Summer Vegetable Planting Guide
Spring and summer offer a myriad of delicious vegetables you can easily grow in your garden. We’ve put together a planting guide to help you with what to plant, when and where.
You can sow your own seeds into seed trays indoors or directly into the garden, depending on the vegetable. As a rule of thumb, plant the seed as deep as the size of the seed, so a 1cm size seed should be planted 1cm deep.
If you are planting tiny seeds such as lettuce or radish, just sprinkle the seeds in a line and cover lightly with Daltons Premium Seed Mix. Alternatively, you can purchase seedlings from your local gardening centre.
Vegetable | Sowing time (warm) | Plant out (warm climate) | Sowing time (cool) | Plant out (cool climate) | Spacing between plants* | Harvest in* | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beans** | Direct sow Oct | Direct sow Oct to March** | Direct sow late Oct | Nov onwards | 5-6cm | Throughout summer | Plants require a support structure to grow up unless growing dwarf varieties. |
Capsicum | Sow in seed trays from Sept | From late Oct | Sow in seed trays from Oct | From late Nov | 10-12cm | Harvest throughout summer as capsicums ripen | |
Carrots** | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | 3cm | 60-90 days | Rotate crop position in the garden each year. |
Courgettes | Sow in seed trays from Sept | October | Sow in seed trays from late Sept | Late Oct/ early Nov | 40cm | Throughout summer/into autumn | |
Cucumber | Sow in seed trays from Sept | Late Oct | Sow in seed trays from late Sept | Late Oct/ early Nov | 20cm | Throughout summer | |
Eggplants/ aubergine | Sow in seed trays from Oct | Nov | Sow in seed trays from Oct | Nov | 30cm | Feb onwards | |
Lettuce/salad greens** | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | 10cm | 6-8 weeks | Easy to grow |
Onions | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | 3cm | Throughout the year | |
Peas | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | 10cm | Throughout the year | Peas prefer winter but can be grown all year round. Plants require support structure to grow up unless they are dwarf varieties. |
Potato | Use seed potato | Throughout the year | Use seed potato | Throughout the year | 30cm | Throughout the year | |
Pumpkin | Direct sow Sept | From late October | Direct sow in summer | From early Nov | 40-50cm | Late summer | |
Radish** | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | 2cm | 4-5 weeks after sowing throughout the year | Easy to grow |
Rocket | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year** | 7-9cm | Throughout the year** | |
Spring onions (Scallions)** | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | Direct sow any time of year | Throughout the year | 1-2cm | Throughout the year | Easy to grow |
Sweetcorn | Direct sow in mid-late Oct | From Nov | From late Nov | Late Nov | 15cm | Feb/March | Easy to grow |
Tomatoes | Sow in seed trays in Sept | Mid/late Oct | Sow in seed trays late Sept/early Oct | Early Nov | 40cm | Throughout summer |
* Dependent on variety. **Use succession planting for a continuous supply.
Please note: This information is a guide only, always check your seed packets or purchased seedling instructions before planting.