Growing food in the wet tropics comes with its own set of challenges—from heavy rains to unpredictable seasons. This guide covers how to start seeds and cuttings successfully in our coastal and tableland climates, with tips for timing, propagation, and choosing the right plants for our unique growing conditions.
Direct seed sowing into garden
Most seeds can be directly sown into garden lettuce, bok choy, rocket will need more care until germinated. Corn, beans, peas, pumpkin, cucumber, melons are ok to direct seed, if it isn’t raining, sometimes these seeds will rot before germinating. Seed into pots, AND plant out after germination.
Seeding into trays and punnets
Fill punnets/trays/pots with seed raising mix, multi seed with 3 to 4 seeds, cover seeds. Lettuce, amaranth and carrots seeds need sunlight to germinate a light dressing of vermiculite is good on these fussy seeds.
After seeding, water with ¼ teaspoon of Epsom salts (Magnesium sulphate) to 2 litres of water.
Keep undercover till germination then move to full sunlight. This stops plants going leggy. Water in the morning, if it is hot and dry during day water in afternoon but best to be dry before nightfall, as plants don’t need water at night. Seedlings that are too wet are susceptible to “damping off” and they will die quickly. If there is heavy rain predicted, place punnets under cover or if plants are ready to go into garden, pot your seedlings up individually into small pots ready for planting out after rain ceases. Heavy rain will smash seedlings and wash the nutrients from the mix.
When planting out cuttings hold them by the leaves not the stems as once damage they may die.
Propagation Mix for cuttings
A well-drained mix with plenty of aeration is required for cuttings.
1 part coarse sand, 1 part coir, 1 part aged compost/worm castings.
Most potting mixes can be used for cuttings, check out the drainage before using, if not perfect add sand or perlite.
Cuttings need to be kept in a partly shaded position until root start to show at the bottom of the pot. Multi-planted cuttings need to be separated and potted up individually.
Growing conditions in the coastal areas of the far north tropics are very different to those on the Atherton Tablelands, but we have the Perennial Tropical Vegetables and fruit that will not grow on the tablelands.
There is a 6-7 month growing season for cool vegetables, but the weather in the tropics is not always predictable. Winter temperature minimum can be 9 to 19. It most likely will rain heavily in January, February, and March, too heavy for planting out of seedlings unless protected. And during this time there are weeks without much sun.
I usually start seedlings in March undercover from heavy rain. Plant out in April. Earlier starts have not been successful. During the growing season from April to October most cool season plants will grow here. November is hot and humid this stops tomatoes and possibly others from pollinating, plants flower but do not set fruit.
Most plants take 3 months from seed to harvest, so plant early if plants need longer to grow, for example, Cauliflower.
Some plants I have tried to grow but they didn’t like our wet season.
Zucchini, powdery mildew is a beast, Tree tomato, Oca, Globe Artichokes – cool season not long enough,
Potatoes but still trying different methods. Yukon – cool season is not long enough.