Plant library
Growing guides checked by local gardeners, with planting times worked out from 30 years of climate data.
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Basil
HerbA fragrant summer herb that loves Adelaide's heat and pairs with tomatoes in the garden and the kitchen. Sow or plant once nights stay warm, as cold snaps blacken it. Pinch out the flower spikes and tips often to keep plants bushy and leafy.Beetroot
VegetableAn easy root crop for most of the year in Adelaide, giving sweet roots and edible leaves in 8 to 10 weeks. Each seed capsule holds several seeds, so thin seedlings to 8 to 10 cm apart. Keep the soil evenly moist; dry spells make roots woody and ringed.Bok choy
VegetableA fast Asian green that's ready in 6 to 8 weeks, ideal for autumn and early spring in Adelaide. It bolts to seed quickly in heat and lengthening days, so sow in cooler months and pick young. Keep it well watered for tender, juicy stems.Borage
Companion flowerA bee magnet with starry blue flowers. Plant it near tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin and strawberries to bring in pollinators for a bigger crop. Grows fast and easily from seed, and self-seeds for next year.Broad bean
VegetableA hardy cool-season legume sown in autumn for big pods in spring, and a great soil improver. Plants grow tall, so stake or string them before wind knocks them over. Pinch out the growing tips once the lowest pods form to deter aphids and speed pod fill.Broccoli
VegetableA cool-season brassica planted in late summer and autumn in Adelaide for heads through winter. Rich soil and steady feeding give big heads. Pick the main head while buds are tight, then keep harvesting the side shoots for weeks.Brussels sprouts
VegetableA slow, cold-loving brassica that needs a long cool season to form firm sprouts; it's best in the Adelaide Hills or from an early summer sowing on the plains. Plants grow tall and top-heavy, so firm the soil and stake them. Sprouts sweeten after cold nights.Cabbage
VegetableA dependable brassica that's easy in Adelaide from late summer to winter, with spring-maturing and fast mini types too. Rich soil and regular water make solid heads. Harvest as soon as heads are firm, before they split.Calendula
Companion flowerA tough, sunny cool-season flower with edible petals. It attracts hoverflies and ladybirds that eat aphids, and keeps flowering through autumn, winter and spring when little else does. A great partner for brassicas and salad greens.Capsicum
VegetableA warm-season crop that thrives in Adelaide summers, giving sweet peppers from midsummer into autumn. Plant only once soil and nights are warm, as cold checks growth for weeks. Water deeply and regularly; dry spells cause flower drop and blossom end rot.Carrot
VegetableA favourite root crop that can be sown most of the year in Adelaide, with autumn and spring the easiest. Sow seed directly into fine, stone-free soil and keep the surface moist until seedlings emerge, which can take two weeks. Thin early for straight, sweet roots.Cauliflower
VegetableA cool-season brassica for autumn planting in Adelaide, maturing in winter and early spring. It's fussier than broccoli: it needs rich soil and no check to growth, or it forms tiny early heads. Fold leaves over the curd as it forms to keep it white.Celery
VegetableA slow, thirsty crop grown for its crisp stalks. In Adelaide, raise seedlings in spring or late summer and keep them well watered through the heat, or the stalks turn stringy. Most of the growth comes in the last few weeks, so be patient.Chilli
VegetableA warm-season crop that loves Adelaide's hot summers and keeps fruiting into autumn. Many types grow happily in pots and can be kept for two or three years in a sheltered spot. Raise or buy seedlings and plant once nights are warm; chillies sulk in cold soil.Climbing bean
VegetableA productive summer legume that crops for months up a trellis, giving more beans per square metre than bush beans. Sow seed directly once the soil is warm; it rots in cold, wet soil. Pick pods young every couple of days to keep the vines producing.Coriander
HerbA fast herb grown for leaves, seeds and roots. In Adelaide it bolts to seed in a few weeks of warm weather, so it does best sown in autumn and late winter. Sow directly where it's to grow and keep sowing small batches every few weeks.Cucumber
VegetableA quick summer vine that gives a glut of fruit in Adelaide's warm months. Grow it up a trellis to save space and keep fruit clean. Steady water is the key: dry or stressed plants give bitter, misshapen fruit.Dill
HerbA feathery annual herb used for leaves and seeds, and one of the best plants for attracting hoverflies and small predatory wasps. Sow directly in spring or autumn; it doesn't like transplanting. Keep it away from carrots and fennel as they can cross and compete.Dwarf bean
VegetableA compact, fast summer bean needing no trellis, cropping about 8 to 10 weeks after sowing. Sow directly into warm soil from spring to midsummer. It crops in a burst, so sow a new row every 3 to 4 weeks for a steady supply.Eggplant
VegetableA heat-loving summer crop that does very well in Adelaide once it gets going. Plant seedlings only when nights are reliably warm and keep them sheltered from cold winds. Water deeply and feed regularly; well-fed plants crop from midsummer to autumn.English spinach
VegetableEnglish spinach is a fast cool-season green for autumn and winter in Adelaide. It bolts quickly in warm weather and lengthening days, so sow from late summer to early winter. For summer greens, grow silverbeet or warrigal greens instead.Florence fennel
VegetableGrown for its swollen, aniseed-flavoured leaf base. In Adelaide it does best sown in late summer and autumn, maturing in the cool months; spring sowings often bolt in the heat. Wild fennel is a weed in SA, so never let plants go to seed.French marigold
Companion flowerThe classic companion flower for the veggie patch. Bright, compact and easy, it flowers all summer and draws in hoverflies, whose larvae eat aphids. Tuck it beside tomatoes, capsicum and zucchini, and along bed edges.Garlic
VegetablePlanted as cloves in autumn and harvested in late spring to early summer, garlic is easy and stores for months. Use Australian-grown planting garlic, not imported supermarket bulbs, which are often treated and may carry disease. Keep it weeded and stop watering once the leaves start to yellow.German chamomile
HerbGerman chamomile is a feathery annual grown for its apple-scented daisy flowers, used fresh or dried for tea. Sow in autumn or early spring; seed needs light, so press it on the surface without covering. Pick flowers as they fully open, every few days.Kale
VegetableA tough leafy brassica that grows through Adelaide's autumn and winter and keeps producing for months. Pick lower leaves regularly and leave the top to keep growing. Cold weather sweetens the leaves; summer brings bolting and caterpillars.Kohlrabi
VegetableA crisp, mild cabbage relative grown for its swollen stem, ready in about 8 to 10 weeks. In Adelaide, sow from late summer to autumn and again in early spring. Pick when tennis-ball size or smaller for the sweetest flavour.Leek
VegetableA slow but trouble-free onion relative that stands in the garden over winter until you need it. Sow or plant seedlings from late summer to autumn. For long white stems, plant seedlings deep in a trench or hill soil around them as they grow.Lettuce
VegetableA quick salad crop for most of the year in Adelaide, with leafy types ready in 6 to 8 weeks. It prefers cooler months; in summer give afternoon shade and plenty of water, or it bolts and turns bitter. Sow small amounts often for a steady supply.Mizuna
VegetableA fast, frilly Asian green with a mild mustard flavour, great in salads. In Adelaide it grows best from autumn to early spring and runs to seed as the weather warms. Pick leaves as you need them and it keeps cropping for weeks.Nasturtium
Companion flowerA cheerful, edible trailing flower that works as a trap crop: aphids and cabbage white caterpillars often go for it first, sparing your veggies. Peppery leaves and flowers are lovely in salads. Easy from seed, even in poor soil.Okra
VegetableA heat-loving summer vegetable related to hibiscus, with pretty flowers and pods that suit Adelaide's hot summers. Sow in late spring once the soil is warm. Pick pods young, about finger length, every day or two; older pods turn woody quickly.Onion
VegetableA staple crop sown in autumn and winter in Adelaide and harvested in late spring and summer. Choosing the right type matters: onions bulb according to day length, so use short- or intermediate-day varieties suited to southern Australia. Keep beds weed-free, as onions hate competition.Parsley
HerbA biennial herb that gives leaves for months, sown or planted in autumn or spring in Adelaide. Seed is slow to germinate (up to 3 weeks), so many gardeners buy seedlings. Pick outer stems regularly and keep the plant watered to delay flowering.Parsnip
VegetableA slow, sweet root crop sown in autumn or late winter and harvested 4 to 5 months later; frost sweetens the roots. Always use fresh seed, as it loses viability within a year. Sow directly into deep, loose, stone-free soil and keep it moist until seedlings appear.Pea
VegetableA sweet cool-season legume sown in autumn and winter in Adelaide for spring pods. Most need a trellis or netting to climb. Pick pods often, as plants stop flowering once pods mature, and dig the spent plants into the soil to feed the next crop.Potato
VegetableA rewarding crop planted from certified seed potatoes in late winter to spring, and again in late summer, for harvest about 3 to 4 months later. Hill soil or mulch up around the stems as they grow so tubers stay covered; sunlight turns them green and toxic. Don't plant supermarket potatoes, which can carry disease.Pumpkin
VegetableA sprawling summer vine sown in late spring once soil is warm, for pumpkins to harvest and store from autumn. Give it room (or a sturdy trellis for small types) and a mound of compost to grow from. Harvest only when the stem has dried and the skin is hard, then cure in the sun to store for months.Radish
VegetableThe fastest crop in the garden, with round radishes ready in about 4 weeks. Sow seed directly almost all year in Adelaide, avoiding the hottest weeks when they get hot and pithy. Keep moist and pick on time; left too long they turn woody and split.Rocket
VegetableA fast, peppery salad green that's ready in about 4 weeks and does best in Adelaide's cooler months. In warm weather it bolts and gets very hot, so give summer sowings shade. Pick leaves young and often.Rockmelon
VegetableA sweet summer melon that loves Adelaide's long hot season. Sow or plant in late spring in warm, rich, free-draining soil. Cut back on water as fruit ripens for the sweetest flavour; it's ready when it slips easily from the stem and smells sweet.Silverbeet
VegetableOne of the easiest, most productive greens for Adelaide gardens, cropping for a year or more from one planting. It tolerates heat better than spinach and is rarely troubled by pests. Pick outer leaves regularly and keep it watered for tender growth.Snake bean
VegetableA fast climbing bean with very long, thin pods. It loves heat and humidity, so it thrives in the tropics and subtropics and through hot summers in the south. Sow once the soil is properly warm and give it a tall trellis. Pick pods young and often.Sweet alyssum
Companion flowerA low carpet of tiny honey-scented flowers that feeds hoverflies and tiny parasitic wasps, two of the best aphid and caterpillar hunters. Edge your beds with it, or tuck it between lettuces and brassicas. Flowers most of the year in Adelaide.Sweet corn
VegetableA summer crop that needs warm soil, full sun and plenty of water. Plant in blocks of at least 4 by 4 rather than one long row, because corn is wind-pollinated and patchy pollination gives gappy cobs. Pick cobs when the silks turn brown and the kernels squirt milky juice.Sweet potato
VegetableA heat-loving vine that grows vigorously through Adelaide's summer and gives tubers in autumn. Plant shoots (slips) once the soil is warm, in loose, well-drained soil. Avoid too much nitrogen, which gives masses of vine and few tubers.Tatsoi
VegetableA low rosette of dark, spoon-shaped leaves with a mild flavour, used like baby spinach. In Adelaide, sow from late summer to autumn and again in late winter; it bolts quickly in hot weather. It is quick, cold hardy and suits pots.Thai basil
HerbA basil with purple stems and an aniseed flavour for Thai and Vietnamese cooking. It handles heat and humidity better than sweet basil and is slower to bolt. Grow it year round in the tropics and through the warm months in the subtropics and the south. Frost kills it.Tomato
VegetableThe most popular summer crop in Adelaide, planted once soil and nights are warm and picked from midsummer to autumn. Stake or cage plants and mulch well. Deep, regular watering is the key; dry-wet cycles cause blossom end rot and split fruit.Turnip
VegetableA quick, easy root crop ready in 6 to 10 weeks. In Adelaide, sow from late summer through autumn and again in late winter; roots grown into summer heat turn woody and hot. The young leaves are edible too.Watermelon
VegetableA sprawling summer vine that needs Adelaide's long hot season, plenty of space and warm soil. Sow or plant in late spring. A melon is ripe when the tendril nearest it has browned and the patch underneath turns creamy yellow.Zucchini
VegetableThe easiest summer vegetable in Adelaide: one or two plants feed a family from midsummer to autumn. Sow or plant once the soil is warm. Pick fruit small, every day or two, before they become marrows.