What and When To Plant in Australia

Australia has 5 climate regions with unique climatic conditions. So if you plan to grow fruits and vegetables, what and when to plant in Australia will depend on where you live.

What and When To Plant in Australia

Australia is one of the few countries that has 4 seasons but the climate varies throughout the eight states and territories. This means temperate conditions in each state may differ.

So if you plan to grow fruits and vegetables, what and when to plant in Australia will depend on where you live.

Australia has 5 climate regions with unique climatic conditions. It is important that you know which region you are included in so you would know when is the best time to plant and what plants suit your region’s climate condition.

Australia’s Climate Region

Tropical Region

The northern part of Australia is the tropical region where they experience wet and dry seasons.

Some of the areas included in this region are Port Hedland, Broome in Western Australia, Darwin and the top third of Northern Territory and North Queensland.

The type of temperate condition this region has, suggests that almost any plant can be grown, such as sweet potato and corn.

Sub-Tropical Region

This region includes Northern Rivers of New South Wales, across Brisbane and South East Queensland, up the Queensland coastline to the Whitsundays, then across into the Gascoyne region in Western Australia and down to Geraldton.

The temperate condition for this region is warm, humid summers and mild, dry winters that are best for carrots, oregano, turnips, radish, beetroot, silverbeets and chives.

Temperate Region

This region mostly experiences a warm summer and cool winter. And this covers the largest part of Australia, from Toowoomba and the Southern Downs in southern Queensland, down through eastern New South Wales including Sydney, the southern half of Victoria and Melbourne (excluding the cool/mountain regions, explained below), and across coastal South Australia and Western Australia taking in Adelaide and Perth.

Growing time for most of the plants are limited but for some plants like turnips, lettuce and radish is possible in this region.

Arid Region

This region experiences warm, dry and little to no rainfall. This spans from coastal Western Australia all the way over to the Great Dividing Range in Australia’s east. In this area are places like Kalgoorlie, Alice Springs and inland areas of Queensland.

The temperate condition that this region has is best in growing carrots, silverbeets, radish and spinach. For some other plants, it will all depend on the season.

Cool/Mountain Region

This region includes high areas of south-eastern New South Wales, high areas of Victoria, and the majority of Tasmania. These are the areas that often experience much colder winters than the rest of the country.

Temperate conditions in this region are mild to warm summers and frosty winters. Growing plants like strawberries, spring onions, garlic, peas, chilli and cauliflower is possible but can be challenging since they have limited planting windows.

To know more information about gardening in Australia, check out this complete guide. Like our Facebook page for more updates.