Sydney Vegetable Planting Guide for 2024

Are you a Sydneysider getting serious about gardening? Look no further, our Sydney vegetable planting guide is here to offer tons of tips on what to grow and when, because as we know, veggies can be temperamental.

Growing veggies on your own can be both fun and extremely gratifying. On top of that, when it comes to frugal living in Australia, there’s nothing that cuts costs quite like growing your own produce.

Different regions of Australia will require different gardening methods. Even a planting guide for Melbourne, under 1,000 kilometres away, will involve different techniques.

The good news is that Sydney has some of the best planting weather for vegetables. With mild winters and warm, sunny summers, the climate means tons of fresh veggies all year round.

Whether you’re living in a Sydney rental and can only have an indoor garden, or have your own big backyard, you have tons of options.

You can plant beans and sweet corn in the summer, and then in winter some silver beet and sweet potato. Imagine how amazing soups and salads will be throughout the seasons!

Related articles:

• The 6 Best Vegetables and Plants to Plant in Winter
• Best Bird Attracting Plants For Your Garden
• How to Start Backyard Veggie Patches That Will Survive Winter

Sydney vegetable planting calendar

Here’s a vegetable planting calendar of the types you can grow throughout the year. Print this out and tape it to the fridge of your Sydney home so you can prepare your vegetable garden for all seasons.

What is the best climate for gardening?

As we experience all four seasons in Sydney, the vegetables we grow will evolve throughout the year. Sydney has a lovely, stable climate without severe seasons. This is ideal for plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables!

During the winter, as the temperature cools, the growth of your vegetable garden will slow down and you won’t need to tend to it as much.

Then in the summer, things get heated and your veggies are in growing season again. So come September, with the arrival of spring, you’ll see your garden come back alive and at a rapid pace and when you can take advantage of our spring gardening tips.

While this means the abundance in your garden, it also means you’ll be spending more time maintaining, weeding, planting and mowing.

Here are some tips to keep your garden happy and healthy:

• Clear any weeds which can absorb the nutrients that your plants should be getting.
• Ensure your garden is mulched to keep the moisture in and keep out weeds.
• Start your own compost and use it in your garden. It provides tons of good stuff for your garden and is environmentally friendly too!
• For maintaining your garden in summer such as preventing overheating take a look at these 8 additional tips
• Or perhaps for winter planting needs consider planting these plants

What zone is Sydney for gardening?

Sydney is located in a warm temperate zone of Australia. This zone also encompasses the NSW southern tablelands and to Coffs Harbour in the north, as well as inland Queensland.

With the ocean regulating the temperature in more extreme seasons, you can grow a range of different plants. Fruit trees, for instance, grow well in winter, and cabbage and parsnip grow sweeter in the cold.

What can I plant in my garden now in Sydney?

Of course, the answer to this question will vary over the time of year. We’d recommend referring to our calendar for ideas on what to plant during your desired period. Generally, these are the herbs and vegetables that are common in most gardens.

Herbs to plant in your garden

Basil, chives, coriander, fennel, gotu kola, heliotrope, lovage, mint, parsley and tarragon.

Fruits and vegetables to plant in your garden

Plant beans (dwarf and climbing), beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chicory, chilli, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, endive, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, okra, parsnip, potato (tubers), radish, rhubarb (crowns), shallots, silver beet, spring onion, sweet corn, sweet potato and zucchini.

In what order should vegetables be planted in a garden?

Gardening enthusiasts will encourage planting your vegetables according to the weather. So if you’re a beginner and starting right now, we’d recommend planting the winter vegetables first, like English spinach, cabbage, onion, broccoli, lettuce and root vegetables.

Cool weather vegetables do best when it’s more temperate and less humid/balmy.

Once you’ve planted those, go for the classic summer vegetables like squash, beans, tomatoes and corn. These thrive when the temperature is above 15 degrees celcius. One of the best hot weather herbs is basil if it stays hydrated!

Pro tip: For the tomato, plant seedlings once the cold has fully passed to ensure healthy, happy fruit.

What vegetables are easy growing?

We’re not all born with green thumbs! So if you’re a novice gardener, looking to harvest from your own garden (an absolute treat!), there are certain vegetables that are easy growing—great beginner plants:

Lettuce

Lettuce is one of the easiest plants to grow in your garden. Whether you’re sowing it into a garden bed or growing it in your home, lettuce is an all-season veggie. You can also choose from tons of varieties and colours.

Keep it in full sun. Then, whenever you’re ready to harvest, just cut off what you need and let the same plant continue to grow. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Kale

We love that this super food is so easy to plant and cultivate in your garden. It’s a sturdy plant, that can withstand a range of temperatures. In fact, colder temperatures give it more sweetness.

You can also plant other members of the kale family like collards and mustards.

Just note, it may not withstand extreme heat. So if it struggles in the summer, you can replant when it cools down.

Green beans

Bush beans (snap beans) and pole beans (French beans) are actually super easy to grow. If you keep the soil moist and warm, you can grow varieties throughout the year.

Go with lima beans and asparagus beans in the summer and snap beans in the winter.

Cucumbers

The humble cucumber is one of our favourite vegetables to plant because it has large yields. Take good care of it, by feeding it nitrogen and planting it near a fence or wall for support, and it will continue to feed you.

Pro tip: if you’re also planting corn, we recommend putting those two together. Corn absorbs the heat which can disturb the growth of cucumbers.

Radishes

Radishes have tons of benefits. Firstly, they grow fast, sometimes within a month of plating. Secondly, they don’t need that much space to grow. Just plant them as soon as it gets hot and you’ll have delicious radishes all summer.

Pro tip: Mix your radish seeds with carrot seeds. They grow in harmony, with the radish initially breaking through the soil to pave the way for the carrot.

Carrots

Carrots are one of our all-time favourites because they grow all year long. Experiment with different varieties, from the classic orange, to white and purple.

Just make sure the carrot’s soil is fertile, loose and soft instead of rocky and hard. This nurtures them into long, healthy veggies.

Peas

Peas are simple, healthy and delicious. But they’re best planted at the end of spring and in preparation for the summer. Snow peas do well in autumn.

There is a particular sowing method to maximise on growth so read up before you get your gloves on.