Vegetable Seeds

Our range of vegetable seeds in the UAE covers everything you need to plan a full kitchen garden, from salad leaves and root crops to tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and summer gourds. Each variety has been picked with UAE villas, rooftop beds and small farms in mind, where the cool season is short and the soil is sandy.

What’s in the vegetable seed range

• Tomatoes: cherry, Roma, Marmande, beef, cluster and the heirloom Principe Borghese drying tomato, plus hybrids such as Bavaria F1 and Dayana F1.
• Peppers and chillies: sweet bell peppers in red, yellow, orange and green, Italian and Spanish sweet types, cayenne and hot chillies.
• Cucumbers and squash: Marketmore, Ashley, Armenian cucumber, Beth Alpha gherkins, zucchini, Tigress squash, pumpkin, bottle gourd and bitter melon.
• Leafy greens: romaine and crisp lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale and pak choy.
• Roots and alliums: carrots, red and white radish, beetroot, red, white and spring onions, and leeks.
• Other favourites: cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, okra, sweet corn, green beans, peas, celery and black, purple and white eggplant.

Customer favourites include the Franchi Sementi red cherry tomato, Omaxe Pak Choy F1 Green Crysta, evergreen bunching onion seeds and Alta Selezione Erba Cipollina chive seeds.

UAE vegetable sowing calendar

The main vegetable season runs from roughly September or October to April. Summer heat of 45°C and above stops most crops from setting fruit, so timing matters more than variety.

• September–October: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and cucumbers, started in trays under light shade.
• October–December: lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, radish, beetroot, peas, onions and leeks.
• January–February: a second sowing of cucumbers, squash, beans and sweet corn for a spring harvest.
• March–April: okra, bottle gourd, bitter melon and Armenian cucumber, which cope with early summer heat.

How to choose vegetable seeds

Start with what your family eats most and how much space you have. Cherry tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and radish do well in large pots on a balcony. Pumpkins, melons, corn and gourds need open beds and plenty of water.

If you want heavy, uniform yields for a greenhouse or market garden, look at our Hybrid Seeds F1. If flavour and variety matter more, choose open-pollinated and organic lines such as Franchi Organic and Eco Organic. For winter greens, broccoli deserves a bed of its own – see our Broccoli Seeds. Pair vegetables with kitchen herbs from the Herbs section, or browse every packet in the main Seeds collection.

Growing vegetables in UAE conditions

• Mix compost or other organic matter into sandy soil before sowing; it holds moisture and helps buffer high pH.
• Root crops such as carrots and radish are best sown directly; tomatoes, peppers and eggplant transplant well from trays.
• Water early morning or evening and switch to drip irrigation once plants are established.
• Leafy crops are sensitive to salty water – flush beds now and then with good-quality water if leaf edges turn brown.
• Feed fruiting crops with a balanced, then potassium-rich, vegetable fertilizer once flowering starts.
• Watch for whitefly, aphids and leaf miners as the weather warms in spring; check the undersides of leaves regularly and act early.

Shoppers here often also look for broccoli seeds, vegetable fertilizers and F1 hybrid seeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which vegetables are easiest for beginners in the UAE?

Radish, lettuce, spinach, cherry tomatoes and okra are forgiving and quick to crop when sown in the right season.

Can I grow tomatoes in summer?

Plants often survive but rarely set fruit when temperatures stay well above 35°C. Sow in autumn or late winter for the best harvests.

Should I sow directly or in trays?

Sow root crops, peas, beans, corn and okra directly. Start tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cabbage and cauliflower in trays and transplant at four to six true leaves.

How long do vegetable seeds stay viable?

Kept sealed in a cool, dry place, most vegetable seeds last a couple of seasons. Avoid storing them in hot sheds or cars during summer.