VEGETABLES & HERBS

We carry certified organic vegetable and herb starts from Rent’s Due Ranch and Westwind Gardens. Many of our growers have not opted for certification, but still use sustainable practices that often go beyond organic standards. All vegetables and herbs here at Sky are local, sustainably grown, and GMO-free. We trust our growers, and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about exactly how our starts were grown.

We do our best to carry an abundant selection of starts in their proper seasons. We usually get our first deliveries of a given variety 1-2 weeks before its ideal planting window, and we continue receiving fresh weekly shipments as long as we believe there’s ample time to plant for a quality harvest. Check our seed planting guide to get an idea of when you can expect to see your favorites. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for new arrivals and last-calls, or call to check weekly availability.

We recommend starting with what you like to eat! If you look forward to eating your home-grown veggies, you’ll have fun growing them. Look for some basic articles or videos on growing your top three or four favorite veggies, and go from there. We’d say don’t take on more than one 4’x8’ bed, or a few large pots, worth of space to manage your first time around. You can always add more veggies and more growing space to your repertoire. 

Choose a high-quality organic, granulated fertilizer. Fertilizers labeled “All-Purpose” or “Vegetable and Herb” will both work well, and we carry several great brands. Soil provides the structure your plants need, but fertilizer is their food. Follow the instructions on the package to add the correct amount to your bed or container. Optionally, you can supplement with a liquid organic fertilizer such as fish emulsion. Most gardeners also need to add a small amount of lime to their beds each year to keep the pH neutral.

Open pollinated varieties will “come true from seed.” This means that as they are only pollinated by the same variety, any seeds saved from them will grow into a very similar plant. Although there’s no strict definition of “heirloom,” all heirloom varieties are open pollinated, and most have been around for at least 50 years.

Hybrid varieties are crosses between two or more open pollinated varieties. Hybrids are not GMOs. You can easily make a hybrid in your own garden, even by accident. Because they have the benefit of greater genetic diversity, hybrids are often more resilient and vigorous than open-pollinated varieties. However, they won’t “come true” from seed. If you save seeds from a hybrid, there’s no knowing what combination of the parents’ traits will show up in the new plant.