Sea Kale Mix Seeds

Sea Kale Mix Seeds - Crambe maritima

Crambe maritima

Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun
Germination Tested Cut test: 80%

Approximately 25-30 seeds per packet

$5.50 CAD

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Sea kale is an essential perennial vegetable- the whole plant is edible! The most commonly eaten parts are the unopened flower buds that look and taste like small broccolis, and the spring shoots, which are often blanched with a bucket to make them more mild and tender. The young leaves are also delicious, and can be used similarly to kale. Plants produce masses of honey-scented flowers that make a beautiful edible garnish, and the unripe seed pods that follow can be used like peas. The root of plants that are at least two years old can be dug any time of year and roasted or boiled. Talk about a useful vegetable!

These seeds include genetics from many different sources. There are green and purple plants, improved varieties, and cold-tolerant selections from several growers in the US and Canada.

Sea kale is native to European beaches and likes a sunny position and well drained soil. I find it grows well in normal garden soil with regular additions of compost. Plants take a few years to get large enough to withstand harvesting, eventually reaching 2-3 feet wide (they may grow larger if not harvested much).

Propagation by seed is a bit tricky- the seeds require a long germination period. I find it works best to sow outdoors in pots in fall. The seeds also must be cracked open before sowing. See detailed growing instructions below.

Sea kale is most easily propagated by root cuttings taken in the fall through winter as weather permits, and planted immediately. For places with cold winters (i.e. below zone 6) root cuttings can be stored in the fridge in moist media and planted in spring. Plants grown by root cuttings can be lightly harvested starting the year after planting.

Growing Instructions

Sea kale seeds require a long cold stratification period to germinate. I find fall-sowing has the best results so seeds get several months of cold outdoors. If you don't have good germination- keep the pot and let it go through another winter outdoors.
Alternately you could try stratifying in the fridge for 3+ months.
Crack each seed open with nail clippers before sowing to help them sprout. You can either completely remove the seed from the corky shell, or just take a chunk of the shell off.

Shipping & Returns

By placing an order, customers agree to the shipping policies detailed on this page.

Shipping within Canada

We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight.

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 the Eastern provinces and rural areas.

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

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

Shipping to the US

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

If you do not email us your permit documents after one week, we will refund your order minus a $10 processing charge.

How to apply for your Small Seed Lot Import Permit:

Please follow these instructions carefully so you don't end up with the wrong type of permit!
Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit.
Under the Commodity Type drop down, make sure you select the "Small Lots of Seed". See screenshot below.
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.
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 which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose one. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
We are not able to send any pepper or tomato seeds, or any live plant materials to the US due to restrictions.

Need help? Contact the APHIS plant permit team at:

EMAIL: plantproducts.permits@usda.gov

PHONE: 877-770-5990

What happens next?

After receiving your documentation, we will mail your seeds to an inspection facility in the US. 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. Tracking is only available to the inspection facility, not to your address.

The mail and inspection process 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 additional 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.