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 Peanut Seeds
Grow Guide #2927
Family: Fabaceae
Binomial name: Arachis hypogaea
Life Cycle: Annual
This 'How to Grow' guide details everything a home gardener needs to know to plant, grow and care for Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea).
When to Sow Peanut Seeds
Peanut is a warm season crop. Use the table below to identify the best time of year to sow peanut seeds in your climate.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool | ||||||||||||
| Temperate | ||||||||||||
| Sub-Tropical | ||||||||||||
| Tropical | ||||||||||||
| Arid |
.png)
Preparation
Peanut plants are best grown in full sun. Choose a location that will receive at least 6 hours of full sun each day.
Peanut plants need a loose, well drained soil enriched with organic matter. Prepare soil by weeding it thoroughly, digging it over to at least a spade’s depth to loosen the soil, and adding aged animal manure or compost. Organic matter can be dug into heavy soil to lighten it so roots can grow freely. Keep the area free of weeds until planting. Learn more about preparing soil for planting here.
Peanut 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 peanuts. During the growing season, keep in mind that container grown plants may need additional fertiliser to encourage healthy growth.
How to Sow Peanut Seeds
Optional: Soak the seeds overnight in room temperature water before planting.
Peanut seeds can be sown directly into the garden OR seedlings can be raised in trays or other containers and transplanted to the garden once established.
Sow Direct
- Sow seeds directly in the garden 30mm deep and 15-30cm apart, with rows 60cm apart.
- Keep soil moist but never wet or dry.
- Seeds should germinate in around 7-15 days at a soil temperature of 18-22°C.
- Young seedlings will need protection from pests, pets and weather until they are established.
Raise Seedlings
- Fill trays, punnets or jiffy pots with a good quality seed-raising mix, or use soil starter pellets.
- Sow seeds 30mm deep.
- Keep soil moist but never wet or dry.
- Seeds should germinate in around 7-15 days at a soil temperature of 18-22°C.
- Transplant seedlings to the garden once they have their first true leaves and are large enough to handle (usually 5-10cm tall).
- Plant out, spacing plants 15-30cm apart, with rows 60cm apart.
Peanut is a tender crop that’s sensitive to frost. Do not transplant seedlings or sow seeds outside until all danger of frost has passed.
Optional: In cool climates peanut seeds can be sown indoors 6 weeks before the last expected frost. Grow them in a warm position with plenty of natural light.
How to Grow Peanut
Peanut 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.
As peanut is a legume no added fertiliser should be necessary if plants are grown in well-prepared soil, but some gardeners apply half a handful of gypsum per plant when plants are flowering to provide extra calcium for shell formation.
Plants flower approximately 40 days after seeds germinate.
After pollination, the fertilised flowers form what are known as 'pegs'. These drop to the ground due to gravity, and the peanut shells (actually pods) then develop underground. The shells develop first, followed by the peanuts. Do not remove flowers or prune off the flower stems or pegs as this will prevent peanuts from being produced.
How to Harvest Peanuts
Peanuts should be ready to harvest in approximately 90-130 days.
Plants are ready to harvest when the foliage yellows and dies off in autumn. Harvest a single plant to check for ripeness: the shell should have prominent veining and skins of the peanuts should be coloured, not white. Peanuts mature gradually rather than all at once, so aim to harvest when around two-thirds of the crop is mature.
Using a garden fork, gently lift entire plants from the ground and shake off excess soil. Leave plants to cure for around a week by laying them on the soil or, if rodents are likely to eat the crop, by hanging them in bunches in a warm, dry place. Separate the shells from the dried plants, discarding any immature or 'green' pods which will be soft with peanuts that are not fully coloured. Dry the shells in a cool, dry place on a wire rack for a further one to two weeks. Peanuts can be stored in their shells, or the shells removed. Store in a mesh bag, or freeze for longer term storage.
Common Problems when Growing Peanuts
Like all plants, peanut is susceptible to some pests, diseases and other problems. Below is a list of the most common problems gardeners encounter when growing peanut plants:
Bacterial leaf spot is a disease that causes irregularly shaped brown spots on all above-ground parts of a plant. The spots at first appear to be wet but become dry and scab-like over time. Leaves and flowers can fall prematurely. Water plants at soil level (not on the leaves), dispose of fallen leaves and fruit and practice crop rotation.
