Adelaide, SA · Summer
What to sow, plant, and harvest in Adelaide across December, January, February, the full seasonal list, in the order an almanac would lay it out.
Months
December, January, February
Crops to sow
6
Seedlings to plant
8
Climate
Mediterranean/Temperate
Summer in Adelaide is the harvest peak for fruiting crops, and a planting window only for the heat-tolerant, basil, late beans, succession lettuce in shade. The city sits in mediterranean/temperate territory, winter lows around 7°C, summer highs around 33°C, and the summer months (December, January, February) carry a recognisable rhythm that's worth knowing before you plant.
From seed in Adelaide this summer: Beans, Spring Onion, Beans (heat-tolerant), Basil, Beetroot, Radish. That's a long list, which is the upside of Adelaide's mediterranean/temperate conditions in summer, direct-sowing into raised beds gives you the best germination and the strongest root systems for the season ahead.
As seedlings in Adelaide this summer: Eggplant (last), Sweet Potato, Capsicum, Sweet Potato slips, Eggplant (heat-tolerant), Eggplant, Silverbeet, Lettuce (bolt-resistant). Buying seedlings from a local nursery shortens the calendar by 4-8 weeks compared to seed, which matters most in Adelaide's shoulder windows.
Harvesting in Adelaide this summer: Tomato, Zucchini, Cucumber, Beans, Garlic, Spring Onion, Basil, Capsicum, Eggplant. The harvest peak runs across the season's middle month, when warm-season crops planted in the previous shoulder are coming into full production.
Adelaide's extreme summer heatwaves (40°C+) can kill vegetable plants within hours, keep shadecloth on hand and water deeply the day before forecast heatwaves. The Adelaide Hills is its own microclimate, if you garden above 400m, treat your conditions more like Canberra and expect frosts from June to September. If you want the printable, see the full Adelaide planting calendar.
Adelaide's summer suits raised beds for the simple reason that raised beds drain faster and let you control the bed mix, both of which matter when the season's weather extremes try to either drown or bake your crops. The raised bed calculator sizes the bed; the companion planting guide fills it out.
For the month-by-month read, see the full Adelaide planting calendar. To convert this season's list into an exact bed plan for your household, Plant Planner reads your postcode, your bed dimensions, and your family size and does the maths.
Sow from seed
Plant as seedlings
Harvest
In Adelaide's summer (December, January, February), you can sow from seed: Beans, Spring Onion, Beans (heat-tolerant), Basil, Beetroot, Radish. From seedlings: Eggplant (last), Sweet Potato, Capsicum, Sweet Potato slips, Eggplant (heat-tolerant), Eggplant, Silverbeet, Lettuce (bolt-resistant).
Across Adelaide's summer months, you'll be harvesting: Tomato, Zucchini, Cucumber, Beans, Garlic, Spring Onion, Basil, Capsicum, Eggplant.
The strongest summer performer in Adelaide depends on what you already grow, but high-yield, low-effort choices include Eggplant (last), Sweet Potato, Capsicum. The full crop-by-crop guides are linked above.
Frost risk in Adelaide: Frost-free (plains), light frosts July-August in Hills. Frost is less of a concern in this season, heat protection and irrigation matter more.
Tell us your postcode and your bed size. We’ll lay it out, size it for your household, and email reminders the weekend before each task.
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