Climate Zones for Australian Gardeners
Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zone will usually give you the best results in your garden.
How to Use Climate Zones
First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing times for our most popular seeds for each climate zone.
While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affect how your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how you care for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your garden better, go ahead and use it as a guide.
Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditions when planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons than gardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’ climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for each variety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.
Tropical
- Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
- High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
- Set as my climate
Arid
- Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
- Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
- Set as my climate
Subtropical
- Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
- Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
- Set as my climate
Temperate
- Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
- Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
- Set as my climate
Cool Temperate
- Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
- Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
- Set as my climate
Climate Zones FAQ
What if I can’t find my climate zone?
If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think of
an area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.
What if I live on the border of two zones?
If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide which
best describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow a
wider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!
What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. For
example, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or large
trees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a high
altitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide when
deciding which zone is relevant to you.
Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone?
While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they provide
general guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you get
a few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go –
gardening is all about experimenting after all!
How to Grow Carob Seeds
Grow Guide #2493
Family: Fabaceae
Binomial name: Ceratonia siliqua
Life Cycle: Perennial
This 'How to Grow' guide details everything a home gardener needs to know to plant, grow and care for Carob (Ceratonia siliqua).
When to Sow Carob Seeds
Carob is a perennial plant that grows year round in most climates. Use the table below to identify the best time of year to sow carob seeds in your climate.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool | ||||||||||||
| Temperate | ||||||||||||
| Sub-Tropical | ||||||||||||
| Tropical | ||||||||||||
| Arid |
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Preparation
Carob plants are dioecious, meaning individual plants have either male or female flowers. To achieve pollination at least one male-flowering plant and one female-flowering plant need to be planted. To achieve this, plan to propagate more seedlings than you need and discard excess male plants, and make sure you have space for at least two trees (ideally more).
Carob plants are perennial, meaning they live for several years. Choose a permanent position where plants can grow undisturbed by regular digging.
Carob plants grow into large plants when mature. Ensure there is space for seedlings to be planted 10m apart so they have space to grow to their mature size.
Carob is best suited to warm and temperate climates; trees grown in cool climates where winter temperatures are lower than -6°C will be set back by the cold and may not produce fruit.
Carob plants are best grown in full sun. Choose a location that will receive at least 6 hours of full sun each day.
Carob plants need a well drained soil enriched with plenty of organic matter. Prepare soil by weeding it thoroughly, digging it over to loosen it and adding aged animal manure or compost. Keep the area free of weeds until planting. Learn more about preparing soil for planting here.
How to Sow Carob Seeds
Scarifying seeds prior to planting will improve the speed and success of germination. Scarification involves intentionally damaging the hard outer coating of the seeds to allow water to reach the seed's embryo. Use a sharp knife to make a shallow nick in each seed's shell, or gently wear away a section of the husk using fine sandpaper or a nail file. Read more about scarification here.
Carob seeds grow best when they are raised in tubes and transplanted to the garden once established. They have long tap roots and are best planted in forestry tubes or other deep containers.
- Fill tubes with a good quality seed-raising mix. Use fresh mix to avoid the risk of damping off.
- Sow seeds 50mm deep.
- Keep soil moist but never wet or dry.
- Seeds should germinate in around 12-38 days at a soil temperature of 22-26°C.
- Transplant seedlings to the garden or a larger pot once they are 8-10cm tall. Take care not to damage the tap root of the seedling when transplanting.
- Plant out, spacing plants 10m apart.
Protect seedlings from grazing animals using stakes, netting or a cage.
Carob seedlings are sensitive to frost. In cool climates plant out seedlings after all danger of frost has passed. Protect plants from frost by mulching thickly or using frost covers for the first two winters after planting out.
Tip: Seeds of this variety can be slow to germinate. Take note of the expected germination time, be patient and follow the recommended depth and temperature guidelines closely for the best chance of success.
How to Grow Carob
Carob plants are drought tolerant once established and grow best in soil that is dry and very well drained. Let the soil dry out between watering, and only water when the soil is dry about 10cm below the surface (test this by scratching away a little soil with your finger), even in summer. Water deeply in the early morning or late afternoon. Avoid watering the leaves of plants to avoid fungal diseases. Learn more about watering here.
If soil was well prepared no extra fertiliser should be necessary. In poor soil or to give your plants an extra boost, application of a balanced fertiliser or one formulated for fruit and vegetables can be beneficial:
- Apply slow release fertiliser at the recommended rate when transplanting or when seedlings are 5-10cm tall.
- Apply liquid fertiliser at the recommended rate and frequency while plants are fruiting or flowering.
How to Harvest Carob
Carob should be ready to harvest in approximately 5-8 years.
Carob pods for pulp are ready to harvest in spring when they are green and flexible and 10-15cm long. Cut them from the tree using snips, secateurs or a long-handled harvesting tool. Fresh pods can be split open and eaten, avoiding the seeds.
Carob pods for milling into powder are ready to harvest when the pods turn dark brown and can be pulled easily from the tree. Harvest the pods using a pole or rake to shake the branches and make the pods fall to the ground. Dry pods for one to two days in the sun. Pods can be processed into powder by splitting them and removing the seeds, or stored whole for up to a year.
Common Problems when Growing Carob
Like all plants, carob is susceptible to some pests, diseases and other problems. Below is a list of the most common problems gardeners encounter when growing carob plants:
Damping off is caused by a fungal growth that transfers from the soil to seeds or tender seedlings. Seeds may appear not to germinate, or young plants start to rot when they emerge from the soil and become soft and mushy at the base before dying. Use new potting mix if raising seedlings, do not water foliage and avoid waterlogged soil. Read more about damping off here.
Possums, birds and other animals can ruin a large percentage of your harvest overnight. Physically exclude pests by using netting or cages, or try spraying plants with a pungent homemade spray made from garlic, fish oil or mustard.
No fruit will be produced when only one plant, or several plants of the same sex, are grown. Dioecious plants produce male and female flowers on separate plants, so at least one male and one female plant are needed for fruit to be produced. Grow several plants at the recommended planting distance, with at least one male and female plant in each group.
