This Month · August 2026
What to plant this month, in your corner of Australia.
A single month means five different things depending on where you live. We sort what to sow, transplant, and harvest by your climate zone, so you’re never planting tomatoes a week before the first frost.
Enter your postcode below for dates tuned to your climate.
The five Australian growing zones, in short.
Tropical
Darwin, Cairns, Broome
Subtropical
Brisbane, Gold Coast
Temperate
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth
Cool / Alpine
Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat
Arid
Alice Springs, Broken Hill
The same calendar month means five different things across Australia’s climate zones, what to plant in August in Darwin is nothing like Hobart. Select your zone below, or enter your postcode for a fully personalised calendar.
Personalised Planting Calendar
Plant Planner uses your exact postcode to generate a 12-month schedule with precise sowing dates, quantities for your family size, and companion planting suggestions.
Unlock FreeTropical Australia
Darwin, Broome, Cairns, Townsville
Tropical Australia
Darwin, Broome, Cairns, Townsville
The tropics run on wet and dry seasons rather than four seasons. The dry season (roughly May-September) is the prime growing window, when humidity drops and most vegetables thrive.
Sow from Seed
Plant as Seedlings
Ready to Harvest
August tip for Tropical: Late dry season, temperatures rising, perfect for getting heat-loving crops established before the wet season arrives. Make the most of the last ideal growing weeks. Harvest all brassicas before September heat arrives.
Subtropical Australia
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Lismore, Coffs Harbour
Subtropical Australia
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Lismore, Coffs Harbour
Mild winters are the peak growing season in subtropical Australia. Warm, humid summers suit heat-loving crops but make cool-season vegetables harder to grow.
Sow from Seed
Plant as Seedlings
Ready to Harvest
August tip for Subtropical: Spring is approaching, start warm-season crops indoors now for transplanting in September. August is the last month to plant brassicas with success. Begin hardening off tomato and capsicum seedlings. Harvests of winter crops are at peak.
Temperate Australia
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide
Temperate Australia
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide
Four distinct seasons, with spring and autumn the key planting windows. Summers can be hot and winters mild to cool, most of Australia's gardeners live here.
Sow from Seed
Plant as Seedlings
Ready to Harvest
August tip for Temperate: Spring is coming, start tomato and capsicum seeds indoors in late August for transplanting in October. Soil is warming, peas germinate faster. Broad bean flowers appear, don't remove the growing tips until fully infested with aphids, as this concentrates growth.
Cool/Alpine Australia
Hobart, Launceston, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Alpine Victoria
Cool/Alpine Australia
Hobart, Launceston, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Alpine Victoria
A short frost-free season means timing around frosts is everything. Cold winters reward patient gardeners with outstanding brassicas and root crops.
Sow from Seed
Plant as Seedlings
Ready to Harvest
August tip for Cool/Alpine: Spring is coming but frosts still occur, be patient. Start tomato and capsicum seeds in a heated propagator or indoors now for October transplanting. Peas can go in under cover or cloches. The soil is cold but warming daily after the August equinox.
Arid/Semi-arid Australia
Alice Springs, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta, Mildura
Arid/Semi-arid Australia
Alice Springs, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta, Mildura
Extreme summer heat means the cooler months (April-September) are the main growing season, with efficient irrigation and heavy mulching essential year-round.
Sow from Seed
Plant as Seedlings
Ready to Harvest
August tip for Arid/Semi-arid: Start warm-season crops early, arid summer heat arrives fast. Tomatoes and capsicum sown in August will produce from October through December before the Christmas heat shuts them down. This is the key transition month.
From the makers
Get a Personalised Plan for Your Garden
Enter your postcode, bed dimensions, and family size, Plant Planner generates a complete 12-month calendar with exact planting dates and weekly email reminders.
General August Gardening Tips
Keep beds working
Winter is brassica and leafy-green season, kale, cabbage, broccoli, spinach and silverbeet power through the cold. Don't leave beds bare.
Start spring seedlings indoors
From late winter, start tomato, capsicum and eggplant seedlings on a warm windowsill or heated propagator, ready to plant out after your last frost.
Make the most of low sun
Plant in the sunniest, most sheltered spot and keep crops weeded, every hour of weak winter sun counts. North-facing beds against a wall stay warmest.
Last call for garlic and onions
In temperate zones, get garlic and onion seedlings in by early winter. Broad beans and peas can still go in for a spring harvest.
The complete guide to what to plant now in Australia
Timing is everything in an Australian veggie garden. Here is how to decide what to plant this month, based on your zone, your frost dates, and what you want to harvest.
How Australian planting seasons work
Unlike the US or UK, Australia's climate is not divided by hardiness zones, it is divided by Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate, Cool, and Arid climate bands. That means "what to plant now" in Darwin is completely different from Hobart, even in the same month. Always start by identifying your climate zone (enter your postcode above) before following generic planting calendars.
Cool-season vs warm-season crops
Australian vegetables fall into two rough groups:
- Cool-season crops (brassicas, alliums, peas, broad beans, leafy greens, root veg): planted late summer to autumn for winter/spring harvest in temperate and cool zones; planted through winter in subtropical/tropical zones.
- Warm-season crops (tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, cucurbits, sweet corn, beans): planted after last frost in spring for summer harvest in most zones; planted at start of dry season in tropics (April-May).
Frost dates and why they matter
Warm-season crops (tomatoes, basil, beans, zucchini) die at the first frost. In Melbourne, average last frost is around mid-October; in Hobart, early November; in Canberra, mid-November. Plant Planner uses your postcode to look up your local frost dates and automatically shifts your planting schedule, so you never plant tomatoes too early and lose them to a late frost.
Month-by-month planting priorities
- January-February: Sow brassicas and leafy greens for autumn. Harvest summer crops.
- March-April: Plant garlic, broad beans, peas, winter brassicas. Last chance for quick crops like radish.
- May-June: Garlic and onion last call in temperate. Harvest citrus. Plan spring seed orders.
- July-August: Start tomato, capsicum, eggplant seedlings indoors. Direct-sow peas and broad beans in cool zones.
- September-October: After last frost, plant out warm-season seedlings. Sow beans, corn, zucchini direct.
- November-December: Succession-sow beans, lettuce, coriander. Stake tomatoes, mulch heavily.
What to plant in raised beds right now
Raised beds warm up faster and drain better, which means you can plant cool-season crops 1-2 weeks earlier than in-ground gardens. For a 1m × 2m raised bed in a temperate zone right now, a good mix is: 4 broccoli plants, 6 lettuces, 1 row of silverbeet, 1 row of spinach, and a block of garlic along the edge. See our raised bed calculator for exact plant counts for your bed size.
Companion planting for your current plant list
Whatever you plant this month, pair it with the right companions. Brassicas love dill, rosemary, and nasturtiums. Tomatoes thrive next to basil and marigold. Avoid planting brassicas with tomatoes, or onions with peas. Our companion planting guide covers every supported crop, and Plant Planner auto-fills your beds with good companions so you never have to memorise the chart.
Succession planting: don't plant it all at once
A classic beginner mistake is planting all your lettuce on the same day, you end up with 12 lettuces at once, then nothing. Instead, sow a small batch every 2-3 weeks. Plant Planner builds succession planting into your schedule automatically, so you harvest continuously instead of in gluts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegetables should I plant in August in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone. In temperate areas (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth) plant Peas, Spinach, Lettuce, Radish, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage. In subtropical Queensland, plant Tomato, Capsicum, Basil, Peas, Broccoli (last), Cauliflower (last). In the tropics (Darwin, Cairns), sow Beans, Carrot, Beetroot, Radish, Lettuce. In cool and alpine zones (Hobart, Canberra), focus on Broad Beans (outdoors, late month), Peas (under cover), Spinach, Kale, Onion seedlings (if started early).
How do I find my Australian climate zone?
Australia has five growing zones, tropical (Darwin, Cairns), subtropical (Brisbane, Gold Coast), temperate (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth), cool/alpine (Hobart, Canberra) and arid (Alice Springs, Broken Hill). Your postcode is the most reliable guide: enter it on Plant Planner for a precise classification and planting dates tuned to your exact location.
What grows best in raised beds in Australia?
Raised beds warm faster and drain better than in-ground gardens, so you can plant 1-2 weeks earlier. The most reliable raised-bed crops are leafy greens (lettuce, kale, silverbeet, spinach, Asian greens), brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), root vegetables (carrot, beetroot, radish), legumes (peas, broad beans), alliums (garlic, leek, onion) and herbs. A 30 cm-deep bed insulates roots from frost.
Why does what to plant depend on where I live in Australia?
Australia isn't divided by hardiness zones like the US, it's split into tropical, subtropical, temperate, cool and arid climate bands. The same calendar month means five different things: while temperate gardeners plant winter brassicas, the tropics are entering their main dry-season growing window. Always identify your zone before following any planting calendar.