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 Currants
Grow Guide #3000
Family: Grossulariaceae
Binomial name: Ribes sp.
Life Cycle: Perennial
This 'How to Grow' guide details everything a home gardener needs to know to plant, grow and care for Currants (Ribes sp.).
When to plant Currants
Currants are perennial plants that grow year-round. Plants do best in areas that have a cold winter. Use the table below to identify the best time of year to plant currant canes 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
Currant plants are perennial, meaning they live for several years. Choose a permanent position where plants can grow undisturbed by regular digging.
Currant plants are best grown in full sun or part shade. Choose a location that will receive at least 3 hours of full sun each day. Protect from hot afternoon sun.
Currant 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.
Currant plants can be grown in containers. If possible choose a variety that’s recommended for container growing. Use a good quality potting mix and make sure your container is large enough for mature plants; a minimum of 20 litres is recommended for currants. During the growing season, keep in mind that container grown plants may need additional fertiliser to encourage healthy growth.
How to Plant Currants
Plant currant canes soon after delivery. Do not allow roots to dry out.
- Remove cane from bag and shake off coir. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for 1-2 hours prior to planting. Do not leave roots soaking for longer than 2 hours or they may rot. Optional: Seaweed solution can be added to the soaking water at the recommended rate if desired.
- Space canes 120-150cm apart.
- Dig a 30cm deep hole and make a mound in the centre.
- Place the roots of the cane on the mound and spread them out evenly.
- Cover with soil, making sure the bottom of the stem is level with the surface of the soil.
- Water in well after planting.
How to Grow Currants
Currant plants require a trellis or other strong support to grow on. Tie plants gently to the support using twine or plant ties. Make sure you have the support in place when you plant canes to avoid disturbing the plant’s roots later. Currant plants have an upright habit and form a small bush but they will benefit from some support (a trellis or other strong support), especially when they are fruiting.
Currant plants may need watering during the growing season. Water when the soil is dry about 5cm below the surface (test this by scratching away a little soil with your finger). 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 Prune Currants
Currants produce fruit on 1-3 year old wood, and young plants are pruned differently to older plants while they are becoming established.
Initial pruning and training
The aim is to create an open vase shape with 8-10 main branches coming from the main stem. Make pruning cuts just above an outward or upward-facing bud.
First year after planting: Select 3-5 of the strongest shoots and cut them back by half. Remove any other shoots, and any shoots growing from the short stem.
Second year after planting: Continue to build the framework by selecting 6-8, strong, outward-facing shoots. Cut these back by one quarter. Remove other shoots, and any that may be crossing or growing towards the centre. Prune remaining shoots to 3 or 4 buds, and keep the stem clear.
Established plants
Removing older branches invigorates the plants and helps maintain the open shape. An open shape allows more sunlight into the centre of the plant, and helps improve airflow which reduces the chance of disease.
Winter pruning: Remove any dead or damaged shoots. On mature plants, removing one to three less productive branches every year or second year helps stimulate the growth of new shoots. Remove any shoots growing from the main stem, or branches that may touch the ground. To get larger, but fewer fruits, spur-prune the side shoots to create clusters of short fruiting branches. To do this, prune the previous year’s growth on the main branches to three or four buds. Prune the previous year’s growth on the side shoots to two buds.
Summer pruning: In mid-December to January, cut back the current season’s side shoots from the main branches, shortening them to about five leaves. Avoid pruning any shoots that may be needed to replace older branches.
How to Harvest Currants
Currants are ready to harvest when they turn white. Harvest fruit by pulling them gently off the plant.
Ripe currants are best eaten soon after harvest. They can be stored short term in a container in the fridge and used in drinks and syrups, preserves, jams and jellies, and pies.
Common Problems when Growing Currants
Like all plants, currant is susceptible to some pests, diseases and other problems. Below is a list of the most common problems gardeners encounter when growing currant plants:
Grey mould (Botrytis sp.) is a fungal disease that causes flowers to become mouldy and fruit to rot. Spores are transported by wind and can survive in soil or on green waste. The fungus spreads most in cool, damp weather. Prune off affected flowers and fruit, water plants at soil level (not on leaves) and if necessary spray with an appropriate fungicide or homemade spray.
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.
Rust (Puccinia sp.) is a fungal disease that causes brown to orange raised spots or patches to appear on foliage. Fungal spores are spread by wind or water to neighbouring plants, especially in temperatures of 10-20C and when humidity is high. To manage rust, space plants to avoid overcrowding, grow them in the recommended amount of light (eg full sun), do not over fertilise crops, remove dead plants and practice crop rotation. Read more about rust fungus here..jpg)
Powdery mildew is caused by fungal spores reproducing on the leaves of plants. First showing as white spots on leaves, affected areas can spread quickly to cover the entire leaf surface. While rarely fatal, powdery mildew can reduce yields. Water plants at soil level (not on leaves) to prevent spreading spores, allow good air flow between plants, remove affected leaves and if necessary spray with an appropriate fungicide or homemade spray. Read more here about powdery mildew here.
Yellowing leaves are a sign of nutrient deficiency. Apply a nitrogen-rich fertiliser or one formulated for leafy greens or herbs at the recommended rate. A liquid or foliar fertiliser is a good option for restoring nutrients to the plant quickly. Water the plants deeply after applying fertiliser and avoid heat and water stress to allow the plant to recover.
