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Australia spans five distinct climate zones, and what you should plant this month in Darwin is completely different to what thrives in Melbourne or Hobart. Choose your city below for a complete 12-month planting calendar built around your local conditions: what to sow from seed, what to plant as seedlings, and what should be ready to harvest each month.
Covers all 8 major Australian cities across 4 climate zones.
Each city calendar includes a full 12-month sow, plant, and harvest guide with city-specific tips and the current month highlighted.
New South Wales
Plant now in August
Tomato (indoors), Capsicum (indoors), Eggplant (indoors), Broccoli, Cauliflower & more
Victoria
Plant now in August
Tomato (indoors), Capsicum (indoors), Eggplant (indoors), Onion seedlings, Leek & more
Queensland
Plant now in August
Tomato, Capsicum, Eggplant, Tomato, Capsicum & more
Western Australia
Plant now in August
Tomato, Capsicum, Eggplant, Tomato seedlings, Broccoli (last) & more
South Australia
Plant now in August
Tomato (indoors), Capsicum (indoors), Eggplant (indoors), Onion seedlings, Leek & more
Tasmania
Plant now in August
Tomato (indoors), Capsicum (indoors), Eggplant (indoors), Broad Beans (direct, mild spells), Onion seedlings (indoors) & more
Northern Territory
Plant now in August
Tomato (last dry season sowing), Beans, Cucumber, Tomato (last), Beans & more
Australian Capital Territory
Plant now in August
Tomato (indoors), Capsicum (indoors), Eggplant (indoors), Broad Beans (outdoors, late month), Onion seedlings (indoors) & more
Australia's vast geography creates dramatically different growing conditions. Understanding your climate zone is the foundation of any successful vegetable garden.
Four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are the key planting windows. Summers can be hot, winters mild to cool.
Mild winters are prime growing season. Warm, humid summers suit tropical crops but challenge cool-season vegetables.
Short frost-free season. Careful timing around frosts is essential. Cold winters produce outstanding brassicas and root crops.
Year divided by Wet and Dry seasons. The dry season (May-September) is the prime growing window for most vegetables.
Our month-by-month guide breaks down what to plant right now across all five Australian climate zones, from tropical Darwin to cool-alpine Hobart. Find out what's in season for your zone this August.
From the makers
City calendars tell you when to plant, Plant Planner tells you exactly how many plants to grow for your family, how to arrange them for maximum yield, and sends you reminders so you never miss a window.
Planting tomatoes in July in Melbourne is a waste of time and resources, they won't survive the frosts. But in Darwin or Brisbane, July is peak tomato season. Generic "Australian planting guides" miss these critical differences entirely.
Even within a city there are microclimates, a north-facing raised bed in a sheltered spot can be 3-5°C warmer than an exposed south-facing bed. Our city calendars provide the baseline; Plant Planner adjusts further for your exact postcode.
Planting at the optimal time for your city means seeds germinate faster, plants grow more vigorously, and yields are higher. Missing the right window by even 4 weeks can halve your harvest for that season.
These city calendars tell you when to plant, Plant Planner tells you exactly how many plants to grow for your family size, how to arrange them in your beds for maximum yield, which plants to place next to each other, and sends you reminders so you never miss a planting window again.
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The best planting calendar for Australia is one tailored to your specific climate zone. Australia has five distinct zones, tropical, subtropical, temperate, cool/alpine and arid, and each has different sowing and harvest windows. Our free calendar provides month-by-month sow, plant and harvest tables for all eight major capital cities.
It depends on your climate zone. In temperate zones (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide) autumn means planting brassicas, garlic, broad beans, peas and leafy greens; spring means tomatoes, capsicum, beans, zucchini and cucumber. Tropical zones (Darwin) plant the bulk of fruiting crops during the dry season (April-September). Open your city's calendar above for a complete monthly breakdown.
Australia's seasons are reversed (summer is December-February) and the country isn't divided by USDA-style hardiness zones, it's split into tropical, subtropical, temperate, cool and arid climate bands. Northern-hemisphere planting calendars are off by six months and miss these zones entirely, which is why following an overseas chart leads to crops planted at exactly the wrong time.
The two best windows to start are early autumn (March-April) for cool-season crops like brassicas, peas, garlic and leafy greens, and early spring (September-October, after your last frost) for warm-season crops like tomatoes, beans and zucchini. In subtropical and tropical zones you can start almost any time; check your city's calendar for the current month.
Yes, the full month-by-month calendar for every Australian capital city is free to view and print. No sign-up required. For a personalised plan that combines your postcode, bed size and family size, the Plant Planner free tier covers your first bed.
Tropical (Darwin, Cairns, Broome), Subtropical (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern NSW), Temperate (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide), Cool/Alpine (Canberra, Hobart, Blue Mountains), Arid (Alice Springs, Broken Hill). Your postcode is the most reliable way to determine zone, enter it on Plant Planner for a precise classification.