. You may have to water them several times a day until they emerge. Grow in a container for about 4 weeks and then transplant them out at 10 to 12 inches. It will mature in about 50 days. Harvest the whole head when mature.

Enjoy your very own harvest, and remember that you can always share your surplus bounty with other Petaluma families who can’t afford to buy healthy foods, through our Bounty Hunters program.