Mascotte French Filet Bean Seeds
A Container Bean with Award-winning Flavor!
This French Filet Bean is great for patio pots and windowboxes!
- Genus: Phaseolus
- Species: vulgaris
- Variety: Mascotte
- Item Form: (P) Pkt of 100 seeds
- Days To Maturity: 55
- Fruit Color: Green
- Habit: Upright
- Seeds Per Pack: 100
- Plant Height: 16 in - 18 in
- Plant Width: 8 in - 10 in
- Additional Characteristics: Award Winner, Direct Sow, Easy Care Plants, Edible, Flower, Free Bloomer, Soil Builder
- Bloom Color: White
- Foliage Color: Medium Green
- Harvest Season: Early Fall, Early Summer, Late Summer, Mid Summer
- Light Requirements: Full Sun
- Moisture Requirements: Dry, Moist, well-drained
- Resistance: Anthracnose, Common Bean Mosaic, Halo Blight
- Soil Tolerance: Clay, Normal, loamy, Poor, Sandy
- Uses: Beds, Containers, Cuisine, Ornamental, Outdoor
- show more
55 days from direct-sowing.
The first bean to win an All-America Selection since 1991, Mascotte arrives in style! This petite French filet bean is just right for containers as well as the garden, a bush-type haricot vert with dense but shallow roots and stringless beans that sit right on the top of the foliage, for easy picking. It's your patio vegetable extraordinaire for the season!
But Mascotte is much more than just a pretty face. This bean is prepared to set a good generous crop of 5- to 6-inch pods, just ¼-inch in diameter but packed with rich, succulent flavor and crunchy texture. They're made to be julienned, but also taste delicious straight from the garden, pod and all!
Mascotte reaches just 16 to 18 inches long and about 8 to 10 inches wide, so it's incredibly compact. If you're growing it in the garden, sow the seeds 2 to 3 inches apart in rows about a foot apart. If it's going in a windowbox, space holes about a foot apart and fill each hole with 3 to 4 seeds. And if you're planting it in a round flowerpot or similar container, space holes 4 inches apart and put 5 seeds in each hole.
Resistant to bean common mosaic virus, anthracnose, and halo blight, this dwarf bean is a treasure for any setting. White blooms arise in spring, beginning its season of glory. They are quickly followed by the young pods, which lie right on top of the foliage, as if inviting you to pick them. Nothing could be simpler or more attractive. Grow Mascotte as both a working veggie and an ornamental among the Nasturtiums and spreading Petunias this season. You'll love how it improves the garden and beautifies the patio or deck!
An ancient crop found on every continent except Antarctica, the bean is a staple of the human diet in all cultures. Packed with fiber and protein (including the vital amino acid lysine), it is also an excellent source of vitamins A, B, and C; folic acid; iron; calcium; and phosphorus. Eaten with certain grains, such as corn, it makes a complete protein. Some varieties of bean can be eaten fresh, while others can be stored for many months. Doubtless the bean is responsible for the survival of countless peoples during the (at least) 9 thousand years it has been cultivated as a food crop.
How fortunate, then, that the bean should be both delicious and easy to grow! You don't need a lot of garden space for beans -- they even thrive in containers -- and few plants are easier to grow. If you've got sunshine and soil, we've got a great bean just waiting for you!
Choosing a Variety
There are as many types of beans as there are gardeners to grow them! Grown almost everywhere in the world, beans are amazingly various, with some 4,000 varieties currently available. Beans grow in two ways: vining, which we call Pole beans; and mounding, which we call Bush beans. That said, let's quickly narrow the selection by categorizing beans into their 3 main groups:
Snap or String - These are young beans intended to be eaten "pod and all" when fresh, or to be frozen or canned when young and tender. The pods are succulent and flavorful, making them a popular home garden choice. These 'green' beans can come in colors like green, gold, purple, or red, and the pods can be range from long and thin to stout or flat. Bush snap beans mature in about 45 to 55 days. Pole snaps take 60 to 70 days.
Green/Shelling - Also intended to be eaten when young (that's what "green" means; it doesn't indicate the color of the pods!), green or shelling beans are grown for the tender young seeds inside the pods. Limas (butter beans) are a popular green/shelling bean. Bush green/shelling beans harvest in 70 to 80 days; pole green/shelling beans are ready in 80 to 95 days.
Dry - Dry or hard-shelled beans are meant to be eaten after the seeds inside the pod have dried out, though many varieties, such as our own Borlotto Solista, can be picked young for fresh eating, too. Ideal for long-term storage, dry varieties were the beans of choice in home gardens until the early 20th century, when advances in storage methods and improved varieties of snap and green beans made fresh beans more readily available and much more tasty. And dry beans can be eaten young at about 90 to 100 days, but will take more weeks to dry completely in the pod for harvesting as "dry" or storage beans.
When to Start
Direct-sow beans outdoors in spring and early summer when the soil has warmed up and night temperatures remain above 55 degrees F.
If you live in a short growing season or prefer to begin the seeds indoors, sow them in large peat pots no more than 4 weeks before you plan to transplant them. Beans prefer not to be disturbed after sowing, so transplant can be chancy.
How to Start
General information for all types of beans
Beans need full sun and deep, rich, well-drained soil to grow their best. As soon as the soil is workable in spring, dig down about 8 inches in the areas you are planning to sow your beans. Work a good amount of rich compost, manure, or other organic matter into the soil. If you are planting pole beans, consider their position in relation to the rest of the vegetable garden. When the beans get tall, they will cast shade for several feet, so plan accordingly: prepare the soil on the northern end of the veggie patch to avoid shading other plants, or farther south if some shade is desired for neighboring plants.
Sow beans about 1 to 1½ inches deep. Sprinkle inoculant as you plant, to increase the nitrogen-fixing ability of the bean plants.
Expect high germination rates from your beans. You should see the first sprouts in about 6 to 10 days.
Bush beans: Space beans about 3 inches apart in single or double rows 18 to 24 inches apart. For a continuous season of bush beans, do not plant all the beans at once. Make successive plantings every 3 weeks up to 2 months before your first anticipated fall frost.
Pole beans: Space 6 to 8 beans evenly around the base of the pole or other support. If growing the beans up a trellis, space them 3 inches apart. If growing the beans up a freestanding fence, space them 3 inches apart along both sides of the fence.Special Considerations
Beans are open-pollinated plants, not hybrids. They are self-pollinating, and technically can be cross-pollinated, but this is very rare. The standard advice is to separate different types of beans by physical space or natural barriers (such as high walls or tall, dense plants), but gardeners constantly report growing many different beans side by side with no apparent cross-pollination.
If you want to can or freeze your bean crop, consider growing varieties that harvest all at once. Snap bush beans, because of their shorter crop time, are an excellent choice.
Consider growing a Three Sisters planting of corn, pole beans, and squash. This Native American technique is one of the best examples of companion planting for mutual benefits. Not only do each of the 3 plants help the others grow their best, but the beans and the corn, if eaten together, form a complete protein! And nothing looks quite as exciting in the vegetable garden as a Three Sisters display.
Harvest fresh beans before you can see the bulge of a developing bean through the green pod. At that stage, the bean is over-mature, the pod is tough, and the beans are best eaten as a shelled bean.
Store unwashed fresh beans in plastic bags in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator for a few days. Washing the beans before storage causes them to decay quickly. Instead, wash them just before serving or cooking.
Harvest dry beans when the pods are completely brown and dried out, but before the pods have split open. The seeds inside should be hard.
Many edible bean varieties are so lovely you may wish you had them in the flower garden, and several types of beans are now grown primarily for their ornamental effect. Scarlet runner and <#prodlink#"5511">dwarf runner are all beautiful ornamental beans no sunny garden should lack. For something a little out of the ordinary, consider the magnificent Hyacinth Bean.
Growing Tips
-
Beans are a very easy and successful crop, but to make the most of them, follow three simple rules:
- Never work with the plants in wet weather
- Keep the garden free of debris all season long and especially after harvest
- Don't grow beans in exactly the same spot year after year
- Make sure your beans get about an inch of water a week. They do not need to be fertilized, but a layer of compost on top of the soil (and mulched in) a few weeks after planting can be beneficial.
- Beans can be grown quite easily in containers. Sow and space the beans just as you would for the garden.
- After harvesting your beans, chop up the plants and plough them back into the soil. As nitrogen fixers, they enrich garden soil tremendously.
Pests and Problems to Watch For
- Spotted, wrinkled, or curled-under foliage are signs of Common Bean Mosaic Virus (CBM), and may lead to deformed pods. CBM is caused by aphids, which should be treated immediately with insecticidal soap. Pull up any plant showing signs of CBM, and do not plow it under or add it to the compost pile. Your best defense against CBM may be to choose resistant varieties, of which there are many. CMB-resistant snap beans include Festina, Soleil, Bash, Jade, and the superb "resistant to everything" Masai. Green/shelling varieties include Smeraldo.
- Tiny holes in the leaves of young bean plants signal the presence of Bean Leaf Beetles. They are a danger only early in the season; later they may nibble a pod here and there, but they won't do much damage. Control them fast by pulling them off by hand and then covering the entire row (if growing bush beans) with a row cover. If you know that Bean Leaf Beetles are a problem in your growing area, try interplanting your beans with potatoes, which will fight off the beetle (while the beans return the favor by repelling potato pests!).
- Black, brown, or red spots on the pods are the calling card of Anthracnose, a fungal disease. Prevention is the only remedy here: be sure not to cultivate your beans in wet weather, clean any debris from the bean growing area promptly, and rotate crops from year to year.
Superior Germination Through Superior Science
Park Seed offers some of the highest-quality vegetable and flower seeds available in the industry, and there are a number of reasons for this.First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.
Superior Standards - University Inspected
To make sure we are providing the best seed product possible and that our customers will get the highest number of seedlings from every packet, we conduct our own germination testing and have quality-control measures in every stage of our seed-handling operation. We hold ourselves to standards that are at or above federal and state standards, including testing specific crops more frequently than recommended by federal guidelines. And in order to maintain our organic certification, we welcome Clemson University to inspect us annually to make sure our organic seeds, which are stored and processed separately, are being handled properly.
Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians
Park Seed has been handling and packing vegetable and flower seeds for 145 years, a history that has given us a great understanding of how each variety should be cared for and maintained throughout every step of theprocess, from collection to shipping.
When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.
The Park Seed Gold Standard
And many of our seeds are packed in our exclusive Fresh-Pak gold foil packets, which are lined to keep moisture out, so the seeds stay fresher for longer. We carefully pack very tiny or fragile seeds in crush-proof vials to ensure safe delivery to your home. Some of the small seeds are also offered as "pellets" (have a clay coating) to make sowing and growing easier.
When it comes to the kinds of seeds we offer, we are constantly seeking something new and provide many unique and hard-to-find varieties from all around the world. Our on-staff horticulturists are ready and available to share their expertise to help you with the success of these seeds, so you can grow a beautiful and productive garden!
Does Park sell GMO's or treated seeds?
It is important for our customers to know that Park Seed does not sell GMO or treated seed. We do buy a small amount of traditional hybrid seed from Seminis, a division of Monsanto Co., but that is all we purchase from them.
What are the differences between organic, heirloom, and hybrid seed?
Basically, organic seeds are seeds that are produced without the use and exposure to artificial/chemical fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and other chemicals. They have to be grown, harvested, stored, and handled under very strict organic rules and procedures. All of our organic seeds are USDA 100% certified organic through Clemson University and the certificate has to be renewed yearly.Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.
What are pelleted seeds? Why do you use them? How do I handle/sow them?
Extremely small seed such as Petunias and Pentas are shipped as pelleted seed to make them easier to handle and sow. Pelleted seed are coated, usually with clay, to make them larger in size. After sowing, the coating will dissolve when wet and the seed will germinate. Pelleted seeds are shipped in vials placed inside seed packets, which protects them from being crushed. When sowing, be certain to use thoroughly moistened soil, to be sure that the clay coating absorbs enough moisture to dissolve. For sowing pelleted Petunia seeds, place the seeds directly on the soil surface and do not cover with soil, as light aids in the germination.
What is ideal temperature to germinate most seeds?
The ideal temperature to germinate most seeds is approximately 70 degrees F; give or take 1-2 degrees either way. This would be a good germination temperature for most flower and vegetable seeds and would be the most practical and feasible temperatures achieved for gardeners starting seeds in the home. You will notice for some seeds that it is recommended to use alternating day (warmer), night (cooler), temperatures, which is fine if one can provide such conditions. But most people are unable to provide those temperatures in a home setting, so just use the overall 70 degree F recommendation and the seeds should germinate well.
How long should grow lights be kept on per day and how close to the plants should the light be kept?
For germination and seedling/plant growth, you want to simulate the natural day-night cycles, and as a general rule, grow lights should be on 8-12 hours per day and off at night. You can vary this timing, as some seeds such as tomato, pepper, petunia, impatiens, and others, benefit from 14-17 hours of light per day (and the remainder of the 24 hour period in darkness). The most common grow lights used are fluorescent; using cool white, warm white, and wide-spectrum fluorescent tubes. These lights work well for germination and for growing plants up to a transplantable size. Fluorescent lights should be kept close though, 3-6 inches above the soil or the growing plants, adjusting the height as the plants grow.
How long will seeds keep in storage?
Park Seed stores seed in a special temperature- and humidity-controlled storage facility, which keeps seeds in excellent condition. Our seeds should be good for at least 1-2 years on average. Seed viability and storage time will vary depending on the seed item; some will keep a shorter time and some will keep longer. Seeds should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. A basement will do (if not too humid), or a cool, dark room or closet. We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store them in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What is the best way to store seeds over a longer time period?
We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store seeds in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What depth should I sow various seeds?
When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed. When sowing seed indoors, the planting depth can be less, depending on the seed being sown, so it is always best to check specific directions. Here are some general guidelines concerning planting depth in relation to seed size: Tiny, dust-like seeds need to be sown on the surface of the growing medium or soil, uncovered, as they need light to germinate. The planting depth for small seed can be anywhere from barely covering, to 1/8-inch deep, to possibly 1/4-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Medium seed should be planted at 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Larger seeds can be planted 1-inch or deeper, depending on the recommendation.
55 days from direct-sowing.
The first bean to win an All-America Selection since 1991, Mascotte arrives in style! This petite French filet bean is just right for containers as well as the garden, a bush-type haricot vert with dense but shallow roots and stringless beans that sit right on the top of the foliage, for easy picking. It's your patio vegetable extraordinaire for the season!
But Mascotte is much more than just a pretty face. This bean is prepared to set a good generous crop of 5- to 6-inch pods, just ¼-inch in diameter but packed with rich, succulent flavor and crunchy texture. They're made to be julienned, but also taste delicious straight from the garden, pod and all!
Mascotte reaches just 16 to 18 inches long and about 8 to 10 inches wide, so it's incredibly compact. If you're growing it in the garden, sow the seeds 2 to 3 inches apart in rows about a foot apart. If it's going in a windowbox, space holes about a foot apart and fill each hole with 3 to 4 seeds. And if you're planting it in a round flowerpot or similar container, space holes 4 inches apart and put 5 seeds in each hole.
Resistant to bean common mosaic virus, anthracnose, and halo blight, this dwarf bean is a treasure for any setting. White blooms arise in spring, beginning its season of glory. They are quickly followed by the young pods, which lie right on top of the foliage, as if inviting you to pick them. Nothing could be simpler or more attractive. Grow Mascotte as both a working veggie and an ornamental among the Nasturtiums and spreading Petunias this season. You'll love how it improves the garden and beautifies the patio or deck!
An ancient crop found on every continent except Antarctica, the bean is a staple of the human diet in all cultures. Packed with fiber and protein (including the vital amino acid lysine), it is also an excellent source of vitamins A, B, and C; folic acid; iron; calcium; and phosphorus. Eaten with certain grains, such as corn, it makes a complete protein. Some varieties of bean can be eaten fresh, while others can be stored for many months. Doubtless the bean is responsible for the survival of countless peoples during the (at least) 9 thousand years it has been cultivated as a food crop.
How fortunate, then, that the bean should be both delicious and easy to grow! You don't need a lot of garden space for beans -- they even thrive in containers -- and few plants are easier to grow. If you've got sunshine and soil, we've got a great bean just waiting for you!
Choosing a Variety
There are as many types of beans as there are gardeners to grow them! Grown almost everywhere in the world, beans are amazingly various, with some 4,000 varieties currently available. Beans grow in two ways: vining, which we call Pole beans; and mounding, which we call Bush beans. That said, let's quickly narrow the selection by categorizing beans into their 3 main groups:
Snap or String - These are young beans intended to be eaten "pod and all" when fresh, or to be frozen or canned when young and tender. The pods are succulent and flavorful, making them a popular home garden choice. These 'green' beans can come in colors like green, gold, purple, or red, and the pods can be range from long and thin to stout or flat. Bush snap beans mature in about 45 to 55 days. Pole snaps take 60 to 70 days.
Green/Shelling - Also intended to be eaten when young (that's what "green" means; it doesn't indicate the color of the pods!), green or shelling beans are grown for the tender young seeds inside the pods. Limas (butter beans) are a popular green/shelling bean. Bush green/shelling beans harvest in 70 to 80 days; pole green/shelling beans are ready in 80 to 95 days.
Dry - Dry or hard-shelled beans are meant to be eaten after the seeds inside the pod have dried out, though many varieties, such as our own Borlotto Solista, can be picked young for fresh eating, too. Ideal for long-term storage, dry varieties were the beans of choice in home gardens until the early 20th century, when advances in storage methods and improved varieties of snap and green beans made fresh beans more readily available and much more tasty. And dry beans can be eaten young at about 90 to 100 days, but will take more weeks to dry completely in the pod for harvesting as "dry" or storage beans.
When to Start
Direct-sow beans outdoors in spring and early summer when the soil has warmed up and night temperatures remain above 55 degrees F.
If you live in a short growing season or prefer to begin the seeds indoors, sow them in large peat pots no more than 4 weeks before you plan to transplant them. Beans prefer not to be disturbed after sowing, so transplant can be chancy.
How to Start
General information for all types of beans
Beans need full sun and deep, rich, well-drained soil to grow their best. As soon as the soil is workable in spring, dig down about 8 inches in the areas you are planning to sow your beans. Work a good amount of rich compost, manure, or other organic matter into the soil. If you are planting pole beans, consider their position in relation to the rest of the vegetable garden. When the beans get tall, they will cast shade for several feet, so plan accordingly: prepare the soil on the northern end of the veggie patch to avoid shading other plants, or farther south if some shade is desired for neighboring plants.
Sow beans about 1 to 1½ inches deep. Sprinkle inoculant as you plant, to increase the nitrogen-fixing ability of the bean plants.
Expect high germination rates from your beans. You should see the first sprouts in about 6 to 10 days.
Bush beans: Space beans about 3 inches apart in single or double rows 18 to 24 inches apart. For a continuous season of bush beans, do not plant all the beans at once. Make successive plantings every 3 weeks up to 2 months before your first anticipated fall frost.
Pole beans: Space 6 to 8 beans evenly around the base of the pole or other support. If growing the beans up a trellis, space them 3 inches apart. If growing the beans up a freestanding fence, space them 3 inches apart along both sides of the fence.Special Considerations
Beans are open-pollinated plants, not hybrids. They are self-pollinating, and technically can be cross-pollinated, but this is very rare. The standard advice is to separate different types of beans by physical space or natural barriers (such as high walls or tall, dense plants), but gardeners constantly report growing many different beans side by side with no apparent cross-pollination.
If you want to can or freeze your bean crop, consider growing varieties that harvest all at once. Snap bush beans, because of their shorter crop time, are an excellent choice.
Consider growing a Three Sisters planting of corn, pole beans, and squash. This Native American technique is one of the best examples of companion planting for mutual benefits. Not only do each of the 3 plants help the others grow their best, but the beans and the corn, if eaten together, form a complete protein! And nothing looks quite as exciting in the vegetable garden as a Three Sisters display.
Harvest fresh beans before you can see the bulge of a developing bean through the green pod. At that stage, the bean is over-mature, the pod is tough, and the beans are best eaten as a shelled bean.
Store unwashed fresh beans in plastic bags in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator for a few days. Washing the beans before storage causes them to decay quickly. Instead, wash them just before serving or cooking.
Harvest dry beans when the pods are completely brown and dried out, but before the pods have split open. The seeds inside should be hard.
Many edible bean varieties are so lovely you may wish you had them in the flower garden, and several types of beans are now grown primarily for their ornamental effect. Scarlet runner and <#prodlink#"5511">dwarf runner are all beautiful ornamental beans no sunny garden should lack. For something a little out of the ordinary, consider the magnificent Hyacinth Bean.
Growing Tips
-
Beans are a very easy and successful crop, but to make the most of them, follow three simple rules:
- Never work with the plants in wet weather
- Keep the garden free of debris all season long and especially after harvest
- Don't grow beans in exactly the same spot year after year
- Make sure your beans get about an inch of water a week. They do not need to be fertilized, but a layer of compost on top of the soil (and mulched in) a few weeks after planting can be beneficial.
- Beans can be grown quite easily in containers. Sow and space the beans just as you would for the garden.
- After harvesting your beans, chop up the plants and plough them back into the soil. As nitrogen fixers, they enrich garden soil tremendously.
Pests and Problems to Watch For
- Spotted, wrinkled, or curled-under foliage are signs of Common Bean Mosaic Virus (CBM), and may lead to deformed pods. CBM is caused by aphids, which should be treated immediately with insecticidal soap. Pull up any plant showing signs of CBM, and do not plow it under or add it to the compost pile. Your best defense against CBM may be to choose resistant varieties, of which there are many. CMB-resistant snap beans include Festina, Soleil, Bash, Jade, and the superb "resistant to everything" Masai. Green/shelling varieties include Smeraldo.
- Tiny holes in the leaves of young bean plants signal the presence of Bean Leaf Beetles. They are a danger only early in the season; later they may nibble a pod here and there, but they won't do much damage. Control them fast by pulling them off by hand and then covering the entire row (if growing bush beans) with a row cover. If you know that Bean Leaf Beetles are a problem in your growing area, try interplanting your beans with potatoes, which will fight off the beetle (while the beans return the favor by repelling potato pests!).
- Black, brown, or red spots on the pods are the calling card of Anthracnose, a fungal disease. Prevention is the only remedy here: be sure not to cultivate your beans in wet weather, clean any debris from the bean growing area promptly, and rotate crops from year to year.
Superior Germination Through Superior Science
Park Seed offers some of the highest-quality vegetable and flower seeds available in the industry, and there are a number of reasons for this.First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.
Superior Standards - University Inspected
To make sure we are providing the best seed product possible and that our customers will get the highest number of seedlings from every packet, we conduct our own germination testing and have quality-control measures in every stage of our seed-handling operation. We hold ourselves to standards that are at or above federal and state standards, including testing specific crops more frequently than recommended by federal guidelines. And in order to maintain our organic certification, we welcome Clemson University to inspect us annually to make sure our organic seeds, which are stored and processed separately, are being handled properly.
Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians
Park Seed has been handling and packing vegetable and flower seeds for 145 years, a history that has given us a great understanding of how each variety should be cared for and maintained throughout every step of theprocess, from collection to shipping.
When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.
The Park Seed Gold Standard
And many of our seeds are packed in our exclusive Fresh-Pak gold foil packets, which are lined to keep moisture out, so the seeds stay fresher for longer. We carefully pack very tiny or fragile seeds in crush-proof vials to ensure safe delivery to your home. Some of the small seeds are also offered as "pellets" (have a clay coating) to make sowing and growing easier.
When it comes to the kinds of seeds we offer, we are constantly seeking something new and provide many unique and hard-to-find varieties from all around the world. Our on-staff horticulturists are ready and available to share their expertise to help you with the success of these seeds, so you can grow a beautiful and productive garden!
Does Park sell GMO's or treated seeds?
It is important for our customers to know that Park Seed does not sell GMO or treated seed. We do buy a small amount of traditional hybrid seed from Seminis, a division of Monsanto Co., but that is all we purchase from them.
What are the differences between organic, heirloom, and hybrid seed?
Basically, organic seeds are seeds that are produced without the use and exposure to artificial/chemical fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and other chemicals. They have to be grown, harvested, stored, and handled under very strict organic rules and procedures. All of our organic seeds are USDA 100% certified organic through Clemson University and the certificate has to be renewed yearly.Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.
What are pelleted seeds? Why do you use them? How do I handle/sow them?
Extremely small seed such as Petunias and Pentas are shipped as pelleted seed to make them easier to handle and sow. Pelleted seed are coated, usually with clay, to make them larger in size. After sowing, the coating will dissolve when wet and the seed will germinate. Pelleted seeds are shipped in vials placed inside seed packets, which protects them from being crushed. When sowing, be certain to use thoroughly moistened soil, to be sure that the clay coating absorbs enough moisture to dissolve. For sowing pelleted Petunia seeds, place the seeds directly on the soil surface and do not cover with soil, as light aids in the germination.
What is ideal temperature to germinate most seeds?
The ideal temperature to germinate most seeds is approximately 70 degrees F; give or take 1-2 degrees either way. This would be a good germination temperature for most flower and vegetable seeds and would be the most practical and feasible temperatures achieved for gardeners starting seeds in the home. You will notice for some seeds that it is recommended to use alternating day (warmer), night (cooler), temperatures, which is fine if one can provide such conditions. But most people are unable to provide those temperatures in a home setting, so just use the overall 70 degree F recommendation and the seeds should germinate well.
How long should grow lights be kept on per day and how close to the plants should the light be kept?
For germination and seedling/plant growth, you want to simulate the natural day-night cycles, and as a general rule, grow lights should be on 8-12 hours per day and off at night. You can vary this timing, as some seeds such as tomato, pepper, petunia, impatiens, and others, benefit from 14-17 hours of light per day (and the remainder of the 24 hour period in darkness). The most common grow lights used are fluorescent; using cool white, warm white, and wide-spectrum fluorescent tubes. These lights work well for germination and for growing plants up to a transplantable size. Fluorescent lights should be kept close though, 3-6 inches above the soil or the growing plants, adjusting the height as the plants grow.
How long will seeds keep in storage?
Park Seed stores seed in a special temperature- and humidity-controlled storage facility, which keeps seeds in excellent condition. Our seeds should be good for at least 1-2 years on average. Seed viability and storage time will vary depending on the seed item; some will keep a shorter time and some will keep longer. Seeds should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. A basement will do (if not too humid), or a cool, dark room or closet. We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store them in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What is the best way to store seeds over a longer time period?
We recommend the best way to extend seed storage life is to store seeds in something air tight, such as a plastic zipper storage bag or canning jar, and place it in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of seeds for many years.
What depth should I sow various seeds?
When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed. When sowing seed indoors, the planting depth can be less, depending on the seed being sown, so it is always best to check specific directions. Here are some general guidelines concerning planting depth in relation to seed size: Tiny, dust-like seeds need to be sown on the surface of the growing medium or soil, uncovered, as they need light to germinate. The planting depth for small seed can be anywhere from barely covering, to 1/8-inch deep, to possibly 1/4-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Medium seed should be planted at 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep, depending on the recommendation. Larger seeds can be planted 1-inch or deeper, depending on the recommendation.
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