Survival Seeds

16/06/2026

THE SURVIVAL PANTRY GOT A MAKEOVER 🎨
My post on the weekend was seen by hundreds of thousands of people, and on Monday morning I got a knock on the door from just the kind of bloke I was hoping would reach out.

Ron's a retired painter who "hung the brush up in 2013 and has plenty of time on his hands." He's old school — the kind of tradesman who does the job properly or doesn't do it at all.

He meticulously scraped and sanded back the dodgy paint job my girls and I slapped on a couple of years ago, applied an oil-based undercoat, and then two coats of exterior paint. I reckon he would've put in upwards of 6 hours all up.

The pantry was looking shabby, but it was still solid — and now it's got heaps of life left in it thanks to a local legend.

Ron, I can't thank you enough mate. This is exactly the kind of community spirit that makes this little pantry worth keeping going. 🙏

— Stu 😊

13/06/2026

SURVIVAL PANTRY IS STOCKED 🥦🥑🍌
This morning I got to meet Jia, who had just dropped off a massive haul of beautiful fresh produce — potatoes, avos, bananas, sweet potatoes and mandarins. The pantry is looking pretty spectacular right now.

I'll be upfront: I thought by the way her car was parked that Jia was taking everything in the pantry, so I went out for a chat and couldn't have been more wrong. She's a teacher originally from China with her own garden just around the corner, and she also gets surplus from friends who work on local farms and takes the time to bring it all here to share with the community. I'm really glad I went out to say g'day and be proven wrong!

My office overlooks the pantry so I see a lot of the comings and goings, and even on the days it frustrates me, a huge amount of food still moves through it every single day - and that's what it's all about.

— Stu 🙂

* One thing I do need to mention — the old repurposed cupboard I created is falling to bits. Between running a small business and raising a young family, I honestly don't have the time to build a new one. If anyone out there has the skills and a bit of spare time to build some timber boxes or even a whole new pantry, I'm more than happy to cover materials.

If we can't find someone to help, it may be time to think about whether another household on a busy road might want to take this on and keep the community pantry going. It means a lot to a lot of people.

31/05/2026

🌱 WHAT TO PLANT NOW
June is deep winter across most of Australia — and for most of the country, that's a genuinely good thing for the veggie patch.
Find your zone below 👇

🔵 COOL ZONE — (Tasmania, ACT, Alpine Victoria & NSW)
June is deep winter and the planting window has mostly closed. If you got garlic and brassicas in during autumn, they're quietly doing their thing and that's exactly where they should be.

What can still go in: broad beans direct sown — they'll germinate in cold soil and handle frost without trouble, just don't expect speed. Silverbeet, spinach, kale and winter lettuce varieties as seedlings in a sheltered spot.

Beyond that, the June job is looking after what's already in the ground. Mulch heavily to buffer overnight temperature swings, keep frost cloth handy for anything young, and make sure established plants don't dry out — cold and dry is harder on plants than cold alone.

🟢 MILD ZONE — (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, coastal NSW & Sydney)
Still an active month, but the list is shorter than May. Brassicas from seed are too late. Kale and cabbage seedlings can just scrape in if you're in a frost-free spot, but don't bother with broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts — they won't perform before spring warmth triggers bolting.

What's worth planting: broad beans and peas, carrots, beetroot, radish, daikon, turnips and parsnip direct sown. Leafy greens — spinach, silverbeet, rocket, mizuna, bok choy, Asian greens and winter lettuce varieties — are all going strong. Shallots can go in. Coriander and chives are reliable now.

Inland parts of the zone — Melbourne's west, the Adelaide Hills, inland NSW — get real frosts in June. Mulch heavily, water at the base not over the leaves, and keep frost cloth handy for young seedlings. Growth will be slow but plants put in now will take off once days start lengthening in August.

🟡 ARID ZONE — (Alice Springs, Broken Hill, inland WA & QLD)
Right in the middle of your prime growing season. Days are mild, humidity is low, and the brutal summer is a distant memory.

Carrots, beetroot, radish, turnips and parsnip all direct sow well. Broad beans, peas and garlic can still go in if you haven't already. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale are in their sweet spot right now. Spinach, silverbeet, lettuce and Asian greens will thrive with wind protection. Onions, spring onions, leeks and shallots are all solid picks. Coriander, dill and chives are worth growing through winter.

Frost is a fact of life across most of the arid zone in June. Mulch well to buffer cold nights and protect young seedlings when temperatures drop.

🟠 SUB-TROPICAL ZONE — (Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, northern NSW)
June is the heart of the cool season and the patch should be hitting its stride. Any warm-season stragglers still in the ground are done — pull them and use the space.

Peas and snow peas are one of the best things you can grow right now — productive, beginner-friendly, and ready in about 10–12 weeks. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Asian greens are all in their element. Broad beans are worth sowing. Lettuce, spinach, silverbeet, rocket, bok choy and mizuna are all going strong. Carrots, beetroot, radish, turnips, onions, spring onions, leeks and fennel are all solid June picks. Coriander and chives are far more reliable now than they were in the humidity of summer.

🔴 TROPICAL ZONE — (Darwin, Cairns, Broome, Townsville)
Peak of the dry season and June is right in the heart of your best growing window.

Tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, cucumber and pumpkin are all performing well. Beans and snake beans are fast and productive. Corn does well in the dry season. Okra loves the warmth. Silverbeet, bok choy, tatsoi, mizuna and Asian greens all handle the dry season well — for lettuce, stick to open-leaf varieties as hearting types struggle in the heat. Carrots, beetroot, radish and spring onions can all go in. Broccoli and cabbage will do better now than at any other time of year. Coriander and chives thrive in the dry season.

🌱 Not sure which zone you're in? Drop your town in the comments and we'll help you out 😊

22/05/2026

FIRST TIME I’VE SEEN THIS! 🙌
Stuff comes and goes from the Survival Pantry every single day, but this is the first time I’ve seen seeds in there that weren’t put there by me.

And honestly, this is exactly what the pantry and Survival Seeds are all about.

For someone to take the time to grow, harvest, dry and package seeds just to give them away to complete strangers is something pretty special.

This genuinely made my day.

If the lady who left these seeds happens to see this post, send us a message — I’d love to give you some freebies as a thank you. 🌱

On another note, the pantry itself is starting to look a bit rough after a couple of years out in the weather. If there’s anyone local who’d be interested in building a new one, I’d be more than happy to pay for your time and materials.

Running a small (but growing) business while raising a young family means spare time for passion projects like this is pretty hard to come by these days.

05/05/2026

🌱 WHAT TO PLANT NOW
May is one of my favourite times of the gardening calendar. Depending on where you live in Australia, it's either your busiest planting month of the year or the start of something genuinely exciting.
Find your zone below and get stuck in 👇

🔵 COOL ZONE — (Tasmania, ACT, Alpine Victoria & NSW)
May is your last solid planting window before winter locks things down — use every bit of it.
Garlic is the star of May in the cool zone. It needs a proper cold period to develop good bulbs and right now is the sweet spot. Broad beans are another May must — sow them direct and they'll quietly do their thing all winter. Beyond those two, this is brassica season: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale all handle the cold well.
For root vegetables, carrots, beetroot, parsnip, swede and turnips can all go in now. Peas and snow peas are worth a go if your frosts aren't too savage yet. On the leafy side, spinach, silverbeet, lettuce, rocket, mizuna, endive and Asian greens are all cold tolerant and will give you something to harvest while everything else ticks along slowly. Leeks, onions, spring onions and shallots are great May additions too, and for herbs — parsley, coriander, chives and dill all thrive now that the heat is gone.

🟢 MILD ZONE — (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, coastal NSW & Sydney)
May is genuinely one of the best months of the year to be a gardener in the mild zone. The heat has backed off, pest pressure is lower, and cool-season crops absolutely love these conditions.
Garlic goes in now — this is the month for it. Broad beans too, direct sown. Peas and snow peas are one of the most rewarding things you can plant in May — productive, beginner-friendly, and ready in about 10–12 weeks.
Carrots, beetroot, parsnip, swede, radish and turnips are all excellent direct-sown right now. The whole brassica family is in its element: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale. For leafy greens you've got a huge range — lettuce, spinach, silverbeet, rocket, mizuna, mustard greens, endive, bok choy and Asian greens are all fair game. Leeks, onions, spring onions, shallots and fennel are also great May picks, and if you haven't tried celery, celeriac or kohlrabi before, now is a good time to give them a go. For herbs: parsley, coriander, dill and chives — all far less likely to bolt than they were in summer.

🟡 ARID ZONE — (Alice Springs, Broken Hill, inland WA & QLD)
Winter is your prime growing season. The heat has eased and from May through to August conditions are as good as it gets.
Carrots, beetroot, radish, turnips and parsnip can all be direct sown now. Onions, spring onions, leeks and shallots do well, and spinach, silverbeet, lettuce and Asian greens will thrive with a bit of wind protection. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale are all worth planting through winter. Peas are worth sowing if you can keep the soil moist during germination, and garlic and broad beans go in now too — both low-maintenance once established.
The biggest thing in the arid zone: mulch generously, protect from wind, and consider raised beds or wicking beds if you haven't already.

🟠 SUB-TROPICAL ZONE — (Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, northern NSW)
May is when the sub-tropical growing season properly kicks off. The humidity has dropped, temperatures are comfortable, and you can grow an enormous variety of vegetables right through until spring.
If you've still got tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, cucumber or zucchini in the ground, enjoy the last of them — they're winding down now. The cool season is taking over, and it's a good one. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Asian greens all do well from May, as do lettuce, spinach, silverbeet, rocket, bok choy and mizuna. Carrots, beetroot, radish, turnips, onions, spring onions, leeks and fennel are all solid May plantings too. Peas and snow peas are worth getting in now — productive, beginner-friendly, and ready in about 10–12 weeks.
Basically — the patch is about to hit its stride. Most of Australia would be very jealous.

🔴 TROPICAL ZONE — (Darwin, Cairns, Broome, Townsville)
Welcome to the dry season — the best time of year to grow food in the tropics, and May is right in the heart of it.
Whatever the rest of Australia grows in summer, you grow now. Tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin and corn are all prime picks. Beans and snake beans are productive and fast, and okra loves conditions right now. On the leafy side, silverbeet, bok choy, tatsoi, mizuna, spinach and lettuce all handle the dry season well. Carrots, beetroot, radish, spring onions and onions can all go in, and broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower will do better now than at any other time of year. For herbs — basil, coriander, parsley and chives will all thrive through the dry season.
If you're new to gardening in the tropics, start with a few fast-maturing crops — radish is the quickest win in the patch — and build from there.

🌱 Not sure which zone you're in? Drop your town in the comments and we'll help you out 😊

27/04/2026

Proud to be a small local business in an amazing community 🌱🥦

03/03/2026

🌱 HIGH SCHOOL SEED PACKER JOBS – HIGHFIELDS (QLD) 🌱

We’re looking for a couple of reliable, hard-working high school students to join our small team at Survival Seeds.

📍 Location: Highfields, QLD (Toowoomba region)
This is an in-person role in our workshop — so you’ll need to be local.

This position offers 9–12 hours per week.

🕒 Shifts:
Three 3-hour after-school shifts each week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays), with occasional weekend work and extra hours available during school holidays.

Start times are flexible between 3:00–4:00pm, and we’re happy to work around school, sport and other commitments to find a time that suits each student.

📦 The work:
Simple manual packing work in our seed workshop.
You’ll need to work efficiently, stay focused, and be able to work independently.

✅ Must be 15 years or older

We’ll begin with one paid trial shift. If it’s a good fit, we’ll lock in regular times that work for both of us.

If you’re in the Highfields/Toowoomba area and interested (or know someone who might be), send me a message.

Stuart 🌱

Send a message to learn more

07/01/2026

2025: Growing More Than Seeds 🌱
A real reflection — the wins, the challenges, the failures, and the lessons in between.

Work and life have blurred, so this one’s a mix of both.
Our biggest year yet. Not the easiest — but I gave it a red-hot crack.

Heading into 2026 with more clarity, wind in my sails, and a deeper appreciation for the journey.

Read the full story: https://survivalseeds.com.au/blogs/blog/2025-growing-more-than-just-seeds

05/01/2026

Daisy helping Micah pack seeds 🥹🌱
I’ve got a feeling she’ll be asking for a pay rise in snacks and cuddles very soon — and she’s a seriously feisty toddler, so I wouldn’t be game to say no 😳
Micah is an absolute legend at making her feel part of it 💚
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30/12/2025

🎅🌱 Seed Santa is still (kind of) hard at work with loads of orders still coming in.

With the help of the amazing Bek, I’ve even managed to sneak in a good bit of downtime with the family — which I’m very grateful for.

Happy New Year to you all! 🎉
2025 has been our biggest year ever, and that’s 100% thanks to your support — whether it’s purchasing, sharing or commenting on our posts, or simply telling a mate about us. It all genuinely helps small businesses like ours, and we absolutely notice and appreciate it.

Keep an eye out for a “Year in Review” story coming soon (once I find the time to write it 😅).
2026 is going to be a big one 💪🌱

– Stuart 💚