New Morning Market’s Farmers

New Morning Market’s starter plants are all locally grown, certified organic, or grown by farms who have taken Connecticut’s North East Organic Grower’s Association’s Farmer’s Pledge. Our vegetable starter plants come from local farms that are carefully chosen, based on quality and field testing from both third party certifiers as well as New Morning Market managers, like Kerry Noski and Lisa Cornwall. And as home gardeners ourselves, we always make sure to select varieties that are suited for home gardens as well as Connecticut’s unique growing conditions.

This comprehensive guide provides details about growing over 100 different varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. While we may not always have every variety listed in this guide, our staff of experts can help you pick out substitutes that will work well for your special garden. Also, be on the lookout for unique and unexpected varieties to pop up throughout the year, like Angelica, Aztec, or Blue Vervain. Happy gardening!

Seedlings

Hybrid

A HYBRID TOMATO is one that is the result of the purposeful cross- pollination of two different varieties of tomato.

Early Girl: (55 days) Indeterminate. Reliably early variety yielding red 4-6 oz. fruits to jumpstart your tomato season.
Big Beef: (70 days) Indeterminate. Popular red beefsteak that is a frequent contender for best flavor. Early-to-ripen for their 10-12 oz. fruit size.
Defiant: (70 days). Determinate. Deep red beefsteak resistant to late blight, fusarium and verticillium wilts. Produces high yields of 6-8 oz. fruits.
Lemon Boy: (72 days) Indeterminate. Bright lemon-yellow globe-shaped fruits averaging 6-8 oz. with sweet mild flavor.

Heirloom

AN HEIRLOOM TOMATO is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid heirloom cultivar tomato.

Valencia: (70 days) Indeterminate. A Maine family heirloom producing round golden-orange 8-10 oz. fruits. A real winner for mid-season flavor.
Green Zebra: (75 days) Indeterminate. When ripe, 3-4 oz. green fruit develop a yellow blush in between dark green stripes.
Cherokee Purple: (80 days) Indeterminate. Tennessee heirloom with flattened medium-large (8-12 oz.) dusky rose fruit. Shoulders will darken around the stem when ripe. Boasts a sweet rich tomato flavor. Kerry’s Pick!
Mortgage Lifter: (80 days) Indeterminate. Renowned for producing
1 lb.+ fruits! Sweet rich flavor.
Paul Robeson: (80 days) Indeterminate. Russian heirloom yielding 7-10 oz. deep maroon fruits with a pleasant complex flavor.
Striped German: (80 days) Indeterminate. Large (12 oz.+) fruits with marbled yellow and red flesh. Very sweet with less acidity than a red tomato.
Brandywine: (85 days) Indeterminate. Amish heirloom with large (up to 1 lb.) fruits with pink skin and red flesh. Often described as the best-tasting heirloom.
Indigo Cherry Drop: (71 days) Indeterminate. Striking dark blue anthocyanin coloration with large clusters of 1-2 oz. fruit.
Pink Bumblebee: (70 days) Indeterminate. Pink cherry streaked with gold. Bred with vigor to perform under tough conditions.
German Johnson: (75 days) Indeterminate. More vigorous, higher yield- ing brandywine type. More uniform, earlier and slightly smaller than traditional Brandywine. 8-16 oz. fruits.
Pink Berkley Tie Dye: (70 days) Indeterminate. Dark pink fruits with green striping. Sweet, complex, outstanding flavor. 8-12 oz. fruits.
Rose De Derne: (75 days) Indeterminate. Swiss heirloom with big flavor, crack resistance, and a rose pink fruit. 4-8 oz. fruits.
Summer Pick Patio: (75 days) Determinate. Produces large amounts of tomatoes in short time frame. Disease resistant beefsteak produces
jumbo fruits averaging 3-4 lbs. Ideal canning tomato.

Plum/Paste

Also known as Roma or paste tomatoes, plum tomatoes are oval-shaped and smaller than beefsteaks.

San Marzano Plum: (85 days) Indeterminate. Classic Italian plum tomato with meaty flesh and few seeds. Red cylindrical fruit are
unrivaled when it comes to tomato sauce and paste. Also good for canning.
Cour di Bue Oxheart: (90 days) Indeterminate. Bears meaty, flavorful 12 oz. heart-shaped fruits. Hails from Italy.

Cherry Tomato

Cherry tomatoes are a small variety of tomato named for its shape, which resembles a cherry.

Sun Gold: (65 days) Hybrid. Indeterminate. A vigorous grower producing an abundance of extremely sweet bright orange cherry tomatoes.
Red Grape: (70 days) Hybrid. Indeterminate. Produces sweet, firm, cherry-sized fruit. Popular for salads.
Sweet 100: (70 days) Hybrid. Indeterminate. A heavy yielder of mouth watering sweet red cherry tomatoes.

Ground Cherry

Ground cherry is a fruit that resembles cape gooseberry. It is an American plant in the nightshade family, also known as husk
cherry. Amend the soil with compost and organic fertilizer. Space plants 1.5-2 ft. apart in full sun. Transplant late May to mid-June when nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F. More cold tolerant than tomatoes;
will bear until frost.

Goldie: (75 days) Produces sweet golden fruit in a papery husk similar to tomatillos and Japanese lanterns. Fruits are the size of a small cherry tomato. Ready to harvest when husks turn from green to golden. Will “slip” off the vine when fully ripe. Enjoy raw as a fun snack or use for preserving.

Machiaw: (65 days) Hybrid. Japanese eggplant with long thin lavender fruits. Sweet tender flesh cooks more quickly than classic Italian egg- plant.
Nadia Classic Italian: (67 days) Hybrid. Traditional Italian eggplant with glossy dark purple-black skin.
Rosa Bianca: (73 days) Italian heirloom producing beautiful round white fruit with a purple blush. Flesh cooks quickly and is mild and creamy.

Peppers

Amend soil with compost and organic fertilizer. Space plants 1.5-2 ft. apart in full sun. Transplant late May to mid-June when nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F.

Bell

Red Knight: (78 days) Hybrid. Blocky shaped thick-walled bells ripen to red but can be harvested at any point from green (57 days) to red. Sweet flavor.
Flavorburst: (87 days) Hybrid. Excellent flavored medium-sized bell peppers ripen from lime green to golden. Harvest from green (67 days) to yellow.
Orange: Sweet crisp bells ripen to orange. Harvest from green to orange.

Italian

Sweet Red Italia: (75 days) Long Italian horn-shaped red pepper with thin walls and sweet crisp flesh. Great raw or cooked, especially
sautéed, roasted, or grilled. Harvest when peppers are fully red.

Hot

Cayenne: Produces long, slender, thin-walled chiles delivering intense heat (30,000-50,000 Scoville Heat Units). Will ripen to crimson. Harvest when fully red. Can be dried and made into powder or pepper flakes.
Habanero: Produces wrinkly thin-walled chiles that ripen from green to orange. Extremely spicy (100,000-350,000 Scoville Heat Units). Can be used fresh or dried.
Jalapeño: Bears 2-4 in. long dark green peppers with moderate heat (3,500-8,000 Scoville Heat Units). Remove the seeds for milder spice.
Hungarian Hot Wax: (58 days pale yellow, 83 days red stripe) This smooth, tapered, moderately spiced pepper matures very early in cool wet weather. Excellent for frying, roasting or pickling.
Yellow Jalapeno: (63 days) Medium sized plants have high yield potential. Pale yellow to start, will ripen to a deep red if not pickled.
Can be eaten at any stage of ripeness, usually eaten yellow.
Poblano: (65 days) Large fruits perform well under challenging conditions, very versatile pepper is great for stuffing, cooking, drying into flakes or powders.
Lunch Box Pepper: (80 days) These remarkably sweet and flavorful small colored peppers are delicious sautéed, or eaten as a snack. Strong plants yield well.
Shishito: (60 days) Very productive large plants produce thin walled no heat fruit. Excellent for frying, roasting, stir frying or sautéing.
Serrano: (57 days) Dark green fruits average 3-3.5 inches. Large bushy plants produce medium hot fruits.
Thai Hot Chili: (75-90 days) Big, upright productive plants produce these fiery hot cayennes. Great for hot pepper flakes.
Paprika: (80 days) Easy to grow and wonderful when dried. There is nothing that compares to paprika powder!

Cucumbers

Plant 1 ft. apart in rows 3 ft. apart, or trellis vines to save space. Keep well watered for abundant harvests. Pick 2-3 times per week.

Burpless Asian: Contains low or no cucurbitacin, a compound causing bitterness. Very similar to English cucumbers.
Bush Pickle: (49 days) Hybrid. Compact plant saves space and bears plentiful 4 in. long pickling cucumbers.
Marketmore 76: (58 days) Produces slender 8-9 in. long slicing
cucumbers with dark green skin.

Summer Squash

Space plants 1.5-2 ft. apart in rows 4-6 ft. apart. Irrigate for higher yields. Harvest 2-3 times per week by cutting stems when fruits reach desired size. Handle gently as fruits have thin skin.

Yellow squash: A reliable producer of bright yellow squash.
Zucchini: Bears tender tasty squash with glossy green skin.

Melons

Vining plants need room to sprawl. Plant 1.5-3 ft. apart in rows 6 ft. apart. Melons like it warm! Row cover can increase yields. Remove at time of flowering to ensure pollination.

Starlight Watermelon: (75 days) Hybrid. Dependable producer of round 8-10 lb. melons with sweet crisp red flesh.
Athena Cantaloupe: (79 days) Hybrid. This variety is your best bet for home-grown cantaloupe! Yields 5-6 lb. fruit with juicy pale orange flesh. For best flavor, harvest when the vine begins to slip from the fruit.

Winter Squash

Vining plants require ample space: 1.5-2 ft. apart in rows 3-4 ft. apart. In the fall, when stems and squash skin harden, clip stems an inch from the fruit and allow to cure in a warm, well-ventilated spot for 2-3 weeks.

‘Butter Boy’ Butternut Squash: (85 days) Hybrid. Compact plant ideal for home gardening. Provides small to medium-sized fruits with sweet red-orange flesh. Squash becomes sweeter in storage.
‘Honey Bear’ Bush Acorn Squash: (85 days) Hybrid. Compact plant (perfect for the home garden!) provides single-serving size 4 in. round fruits with delicious starchy orange flesh. Store up to 3 months
if blemish-free.
Delicata: (95 days) Sweet, soft skulled fruits are perfect for baking, boiling and you can even eat the skin.
Red Kuri: (95 days) Reliable in short seasons, this sweet, smooth winter squash is delicious. These 3-4 lb. fruits are also called baby red hubbard or orange hokkaido. Great for baking or pies.

Cole Crops

Cole crops is the general term used to describe broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi. They require full sun and are cold hardy and ready-to-plant at time of purchase. Keep adequately watered.

Broccoli

Space plants 1.5 ft. apart in rows 1.5-2 ft. apart. Many varieties will form a central head followed by offshoots. Harvest the main head before the green-blue flower buds open to yellow flowers.

Brussels Sprouts

Space plants 1.5-2 ft. apart in rows 2.5-3 ft. apart. Harvest sprouts when well-formed and tightly headed by snapping them off the stalk. Wait till after a fall frost to ensure sweetness.

Cabbage (Red, Green, Napa, Savoy)

Space plants 1.5-2 ft. apart in rows 1.5-2 ft. apart. Each plant yields a single cabbage. Harvest when dense and full.

Cauliflower

Space plants 1.5-2 ft. apart in rows 1.5-2 ft. apart. When the head reaches 2-3 in., tie large outer leaves together around it to “blanch.” This causes its snow white color.

Kohlrabi

Space plants at 4 in. with 1 ft. between rows. Harvest when bulbs reach 3-4 in. in size so that they remain tender, crisp, and sweet. Greens can be prepared similarly to collards and kale.

Leeks

Milder and sweeter than onions. Space 6-8 in. apart, in rows 1 ft. apart. Mound soil around plants as they grow to blanch the shaft, forming the usable white neck. Pull from the ground as needed, starting in mid to late September. Pencil-sized leeks can be used like scallions starting in August. Mature leeks will overwinter if properly mulched.

Onions

Space 4-8 in. apart in rows 1 ft. apart. Harvest when bulbs size up for fresh use. Pull all onions in late summer when tops fall over. Sun-cure or hang to dry before clipping necks for storage.

Red Long of Tropea: (90 days) Stunning red torpedo-shaped onion. Traditionally grown in Italy and France for mid-summer harvest. Use
fresh or store in fridge for up to 2 months. Not suited for long term storage.
Ailsa Craig: (110 days) OP. Huge, round, very sweet Spanish-type onion. For fresh use. Will store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Beets

Plant 3-6 in. apart in rows 1-1.5 ft. apart. Do not disturb their roots. Can be harvested as baby beets and greens or be grown to full-size.

Beans + Peas

Grows best in well drained soil with PH range 6.5-6.8, plant 2” apart.

Provider Bean: Bush Bean. Early variety, compact plants are easy to grow and adapt easily to diverse soil + climate conditions.
Snap Peas: Sweet, crisp pods need trellising. Does best when planted early in the season.
Purple Snap Peas: Sweet, crisp beautiful purple pods need trellising. Does best planted early in the season.

Greens

Transplant into fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Cold-tolerant and ready-to-plant at time of purchase. Most greens perform best in cooler temperatures.

Dandelion Greens

Verdant green leaves with an upright growth habit and pleasantly bitter taste. A super cold-tolerant green that dislikes warm weather. Plant as soon as possible. Harvest as baby leaf or allow to reach full maturity. For full size, space at 6-8 in.

Head Lettuce

Space plants 1 ft. apart for full heads or at 6 in. for mini heads.

Butterhead: Also known as Boston. Forms tight heads of ruffled leaves with a soft blanched heart. Sweet buttery flavor.
Green and Red Leaf: Mild-flavored leafy lettuce in shades of green or red.
Romaine (Green, Red, and Red & Green Mix): Upright leaves are sweet and juicy with a delightful crunchy texture.

Collards + Kale

Space plants 1-1.5 ft. apart in rows 1.5-2 ft. apart. Use of row cover is encouraged to avoid flea beetle and cabbage looper damage. Start
harvest with the larger leaves at the plant’s base. Avoid stripping all of the leaves for optimal regrowth. Can produce all season.

Champion Collards: Broad, dark green leaves that are tender in texture.
Curly Green Kale: Prolific producer of curled green leaves. Great raw in smoothies and salads.
Lacinato Kale: Also known as Tuscan or dinosaur kale. Slender, deeply savoyed, dark blue-green leaves.
Red Kale: Frilly deep purple leaves. Great for eating and cooking.

Spinach

Dislikes high temperatures. Space at 6 in. in rows 1 ft. apart. Selectively harvest as baby leaf or allow to grow to bunching size. If the leaves turn from rounded to pointed, the plant is preparing to flower; harvest crop in its entirety as it will grow bitter.

Swiss Chard

Space plants 1 ft. apart in rows 1-1.5 ft. apart. Can be planted more densely but will result in smaller leaves. Harvest the larger outer leaves and allow to regrow before picking again. Can produce all season.

Broccoli Rabe: (45 days) Easy to grow Italian specialty green. Delicious when cooked with olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes.
Mizuna: (21 days) A mildly spicy Asian green. Good for stir frys, salads, sandwiches and soups. Slow to bolt.
Red Mustard Green: (23 days) Burgundy leaves adorn this beautiful plant. Mild when baby, full sized leaves are spicier.

Basil

Annual. Requires full sun. Transplant 6-8 in. apart in rows 1.5 ft. apart after danger of frost has passed. Provide protection if temperatures drop to 45°F or lower. Harvest leaves from the top down, pinching above a leaf pair. Remove blossoms as it encourages growth while preventing bitterness.

Genovese: Authentic Italian basil. Dark green aromatic foliage.
Purple: Dark, glossy purple leaves boasting classic basil flavor.
Thai: Delicate, green leaves on dark purple stems with purple blooms. Sweet anise aroma and taste.

Bee Balm

Perennial. Multiuse herb that attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds! Edible flower petals are minty and spicy.

Borage

Annual. Large plants produce hundreds of small, mild cucumber flavored edible flowers. Flowers attract bees and butterflies.

Black Eyed Susans

(Rudbeckia) US Native wildflower tolerates difficult conditions, including drought once it is established.

Catnip

Perennial. Plant 1-2 ft. apart in average soil. A member of the mint family and prone to spread. After established, the top third of the plant can be harvested. Fencing required to protect from cats. Dry in bunches or on screens for cat treats or as herbal tea. Ornamental and a great pollinator plant.

Chives

Perennial. Prefers in-ground planting. Space plants 4-8 in. apart in sun or partial shade. Both the leaves and flowers are edible. Greens become tough once flowering. Pinch back blossoms mid-season to avoid seeding “volunteers” and to encourage more tender shoots. Use in place of scallions.

Cilantro

Annual. Also called coriander as it produces coriander seeds. Use straight from the pot and replenish your supply as needed with new plants or seeds. Keep soil moist in an area with full sun. A must have for fresh salsa.

Cosmos

Beautiful delicate blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Plants readily self-seed.

Dill

Annual. Use straight from the pot. Place in full sun and keep soil moist. Replenish as needed with new plants or seeds. Seed heads used in dill pickles.

Echinacea

Perennial. Easy to grow plants have large purple petaled flowers. Is a great food source for bees. Fibrous roots are easy to harvest to make tinctures.

Lavender

Did you know that there are more than 45 species of lavender and over 450 varieties?! Check out some of our favorites and the ones you can find at New Morning Market this season. Whether it is for tea, crafting, creating essential oils or beautifying your backyard, we have the lavender for you.

Lavender is a Perennial that should be spaced 1-1.5 feet apart in rows 2-3 feet apart. It requires well-drained, gravelly soil in full sun to thrive. A south-facing location is ideal. Harvest fragrant flowers just before they open. The flowers can be used either fresh or dried.

Johns Tip: Amend soil with lime rock powder 

Lemongrass

Tender perennial. Transplant outdoors after danger of frost. Space 1.5-3 ft. apart in full sun. Prefers average to moist soil. Harvest once well-established. Select single stalks from the exterior or harvest the entire clump before a frost. Use fresh or dried.

Lemon Balm

Perennial. This lemony flavored herb is great for tea and salads. Easy to grow, flowers attract bees.

Lemon Verbena

Tender perennial. Space 1 ft. apart in rows 2-3 ft. apart in well-drained soil or grow in a container. Sweet lemon flavor is refreshing for tea and in desserts. Plant near walkways where its fragrance can be appreciated.

Lovage

Perennial. Space 2-3 ft. apart in moist, fertile soil in full sun to partial shade. Will grow up to 6 ft. tall. Harvest select leaves in the first year.
Subsequently, whole branches can be harvested. Leaves and young stems both taste strongly of celery. Good in soups and sauces.

Marigold

Annual. Great for pots or in the garden! Attracts beneficial insects. Flowers are edible. Flavor is floral, citrus and spice. Remove the petals from the base as the base can be quite bitter.

Mint*

Perennial. Space plants 1.5-2 ft. apart in moist yet well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Tendency to spread if not contained. Harvest regularly.
Apple Mint: Has soft fuzzy leaves and a fruity aroma. Adaptable: tol1erates hot, dry conditions better than other mints and can also be grown indoors.
Peppermint: Dark green foliage with splendid flavor and aroma. Great for tea.
Spearmint: Produces bright green leaves with lavender flowers. Commonly used in cooking. The most aggressive grower of all mints.

*Mint is one of those beautiful and varietal herbs that surprises us throughout the season! Be on the lookout for additional varieties such as ginger mint, kentucky mint, mojito mint, variegated mint, corsican mint & more!

Mountain Mint

Perennial. A beneficial insect attractor. This mint makes a beautiful, aromatic addition to bouquets. Sturdy mint scented foliage + white flowers.

Nasturtium

Annual. Transplant 8-12 in. apart in well-drained soil with exposure to full sun or partial shade. Plant 3-5 plants in hanging baskets or containers. Delaying planting will stunt growth. Produces beautiful edible flowers, foliage, and seed pods with a spicy peppery flavor. Lovely in salads and as a garnish.

Nicotiana

Fragrant, star shaped bell blooms sit on tall sturdy stems. Quick to bloom and will continuously produce when cut back regularly.

Oregano

Perennial. Transplant in average soil with full sun. Space plants 1 ft. apart. Pinch back new growth.

Parsley

Biennial. Space plants 1 ft. apart in fertile soil in an area with full sun. When harvesting, select large outer leaves. Inner leaves will continue to grow. Mature plants are cold-hardy. Will regrow in spring to set seed.

Curly: Grows into a dense clump 8-14 in. tall. More productive and with a milder flavor than flat parsley. Its curly leaf shape adds loft to dishes.
Flat: Also known as Italian parsley, it has flat serrated leaves which
boast a stronger flavor than curly parsley. Favored by chefs for this reason.

Pineapple Sage 

Tender Perennial. Space plants 2-3 ft. apart in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Highly ornamental with red flowers. Looks and smells wonderful in floral arrangements. It really does smell like pineapple! Delicious as a tea.

Rosemary

Tender perennial. Typically grown as an annual outdoors (8-10 in. spacing) or overwintered indoors. Prefers well-drained soil in full sun. Use with pork, seafood, and potatoes. Delightful with fresh garlic and olive oil.

Shiso

Perennial. Cinnamon/clove flavor and aroma with the spiciness of cumin. Great in sushi, salads and cooked.

Thyme

Perennial. Plant 8-12 in. apart in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. After it’s established, harvest prior to flowering. Use with lamb, pork, cheese, vegetables, and eggs.

Sorrel

Perennial. This brightly lemon flavored herb produces some of the earliest greens of spring. Great for cocktails, soups, sauces and amazing fish.

Yarrow

Perennial. This long lasting herb is drought tolerant, and the beautiful low
maintenance flowers are great for cutting and attract beneficial insects.

Sage

Perennial. Space plants 1 ft. apart in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Good drainage necessary for overwintering. A little goes a long way. Pairs well with butternut squash, apples, pork, beef, duck, and
chicken.

Scented Geraniums 

Tender Perennial. Not a true geranium. Space 1 ft. apart in well-drained soil in full sun. Bring indoors to overwinter. A fragrant addition for cut flowers. Also edible! Use in drinks, jams, and baked goods.

Tarragon

Perennial. Space 1.5 ft. apart in well-drained gravelly soil in full sun. Harvest sparingly until plant is well-established. Has a subtle anise flavor. Great with chicken, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Attractive, compact plants are great for teas, culinary and medicinal use. Mild spicy aroma has a hint of sweetness!

Seeding Your Fall Garden

Many vegetables can be sown as succession plantings for continued harvest throughout the growing season. With planning, you can sow seeds during the summer months for abundant harvests until the killing frost. For best results in late fall, use cold-hardy varieties and insulating row cover.

Lawn + Garden Supply

New Morning Market carries organic fertilizers, compost and potting soil, seed starting supplies, and pest deterrents. All products are
OMRI-approved for certified organic production. Come see what we have available! Looking for something specific? Check with us about special orders. We’re happy to support your gardening efforts in any way.

Coast of Maine Stonington Blend Organic Plant Food: (5-2-4) Fertilizer for containers, vegetable gardens, flower beds. Great for replenishing soil in your raised bed! It is made with lobster, crab, fish and kelp meal, plus worm castings and other natural ingredients. It can be mixed into the soil for new beds or used to top dress existing plantings.

Neptune’s Harvest Fish Fertilizer: (2-4-1) Chock-full of readily available vitamins, amino acids, and enzymes which stimulate plant growth. Unlike fish emulsions, retains fish proteins and oils without the unpleasant odor.

Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer: (2-3-1) Blend of hydrolyzed fish fertilizer and seaweed concentrate offering the best of both products for more complete fertilization. An excellent choice for the home garden.

Neptune’s Harvest Seaweed Plant Food: (0-0-1) Contains 60+ naturally occurring nutrients to enhance plant development, color, and vigor. Seaweed can increase plant hardiness during temperature extremes and dry spells.

North Country Organic’s Pro-Gro: (5-3-4) General-purpose high-nutrient blend of natural sulfate of potash, phosphate rock, animal and vegetable protein meals, and natural nitrate of soda. Yields rapid results for lawns, trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Use 50 lb. per cubic foot.

Soil-Builders

Composting breaks down natural
materials, transforming them into a fertilizer rich in nutrients and a soil-building medium high in organic matter. Coast of Maine combines high-quality compost with other components for healthy soils. Incorporate into garden beds prior to planting, top-dress plants already in the ground, and add to potting mix.

Penobscot Blend Compost & Peat: Complete planting mix for annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. Blend of salmon and blueberry compost, peat moss, and mussel shell fragments which help aerate the soil.

Quoddy Blend Lobster Compost: Well-draining mix of chitin- and calcium-rich lobster shells, compost, and peat humus. Ideal for vegetables and herbs. Kerry’s Pick!

Stonington Blend Growers Mix: A complex “super soil” designed for high performance container growing. It works well with tomatoes, and, where growing cannabis and medical marijuana is legal, growers have reported tremendous results. This soil incorporates mycorrhizal fungi, kelp, fish bone and alfalfa meal, as well as worm castings, peat, coir and lobster compost. Kerry’s Pick!

Bar Harbor Blend Potting Soil: A lighter mix that still holds moisture. Formulated for house plants, hanging baskets, window boxes, and all
other containers. Made with salmon, blueberry, and lobster composts, lobster shells, sphagnum peat, perlite, and kelp meal.

Sprout Island Seed Starter: Designed for germinating seeds and rooting plant cuttings. This ready-to-use blend includes mycorrhizae,
worm castings, kelp, and compost.

Castine Blend Organic Raised Bed Mix: A rich soil for growing healthy vegetables and herbs in raised beds, planter boxes, and containers.
Made with composted manure, worm castings, lobster and kelp meals, mycorrhizae, greensand, and biochar.

Tomato & Vegetable Planting Soil: A great soil conditioner for improving and revitalizing the soil in and around your vegetable garden beds. Made with premium ingredients, it contains compost, lobster, and lime.

Mulch

Suppresses weed and insect pressure while
helping to control soil temperature and moisture
content. Mulch also helps to tidy up the appearance
of your gardens, beds, borders, and walkways.
Coast of Maine’s mulches are enriching and add
organic matter to the soil when incorporated.

Fundy Blend: Humified birch and maple bark meet partially humified hemlock bark and a blend of kelp solids and sphagnum moss peat. The result is an almost black humus rich in organic matter with all the added benefits of both compost and kelp. The ideal top-dress for roses and perennials.

Dark Harbor Blend: Dark Harbor Blend Enriching Mulch is an exceptionally rich, naturally dark, fine textured blend of composted bark. It helps retain moisture and insulate the surface soil against temperature variations that can harm roots. Because it is composted, it will not rob the soil of nitrogen and can be dug into the beds in the fall to improve the organic content of the soil.

Garden Glossary

Annual A plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one year and then dies.

Biennial A plant that requires two years to complete its life cycle, setting seed in its second year. Often treated as annuals.

Compost Decayed organic matter which enriches soil. Fosters the activity of beneficial bacteria and fungi while improving soil structure and adding nutrients.

Days to Maturity The number of days until harvest. With direct-seeded crops this count starts at sowing. With transplanted crops—those that are usually started indoors—the count starts when setting out seedlings.

Determinate “Bush” tomato varieties. Determinate tomatoes grow to a compact size (4 ft. on average) making them easier to stake or cage. Their fruits ripen over a concentrated window of 1-2 weeks.

Hybrid Varieties resulting from an intential cross of two different varieties of the same plant to form offspring with improved traits. Seed saved from hybrids will not breed true-to-type in the next generation. Praised for uniformity and vigor.

Indeterminate Vining tomato types. Their sprawling stature requires more elaborate trellising and pruning throughout the season. Indeterminate tomatoes have a higher ratio of leaves to fruit resulting in better flavor.

Open-Pollinated (OP) Varieties that, if properly isolated, will breed true-to-type. All heirloom seeds are open-pollinated.

Perennial A plant that lives for more than two years. Most periennials should be divided every 3-5 years to maintain plant vigor.

Row Cover Also know as floating row cover or garden fabric. Useful in the organic garden for pest protection and for protecting plants from frost at either end of the season.

Tender Perennial Perennial grown on the edge of its hardiness zone. Susceptible to cold and may require mulching or to be brought indoors to survive the winter.