Autumn Planting Calendar

The following guide will help you identify what to plant and when to plant it.

To ensure a continuous supply of fresh vegetables, make sure you stagger the planting to extent the harvest.

Spring Planting Calendar | Summer Planting Calendar | Autumn Planting Calendar | Winter Planting Calendar

Plant Description March April May
Amaranth Sow seeds directly into rows, amaranth is a vigouros grower, plant when danger of frosts are over. Pick before seed heads mature to avoid self seeding. A soil rich in humus, well drained and a sunny position is best tick tick .
Broad Beans Sow seeds directly 5cm apart in rows 1 mtr apart. Water once after planting seeds and don’t water until the shoots have appeared. Likes full sunlight in beds of alkaline soil. Can be harvested as young beans or wait until the beans have matured for longer keeping. tick tick tick
Bush and climbing beans Sow seeds directly into soil after last frost. Ensure soil is prepared with a sprinkling of lime one month before sowing. Plant successive seeds to ensure a continuous supply. Harvesting starts in about 10 – 12 weeks of planting. tick tick .
Beetroot Sow all year round for continuous supply. Soak seeds for an hour before planting to assist germination, and give the your beets plenty of water to encourage larger, tenter roots. Leaves make a nutricious addition to salads and bulb can be eaten raw or cooked. tick tick tick
Broccoli Sow seeds 8cm apart, 1.5cm deep into garden beds prepared with manures and fertilisers. Harvest when buds are large and firm but not yet flowering. tick tick tick
Brussels Sprouts Germinate in seed boxes and plant out seedlings when 10cm tall. Ensure that the soil is free draining as they will not grow in waterlogged soil. tick tick tick
Cabbage Grown all year round but the head will split in extreme heat. Germinate in seed boxes then transplant when seedlings are 5-6 weeks old. Varieties take around 14-16 weeks to mature. tick tick tick
Capsicum Germinate seeds in seed box before planting out into well fertilised soil about 50cm apart. Fruit fly prone so preventative measures will be necessary during fruit fly season tick . .
Carrot Sow seeds 6mm deep in furrows 25cm apart. When seedlings are 5cm high, thin out to 2cm apart. When remaining seedlings are 15cm high, thin out to 5cm apart. These discarded seedlings can be eaten as baby carrots. tick tick tick
Cauliflower Sow seeds 1cm deep, spaced about 65cm apart. Use different varieties with different maturing dates to extend the cropping season. Harvesting usually takes place 4-5 months after planting. tick tick .
Celery Plant seeds directly in trenches 10cm deep with 25cm between plants. Seed germination is poor so plant extra seeds and thin as required. Celery requires plenty of water from seedling to maturity or it will becomre stunted, stringy and tasteless. Harvest in 4-5 months tick tick tick
Chilli Germinate seeds in seed box before planting out into well fertilised soil about 50cm apart. Fruit fly prone so preventative measures will be necessary during fruit fly season tick . .
Endive Salad vegetable similar to lettuce. Plant seeds 5mm deep in rows 50cm apart. After germination, thin plants to 30cm apart. Before harvesting, cover plants with a layer of straw for several weeks to reduce bitterness tick tick tick
Kale Raise seedlings in a seed tray before transplanting into the garden. Sow Kale can be either direct seeded into the garden or transplanted as seedlings. For direct seeding, sow about 1 cm deep and about 30-45 cm apart. Three or four seeds can be planted together and thinned out at the two-leaf stage. Plants should be ready for harvest in around 2 months, depending on weather conditions and variety. Young leaves can be used fresh in salads or mature leaves can be used as a cooked green. tick tick tick
Kohl Rabi Plant seeds directly into well fertilised beds. This seeds to 10cm apart when 5cm high. The leaves are edible but the plant is primarily grown for the root. Harvest around 8 – 10 weeks after planting when the root is approx 5-7cm in diameter tick tick tick
Leek Germinate seeds in a seed-raising box and transplant seedlingswhen they are approx 25cm tall, 10cm apart into rows 15cm apart. A slow growing crop, harvesting of leeks can take 5 months to harvest large stems. Leeks can be harvested earlier if required. tick . .
Lettuce For best results, plant the seeds or seedlings into beds prepared with lots of nitrogen to encourage fast growth. Distance between plants is dependent on which variety is planted. For longer gropping, plant the loose-leaf varieties so you can pick the leaves you need when you need them. tick tick tick
Onion Onions prefer an alkaline soil so apply Lime a week before planting. Sow directly into ground or transplant seedlings 8cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Plant different maturing varieties to provide longer cropping time. tick tick tick
Parsnip Ensure you prepare the garden bed with a deep digging to allow for the long tap root. Plant seeds approx 1cm deep in rows 40cm apart. Takes approx 4-5 months to reach full maturity. tick tick tick
Pea Peas are an attractive addition to any vege garden. Sow seeds directly into alkaline soil 3cm deep 5cm apart. Succession planting every 2-3 weeks will extend cropping times. Ensure the plant has a trellis or frame to climb on, Harvest with pods are full, firm, shining, bright green and 5-8cm in length. Harvest Snow Peas while still young. tick tick tick
Radish Very easy plant to grow, simply sow the seeds 6mm deep, 5cm apart in rows 15cm apart. Pull the whole plant from the ground at 4-5 weeks. Plants grow hot if left in the ground for too long tick tick tick
Rosella Sow the seeds into well-draining soil. A fast-growing plant that will generate a lot of the fleshy red calyx which is harvested for jams, cordials etc. Best treated as an annual as the fruit production dimishes after the first season. tick . .
Silverbeet Either sow seeds direct or plant seedlings. A hardy plant that can be eaten and cooked like spinach. Prepare the bed with ample composted manure before planting. Harvest the mature outsilde leaves as the need arises. This will ensure a long cropping period. tick tick tick
Squash, Button Squash can be raised as seedlings or seeds sown directly into a shallow saucer-shaped depression. Fruit will take 12-14 weeks to mature and hand-polinating might be necessary if there are not enough bees around. Harvest early before the skin hardens extends the cropping while giving you fresh vegetable that doesn’t need to be peeled. tick . .
Tomato Prepare the garden beds with plenty of composted animal manure as Tomatos are heavy feeders. Plant each plant next to a 2mtr stake as the plant will need support as it grows. Fruit fly prone so appropriate action will be required during fruit fly season tick tick .
Watermelon Germinate seeds in a seed tray before transplanting. Keep the water up to the plant but avoid watering the leaves to help reduce powdery mildew. Harvest the fruit when it sounds dull or hollow when you knock on it. tick tick tick

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