{"title":"Kula Nursery","description":"\u003cp\u003eKula Nursery is a grassroots urban nursery working within and for BIPOC communities to increase food sovereignty through gardening education and culturally relevant plant starts. The mission at Kula Nursery is to reconnect the diaspora with heritage food, strengthen food sovereignty among these communities, and promote cultural and biological diversity. As a heritage nursery, we believe the act of growing, tending to, and eating heritage foods encourages folks to reclaim their power within the local food system while simultaneously honoring and reconnecting to their ancestors, immediate family and community at large.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince 2020, we have been deeply rooted within the South Asian community in the greater San Francisco Bay Area to understand their food preferences and determine what culturally important foods are missing from the local food system. Through countless interactions with community members at farmers markets, we are slowly inching our way towards identifying the specific foods that are greatly desired for culinary, medicinal and spiritual purposes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKula Nursery continues to expand their stewarded collection of heirloom seeds gifted to them from folks within the diasporic community by growing them out for seed and providing them back to the community via plant starts throughout the US. We are proud to carry a curated selection of South Asian vegetable and herb plants that represent the vibrant culinary traditions within the South Asian diaspora.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile there is much cultural crossover between the plants we grow, we are continuously trying to offer a wider selection of plants to better serve the BIPOC community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWebsite: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kulanursery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewww.kulanursery.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstagram: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kula.nursery\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e@kula.nursery\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"SGSpiceGallery\" id=\"SGSpiceGallery10814\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lauki-bottle-gourd","title":"Lauki (Bottle Gourd)","description":"\u003cp\u003eBottle gourd, also known as Doodhi, Lauki, and Opo, is a versatile vegetable used similarly to zucchini, with a slightly sweeter flavor and firmer texture. This variety produces light green fruit, 1 to 1.5 feet long, and uniformly oval. Bottle gourd is a vigorous trailing or climbing plant with white flowers that open at night. Beneficial insects, especially bumblebees, are extremely attracted to the flowers. Just one thriving plant can grow over 12 ft, so it is essential to plant with a solid support and space to grow!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 55-75\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per pack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGermination rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 78% on 04\/15\/2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting \/ harvesting notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo start seeds, it is recommended to clip both ends of the outer seed coating with a nail clipper to quicken germination. Sow seeds placing the narrow end facing downwards into the soil. Keep soil temperature as warm as possible (ideally between 80-90 degrees F), and seeds should germinate within a week. Overnight temperatures should be steadily above 55 degrees F before planting outside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProviding ample water through the growing season, a sturdy trellis or fence, and full sun is enough to ensure a successful crop. Just one thriving plant can grow over 12 ft so it is essential to place it in a spot with a solid support and space to grow. If using a trellis, space plants 3 feet apart. If allowed to sprawl on the ground, space plants at least 9 feet apart. Harvest often to send energy to new fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs fruit thickens, the flavor becomes more diluted. It is best to harvest when the fruit is still young. If left on the vine, the outer skin will harden and fruit can be made into birdhouses, cooking utensils, or as is often done in South Asia, musical instruments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSeed keeping notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAllow fruit to thicken on the vine, and the outer skin to become hard. It is ready to harvest for seed when the gourd becomes a very light green color and is light and easy to lift. Due to the hard outer skin, it may be necessary to use a large knife or machete equivalent to cut open the gourd.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeeds are mature when they are a light brown or tan color. Simply remove the seeds from the inner pulp and place in a big bowl of water. The seeds that float should be discarded. Lay out seeds to dry for a few days and then place them in a paper bag out of direct sun. They are now ready to be planted. Each gourd produces at least 40-50 seeds!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kula Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43961424675054,"sku":"CUC-023","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/products\/Lauki_BottleGourd_1.jpg?v=1674079168"},{"product_id":"kalonji-black-seed-nigella","title":"Kalonji (Black Seed\/Nigella)","description":"\u003cp\u003eKalonji, also known as Black Cumin, Black Seed, and Nigella is a highly medicinal spice used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. In the Tibb-e-Nabwi, the Muslim medicinal guide, 7 Nigella seeds a day is said to be the cure for all diseases except death. The seeds are also delicious when used on naan, curries, roasted vegetables or pickles. The plant resembles the common garden flower, Love-in-a-mist, with delicate fennel like foliage and stands 10-12\" tall. During peak bloom the plant sends out dozens of five or six petaled white flowers that are highly attractive to bees. Over the course of a week, the seed pod slowly begins to balloon up and develop as it is pollinated. It is a lovely sight and a wonderful activity to sit in the garden and watch as the bees are hard at work!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60 days to peak bloom. 80 days to dry seed pod.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per pack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90-95\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGermination rate: \u003c\/strong\u003e96% on 02\/13\/2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting \/ harvesting notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have found that these seeds do not transplant well. To plant, simply sprinkle seeds on top of soil surface and scratch seeds in or gently use a rake to bury seeds slightly. Plants do not need to be accurately spaced but aim for 2-4\" between plants. No thinning is required. For best results, it's best to wait until the weather has warmed and the last chance of frost is long gone. Keep soil moist until first signs of germination. If hand watering, be careful not to drown seeds while watering. It can be helpful to cover seeds with floating row cover or cardboard for the first week to help keep the soil surface moist. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlowers can be harvested for fresh flower bouquets. At full maturity, the seeds pods will turn brown and become papery. The plants can be used at this stage in dried flower bouquets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSeed keeping notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-description rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeeds are fully mature once the seed pod has turned brown and papery. If growing for the spice or seed saving, the seeds can be extracted by opening up the papery seed pod. Dozens of seeds will be in each seed pod. Collect all the seed pods and crush them by either stepping on them on top of a tarp or by crushing them with your hands. Seeds can be separated from the chaff with a fan. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you live in an area with a short growing season and the pods have not had enough time to fully develop, you can harvest each plant by cutting the stems at soil level and placing them in a large paper bag. Avoid getting any water or soil in the paper bag. Pods will continue to develop over the course of a month. Make sure to keep the bag in a dry and warm location. Check on the bag every week to make sure they are drying properly. Seeds will be fully mature once the pod has dried fully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trueloveseeds.sbs\/products\/albion-black-pod-nigella\" class=\"social-sharing is-clean\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kula Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44757741797614,"sku":"HERB-086","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/files\/IMG_3634.jpg?v=1709142463"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/collections\/KulaNursery_logo.jpg?v=1674085134","url":"https:\/\/trueloveseeds.sbs\/collections\/kula-nursery.oembed","provider":"Truelove Seeds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}