Rapeseed Canola (Brassica napus) is a remarkably versatile cool-season crop that thrives across hardiness zones 3-9, reaching 36-60 inches tall in 100-109 days. Every part of this plant is edible, whether you harvest it as microgreens for a quick kitchen addition, tender leafy greens, or allow it to mature for oil production and seed saving. Non-GMO and open-pollinated, it's equally at home in a vegetable garden, serving as a nutrient-rich cover crop, or contributing to your own biodiesel projects.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-9
60in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Rapeseed Canola stands out for its complete edibility across every growth stage, from delicate microgreens ready in weeks to full-sized plants yielding both oil and seed. Its frost tolerance and ability to thrive in cool seasons make it exceptionally practical for spring and fall gardens across a wide range of climates. Beyond the kitchen, this plant functions as a valuable green manure crop, building soil health while producing food, a rare dual purpose that appeals to gardeners thinking about regenerative practices.
Rapeseed Canola serves multiple roles depending on when you harvest it. Quick growers can enjoy it as sprouts or microgreens, tossed raw into salads or used as a peppery garnish within weeks of planting. At the leafy green stage, it becomes a cooked green similar to kale or collards. Mature plants produce seeds that can be pressed for vegetable oil for cooking, or left to dry and save for next season's planting. Farmers and regenerative gardeners also value it as a cover crop and green manure, turning it under to enrich soil with organic matter and nitrogen before planting other crops.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last spring frost, maintaining soil temperatures between 50-75°F for reliable germination. Transplant into the garden after hardening off for 7-10 days once soil temperatures reach 50°F and frost danger has passed.
Transplant seedlings outdoors when soil temperature reaches 50°F and the risk of hard frost has passed. Space plants 6 inches apart with rows 15 inches apart, pressing soil gently around the base to eliminate air pockets.
Direct sow seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in late summer for a fall crop. Sow at a shallow depth and keep soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge.
For microgreens and sprouts, harvest within 7-14 days of sprouting when cotyledons are fully developed and the first true leaves begin to emerge. For leafy greens, pinch or cut outer leaves once plants are 4-6 inches tall, allowing the center to continue growing for successive harvests. For mature seed production, allow plants to grow the full 100-109 days until seed pods turn from green to tan and feel papery when touched. Harvest seed pods by cutting the entire stem and allowing it to dry completely indoors before threshing out the seeds.
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