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What to Grow in January
January is peak summer all over Australia. Long, bright days, hot nights, and, depending where you are, either bone dry heat or proper tropical downpours. It’s a month for succession planting, mulching like you mean it, and planting at the right time of day (early morning or late arvo) so seedlings don’t get instantly cooked.
Wherever you are, there’s still plenty you can plant right now amidst all the summer madness
Cool Temperate
Where? Much of Tasmania, ACT/Canberra, Ballarat, inland Victoria and NSW highlands, cool parts of SA & SW WA.
January in cool temperate zones is a sweet spot: soils are warm, frosts are well and truly gone, and you can keep planting summer crops while also getting a head start on autumn and winter goodies.
Veg to sow or plant now
- Salad & leafy greens (best with a bit of afternoon shade):
Lettuce, rocket, Asian greens (pak choy, tatsoi, mizuna), silverbeet/, kale, warrigal greens - Roots & tubers:
Carrots, beetroot, radish, turnips, parsnips (in cooler pockets), seed potatoes (only if you can keep water up) - Summer fruiting veg (still worth a crack early in the month):
Bush & climbing beans, cucumbers, zucchini, sweet corn (quick varieties), pumpkins/squash (smaller types), late tomatoes (cherry and early varieties) - Brassicas for the cooler months (start now):
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi (often best started as seedlings or in a protected seedling tray)
Herbs & edible flowers
- Herbs: basil (warm sheltered spots), parsley, coriander (tends to bolt — treat it as a “leaf + flower” plant), dill, chives, mint, oregano, thyme, sage
- Companion flowers: nasturtiums, marigolds, borage, calendula, zinnias, sunflowers
Warm Temperate
Where? Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, coastal VIC & NSW, much of SA, parts of WA’s southwest.
January can be properly hot in warm temperate gardens. You can still plant classic summer crops, but it’s also the month to keep things shaded, watered, and staggered so you’re not betting everything on one heatwave.
Veg to sow or plant now
- Summer staples:
Tomatoes (cherry/medium; choose strong seedlings), capsicum and chillies, eggplant, zucchini and squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, rockmelons and watermelons (if you’ve got room), bush & climbing beans, sweet corn (early month is best) - Heat-tolerant greens:
Lettuce (cos/loose-leaf), rocket (shadier spot), Asian greens, silverbeet, amaranth, warrigal greens - Roots & alliums:
Beetroot, carrots (keep consistently moist), radish, spring onions, leeks - Sneaky head start for autumn (late month):
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale (start seedlings now so you’re ready to plant out when the worst heat eases)
Herbs & edible flowers
- Herbs: basil, parsley, chives, mint, oregano; coriander and dill in a cooler/shadier position
- Flowers & companions: nasturtium, French marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, alyssum
Arid
Where? Much of inland WA, SA, NT, QLD and NSW – e.g. Alice Springs, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie.
In arid zones, January is survival mode: big heat, strong sun, and fast-drying soil. You can plant — but success hinges on shade, mulch, and reliable water. Aim for tough, heat-loving crops and avoid anything that sulks.
Veg to sow or plant now
- Heat-tough fruiting crops:
Okra, capsicum, chillies, eggplant, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, rockmelon and watermelon, sweet corn (with water), sweet potato - Leafy & salad greens:
Silverbeet/swiss chard, amaranth, warrigal greens, purslane; lettuce only with serious shade and moisture - Roots & bulbs:
Carrots, beetroot, radish, daikon, spring onions, shallots
Herbs & flowers
- Herbs: basil, chives, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage (Mediterranean herbs love it)
- Flowers: sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds, borage (tough, pollinator-friendly, and happy in bright spots)
Subtropical
Examples: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern Rivers & Coffs, Sunshine Coast, parts of coastal QLD & northern NSW, some coastal WA.
January in the subtropics is fast growth and unfortunately fast pests. Warmth and humidity means you want crops that can handle the conditions, plus good airflow and regular harvesting to keep things moving.
Veg to sow or plant now
- Fruit & summer staples:
Cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, sweet corn, watermelon, rockmelon, capsicum, chillies, eggplant (tomatoes can be tricky, cherry types often do best) - Beans & other legumes:
Bush beans, climbing beans, snake beans/cowpeas in hotter spots - Leafy & salad greens (shade helps):
Heat-tolerant lettuce (cos/oakleaf), rocket, Asian greens, silverbeet, amaranth, mustard greens - Roots & subtropical staples:
Beetroot, radish, carrots (deeper mulched beds), sweet potato, taro, ginger and turmeric (plant rhizomes) - Subtropical favourites:
Rosella, cape gooseberry, luffa
Herbs & flowers
- Herbs: basil (all the basils!), parsley, chives, lemongrass, oregano; coriander for flowers/seed as much as leaves
- Flowers/companions: marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, alyssum
Tropical
Examples: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Broome and much of far northern Australia.
January is usually wet season business: heat, humidity, and heavy rain. Many growers treat this month as more “maintenance and harvest” than full-on planting, but there are still reliable crops that cope brilliantly.
Safe bets to plant now
- Tropical workhorses:
Sweet potato (slips/cuttings), cowpeas/snake beans, okra, rosella, taro, ginger, turmeric, basil and other warm-loving herbs
Extra options if conditions allow (raised beds + airflow)
- Capsicum and chillies
- Eggplant
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes (cherry types)
- Lettuce and Asian greens under 50% shade cloth
- Beetroot and radish
- Shallots and spring onions
Herbs & flowers
- Herbs: basil (Thai, lemon, sweet), lemongrass, Vietnamese mint, other aromatic herbs
- Flowers: marigolds and zinnias for pollinators and a bit of summer colour
LEARN MORE
If January has your garden looking a bit… wild, these will help:
