Caucasian Spinach Seeds

Growing instructions: Seeds can be tricky to germinate. Benefits from cold stratification. If you want to start them indoors, you can use a fridge to cold stratify. Fold seeds into damp paper towel and put in a sealed bag or container. Or sow in sterile potting mix in a sealed container. Place seeds in fridge for 30 days. They should sprout around the 30 day mark, but check regularly in case they sprout early. If you used paper towel, carefully transfer sprouted seeds to small pot, or plant the whole sheet of paper towel if the roots have developed already.

The easier way to start these is to let nature cold stratify the seeds for you. Sow the seeds in a small pot outdoors in late winter (Jan or Feb on the west coast). Cold temperatures will stratify the seeds naturally, and they will sprout when it warms up.

The young seedlings are delicate- don't let them dry out, or get too waterlogged. Once the seedlings develop true leaves, they can be pricked out into their own pots or planted in the ground.

Caucasian spinach does not like heavy, damp soils. Ensure it is planted in a well draining spot. You can plant it on a small mound if your soil is very heavy or wet. It is slow growing in its first year, but will eventually form a large clump that can be divided with a shovel to make more plants.

We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight, United States for $20, and Internationally for $20*. Live plants, bulbs, and bulbils can only be shipped within Canada.

Shipping in Canada 

We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-3 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order, but occasionally orders take longer, especially to Ontario and East.

Customers can now opt for tracked, express shipping options at checkout if you require faster delivery.

Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.

Shipping to the US

We now require all US shoppers to obtain a Small Lot Seed Permit before we can mail your seeds. It's free to apply and you will likely be granted the permit instantly. We appreciate if you can email us your permit as soon as you can after your purchase.

How to apply for your Small Seed Lot Import Permit:

1. Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
2. Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
3. Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit. It's best to list "Eligible Taxa" instead of listing all the species you'd like to import so you don't need to worry about missing any species you ordered.
4. Once you receive your permit, promptly email us 2 documents: a copy of your permit and a copy of the yellow/green shipping labels. Tell us if which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose one. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
5. We are not able to send any pepper or tomato seeds, or any live plant materials to the US due to restrictions.

After receiving your documentation, we will mail your seeds to the inspection facility. We will ship via tracked parcel, and you will receive the tracking number when your order has shipped. Orders will be mailed first to a plant inspection facility in the US, then they forward the package on to your address after inspection. This can take several weeks, depending on how long the inspection takes. Unfortunately we are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs, or for any duties or tariffs placed on your order. 

Shipping Internationally

International customers can select tracked or untracked shipping at checkout. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. We are not able to send any live plant materials internationally. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held or confiscated by customs, or for any additional duties or tariffs placed on your order.

International shipping countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.

This list may change without notice. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page

Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option. 

If you have any issues with your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will do our best to make it right.

*Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars. 

Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.