Vegetable Planting Guide for Central Otago: What to Plant Each Month

Month-by-month sowing dates for 164 vegetables, herbs, fruit and companion plants in Central Otago. Use this calendar to plan what to sow in Queenstown, Wānaka, Alexandra, Cromwell and Arrowtown.

Central Otago has New Zealand's most continental climate: hot dry summers and cold winters with hard frosts that can strike in any month. The season is short but the summer heat is real, so warm crops can succeed in the brief frost-free window with protection at each end. Hardy crops, careful timing around frost, and irrigation for the dry summers are the keys here. This guide covers Queenstown, Wānaka, Alexandra, Cromwell and Arrowtown.

The green-highlighted cells show every month a plant can be sown. Sow at the beginning of the month for the fastest establishment, or stagger sowings across the window to extend your harvest. Plants with no sowing window for Central Otago in our data are not suited to the region and are left out. Frost dates differ from garden to garden, so check the frost dates by region page before you plant out anything tender.

The tables are grouped by the season in which most of a plant's sowing months fall: summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August) and spring (September to November). Plants that can be sown in every month are listed together at the end.

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Summer (December to February)

52 plants have most of their sowing months in this season.

Plant	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Leafy greens
Lettuce	Jan	Feb					Oct	Nov	Dec
Kale	Jan	Feb	Mar			Sep	Oct
Brazilian Spinach									Dec
Kang Kong									Dec
Komatsuna	Jan	Feb	Mar			Sep	Oct
Malabar Spinach									Dec
Mibuna		Feb	Mar				Oct
Mizuna	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr		Sep	Oct
New Zealand Spinach (Kōkihi)									Dec
Tatsoi		Feb	Mar				Oct
Brassicas
Cauliflower	Jan	Feb	Mar			Sep	Oct
Broccolini		Feb					Oct	Nov	Dec
Brussels Sprouts	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
Collards	Jan	Feb	Mar			Sep	Oct
Wombok	Jan							Nov	Dec
Fruiting vegetables
Beans (bush)									Dec
Capsicum									Dec
Cucumber									Dec
Zucchini									Dec
Pumpkin									Dec
Sweet Corn									Dec
Eggplant									Dec
Chilli									Dec
Watermelon									Dec
Rockmelon									Dec
Edamame									Dec
Florence Fennel		Feb	Mar
Hibiscus									Dec
Popcorn									Dec
Quinoa									Dec
Squash									Dec
Tomatillo									Dec
Root vegetables
Beetroot	Jan	Feb					Oct	Nov	Dec
Sweet Potato									Dec
Swede	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	Aug	Sep	Oct
Herbs
Basil									Dec
Chamomile		Feb					Oct
Lemon Verbena									Dec
Lemongrass	Jan							Nov	Dec
Marjoram	Jan							Nov	Dec
Summer Savory									Dec
Thai Basil									Dec
Fruit, berries and nuts
Cape Gooseberry									Dec
Honeydew Melon									Dec
Companion flowers
Sunflower									Dec
Alyssum	Jan	Feb					Oct	Nov	Dec
Borage	Jan	Feb					Oct	Nov	Dec
Cosmos									Dec
Dahlia									Dec
Marigold	Jan							Nov	Dec
Nasturtium	Jan							Nov	Dec
Zinnia									Dec

Autumn (March to May)

4 plants have most of their sowing months in this season.

Plant	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Aug	Sep	Oct
Leafy greens
Bok Choy	Feb	Mar	Apr				Sep	Oct
Fruiting vegetables
Broad Beans			Apr	May		Aug	Sep	Oct
Root vegetables
Garlic			Apr	May	Jun
Shallot		Mar	Apr	May	Jun

Winter (June to August)

27 plants have most of their sowing months in this season.

Plant	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
Fruit, berries and nuts
Almond	Jun	Jul	Aug
Apple	Jun	Jul	Aug
Apricot	Jun	Jul	Aug
Blackberry	Jun	Jul	Aug
Blackcurrant	Jun	Jul	Aug
Blueberry	Jun	Jul	Aug
Boysenberry	Jun	Jul	Aug
Cherry	Jun	Jul	Aug
Elderflower	Jun	Jul	Aug
Gooseberry	Jun	Jul	Aug
Grape	Jun	Jul	Aug
Hazelnut	Jun	Jul	Aug
Jujube	Jun	Jul	Aug
Medlar	Jun	Jul	Aug
Mulberry	Jun	Jul	Aug
Nashi	Jun	Jul	Aug
Nectarine	Jun	Jul	Aug
Peach	Jun	Jul	Aug
Pear	Jun	Jul	Aug
Persimmon	Jun	Jul	Aug
Plum	Jun	Jul	Aug
Quince	Jun	Jul	Aug
Raspberry	Jun	Jul	Aug
Redcurrant	Jun	Jul	Aug
Sweet Chestnut	Jun	Jul	Aug
Walnut	Jun	Jul	Aug
Companion flowers
Culinary Rose	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep

Spring (September to November)

75 plants have most of their sowing months in this season.

Plant	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Leafy greens
Spinach		Feb	Mar			Aug	Sep	Oct
Silverbeet	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rocket		Feb	Mar					Oct	Nov
Celery								Oct	Nov	Dec
Amaranth									Nov	Dec
Chicory	Jan						Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Endive		Feb	Mar	Apr			Sep	Oct	Nov
Fennel								Oct	Nov
Good King Henry	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Pigface (Horokaka)									Nov	Dec
Radicchio	Jan	Feb					Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sorrel	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Watercress	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Brassicas
Broccoli	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr			Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cabbage	Jan	Feb	Mar			Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov
Gai Lan		Feb						Oct	Nov
Kohlrabi	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mustard Greens		Feb	Mar					Oct	Nov
Fruiting vegetables
Tomato								Oct	Nov	Dec
Peas							Sep	Oct	Nov
Asparagus							Sep	Oct	Nov
Globe Artichoke	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Okra									Nov
Rhubarb							Sep	Oct	Nov
Scarlet Runner Bean									Nov	Dec
Snow Peas							Sep	Oct	Nov
Root vegetables
Carrot	Jan							Oct	Nov	Dec
Onion						Aug	Sep	Oct
Potato	Jan							Oct	Nov	Dec
Spring Onion	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Radish	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Leek							Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Celeriac	Jan						Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daikon		Feb						Oct	Nov
Hamburg Parsley							Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Horseradish									Nov	Dec
Jerusalem Artichoke							Sep	Oct	Nov
Parsnip							Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Salsify	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr			Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Scorzonera	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr			Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Turnip	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov
Herbs
Coriander								Oct	Nov
Parsley	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May		Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mint	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rosemary	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Thyme	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Oregano	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr			Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Chives	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May		Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bay Laurel									Nov	Dec
Dill		Feb					Sep	Oct	Nov
Hops							Sep	Oct	Nov
Lemon Balm	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Lovage	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sage	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sea Celery	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Shiso (Perilla)									Nov	Dec
Stevia									Nov	Dec
Tarragon	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Vietnamese Mint									Nov	Dec
Fruit, berries and nuts
Strawberry							Sep	Oct	Nov
Feijoa									Nov
Fig									Nov
Olive									Nov
Pepino									Nov
Pomegranate									Nov
Companion flowers
Australian Native Violet	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Calendula	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr		Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Comfrey	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cornflower	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr		Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Echinacea	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Lavender	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Snapdragon	Jan	Feb					Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sweet Pea							Sep	Oct
Viola	Jan	Feb					Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Yarrow	Jan	Feb	Mar				Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Year-Round (Can be sown any month)

6 plants can be sown in every month of the year.

Plant	Type	Sowing window
Broccoli Sprouts	Microgreens and sprouts	January to December
Pea Shoots	Microgreens and sprouts	January to December
Radish Sprouts	Microgreens and sprouts	January to December
Sunflower Microgreens	Microgreens and sprouts	January to December
Oyster Mushroom	Mushrooms	January to December
Shiitake	Mushrooms	January to December

Turn This Calendar Into Your Garden Plan

The free app takes this Central Otago calendar and makes it yours: drag crops into your bed, get a sow reminder when each window opens, and track everything to harvest. Free on one bed, no card needed.

Open the free app →

The Central Otago Garden Planner

An undated planting calendar, sowing log and harvest journal for Queenstown, Wānaka, Alexandra, Cromwell and Arrowtown. Every month opens with what to sow, plant out and pick, taken from this calendar, and the facing pages are yours to write in. The printable PDF is available on this site.

See the planner

Planting calendars for other New Zealand regions

Gardening somewhere else? Each region has its own sowing windows. For the whole country at a glance, see what vegetables to plant now in New Zealand, or open the Central Otago planting calendar page for what to sow this month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grow warm-season crops in Central Otago?

Yes, in the brief frost-free window. Central Otago has New Zealand's most continental climate, with hot dry summers and cold winters with hard frosts that can strike in any month, so warm crops need protection at each end of the season.

When should I sow tomatoes in Central Otago?

In this calendar tomato is sown from October to December. Sow under cover in October, then plant out after the last frost, often late November or early December. Keep frost cloth handy.

Why are some plants missing from the Central Otago calendar?

The calendar lists every plant that has a sowing window for the region in our data. 29 plants in the library are marked as not suited to Central Otago, for example Lemon Tree, Lime Tree, Passionfruit and Pawpaw, so they do not appear. The note for Lemon Tree reads: Hard frosts rule out lemons outdoors. Keep a Meyer lemon in a pot moved under cover for winter.

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