Groundcover - Seeds

<p data-mce-fragment="1">SEEDS (30 pcs/bag)</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Common names: </strong><span data-mce-fragment="1">Gotu Kola, Indian Pennywort, Brahmi herb, and others… <br data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Scientific name:</strong><em data-mce-fragment="1"> </em><em data-mce-fragment="1">Centella asiatica </em>/<em data-mce-fragment="1"> Hydrocotyl asiatica<br data-mce-fragment="1"></em><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Family:</strong> Apiaceae</span></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong><span>Plant history &amp; use:</span></strong></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Gotu Kola is a well-known medicinal plant originating from Asia. It has long been used to ease, among other things, stress and anxiety. It is also commonly used against skin ailments such as eczema, wounds, and acne as it improves the skin’s elasticity. Gotu Kola is an adaptogen and, like <a title="Ashwagandha seeds" href="https://tradgardsdags.nu/collections/froavdelning/products/ashwagandha-indisk-ginseng-withania-somnifera" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #4e991d;">Ashwagandha </span></strong></a>, it is one of the few plants with a very broad range of uses in traditional medicine. There are many scientific articles available for those interested in learning more in depth.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">For purely medicinal purposes, extracts are made from the plant. But its health-promoting properties can also be used in food and drink.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">For example, in Burma, a salad is often made with “Pennywort” as the base together with tomato, onion, peanuts, and more. The leaves are also brewed into tea or made into a cooling drink by pressing the fresh leaves.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">There are two different varieties of Gotu Kola:</span> <br></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">One has whole, round leaves and is better suited to grow directly in water – but it also grows well in soil. This type spreads horizontally with the help of underground (or underwater) rhizomes that are somewhat thicker than the leaf stalk.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">The other variety has a small gap in its leaf shape right where the leaf stalk meets the leaf – this variety spreads with the help of long, narrow above-ground runners similar to strawberries. Judging by its similar growth habit, it is easy to understand that Gotu Kola is also a good ground cover.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Both varieties contain the same active substances, but it is the latter variety that is most often used in the production of dietary supplements and so on. As seen in the pictures, our seeds come from the latter variety.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Cultivation:</strong></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">In its natural environment, Gotu Kola is often found growing in water, in moist soils, and along roadsides and hedgerows.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">It is an easy-to-grow and hardy plant that thrives best in moisture-retaining soil in partly shaded locations. It is advantageous to let it grow in loose soil with plenty of organic material as it requires moisture-retaining properties while excess water easily drains off or down into a tray. Gotu Kola can also grow in drier soils.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">The Gotu Kola plant spreads quickly, so if grown in a pot, a wide pot is preferable.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">This plant usually does not grow taller than 30 cm but tends to spread horizontally up to about 1 meter.</p> <p> </p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">For this reason, it is an effective ground cover in mixed planting with other crops.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Sowing:</strong></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><span data-mce-fragment="1">Place seeds</span><span data-mce-fragment="1"> </span><span data-mce-fragment="1">in an airtight plastic bag with moist sand/peat/seed soil in the fridge for 3 weeks. </span><span data-mce-fragment="1">Then sow</span><span data-mce-fragment="1"> in moist seed soil. Cover with a thin layer of soil. Keep the sowing moist.</span></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong data-mce-fragment="1">Characteristics:</strong></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Lifespan: Perennial<br data-mce-fragment="1">Light: partial shade/sun<br data-mce-fragment="1">Height: 30 cm (width 1 m)<br data-mce-fragment="1">Germination time: 2-8 weeks<br>USDA zone 7-10<br data-mce-fragment="1">Plant zone: approximate translation 1-3</p>

<p data-mce-fragment="1">SEEDS (20 pcs/bag)</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong>Common name:</strong> Caper<br><strong>Scientific name:</strong> <em>Capparis spinosa</em><br><strong>Family:</strong> Capparaceae</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong><span>Plant history & use:</span></strong></p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Caper is a Mediterranean plant long cultivated for its edible unopened flower buds. After picking, they are then preserved in salt to remove bitter substances and enhance the tangy flavor. You can also let the flowers remain until fruit has formed and instead preserve the somewhat larger fruits in the same way.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Preserving capers is very simple. It can be divided into 4 steps:<br></p> <ul> <li>Place the fresh flower buds/fruits in a bowl with salt</li> <li>Leave the flower buds/fruits in the bowl with salt for 3-7 days (or longer if desired).</li> <ul> <li>Drain off the water that collects in the bowl and add a little extra salt each day.</li> </ul> <li>When the preservation is complete, rinse off the salt from the flower buds/fruits and soak them in water. The soaking time is up to personal taste, but the shortest recommended time is 15 minutes. You can soak for several hours if you wish. Use a spoon and taste from time to time to find the flavor that suits you.</li> </ul> <p>You can also preserve younger shoots and leaves from the caper bush. If you want to use somewhat older leaves and shoots, a tip is to blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes before preserving. Mix your caper harvest with salt and vinegar, leave in the fridge about 1 month. Ready to eat.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Cultivation of caper can be traced back as far as 7000 years ago in present-day Turkey, Jordan, and Syria. It is believed to have been used both for culinary and medicinal needs. In medicinal use, all parts of the plant were used, mainly as a digestive aid.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">In tropical and subtropical forest gardens (agroforestry), it is effectively used in the lowest layer as ground cover.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong>Cultivation</strong>:</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">In its original environment, caper often grows in high temperatures and soils with poor water and nutrient availability. A typical adaptation to a nutrient-poor environment is a very widespread root system, making it suitable as a soil binder at, for example, shorelines or eroding soils. Caper naturally spreads on rocky cliffs and slopes. It grows on the walls of many ancient fortifications in the Mediterranean.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">In Sweden, caper is best grown in a pot in bright locations and overwintered frost-free. Caper is characterized by an initially upright growth habit, later producing long horizontal side shoots that spread along the ground or hang down when growing on slopes and on walls.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">The bush is productive, and under optimal conditions, it can yield substantial harvests of up to 3000 buds per bush and season. In Sweden, one cannot quite expect the same results, but you can do your best to mimic the plant’s original environment by:</p> <ul data-mce-fragment="1"> <li data-mce-fragment="1">letting it stand in direct sunlight throughout the summer half-year,</li> <li data-mce-fragment="1">letting it grow in well-drained Mediterranean soil, and</li> <li data-mce-fragment="1">allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.</li> </ul> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Feel free to use a large pot once the plant has grown.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">As described earlier, you harvest either the unopened flower buds or the fully formed fruits. If you let the flower bud open, the bush produces sweet-smelling, spectacular flowers. The caper bush blooms already the first year from seed sowing.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><meta charset="utf-8">The flower buds are traditionally picked in the morning when they seem to have their highest aromatic value.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">The caper bush can be propagated by cuttings.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong>Sowing</strong>:</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Caper seeds germinate irregularly. To create better germination conditions:</p> <ul data-mce-fragment="1"> <li data-mce-fragment="1">Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 1 day</li> <li data-mce-fragment="1">Place the seeds in a sealed plastic bag between a couple of pieces of damp paper towel/damp sand and leave in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks</li> <li data-mce-fragment="1">Soak the seeds in lukewarm water again for 1 day as a final step</li> <li data-mce-fragment="1">Sow seeds 0.5 cm deep in seed soil</li> </ul> <p data-mce-fragment="1">The roots of young caper plants are unusually easily disturbed and can be damaged during transplanting. A good solution can be to sow the seeds in <a href="https://tradgardsdags.nu/collections/smarta-redskap/products/nedbrytbara-odlingsbrickor-10-pack" title="Biodegradable seed trays 10-pack" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4e991d;"><strong>biodegradable seed trays</strong></span></a> which you can plant directly into a larger pot without disturbing the roots.</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1"><strong>Characteristics</strong>:</p> <p data-mce-fragment="1">Lifespan: Perennial<br data-mce-fragment="1">Light: sun<br data-mce-fragment="1">Height: 50 cm<br data-mce-fragment="1">Germination time: 1-12 weeks</p>

<p>SEEDS (15 pcs/bag)</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Common names:</b> Wax gourd, Edible wax cucumber, Winter melon, Wax Gourd, Ash Gourd, Winter Melon<br></span><b>Scientific name:</b><i> Benincasa hispida<br></i><b>Family:</b><span> Cucurbit family</span></p> <h4><strong><span>Growth history & use:</span></strong></h4> <p>The wax gourd is the only species in the genus <em>Benincasa</em> – it does not belong to the same genus as other pumpkins, <em>Cucurbita</em>. However, they both belong to the same family. It ripens late in the year, which is why it is also called Winter melon.</p> <p><meta charset="utf-8">A waxy coating forms on the fruit when ripe; before that, it is covered with fine hairs. This waxy coating gives the fruit very good durability, allowing it to be stored outdoors at temperatures between 2-20ºC for a whole year without spoiling.</p> <p>For the above reasons <meta charset="utf-8">this type of pumpkin is favored, among others, in simpler mountain communities that lack technology such as refrigerators. They can easily leave the harvested fruits outside for a whole year without losing their durability.</p> <p>The flesh is white and crisp with a slightly sweet taste. Wax gourd is eaten as a vegetable like pumpkin and squash: often in stews, soups, and purees. The fruit is sought after in stews because it does not easily break down when cooked. <meta charset="utf-8">The fruit can also be eaten raw.</p> <p>Other uses include candying the fruit and making a kind of sweet tea from it. Both younger and older fruits can be consumed.</p> <p>The plant’s shoots, tendrils, and leaves can also be eaten as vegetables: a tasty way is to stir-fry leaves and shoots in oyster sauce and soy sauce with a little garlic.</p> <p>Seeds can be roasted and eaten.</p> <p>The fruits can grow up to 1.2 meters and weigh from 2 to 50 kg. Usually, harvested pumpkins are seen in lengths around 20-30 cm. The tendrils can grow up to 6 meters long and grow as much as 60 cm per day.</p> <p>Besides its edibility, it also seems to be valued for its beneficial medicinal properties. The wax that covers the ripe fruits can be used to make tealights.</p> <p>Originates from southern/southeastern Asia.</p> <p><meta charset="utf-8">Blooms in golden color from June to September.</p> <h4><strong>Cultivation:</strong></h4> <p><meta charset="utf-8">Thrives well in well-drained clay soils in warm and sunny places. Does not do well in shade. Requires abundant watering.</p> <p>Can either creep along the ground or be tied up to some kind of support.</p> <h4> <strong>Sowing:</strong><br> </h4> <p>Start indoors in February-March for planting out after the last risk of frost.</p> <p>Soak seeds 1 day in advance. Sow seeds in seed soil, cover with a thin layer of soil. Keep the sowing moist. To more easily maintain good moisture, the sowing can be covered with plastic foil with air holes, or alternatively raised in a <meta charset="utf-8"><a rel="noopener" title="Mini greenhouse Medium 24 Cells | Pre-cultivation" href="https://tradgardsdags.nu/products/minidrivhus-medium-krukinsatser-24-celler-nelson-garden" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(78, 153, 29);"><strong>mini greenhouse</strong></span></a>.</p> <h4><strong>Characteristics:</strong></h4> <p>Life cycle: Annual<br>Plant position: sun<br>Height: 6 m<br>Germination time: 1-3 weeks</p>