Seed Subscription: Vegetable, Arid Climate, Summer 2024 (WA)

Subscriptions are an excellent way to explore new seed varieties without having to spend time choosing the seeds yourself, and are perfect for busy gardeners, delivering seeds and all the information you need to plant them directly to your letterbox. 

Each season we’ll choose a selection of seed varieties tailored to your climate, and send you the seeds plus a colour information sheet with photos, tips and sowing information - all you need to do is plant!

You are currently viewing a single season of seeds which can be purchased individually. To subscribe to a years worth of seeds click here.

Seeds included in this subscription:

• 

  Capsicum- Golden Californian Wonder

  Capsicum is also known as "Sweet Pepper". Plants produce bell-like fruit that can be picked green or matured to a unique golden orange colour. Sweet flavour, ideal for salads. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Can be grown in containers.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 7-21 days @ 22-35°C.Perennial (grown as an annual in cool climates). Rows 100cm, Spacing 50cm. 100 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Cauliflower- Purple Sicily

  Large purple flower heads to 1.2kg. Purple cauliflowers are easier to grow than white varieties. Colour fades when cooked. 190 days to maturity.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 10-30°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 75cm, Spacing 50cm. 190 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Garland- Serrate Leaf

  Annual plant growing to 80cm. Has dark green serrated leaves, edible raw or cooked. Strong flavour, ideal for soups and stir-fries. Fast growth, heavy production. Also known as "Chop Suey Greens" or "Shungiku".

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 7-10 days @ 15-22°C.Annual. Height 80cm, Spacing 40cm. 30-50 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: FEB MAR APR SEP OCT NOV (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Carrot- Berlicum

  A European variety with slender cylindrical roots with a crisp, uniform texture and smooth skin. The deep orange roots will grow to 20cm long in good soil. A reliable, mid-season variety that stores well.

  Sow direct, 5mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 10-30°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 25cm, Spacing 5cm. 80 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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• 

  Basil- Sweet

  Aromatic annual growing to 50cm. Large medium-green shiny leaves that are sweeter and milder in flavour than other common varieties. Slow bolting. Can be grown in containers. Can be used fresh or dried.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 2mm. Germination 5-10 days @ 18-35°C.Annual. Height 50cm, Spacing 30cm. 60-80 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Okra- Clemson's Spineless

  Annual growing to 100cm. Long, dark green, spineless pods best harvested when around 7-10cm long. Heavy producing. Pods can be used fresh or dried, most commonly used in soups and stews. Also known as "Gumbo".

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 2-14 days @ 23-33°C.Perennial (grown as an annual in cool climates). Rows 100cm, Height 100cm, Spacing 60cm. 80 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Rockmelon- Honeydew

  Summer vine fruit. Large round fruit growing to 20cm. Cream/white skin with thick, lime green flesh. Sweet flavour. Stores well.

  Sow direct, 10mm. Germination 4-10 days @ 20-32°C.Annual. Rows 120cm, Spacing 60cm. 95-105 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Watermelon- Moon and Stars

  Summer vine fruit, grows up to 9kg. Dark green skin with yellow specks, resembling a starry night sky. Sweet red flesh. Leaves also speckled yellow. Heirloom variety from 1920's, nearly extinct, reintroduced in 1990's.

  Sow direct, 20mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 27-32°C.Annual. Rows 125cm, Spacing 75cm. 100 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Zucchini- Cocozelle

  Italian heirloom zucchini, 'Cocozella di Napoli'. Bushy plants produce long, light green, slightly ribbed zucchinis with dark stripes. Excellent flavour, firm yet tender flesh. Ideal for small spaces due to compact growth. Quick growing, high yielding.

  Sow direct, 20mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-35°C.Annual. Rows 70cm, Spacing 50cm. 60 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Bush Bean- Cherokee Wax

  Dwarf (bush) bean. Tender, stringless, straight, pale yellow pods growing to 16cm. Fast growing. Seeds turn black when mature.

  Sow direct, 20mm. Germination 6-10 days @ 16-30°C.Annual. Rows 50cm, Spacing 10cm. 55-60 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

Tips for gardening in summer:

• Watering: Learn when to water by using your index finger to check soil moisture. Scratch back a little of the surface soil and use your finger to see if soil is moist about 5cm below the surface; if it’s on the dry side, it’s time to water.
• Crop protection: As fruit and veggies develop they may need protection from burrowing insects, fruit fly, birds, possums or bats. Berries, fruit trees and soft fruit like tomatoes are especially at risk. Use insect exclusion netting, bird netting or fruit protection bags to protect crops. Ensure your netting is pegged or tied securely at the bottom to stop pests getting in.
• Pinch for More Flowers: Pinch the main stems of flowering plants to encourage strong growth, a bushier habit and more flowers. Once plants are 20-40cm tall and have several sets of leaves, use sharp, clean snips or secateurs to cut off the top 10cm or so of the main stem of the plant, making the cut just above a set of leaves. Flowers including aster, zinnia, chrysanthemum, calendula, marigold and dahlia will all benefit from pinching.
• Provide shade for sensitive plants: Use shade cloth or even old sheets to protect delicate seedlings and leafy greens from the harsh summer sun, especially during the hottest part of the day.

Pests and diseases to look out for in summer:

• Aphids: Small, sap-sucking insects that congregate on the new shoots or the underside of leaves. They can cause leaves to wilt or become discoloured, and also excrete honeydew which can attract ants and other insect pests. To manage aphids, remove them by spraying with a garden hose, apply a soap or alcohol spray, or encourage predatory insects to your garden.
• Whitefly: A sap-sucking insect related to aphids, whitefly are found in large numbers on the underside of leaves, and will swarm in clouds when disturbed. Plants may have yellowing leaves or may wilt, and growth will be slowed. Whitefly can be removed with a garden hose or sprayed with soap spray. Badly affected plants should be destroyed.
• Slugs and snails: These slimy pests love the humidity of summer nights and can decimate seedlings and tender young plants. They leave tell-tale silvery trails and irregular holes in leaves. To control them, try hand-picking them at night (with a torch) and disposing of them, creating barriers crushed eggshells around vulnerable plants, or using beer traps.
• Fungal diseases: The combination of warm temperatures and summer humidity can form the perfect conditions for fungal diseases to spread. Water plants in the morning at ground level, avoiding wetting foliage wherever possible. Prune off affected foliage, space plants to allow more airflow, and treat fungal outbreaks with homemade or purchased sprays.

Product code: SS_VEG_ARID_SUM_2024_WA