Seeds

How to choose seeds for your climate

Australia sows by climate, not by calendar. In tropical and subtropical gardens the brassicas, carrots and beetroot go in through autumn and winter, once the heat and humidity ease. In temperate and cool zones, sow root crops and brassicas from late summer into autumn or again in early spring, and hold the heat lovers, zucchini, Lebanese cucumber and climbing beans, until the soil has warmed after the last frost. Garlic is the exception: plant the bulbs in autumn everywhere, because the cloves need winter cold to split into full heads.

Sowing basics that matter

Sow at a depth of roughly twice the seed's width. Fine carrot and lettuce seed is barely covered, while beans go down 25mm. Direct sow root crops where they will grow, since carrots and radish fork when transplanted. Raise brassicas in trays and plant out at four to six weeks. Keep the surface consistently moist until germination, which takes 5 to 10 days for most vegetables, and thin seedlings early rather than letting them fight. A quality seed raising and potting mix beats garden soil in trays every time.

Succession sowing keeps the harvest coming

The cheapest productivity trick in gardening: sow a short row of carrots, rocket, lettuce or radish every three to four weeks instead of emptying the packet at once. Radish Raphael is ready in about six weeks and rocket in four, so small regular sowings give a continuous picking bed instead of one glut. Our fruit and vegetable garden guide covers planning a full year of beds.

Common questions

How long do seeds keep?

Stored cool, dry and dark, most vegetable seed stays viable for two to three years. Write the year on the packet and use the oldest first.

When should I plant garlic bulbs?

March to May in most of the country. Break the bulb into cloves, plant them 15cm apart and 5cm deep with the pointy end up, and harvest around November when the leaves brown off.

Can I grow these in pots?

Rocket, lettuce, radish, beetroot and purslane all crop well in containers at least 25cm deep. Give fruiting crops such as zucchini a 40 litre pot and full sun. Our plant propagation guide walks through raising seedlings step by step.