What to grow in winter in Australia

Australian winters are mild by world standards, and in most zones the cool months are prime time for the crops that hate our summers. Brassicas sweeten in the cold, alliums need the long run to bulb up, and leafy greens stop bolting. Here is what earns its keep in a winter bed. Timing shifts by zone, so check your suburb’s calendar before sowing.

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   1. Garlic

   Plant cloves in autumn or early winter, harvest in summer. The classic set-and-forget winter crop.

2. 🫘

   2. Broad Bean

   Thrives in cold soil where nothing else germinates, and fixes nitrogen for whatever follows.

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   3. Broccoli

   Cool weather keeps heads tight and slows the caterpillars. Side shoots keep coming after the main head.

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   4. Kale

   Frost improves the flavour. One of the few crops that genuinely prefers a cold snap.

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   5. Pea

   Cool-season through and through — sow in autumn or winter in most zones for a spring pick.

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   6. Spinach

   True spinach bolts in heat; winter is the only season it is truly happy in most of Australia.

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   7. Cabbage

   Slow, steady and cold-proof. Winter heads are denser and sweeter than anything grown in warm months.

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   8. Leek

   Stands in the bed all winter without spoiling — harvest as needed rather than all at once.

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   9. Carrot

   Sow in autumn in cool zones and the roots sweeten as the soil chills.