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 Linseed Sprouts
How to Grow Linseed Sprouts
Family: Linaceae
Binomial name: Linum usitatissimum
| Best Method | Paper Towel |
| Quantity of seeds to use for a 500ml jar: | 2.5 tbsp (approx 50ml / 20g) |
| Soaking time: | 0 hours |
| Germination temperature: | 18-25°C |
| Day to harvest: | 4-8 days |
How to Grow Linseed Sprouts
Linseed seeds can be sprouted indoors at any time of year.
Sprouting seeds are usually grown indoors in a position away from direct sunlight. Growing the sprouts in the dark will produce sweeter shoots than growing them in a brightly lit position.
Linseed seeds can be sprouted in a sprouting jar or on paper towel. The paper towel method is often more successful for linseed seeds, which have a gelatinous coating and can retain too much water to germinate well in a jar.
- Rinse 2.5 tbsp (approx 50ml / 20g) of seed in a sieve and remove any noticeably damaged or discoloured seeds.
- Wet 3 pieces of paper towel and put them on top of each other flat on a plate.
- Drain the water from the plate. The paper towel should be damp but not wet enough to make seeds float.
- Sprinkle the seeds in a single layer on the paper towel.
- Check the seeds twice a day and water them as needed to stop the paper towel from drying out. Use a mister or spray bottle to wet the seeds, or gently add a small amount of water to the saucer using a small jug or cup, then drain excess water from the plate.
How to Harvest Linseed Sprouts
Linseed sprouts should be ready to harvest in approximately 4-8 days.
Just before harvesting the sprouts, expose them to sunlight for a few hours until the shoots turn green. This step is essential to improve the nutritional benefit of the sprouts.
To harvest the sprouts, gently pull them to separate them from the paper towel. Rinse the harvested sprouts well, discard any unsprouted seeds, and leave sprouts to dry on kitchen paper. Drying the sprouts improves their storage time.
Linseed sprouts are best eaten soon after they are harvested. Sprouts can be stored for three or four days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Discard immediately if there any signs of mould or any unpleasant smell. Ideally, grow small batches at staggered intervals so you can always eat the sprouts at their freshest.
Common Problems When Growing Sprouts
Like all plants, linseed is susceptible to some pests, diseases and other problems. Below is a list of the most common problems gardeners encounter when growing linseed plants:
- Seeds not sprouting may be caused by having too much or too little water in the jar, overfilling the jar, or seeds having been stored incorrectly prior to use. Use the recommended quantity of seeds and rinse and drain seeds as directed then place the jar on its side so some water is retained; store sprouting seeds in a cool, dry place.
- Smelly or mouldy seeds may be caused by not rinsing the sprouts often enough, high temperatures or mould spores being introduced through using dirty equipment or water. Rinse seeds thoroughly at least twice a day and do not expose jars to temperatures above 30°C. Use thoroughly clean jars and lids; for best results use filtered water to rinse seeds.
- Chewy or bitter tasting sprouts may be caused by exposing the sprouts to too much light while they were growing or leaving sprouts too long before harvesting them. Sprouts can be grown in the dark and only exposed to sunlight for a short while when they are ready to harvest; harvest sprouts when they are small and crisp.
