Planting guide

What to plant in Sydney, Australia in September

Warm temperate Southern Hemisphere September

September is spring in Sydney (the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere's September), and it's one of the most productive planting windows of the year — cool-season crops are still viable while warm-season crops can be started early to get ahead of summer.

Plant now

Silverbeet / spinach

Reliable cool-season leafy greens that do well as spring temperatures rise gradually.

Beetroot, carrot, radish

Root vegetables suited to the mild spring soil temperatures before summer heat arrives.

Peas and broad beans

Finishing their season — get any last sowings in early in the month.

Tomato, capsicum, chilli (seed, indoors)

Start these warm-season crops as seed on a warm windowsill now so seedlings are ready to plant out once soil warms — direct-sown seed often won't germinate if soil is still cool.

Herbs: basil, coriander, dill, parsley

Good spring-sowing window as days lengthen.

Timing notes

  • Check local soil temperature before direct-sowing tomatoes, capsicum, and chilli outdoors — cool soil is the main reason spring sowings of these fail to germinate.
  • Best planting months for Sydney’s temperate climate are September-November (spring), leading into summer harvests of warm-season crops.
  • Watch for a late frost in the first half of the month in cooler pockets before committing tender seedlings outdoors.
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