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Planting Calendar

Vegetable Planting Calendar for Tasmania

Note this is a general guide. If you are in Hobart you may start earlier than the Huon Valley for instance. When in doubt, wait a few weeks. Note seasons are not always the same, some Springs are warm, some are nasty. View failures as part of the fun of Gardening. The best calendar is the one you create for your garden over years of experience. Some of the below is from my experiences. I can be wrong!! 

For areas outside of Tasmania, refer to local resources. I  am not an expert in Canberra, Sydney etc so no point me trying to list what to sow when.

June  (winter is here, frosty) 

  • Rest up, maybe add some compost to you beds so they settle in before the planting season ahead. Organise your seeds for the coming season (especially the Tomato, Capsicum, Chilli, Eggplant and Onions which go in next month on a hot bed). Watch a good movie, enjoy good coffee!
  • Ok to sow is spring onions, shallots, spinach, have a go add some asian greens, chervil, radish, Broad beans  (note some of these will be short crops. will grow slowly and bolt in spring).
  • GET YOUR CERTIFIED POTATO SEED before they sell out

July

(cold soils, bleak weather fronts, frosty)snow
  • Broad beans
  • Spring Onions
  • long day onions (best started indoors to plant out in Sept in cold wet soils)
  • mid to late in month can start Tomato, Chilli, Capsicum and Eggplant on a heatmat (ideally around 22 degrees C – find them on ebay for $30 ish ) – These are for those that will be grown in a hothouse (Tomatoes plant out in hothouse mid to late Sept, Chilli, Caps and eggplant late Oct to Nov).

August 

(still cold soils, some of the below is better delayed in cooler parts of Tasmania as cold periods stress seedlings into bolting – start  indoors or protect with fleece outside, some frosts)

*Some of these best sown under agricultural fleece or indoors and planted out after risk of frost has past. This is due to frosty nights on some of these young seedlings germinating can cause them to bolt prematurely.

IN THE GARDEN: Note veggies growing such as Carrot, parsnip, Beetroot and others will begin their journey to flowering as the soil begins to warm. Harvest them an any sign of a flower!

September

(starting to see some warmer days, soils warming, still get bleak cold fronts, winds and some frosts in many parts)

*Note: Frosts are the limiting factor for a variety of  veg in Sept. Lettuce can handle a light frost but a hard frost will set them back. Many Brassicas may go to flower if frost hits them (I use fleece to cover). Old bed sheets are handy to throw over on forecast frosty nights or simply wait. It depends on how much food you want to grow. Market Gardeners around the world use fleece in order to keep food growing. Silverbeet best delayed and sown mid October on as cold nights (and frost) can tell them to go to flower (same for Kale).

October

(warming up but cold fronts and wind can still wreak havoc, often end of average frost risk mid month)

November

(tricky month,  some warm periods and possible cold periods – protection needed over cool periods to protect summer plants, winds can be gusty at times).

Note: We still get many cold nights or cold fronts along with warmer days/nights during November. I highly recommend you at least use those plastic tree guards if planting outside (Mitre10/Bunnings have them) around your Tomatoes, Chilli, Capsicums, Eggplant, Cucumber to offer additional protection from cold nights (>5C for Toms, <10C for others) to give your the greatest chance of success and yields. Laying some black plastic down will also help keep soils warmer (great for storage pumpkins) which is an issue when we have cool springs. We aimto provide maximum days to maturity but that first 30 to 45 days can be a challenge.

Summer lovers that experience cool soils are set back thus the most you can do to provide protection and warmer soils the better. 

    • Amaranth
    • Asparagus (Ideally last month to sow)
    • Artichokes
    • Beetroot
    • French Beans (a cool period may drop soil temps and you will need to resow)
    • Runner beans
    • Broccoli
    • Broccoli Raab
    • Brussels Sprouts (start indoors late in the month for late season sprouts and plant out in 4 weeks or direct sow late month)
    • Cabbage
    • Capsicum (plant out seedlings – black plastic isbest  outside to maintain soil temp)
    • Carrot
    • Cauliflower (delay if still long cold spells)
    • Celery ( later in month)
    • Chicory
    • Chilli (plant out seedlings – black plastic is best outside to maintain soil temp)
    • Endive
    • Corn (plant out or sow – best to have crop in by end of month)
    • Cress
    • Cucumber (plant out seedlings – black plastic is best  outside to maintain soil temp)
    • Eggplant (plant out seedlings mid  month – black plastic is best outside to maintain soil temp)
    • Fennel (for leaves)
    • Kale
    • Lettuce
    • Leeks
    • Nasturtium 
    • Oca tubers
    • Okra
    • Orach / Mountain Spinach 
    • Parsnip
    • Parsley
    • Pea / Snow Peas (last month, ideally sow by end of October)
    • Pumpkin (plant out seedlings mid month – black plastic is best outside to maintain soil temp, sow seed when a warm week forecast)
    • Radish (keep water up – pick when smaller)
    • Rhubarb
    • Rocket(Wild Rocket is slower to germinate but slower to bolt in warmer weather than Salad Rocket)
    • Salsify
    • Shiso/Perilla (treat like basil for temperature requirements)
    • Silverbeet 
    • Spinach (plant summer tolerant varieties)
    • Spring Onions
    • Swedes (best swedes are those maturing in autumn/winter)
    • Tomato/Tomatillo (try sowing or plant out seedlings – protect on  cold days or nights<5 degrees C) Note where I am in the Huon, Around Nov 15-20 has been on avg the best time to plant out tomatoes)
    • Turnips
    • Watermelon/Rockmelons (Start on heat mat indoors – plant out on black  plastic later part of month)
    • Zucchini

December

(many warmer days, but cold front can still be a pain)
  • Amaranth
  • Asparagus (bit late but worth a shot earlier in month – seedlings fine)
  • Artichokes
  • Beetroot
  • French Beans (pick when a warm week is forecast)
  • Runner beans
  • Broccoli(varieties like Amadeus or Belstar)
  • Purple Sprouting Broccoli (for large plants)Brussels Sprouts (get them going for tall plants and high winter yields)
  • Cabbage
  • Capsicum (plant out seedlings, put black plastic on ground, cut an X and plant. Bit late now to sow)
  • Carrot
  • Cauliflower 
  • Celery and Celeriac
  • Chicory
  • Chilli (same as Capsicum)
  • Endive
  • Collards (later in month earliest)
  • Corn (make sowing no later than mid month)
  • Cress
  • Cucumber (plant out seedlings – last chance to sow seed but getting late)
  • Eggplant (plant out seedlings only, bit late to sow)
  • Fennel (for leaves)
  • Kale
  • Lettuce 
  • Leeks

  • Nasturtium 

  • Oca tubers
  • Okra
  • Orach / Mountain Spinach 
  • Parsnip
  • Parsley
  • Pumpkin (plant out seedlings – black plastic is best outside to maintain soil temp, sow into a cut X) 
  • Radish (keep water up – pick when smaller)
  • Rhubarb

  • Rocket (Wild Rocket is slower to germinate but slower to bolt in warmer weather than Salad Rocket)

  • Salsify
  • Shiso/Perilla (treat like basil for temperature requirements)
  • Silverbeet 
  • Spinach (plant summer tolerant varieties)
  • Spring Onions
  • Swedes
  • Tomato/Tomatillo (try sowing or plant out seedlings (aim to sow no later than first week and seedlings in by mid month latest, this is getting late for ripening (March) – protect on  cold days or nights<5 degrees C)
  • Turnips
  • Watermelon/Rockmelons (plant out on black  plastic, really want to have started seed by now)
  • Zucchini 

January

(A fairly stable month as Tasmania goes, one of the warmest months)

February

(critical month for autumn/winter harvests, sometimes the warmest month of the year)
  • Asian Greens (mid month on – Choi Sum, Gai and Kai Lan, Chinese Cabbage, Hon Tsai Tai, Mizuna, Mibuna etc)
  • Beetroot
  • Broccoli 
  • Brussels Sprouts (last month to sow – won’t be tall plants mid winter but you will get some sprouts)
  • Cabbage
  • Carrot (last month to sow for decent size winter carrots)
  • Cauliflower 
  • Celery and Celeriac (sow earlier in month)
  • Chicory
  • Endive
  • Collards 
  • Corn Salad
  • Cress
  • Fennel (for leaves and bulbing fennel – can bolt if dry and warm)
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Lettuce 
  • Leeks (last month to sow)
  • Miners Lettuce
  • Mustard Greens
  • Parsnip (last month to sow)
  • Parsley (last month to sow)
  • Radish (keep water up – pick when smaller)
  • Raddicchio
  • Rocket (Wild Rocket is slower to germinate but slower to bolt in warmer weather than Salad Rocket)
  • Salsify
  • Silverbeet (last month to sow)
  • Spinach 
  • Spring Onions
  • Swede (last month to sow)
  • Turnip
  • Watercress

March

(warm but some colder nights, Tomato picking should be going strong, last chance for many sowings for winter – do earlier in month except for Spinach, Asian Greens)
  • Asian Greens (Choi Sum, Gai and Kai Lan, Chinese Cabbage, Hon Tsai Tai, Mizuna, Mibuna etc) This is a great month for sowing these.
  • Beetroot
  • Beetroot
  • Broccoli (earliest in month to sow but seedlings best option)
  • Broccoli Raab (Broccolini like)
  • Brussels Sprouts (would only plant seedlings and except small yield)
  • Cabbage (only plant seedlings)
  • Carrot (last month to sow for smaller size winter carrots)
  • Cauliflower (earliest in month to sow but seedlings best option)
  • Celery and Celeriac (only seedlings now)
  • Chicory (seedlings better option)
  • Endive (seedlings better option)
  • Caraway
  • Chervil
  • Collards 
  • Coriander
  • Corn Salad
  • Cress
  • Dill
  • Fennel (for leaves and bulbing fennel)
  • Garlic (check your type of garlic for best planting times – ie: is it a turban, artichoke)
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Landcress
  • Lettuce 
  • Leeks (last month to sow)
  • Miners Lettuce
  • Mustard Greens
  • Parsnip (it is late to sow but have a go)
  • Parsley (Seedlings best bet)
  • Radish (keep water up – pick when smaller)
  • Raddicchio (sow earliest in month, Seedlings best bet)
  • Rocket  
  • Salsify (best to sow in Feb unless in warmest locations)
  • Silverbeet (Seedlings best bet)
  • Spinach 
  • Spring Onions
  • Swede (Seedlings best bet)
  • Turnip
  • Watercress

April

(many wintery days, expected first frost often in this month)
  • Asian Greens (Choi Sum, Gai and Kai Lan, Chinese Cabbage, Hon Tsai Tai, Mizuna, Mibuna etc)
  • Broad beans
  • Broccoli Raab
  • late seedlings of Broccoli, Cauliflower and  cabbages but can be a tad late depending on weather the next month.
  • Cress
  • Corn Salad
  • Coriander
  • Garlic (check your type of garlic for best planting times – ie: is it a turban, artichoke)
  • Rocket 
  • Spring Onions
  • Spinach
  • Seedlings of many of the March items.
  • May
  • (losing sunlight, some frosts start hitting, coolish nights)
  • Garlic
  • Broad beans
  • Asian Greens
  • Spinach
  • Cress
  • Coriander
  • Corn Salad
  • Shallots/ Spring Onions

(Buy your certified seed potato before shops run out. You get pick of the best now and the varieties you really want)

Some useful Links

Charles Dowding no dig youtube channel

Follow Bruce in Ireland at Red Gardens

Facebook Tasmania Gardening Page

Gardening Know How

Tomato Legend – Craig LeHoullier 

Plants database

GrowVeg

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