FRUIT, 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. 

You can plant fruit trees anytime the ground isn’t frozen, but late winter or early spring is an ideal and traditional time. If you plant them while they’re still dormant, they’ll have a chance to settle in before growing their spring leaves. We receive most of our fruit trees for  the year in late January, so you’ll find our best selection in February.

Many berry plants will make plenty of leaves in part-shade, but unfortunately there’s just no substitute for full sun if you want to harvest lots of ripe, well-developed fruits or berries. Producing fruit takes a lot of energy, and plants are solar-powered. Give your fruit trees and berry plants as much sun as you possibly can. If sun is just not an option, there are still other edible plants you can grow in part shade.

Many fruit and berry varieties require cross-pollination from a different variety. You could always cross your fingers and hope a neighbor has an appropriate mate for your tree, but it’s best to grow multiple varieties yourself. If you have limited space, combination fruit trees are a great option. They have multiple varieties grafted onto the same root-stock, so you have all the cross pollination you need in one tree. There are also self-fertile varieties of blueberries, but they will still perform better if you plant more than one variety.

You may have heard that blueberries need acidic soil, but use caution before trying to change your soil pH. Most Pacific Northwest have naturally acidic soil that is just about perfect for blueberries as it is. We typically have to battle this natural acidity when we’re growing plants that prefer a neutral pH, such as most vegetables, by adding lime every year. But we can take a break and enjoy the perfect natural match when we grow acid-lovers like blueberries.

There’s no one size fits all answer, which is why we carry so many options! But fruit and berry plants represent a long-term investment, so you’ll want to do your research and make the best choice for you. Keep in mind how much full-sun space you have, how much production you’re hoping for, and your flavor preferences. We carry a selection of container berry varieties for those who want to grow in pots!