Seed for sowing Spring

Below is a description of seeds for sowing this spring in the hinterland of south east Queensland through to northern NSW. All seed produced by myself as a result of extensive variety trials under zero input conditions.

Seed are $5 per packet or five packets for $20. Postage and packing for $5 ($10 overseas). Email shane.simonsen@icloud.com to place order. Payment by paypal (djtiamos@icloud.com) or direct deposit by arrangement.

Capsicum Ancho- (C. annuum) Low heat chilli with stronger roots than modern capsicums. Small shrub to 40 cm lasts 2-3 years. Fruit 5-10 cm long, 3-4 cm diameter with thick walls. Green when immature, dark red when mature. Low heat in fruit, medium heat around seeds. Rich smoky flavour. Originally for drying but great fresh, fried and pickled. Better sown in a pot then transplanted. Sow September-March.

Capsicum Bishop crown- (C. baccatum).  Low heat chilli with stronger roots than modern capsicums. Small shrub to 30 cm lasts 2-3 years. Fruit 3-5 cm diameter, squashed in like a flying saucer. Low heat with a complex fruity flavour, medium heat around seeds. Better sown in a pot then transplanted. Sow September-March.

Chilli Aji Amarillo- (C. baccatum). Medium heat small yellow chilli. Fairly new to me but has distinct pineapple/passionfruit notes. Better sown in a pot then transplanted. Sow September-March.

Eggplant ping tung- long purple- Vigorous bushes to 50 cm with strong roots. Produce long thin pale purple fruit to 30-40 cm with very thin skin that can be peeled or eaten skin and all. Mild flavour great in soups and stirfries.  Poor storage even in the fridge. Better sown in a pot then transplanted. Sow September-March.

Okra green- (Abelmoschus esculentus). Shrub to 1-2 m with tender pods with distinct mucilage. Great in stirfries, soups and rolled in polenta and fried. Mix of several green varieties. Sow direct October-December.

Rosella- (Hibiscus sabdariffa). Shrub to 1-2 m highly resistant to dry spells. Young shoot tips and leaves make excellent summer vegetables for soups and stir fries with delicate floral flavour. Flowers followed by juicy red pods that make excellent jam or can be dried for herbal teas. Sow direct October-December.

Lagos spinach (Celosia spicata). Shrub to 1-2 m with striking red foliage and hot pink flowers. Highly resistant to dry spells. Young tips make tasty vegetable for stirfries and soups. Sow direct October-December.

Snake bean bush- (Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis) Small compact bushes to 30 cm that produce upright tender pods throughout all conditions well into autumn. Mix of three strains. Sow direct from October to January.

Lima bean Madagascar- (Phaseolus lunatus) Climber with small purple and tan speckled seeds. Harvest when mature and cook as dry beans. Great in soups and stews. Can regrow for several years. Sow direct October-November.

Lima bean small speckle- (Phaseolus lunatus) Climber with large purple and white speckled seeds. Harvest when mature and cook as dry beans. Great in soups and stews. Can regrow for several years. Sow direct October-November.

Lab lab vegetable pod mix (Dolichos lablab). Mixture of a half dozen south Asian varieties selected for tender leaves, flowers and pods to use in stirfries and soups. Mature seed only edible with careful preparation. Grow as a vine to 2-3 m with abundant white and pink flowers. Sow direct October-December.

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)- Large upright shrub to 2-4 m tall. Produces pods containing peas edible green in stir fries or dried in soups and stews. Several crops per year. Good nurse plant that usually dies after 3-5 years. Mix of several strains which have started hybridising, including an uncommon white seeded variety that grows into a very large shrub. Direct sow September-April.

Cucamelon (Melothria scabra)- Semi-weedy cucumber substitute with tiny olive sized fruits eaten whole that taste like slightly lemony cucumber. Tiny seeds compared to normal cucumber. Unbothered by fruit fly. Sow direct October-December.

Lebanese cucumber (Cucumis sativa)- Trailing vine producing medium sized juicy cucumbers. Mix of two strains. Sow direct October-December.

Rockmelon charentais OP (Cucumis melo)- Heritage variety of rockmelon with smaller but much more fragrant fruit produced on a more adaptable vine. Seed from a variety trial with likely outcrossing to several other strains. Sow direct September-October for cropping around Xmas and new year.

Pumpkin Jap local (Cucurbita moschata). Local heritage strain of large pumpkins with dark orange flesh and a small cavity. Some tendencies for thicker skins for superior storage to normal forms of jap. Sow direct September-January.

Pumpkin Seminole OP (storage) (Cucurbita moschata). Seminole pumpkins from northern Florida performed the best during a recent variety trial growing on unimproved ground during a consistently dry spring season without irrigation. The small pumpkins have thick skin that allows them to be stored up to a year. Seed from open pollinated plants likely to be outcrossed to a dozen other varieties. Sow direct September-January.

Gourd cannonball (Lagenaria siceraria). Vigorous vine that thrives on ground too poor for pumpkins. Produces large, slightly flattened fruit to 30 cm diameter containing oil and protein rich seed that are delicious roasted and pounded into a meal. Shells make useful containers, the reason why these are one of the first crops ever domesticated. Sow direct October-December.

Jam melon mix (Citrullus lanatus citroides). More vigorous ancestor of watermelon that produces under more challenging conditions. Produces medium sized fruit with thick skins that store for many months. Pulp can be mixed with other fruit to make excellent jam. Seeds edible roasted. Seed from variety trials from citrons of several sources with diverse traits. Possible cross pollination with watermelon. Sow direct September-October.

Grain amaranth orange giant (Amaranthus cruentus). Best overall performance for grain amaranth. Very tall and robust plants to 2 m that produce large orange heads of seed. Easily threshed and winnowed to produce a highly nutritious grain. Boil as for rice by absorption method and add to fruit and yoghurt like porridge. Sow direct on roughened ground surface October-December.

Maize white parrot proof (Zea mays). Select variety produced by hybridising several forms of white flour corn selected for resistance to parrots. Birds take so long getting into one cob that they tend to finish it before starting on another, giving you time to harvest. Grows to 2-3 m and produces 1-2 large (20-30 cm) cobs of white grains with subtle shades of pink and amber. Nixtamalize in alkali to produce large swollen grains to include in soups and stews. Sow direct October- January.

Nasturtium- wild orange compact (Tropaeolum majus). Self sowing form with orange flowers and relatively compact growth. Edible young leaves and flowers with a peppery taste. Useful green manure plant with rapid but easily controlled growth. Sow direct anytime.

Atherton raspberry- Rubus probus. A self supporting native raspberry to 1.2 m tall with few thorns. Juicy and sweet fruit to 3 cm produced through mid winter to mid spring. Bird and fruit fly resistant.

Tree marigold (Tithonia diversifolia). A very fast growing shrub to 2-4 m that is covered in golden daisies in May. Grows from unrooted cuttings planted directly into the soil in autumn. Can start cutting for animal feed or biomass within a year with warm/wet conditions. Even large stems quite soft and easy to cut. Sow in a pot anytime.

Perennial cotton- (Gossypium herbaceum). Vigorous shrub to 2-3 m tall that lasts many years. Bears yellow and pink flowers followed by fluffy cotton balls that make great thread after cleaning and spinning. Who needs sheep? Better sown in a pot then transplanted. Sow anytime.