Asian Vegetable Seeds
Get your hands in the soil. 🌱 We just got these seeds from Kitazawa, which feature authentic heirloom vegetables + herbs from Asia. Try growing your own gochujang peppers, Thai basil, Korean perilla shiso leaves + more with these seed packets.
About Kitazawa:
Gijiu Kitazawa worked as an apprentice for a seed company before starting Kitazawa Seed Company in 1917. During the second world war, he was forced to close down and abandon the business due to the internment of Japanese Americans. After the war was over, Kitazawa returned to selling seeds and began shipping across the US. Their seeds have grown in popularity and primarily feature traditional heirloom vegetables from Japan, along with Asian vegetables and herbs found in farmers' markets.
his Korean hybrid pepper is called a "cucumber pepper" because it is juicy, sweet, and crunchy like the texture of a cucumber. Although not the spiciest of peppers, it boasts a stronger kick than most green peppers. It is usually eaten by dipping into gochujang, doenjang, or ssamjang. The fruit is about 7-8" long and green in color. For open field and greenhouse production.
Grow Instructions: Start seeds inside 6 weeks before last frost date (or 8 weeks before expected transplanting date). Keep soil warm until emergence. Seeds will not germinate in cool soil and planting out too early may affect plant vigor. Harden off plants carefully before transplanting. Prepare fertile, well-drained soil. Transplant in late spring/summer (soil temperatures at least above 60°F) in a very warm and sunny location. Fertilize as needed. Too much nitrogen will produce lush foliage and few fruits. For fresh eating.
- ~70 seeds per packet
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Hybrid
- Warm Season Annual
- 100-110 days to maturity
- Capsicum annuum
A traditional open pollinated Japanese kabocha squash that has globe-shaped fruit with blue-green skin. The flesh is thick, yellow and very sweet. Fruit matures to 2-3 lbs and is 6-8" in diameter. The plant has a vine growth habit.
Grow Instructions: Prepare fertile, well-drained soil. Sow seeds in spring/summer after last frost in a warm, sunny location. Hill planting: Form soil into a 1-ft. diameter mound 3-4" tall. Space mounds 5-10' apart. On each mound plant 1-2 seeds. Row planting: See spacing info in chart. Keep soil moist. Fertilize as needed. Hand pollination may be necessary. The vine can be trained to climb a vertical support for better air circulation and ease of harvest or left to sprawl on the ground. After harvest, winter squash should be left in the sun for a few days to cure before storing. Use in tempura, stir-fries, soup or baked. See recipes online.
- ~13 seeds per packet
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Heirloom
- Warm Season Annual
- 95-110 days to maturity
- Cucurbita maxima
Perilla is a lovely Korean herb that is a vivid green on the top and a soft purple on the underside of the leaves. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible and delicious. Widely used in various types of Asian cooking, perilla has a fresh flavor that has hints of basil, citrus, and mint. This annual herb is beautiful, tasty, and all-around a versatile choice. You can even grow it as a microgreen!
Grow Instructions: Cold stratify seeds by storing them in the refrigerator prior to sowing. Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date for a spring planting, or direct sow in the late summer. Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off, and space plants 6 inches to a foot apart. Be sure temperatures are warm, as perilla thrives in warmer weather. Keep soil moist and fertilize as needed.
- ~1,675 seeds per packet
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Warm Season Annual
- 70 days to maturity
- Perilla frutescens var. frutescens
Not a big fan of bitter, pungent radishes, but still wanting to grow some in your garden? Sushiro radishes are a Korean variety that would be perfect for you! They are mild and pleasant in flavor and still perfectly crisp and bright. This variety is also known as Altari Korean radishes. Pick up some of these open-pollinated hybrid seeds today for a unique radish experience.
Grow Instructions: Choose a location with appropriate soil and prepare by fertilizing and breaking up the soil until it is loose. Plant seeds an inch apart and thin to three inches apart 10 days after seedlings emerge. Radishes mature quickly, so not much care is needed besides careful watering. Plant in successive waves for more harvests.
- ~250 seeds per packet
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Cool season hybrid annual
- 55-60 days to maturity
- Raphanus sativus
Shiso, also known as perilla or beefsteak leaf, is an herb often used in traditional Japanese cooking. This Ohba variety has broad, flat leaves and lacks the red undersides that some other shiso varieties have. It is nutritious and often used in Eastern medicine. Full of bright flavor and incredibly versatile, Green Ohba is a great addition to your vegetable or herb garden!
Grow Instructions: Prepare soil and make sure it is fertile and drains well. Broadcast seeds or just barely cover with soil as shiso needs light to germinate. Make sure your planting location gets enough sunlight. Keep the soil moist and provide fertilizer as needed. Avoid overhead watering to prevent fungal diseases. Cut or pinch leaves often to encourage more growth.
- ~1,200 seeds per packet
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Warm season annual
- 60-70 days to maturity
- Perilla frutescens var crispa
Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. A sweet large leaf Thai basil strain that produces tender leaves tasting somewhat like anise and producing a pungent aroma. The plants are about 1.5-2 feet tall and can be perennial in warm tropical climates, but are usually annuals everywhere winters cold. Does better in hot, dry conditions.
Grow Instructions: Basil is a warm-weather crop grown both indoors and out. For earliest starts, begin indoors 6-8 weeks before final frost. Plant 4-6 seeds .25 inches deep per cell or 3-4 inches apart in the garden in moderately moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Germinates in 5-10 days, thinning back to 1-2 plants per pot or every 9-12 inches in the garden as true leaves establish. Harden off seedlings if transplanting outside.
- ~600 seeds per packet
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Heirloom
- Annual
- 70-80 days to maturity
- Ocimum basilicum