Climate Zones for Australian Gardeners
Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zone will usually give you the best results in your garden.
How to Use Climate Zones
First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing times for our most popular seeds for each climate zone.
While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affect how your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how you care for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your garden better, go ahead and use it as a guide.
Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditions when planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons than gardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’ climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for each variety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.
Tropical
- Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
- High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
- Set as my climate
Arid
- Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
- Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
- Set as my climate
Subtropical
- Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
- Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
- Set as my climate
Temperate
- Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
- Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
- Set as my climate
Cool Temperate
- Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
- Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
- Set as my climate
Climate Zones FAQ
What if I can’t find my climate zone?
If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think of
an area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.
What if I live on the border of two zones?
If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide which
best describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow a
wider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!
What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. For
example, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or large
trees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a high
altitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide when
deciding which zone is relevant to you.
Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone?
While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they provide
general guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you get
a few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go –
gardening is all about experimenting after all!
Seeds included in 'Vegetables | Tropical Climate | Summer 2023' Seed Subscription:
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Capsicum- Golden Californian Wonder (Capsicum annuum)Capsicum is also known as "Sweet Pepper". Plants produce bell-like fruit that can be picked green or matured to a unique golden orange colour. Sweet flavour, ideal for salads. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Can be grown in containers. |
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Chilli- Bulgarian Carrot (Capsicum annuum)Vibrant orange, carrot-shaped Bulgarian peppers, up to 10cm. Medium heat with a sweet fruity flavour. Traditionally roasted or used in chutneys, salsas. Also known as "Shipkas". |
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Squash- Cucuzza (Lagenaria siceraria)An Italian gourd-like variety, eaten as a summer squash. Vigorous vines produce pale green, creamy white fleshed fruit. Young fruit tastes like zucchini, suitable for sautéing, grilling, pickling. Mature ones can be roasted or used in soup. |
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Okra- Clemson's Spineless (Abelmoschus esculentus)Annual growing to 100cm. Long, dark green, spineless pods best harvested when around 7-10cm long. Heavy producing. Pods can be used fresh or dried, most commonly used in soups and stews. Also known as "Gumbo". |
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Orach- Fire Red (Atriplex hortensis)Ancient leafy veg, a spinach substitute with similar taste. Dark purple/red leaves, eaten fresh or cooked. Ideal for stir-fry. Harvest whole at 30cm or pick leaves as needed. Heat tolerant, slow to bolt, poor soil tolerant. |
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Malabar Spinach- Green (Basella alba)Malabar spinach, a frost-tender perennial vine, is grown as an annual in cooler climates. It has soft stems, succulent leaves, and is a vigorous climber. The leaves resemble true spinach and are used as a substitute in salads and as a leaf vegetable. |
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Eggplant- Rosita (Solanum melongena)A 1940s Puerto Rican heirloom eggplant variety. Teardrop-shaped, lavender pink fruit with white shoulders. Grows to 120cm, prolific in hot climates. Sweet, mild white flesh with late-developing seeds. Tender skin. |
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Mustard Greens- Chirimen Hakarashi (Brassica juncea)Annual green vegetable with round stalks, curled leaves with serrated edges. Japanese variety, spicy flavour intensifies with maturity. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Ideal for microgreens, baby leaf. Easy, quick to grow. |
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Rockmelon- Honeydew (Cucumis melo)Summer vine fruit. Large round fruit growing to 20cm. Cream/white skin with thick, lime green flesh. Sweet flavour. Stores well. |
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Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)Perennial plant up to 50cm. Grows in clumps with long green leaves and white star flowers. Tastes like a mix of chives and garlic. Can be eaten raw or cooked; good in salads, sauces, stir-fries, and with fish, poultry, and eggs. Can be container-grown. |
Summer Gardening
Tips for gardening in summer:
- Watering: Learn when to water by using your index finger to check soil moisture. Scratch back a little of the surface soil and use your finger to see if soil is moist about 5cm below the surface; if it’s on the dry side, it’s time to water. Learn more here.
- Crop protection: As fruit and veggies develop they may need protection from burrowing insects, fruit fly, birds, possums or bats. Berries, fruit trees and soft fruit like tomatoes are especially at risk. Use insect exclusion netting, bird netting or fruit protection bags to protect crops. Ensure your netting is pegged or tied securely at the bottom to stop pests getting in.
Pests and diseases to look out for in summer:
- Aphids: Small, sap-sucking insects that congregate on the new shoots or the underside of leaves. They can cause leaves to wilt or become discoloured, and also excrete honeydew which can attract ants and other insect pests. To manage aphids, remove them by spraying with a garden hose, apply a soap or alcohol spray, or encourage predatory insects to your garden. Learn more.
- Whitefly: A sap-sucking insect related to aphids, whitefly are found in large numbers on the underside of leaves, and will swarm in clouds when disturbed. Plants may have yellowing leaves or may wilt, and growth will be slowed. Whitefly can be removed with a garden hose or sprayed with soap spray. Badly affected plants should be destroyed. Learn more.
- Fungal diseases: The combination of warm temperatures and summer humidity can form the perfect conditions for fungal diseases to spread. Water plants in the morning at ground level, avoiding wetting foliage wherever possible. Prune off affected foliage, space plants to allow more airflow, and treat fungal outbreaks with homemade or purchased sprays.