Growing regions
Curated regional growing profiles across Australia
GrowCal currently curates 31 Australian regional growing profiles. Your suburb or postcode resolves to one of them, and that profile is what generates your calendar.
Each published city has its own planting calendar hub built from the profile it resolves to.
Explore a few city calendars built from the same profile-backed data. These pages are available only where the month has enough dated schedule content to be useful.
New South Wales
Sydney Coastal
Warm temperate
Mild, frost-free coastal gardens with humid summers. Two strong planting pushes a year, and a long shoulder season either side of winter.
Sydney Inland & Western Sydney
Temperate, hot summers
Hotter summers and light winter frost compared with the coast. Shade and mulch matter through January and February.
NSW North Coast
Subtropical
Warm humid summers and mild dry winters. Winter is the premium vegetable season; summer favours heat-tolerant crops.
Hunter & Central Coast
Warm temperate
Coastal warmth with a warmer, drier inland valley pocket. Reliable spring and autumn planting windows.
NSW Tablelands
Cool temperate, frost-prone
Real frost and a short summer. Warm-season crops go in late, cool-season crops carry the rest of the year.
Riverina & Inland South
Semi-arid, hot dry summers and cold nights
Hot, dry summers with frosty winters. Autumn and early spring do the heavy lifting.
Western NSW
Arid / semi-arid
Low rainfall, extreme summer heat and cold nights. Water deeply, mulch heavily and avoid establishing seedlings mid-summer.
Australian Capital Territory
Canberra & the ACT
Cool temperate, frosty
Hard frosts, cold winters and hot dry summers. Start warm-season crops late and protect seedlings well into spring.
Victoria
Melbourne & Port Phillip
Cool temperate
Four distinct seasons with unreliable spring weather. Wait for stable warmth before planting out summer crops.
Gippsland
Cool temperate, higher rainfall
Reliable rainfall and mild summers. Excellent for brassicas, berries and pome fruit.
Southwest Victoria
Cool temperate, maritime
Cool, windy and wet. Shelter from the wind matters more than heat here.
Northern & Central Victoria
Temperate, hot dry summers
Hot dry summers and frosty winters. Strong autumn planting season.
Victorian High Country
Cold, short season
Snow, hard frost and a compressed summer. Everything warm-season starts under cover.
Mallee
Semi-arid
Very hot dry summers and low rainfall. Shade cloth and deep watering are essential from December.
Queensland
Brisbane, Gold Coast & SEQ Coastal
Subtropical
Warm humid summers, mild dry winters. Autumn through winter is the main vegetable season.
SEQ Hinterland & Toowoomba
Subtropical highland
Elevation softens the heat and adds winter frost. A little later than the coast for warm-season crops.
Wide Bay & Burnett
Subtropical
Warm, largely frost-free coastal country with a long growing season.
Central Queensland
Subtropical to dry tropical
Hot summers with variable rainfall. Winter is the most comfortable growing window.
Townsville & Dry Tropics
Tropical, dry
A distinct wet and dry season. The dry season carries the vegetable garden; the wet favours perennials.
Cairns & Wet Tropics
Tropical, humid
High humidity and heavy wet-season rain. Drainage, airflow and tropical staples are the priorities.
Inland Queensland
Semi-arid
Hot, dry and wide open. Plant into the cooler months and shelter anything tender.
South Australia
Adelaide & Mediterranean SA
Mediterranean temperate
Dry hot summers and mild wet winters. Autumn planting sets up the best of the year.
South East SA & Limestone Coast
Cool temperate maritime
Cool wet winters and mild summers around Mount Gambier and Naracoorte. Excellent for brassicas, berries and pome fruit.
Regional & Inland South Australia
Semi-arid to arid
Hot dry summers, cold nights and low rainfall across the Riverland, Mid North and outback SA. Shade, mulch and autumn planting matter most.
Western Australia
Perth & Swan Coastal Plain
Mediterranean
Sandy soils, dry summers and mild winters. Compost and mulch make the biggest difference here.
South West WA & Great Southern
Cool mediterranean
Wetter, cooler winters than Perth from Bunbury to Albany. A long, gentle growing season with reliable winter rain.
Wheatbelt, Goldfields & Inland WA
Semi-arid
Very hot, dry summers and frosty inland winters. Grow through the cooler months and shelter anything tender.
Kimberley, Pilbara & North West WA
Tropical, wet and dry
Broome, Karratha and Kununurra run on a wet and dry season rather than four seasons. The dry season is the main planting window.
Tasmania
Tasmania
Cool temperate
Cold winters, mild summers and a long light season. Superb for berries, brassicas and stone fruit.
Northern Territory
Darwin & Top End
Tropical monsoon
Build-up, wet and dry rather than four seasons. The dry season is the main planting window.
Alice Springs & Central Australia
Arid
Extreme heat, cold nights and very low rainfall. Shade structures and deep watering are non-negotiable.
Broad climate labels vs regional profiles
You'll see five broad Australian climate labels used around the site. They're a useful shorthand for recognising your conditions, but they are descriptive only. The curated regional profile above is what GrowCal uses to generate your dates.
Cool
Cold winters, mild summers, real frost risk.
Frost shapes the year. Warm-season crops go in late spring once the soil warms, while brassicas, peas and leafy greens thrive through the cooler months.
Typically: Hobart, Ballarat, Canberra, Armidale
Temperate
Four distinct seasons, light frost inland.
The most forgiving Australian growing pattern. Two big planting pushes each year — spring for summer crops and autumn for cool-season crops.
Typically: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth
Subtropical
Warm humid summers, mild dry winters.
Winter is the premium growing season. Summer humidity brings fungal pressure, so favour heat-tolerant varieties and keep airflow generous.
Typically: Brisbane, Coffs Harbour, Bundaberg
Tropical
Wet and dry seasons rather than four seasons.
The dry season (roughly April to September) is the main vegetable window. Through the wet, focus on perennials, tropical greens and drainage.
Typically: Cairns, Darwin, Townsville
Arid
Hot dry summers, cold nights, low rainfall.
Avoid establishing tender crops in peak summer heat. Autumn and early spring are the productive windows, with shade cloth and mulch doing the heavy lifting.
Typically: Alice Springs, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie
Ready to plan your year?
Enter your suburb, city or postcode and GrowCal will show you which regional profile you fall into.
Find my growing region