Spring · September · October · November
Warm-season cropsfinally let in.
Postcode-based planting dates include your local last-frost timing.
Best Spring Vegetables for Australian Gardens
Spring covers both the end of cool-season crops and the exciting start of warm-season growing. Timing varies by zone — always check with your last frost date before planting heat-loving crops outdoors.
Tomato
Warm seasonSeptember (indoor), Oct–Nov (plant out)
Zucchini
Warm seasonOct–Nov direct sow or seedling
Cucumber
Warm seasonOctober–November direct sow
Capsicum
Warm seasonSeptember (indoor), Nov (plant out)
Beans (French)
Warm seasonOctober–November direct sow
Sweet Corn
Warm seasonOctober–November, sow in blocks
Pumpkin
Warm seasonOctober–November, needs space
Eggplant
Warm seasonSeptember (indoor), Nov (plant out)
Basil
HerbOctober–November once frost has passed
Lettuce (succession)
Cool/transitionalSeptember through November, every 3 weeks
Peas (final)
Cool season (ending)Early September only, before heat
Spring Onion
Any seasonSeptember–November succession sow
Radish
Cool/transitionalFast-growing gap filler, Sept–Nov
Silverbeet
Cool/transitionalSeptember–October before heat
Sweet Potato
Warm seasonSlips from October–November
Last Frost Date by Postcode
Plant Planner looks up your postcode's historical frost data to give you a personalised last frost date — so you know exactly when it's safe to plant tomatoes outdoors.
Unlock FreeSpring Planting Calendar — September, October & November by Zone
Spring timing is highly variable across Australia. In tropical zones, spring is actually a challenging transition to the wet season. In cool zones, it's a race against a short summer window. Find your zone below.
🌴 Tropical Australia
Last frost: No frostSeptember
Wet season approaching. Wind down cool-season crops. Last peas, beans, brassicas. Heat is rising.
October
Humidity and heat building. Plant heat-tolerant crops only — sweet potato slips, okra, heat-resistant greens.
November
Wet season begins. Focus on wet-season crops: sweet potato, taro, tropical vegetables. Gardening slows.
Zone tip: Spring in the tropics is actually a challenging time — it marks the transition toward the wet season and extreme heat. This is opposite to southern Australian experience. Focus on harvesting everything from your dry-season garden and preserving or processing before the rains arrive in November–December. Use this time to set up composting systems and prepare beds for the next dry season.
☀️ Subtropical Australia
Last frost: August (last light frost)September
Excellent. Last peas and broccoli. Plant tomato seedlings from indoor starts. Beans, zucchini direct sow late September.
October
Full spring. Tomatoes, cucumber, beans, zucchini, capsicum, sweet corn. Succession lettuce continues.
November
Summer approaching. All warm-season crops in full production. Plant sweet potato slips. Last chance for new plantings.
Zone tip: Subtropical spring is the most exciting time in the garden. You get to enjoy the last of winter crops — harvesting broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach — while simultaneously planting summer abundance. September is your key month: get tomatoes in early so they establish before summer heat peaks in December–January. Mulch heavily from October as the weather warms.
🌸 Temperate Australia
Last frost: September (most areas)September
Soil warming. Start tomato, capsicum, eggplant seeds indoors. Harvest garlic scapes. Direct sow beetroot, carrot, lettuce, radish.
October
After last frost. Plant tomato seedlings out. Sow beans, cucumber, zucchini. Sweet corn in blocks. Succession lettuce.
November
Full swing. All summer crops in ground. Keep succession planting fast crops — radish, lettuce, beans. Mulch everything.
Zone tip: Temperate spring (September–November in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide) offers two simultaneous opportunities: harvesting the last of your winter garden and establishing the summer one. The golden rule is don't rush tomatoes and capsicum outdoors — one late frost will kill unprotected seedlings and set you back weeks. Wait for consistent overnight temperatures above 10°C, typically mid-October in most temperate cities.
🌱 Cool/Alpine Australia
Last frost: October–November (last frosts)September
Still risky for frost. Sow cold-hardy greens, peas, broad beans. Start tomatoes indoors under lights.
October
Frosts still possible. Harden off tomato seedlings. Direct sow lettuce, radish, beetroot in mild spells.
November
After last frost. Plant out tomatoes, beans, zucchini. Short summer season — don't waste a day.
Zone tip: Cool and alpine zones (Hobart, Ballarat, Orange, alpine Victoria) have the shortest spring in Australia. Frosts can hit as late as November, which compresses your warm-season window dramatically. This is why indoor seed starting in July and August is critical — by the time last frost passes in November, your tomato seedlings should be 10–12 weeks old and ready to hit the ground running. Every week counts in a cool-zone summer.
🏜️ Arid/Semi-arid Australia
Last frost: August–September (some areas)September
Temperatures rising fast from winter. Last cool-season crops. Begin warm-season seedlings — tomato, capsicum.
October
Warm and dry. Plant tomatoes, beans, cucumber, zucchini. Water deeply and mulch heavily. Heat arriving.
November
Summer heat beginning. All warm-season crops planted. Shade cloth may be needed. Water management critical.
Zone tip: Arid spring arrives suddenly — temperatures can go from ideal to extreme within weeks. The strategy here is to get warm-season crops in the ground by mid-October at the latest, so they establish a strong root system before summer heat peaks. Choose heat-tolerant varieties. Install drip irrigation or soaker hoses before planting — hand watering in arid summer heat is a losing battle.
| Climate Zone | Last Frost | September | October | November |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌴 Tropical | No frost | Wet season approaching. Wind down cool-season crops. Last peas, beans, brassicas. Heat is rising. | Humidity and heat building. Plant heat-tolerant crops only — sweet potato slips, okra, heat-resistant greens. | Wet season begins. Focus on wet-season crops: sweet potato, taro, tropical vegetables. Gardening slows. |
| ☀️ Subtropical | August (last light frost) | Excellent. Last peas and broccoli. Plant tomato seedlings from indoor starts. Beans, zucchini direct sow late September. | Full spring. Tomatoes, cucumber, beans, zucchini, capsicum, sweet corn. Succession lettuce continues. | Summer approaching. All warm-season crops in full production. Plant sweet potato slips. Last chance for new plantings. |
| 🌸 Temperate | September (most areas) | Soil warming. Start tomato, capsicum, eggplant seeds indoors. Harvest garlic scapes. Direct sow beetroot, carrot, lettuce, radish. | After last frost. Plant tomato seedlings out. Sow beans, cucumber, zucchini. Sweet corn in blocks. Succession lettuce. | Full swing. All summer crops in ground. Keep succession planting fast crops — radish, lettuce, beans. Mulch everything. |
| 🌱 Cool/Alpine | October–November (last frosts) | Still risky for frost. Sow cold-hardy greens, peas, broad beans. Start tomatoes indoors under lights. | Frosts still possible. Harden off tomato seedlings. Direct sow lettuce, radish, beetroot in mild spells. | After last frost. Plant out tomatoes, beans, zucchini. Short summer season — don't waste a day. |
| 🏜️ Arid/Semi-arid | August–September (some areas) | Temperatures rising fast from winter. Last cool-season crops. Begin warm-season seedlings — tomato, capsicum. | Warm and dry. Plant tomatoes, beans, cucumber, zucchini. Water deeply and mulch heavily. Heat arriving. | Summer heat beginning. All warm-season crops planted. Shade cloth may be needed. Water management critical. |
Succession Planting in Spring — The Key to Continuous Harvests
The most common mistake spring gardeners make is planting everything at once and then dealing with a massive glut followed by nothing. Succession planting — sowing small amounts every 2–4 weeks — solves this completely. Here are the best crops for succession planting in spring, with recommended intervals.
| Crop | Sow Interval |
|---|---|
| Lettuce | Every 2–3 weeks |
| Radish | Every 2 weeks |
| Spring Onion | Every 3–4 weeks |
| Beans (French) | Every 3 weeks Oct–Dec |
| Beetroot | Every 3–4 weeks |
| Basil | Every 4 weeks |
| Cucumber | Every 4 weeks Nov–Dec |
The Spacing Rule
A useful rule of thumb: sow a new batch of fast-growing crops when the previous batch reaches 5cm tall. For slower crops like beans or cucumber, sow the next batch when you see the first flowers on the current planting. This staggering ensures you always have crops at different stages of growth.
From the makers
Let Plant Planner Handle Your Spring Schedule
Input your postcode, bed dimensions, and family size. Plant Planner generates a complete spring-to-summer schedule with succession planting dates, quantities, and weekly reminders.
Preparing for Warm-Season Crops
Harden Off Indoor-Started Seedlings
Tomatoes, capsicum, and eggplant started indoors need gradual acclimatisation to outdoor conditions. Start by putting them outside for 2 hours on a calm, mild day. Increase by 2 hours each day over 10–14 days before planting out. Skipping this step causes transplant shock and sets plants back by weeks.
Deep Watering Before Mulching
Before laying spring mulch, water your beds deeply to a depth of 20–30cm. Then apply 8cm of straw, sugar cane mulch, or wood chips. This locks in moisture that will carry plants through October heat spikes. Mulch also suppresses the flush of spring weeds that appears when soil warms.
Improve Drainage After Winter Compaction
If your beds have had foot traffic around them or heavy winter rain, the soil structure may be compacted. Lightly fork the top 10cm and incorporate compost before spring planting. Never dig wet soil — wait until it passes the 'squeeze test' (squeeze a handful: it should hold shape but crumble when poked).
Calcium for Tomato Blossom End Rot Prevention
Blossom end rot (dark, sunken patches on the base of tomatoes) is caused by calcium deficiency or inconsistent watering — not by lack of calcium in soil. Prevent it by: watering consistently (not alternately dry-then-drowned), mulching to even out soil moisture, and avoiding over-fertilising with nitrogen which inhibits calcium uptake.
Don't Rush Your Tomatoes — It Never Pays
Every season, thousands of Australian gardeners plant tomatoes too early, lose them to a late frost or cold snap, and have to start again weeks behind where they could have been. The rule is simple: wait until nights are consistently above 10°C before planting tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, and beans outdoors. In Melbourne, that's typically mid-October. In Sydney, early October. In Brisbane, late September. In Hobart, November.
Meanwhile, use September to start seeds indoors, enrich your beds with compost and fertiliser, set up irrigation, install stakes and tomato cages, and plant cool-season crops that will finish before the summer crops need the space. A patient gardener with well-prepared beds who plants in October will outperform an eager gardener who loses seedlings in a September cold snap.