Seed Subscription: Vegetable, Tropical Climate, Winter 2024

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:

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  Lettuce- All Year Round

  A butterhead type of lettuce with buttery green leaves and a compact heart, growing to 20cm. Suitable for planting year-round and slow to bolt (protection from frosts is still recommended).

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 7-14 days @ Aug-23°C.Annual. Rows 50cm, Height 20cm, Spacing 30cm. 55-75 days.

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

• 

  Rosella

  Annual shrub with red stems, red/green leaves, yellow flowers, and red fruit used for jam, tea, and medicine. Needs 6 months frost-free for fruiting, best in warm climates. Known as "Roselle" or "Jamaica sorrel".

  Raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 10-21 days @ 25-35°C.Annual. Rows 100cm, Spacing 45cm. 180-200 days.

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

• 

  Cape Gooseberry- Golden Nugget

  Frost tender perennial, often grown as annual, up to 120cm. Yields sweet, juicy golden fruit in a lantern-like calyx. Fruit is 3cm in diameter, ideal for fresh eating, jams, desserts, pies, cakes, salads.

  Raise seedlings, 4mm. Germination 14-42 days @ 21-29°C.Perennial (grown as an annual in cool climates). Height 120cm, Spacing 30cm (annual), 100cm (perennial). 140 days.

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

• 

  Zucchini- Black Beauty

  Upright bush. Popular home garden variety producing dark green cylindrical fruit with tender cream/white flesh. Delicious flavour. Quick growing.

  Sow direct, 20mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-35°C.Annual. Rows 100cm, Spacing 75cm. 50-65 days.

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

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  Artichoke- Green Globe

  Perennial growing to 180cm. Thistle-like with silver/grey/green leaves. Large green flowers eaten as a vegetable. Large hearts. Gourmet vegetable. Can be ornamental. Flowers usable in dried arrangements. Common Australian variety.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 21-26°C.Perennial. Rows 200cm, Height 180cm, Spacing 150cm. 300-400 days.

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

• 

  Carrot- All seasons

  Large orange roots growing to 20cm. Can be planted almost all year round. Very popular in Queensland and New South Wales. Good disease resistance.

  Sow direct, 5mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 10-30°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 25cm, Spacing 5cm. 120-140 days.

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

• 

  Amaranth- Red Garnet

  Amaranth variety grown for leafy greens, sprouts, microgreens. Large burgundy red/green leaves with great flavour, tender texture. Popular in Asian cuisine, used in soups, stews, salads, stir-fries. Fast-growing, heat tolerant. Can be ornamental.

  Sow direct, 6mm. Germination 7-10 days @ 20-25°C.Annual. Height 200cm, Spacing 50cm. 70-110 days (SPROUTS: 5-10 days, MICROGREENS: 14-21 days, BABY LEAF: 20-30 days).

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

• 

  Endive- Batavian Broadleaf

  A Mediterranean broad-leaf variety resembling lettuce, often used raw in salads or cooked in stir-fries, soups, or stews. Less bitter than fine-leaf endive. Also known as "Escarole".

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 4-7 days @ 15-18°C.Annual. Rows 50cm, Height 20cm, Spacing 30cm. 80 days.

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

• 

  Watermelon- Warpaint

  Crimson Sweet' is a summer vine watermelon. This popular heirloom variety yields large round or oval fruits up to 10kg, with yellow-green striped skin and juicy dark red flesh. It has a sweet taste, stores well, and is disease-resistant.

  Sow direct, 20mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 27-32°C.Annual. Rows 125cm, Spacing 75cm. 90 days.

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

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Tips for gardening in winter:

Weeding and tidying: Rain helps weed seeds germinate and it is easier to remove them when the soil is damp. Be sure to remove weeds before they get a chance to mature and set seed, and ensure you get the weeds out roots and all. Hand tools are useful for small areas and hoes or tillers make the job go faster in larger gardens. Rake up fallen leaves so they don’t form a compact layer which can stop water reaching the soil. Add these extra leaves to your compost heap. Clear out any dead or diseased plants and to prevent the spread of disease, place this plant material in the bin rather than the compost bin.

Pruning: Check your tools. Cleaning and sharpening your secateurs and pruning saws makes the job much easier, and a clean cut means there is less chance for disease to enter ragged wounds. It is easier to prune deciduous trees and shrubs in winter because you can see the structure of the plant more clearly. Remove any dead wood, and take out crossing branches or stems that might rub against each other. 

Watering: You may not need to water your plants as frequently in winter, but make sure your plants are still getting enough. If required, give them a deep soak once a week early in the day so that excess moisture can evaporate before nightfall and avoid the risk of fungal diseases.

Plot and plan: Use some of the down time in winter to review your garden and think about what you’d like to plant in the coming seasons. If you’re growing annuals, do you want to plant the same again, or try some new varieties or colour schemes? If you’re growing veggies, remember that crop rotation is a good idea to break the cycle or build-up of any pests and diseases that may be in the soil. This has the added benefit of reducing, or even eliminating, the need to spray with chemicals.

Pests and diseases to look out for in winter:

Slugs and snails: These pests can damage a wide range of plants, especially flower and vegetable seedlings. They are most active in the cooler wetter months, or when thunderstorms activate them in summer, and come out at night to feed. Controlling weeds and removing places that can harbour slugs and snails can be an effective way to control and reduce the number of these pests. If you choose to use bait, it is best applied in Autumn before snails get a chance to lay eggs. Most baits can be toxic to pets and other wildlife, so use any bait with caution.

Fungal diseases: A range of fungal diseases can occur in winter. You can prevent these from taking hold by practising good hygiene. Pick up any fallen and rotting fruit and put it into the rubbish, as it can cause disease which carries over into the following year’s crop.

Product code: SS_VEG_TROP_WIN_2024