The short version: In Perth, southern Western Australia and Adelaide in South Australia, September to November are the months to plant the heat lovers, Perth a few weeks ahead of Adelaide: pumpkin, melons, zucchini, cucumber, beans, eggplant, okra, basil and amaranth, with tomatoes and capsicums where you can get the seed. Improve sandy beds with compost and clay, lay drippers under 5 to 10 cm of mulch, water deeply within your local rules, shade leafy crops, and deal with fruit fly from the first warm weeks.
The winter rain stops, the beds that were soggy in August turn to dry sand within a fortnight, and the broad beans start to look tired. In a Mediterranean climate that is the signal to change crops, not to stop gardening.
The real job is keeping water at the roots through months with little rain. Get the soil and watering right in spring and summer gets easier.
What a dry summer does to vegetables
Leaves lose water fast in dry heat. In Perth the hottest days usually come on dry easterly winds off the inland, until the afternoon sea breeze, the Fremantle Doctor, pushes in from the coast. Plants that run short of water in that heat drop flowers, stop setting fruit, or bolt.
The upside: downy mildew needs moist leaves, so dry summer air works against it. Powdery mildew likes warm, dry weather, so space zucchini and pumpkins.
When to plant: spring, a quiet January, then autumn
Most summer crops go in from September to November, once soil and nights warm. For many crops Perth runs a few weeks ahead of Adelaide.
January is for keeping plants alive, not starting much, although beans can still go in with shade and steady water. Over summer, raise the autumn crops in a shady spot: sow cauliflower from December for planting out around Perth from January, then cabbage and kale from February and broccoli from March, planting out once the heat eases.
This is the Mediterranean zone, and zones are broad groupings, so frost-prone pockets wait for their last frost. The other five zones run to different calendars; our What to Sow Now page shows yours.
Fix the sand before you plant
Much of Perth sits on old sand dunes, and pale sand holds little water or nutrient. Dry sand can also turn hydrophobic, meaning water repellent: a waxy film on the grains makes water bead and run off. Adelaide soils vary, so check yours with our guide to sandy, clay and loam soils.
- Dig compost through the top 30 cm. Top it up every season.
- Add clay over time. A bagged clay such as bentonite, mixed through a little each season at the rate on the bag, helps sand hold water and nutrients.
- Use a soil wetting agent on water-repellent beds, watered in well. Water Corporation suggests applying one at the start of winter and again in early summer.
- Keep beds covered. Mulch or a crop stops the sand drying right out.
Compost, mulch and garden soil can carry Legionella bacteria: wear gloves and a well-fitting disposable mask, dampen dusty material, and wash your hands before taking the mask off.
Water deeply, early, and within the rules
For established plants, a long, slow soak on fewer days beats a daily sprinkle, because it wets the soil deeper and draws roots down. The best setup for a summer bed is a drip line under the mulch: water goes straight to the roots, the leaves stay dry, and less is lost to evaporation. Mulch 5 to 10 cm deep.
- Perth and much of WA: reticulation runs once on your rostered days, before 9 am or after 6 pm. In Perth, Peel, the South West and parts of the Great Southern, the winter sprinkler switch-off runs from 1 June to 31 August. Hand watering with a can or a hand-held hose with a nozzle is allowed any day, preferably before 9 am.
- Adelaide: SA Water advises running drip systems before 9 am or after 6 pm, with a hand-held trigger nozzle, watering can or bucket allowed at any time.
So run drip on the allowed days and top up seedlings and pots by hand on the hottest afternoons. For lettuce and herbs that wilt the moment a bed dries, a wicking bed holds water below the roots.
Crops that suit a dry summer, and which seed can go to WA
Western Australia's quarantine rules mean we cannot send some seed lines there, and every WA seed order is inspected at Perth Airport, which can add up to two weeks. Restricted lines carry a "NOT to WA" label on the product page, so check before you order.
| Crop | Perth | Adelaide | We send to WA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin | August to December | Late September to December | Yes |
| Watermelon, rockmelon | Late August, under cover, to December | September to December | Yes |
| Zucchini | Direct from September | Direct from October | Yes |
| Cucumber | September to January, once soil holds 16°C | Yes | |
| Beans | September to February | Yes | |
| Eggplant | Plant out October to December, once nights stay above 10°C | Yes | |
| Basil | Plant out in early November | Yes | |
| Okra | Trays in October, direct in November | Yes | |
| Amaranth | October to February | Yes | |
| Tomato | Plant out from September | Plant out from October | Most lines, not all |
| Capsicum, chilli | September to January | August to December | Few capsicums, about half the chillies |
| Sweet corn | From September | November to January | No |
| Sweet potato tubers | October to December | No | |
Easy wins for Perth are pumpkins, watermelons, rockmelons, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplants, okra, basil and amaranth, all sendable to WA. For tomatoes, check each label. Sweet corn, sweet potato tubers and seed potatoes are for Adelaide readers; there, potatoes go in from July and sweet potatoes from October.
Fruit fly: start early and work with the neighbours
Mediterranean fruit fly, or Medfly, is established across south-west WA, and adults become active once temperatures pass about 12°C, so numbers build through spring. Overripe tomatoes are a host, but the main breeding grounds are backyard fruit trees such as apricots, peaches, nectarines, figs and citrus.
- Pick tomatoes as they colour.
- In WA, collect fallen fruit and treat it before it goes in the bin: seal it in a black plastic bag on a hard surface in full sun for at least seven days, or freeze it for at least 24 hours. Do not compost it.
- Hang lure-and-kill traps 1.5 to 2 m up in the shade of nearby trees, such as our reusable fruit fly trap with a protein attractant, and check it weekly: top up the bait, tip out the catch, rinse it if cloudy.
- After fruit set, bag fruit or net with mesh finer than 1.6 mm measured diagonally, and involve the neighbours: control works far better across a street.
In some Perth local government areas, including Armadale, Kalamunda, Mundaring, Serpentine-Jarrahdale and Swan, Medfly control is compulsory. Queensland fruit fly is a separate pest that WA works to keep out. It has been eradicated from Perth suburbs many times since 1989; during each response the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) declares a quarantine area with legal rules on picking and moving fruit, and anyone who suspects Queensland fruit fly must report it. For any maggots in fruit, use the MyPestGuide Reporter app or DPIRD's Pest and Disease Information Service on (08) 9368 3080. DPIRD has a Medfly guide for backyard gardeners.
Fruit fly is not established in South Australia, so a maggot in Adelaide fruit is a find to report, not to dispose of. Seal the fruit in a bag or container, do not freeze it, and call the 24-hour Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010; PIRSA arranges testing. PIRSA also declares outbreak areas, with restrictions on moving fruit and vegetables within them.
Shade for greens and seedlings
Lettuce can be sown year round in Perth and Adelaide, but summer sowings need afternoon shade and a slow-bolt variety. A 50 percent shade cloth on hoops over leafy beds and seedling trays takes the edge off a 40°C afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Can tomato seed be sent to Perth?
Most lines can. Check each product page for a "NOT to WA" label.
Why does water run straight off my garden bed?
Dry sand often turns water repellent. Water in a soil wetting agent, then work compost and a little clay through and keep it mulched.
Is it too late to plant in December?
Beans, cucumber and amaranth still have time, but pumpkin, melon, eggplant and okra windows close at the end of December.
Should I report fruit fly?
Yes. In WA, use MyPestGuide Reporter or DPIRD; in South Australia, call the Fruit Fly Hotline.
Build the soil, run the drippers under the mulch, and let the pumpkins sprawl while the easterlies blow.
Related growing guides
Ready to plant? Our pumpkin seeds and bean seeds can all be sent to WA.