My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from
the plant's point of view.
~H. Fred Dale
Seedlings ready for planting.
Photographed by Brendan Gasparin.
Different plants prefer to be planted or seeded at different times of the year. This is especially true in Tasmania, where the climate changes from sub-zero temperatures to a stagnant dry heat between winter and summer. Below is a planting guide indicating which plants prefer to be planted in different months of the year.
This list is far from exhaustive, and is also largely dependent on your location within Tasmania. Even on this one island, temperatures may vary between mountainous regions and those closest to sea level. Please bear this in mind when choosing when to plant.
When possible, try to plant during a new moon. Folk wisdom says this may aid in the initial establishment and growth of your new plants and prevent stunted growth.
Many plants may be sown directly into the garden as seed. Other less hardy plants might prefer to be nurtured in pots through the seedling stage before being planted in the garden. This often depends on the environment in which you are planting (eg. wind conditions, ocean breezes, dogs which like to dig or knock over plants, etc.).
| Planting Times By Month | |
|---|---|
| Month | Plants |
| January | basil, beetroot, cabbage, carrot, celery, chives, collards, dwarf beans, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, marrow, mustard greens, oregano, parsley, potato, radish, rockmelon, silverbeet, squash, swede, tomato, turnip, watermelon, zucchini |
| February | beetroot, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, chives, collards, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onion, oregano, parsley, radish, shallots, silverbeet, swede, turnip |
| March | beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, chives, collards, coriander, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, oregano, pak choy, parsley, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet, swede, turnip |
| April | beetroot, broad beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, collards, garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, pak choy, parsley, radish, rocket, shallots, snow peas, spinach, turnip |
| May | broad beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, pak choy, radish, rocket, shallots, snow peas, spinach |
| June | Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, onion, radish, shallots, snow peas, spinach |
| July | mustard greens, onion, radish, shallots, snow peas, spinach |
| August | broad beans, cabbage, kohlrabi, mustard greens, onion, peas, radish, shallots, snow peas, spinach, swede |
| September | asparagus, basil, beetroot, broad beans, capsicum, carrot, chilli, chives, eggplant, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mint, mustard greens, parsnip, peas, potato, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swede, thyme, turnip, watermelon |
| October | asparagus, basil, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, celeriac, celery, chilli, chives, climbing beans, coriander, cucumber, dill, dwarf beans, eggplant, horseradish, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, marrow, mint, mustard greens, onion, oregano, parsley, parsnip, peas, potato, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, rocket, rockmelon, sage, shallots, silverbeet, snow peas, spring onions, squash, strawberries, tomato, turnip, zucchini |
| November | asparagus, basil, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, celery, chilli, chives, climbing beans, coriander, cucumber, dill, dwarf beans, eggplant, horseradish, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, marrow, mint, mustard greens, oregano, parsley, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, rocket, rockmelon, rosemary, sage, silverbeet, strawberries, thyme, tomato, turnip, watermelon |
| December | basil, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, celery, chilli, chives, climbing beans, cucumber, dwarf beans, eggplant, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, marrow, mint, mustard greens, oregano, parsley, potato, pumpkin, radish, rockmelon, rosemary, sage, silverbeet, squash, tomato, watermelon, zucchini |
Happy planting!
