What To Plant In Autumn Guide

Photo by Arseny Togulev

Autumn is the stop-gap between summer and winter and as the weather gets cooler, your garden starts to change. There are loads of fruits and vegetables to plant in autumn and in this guide, we’ll give you inspiration for what to plant in March, April, and May so you can make the most of your autumn season.

What to Plant in March

March is the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs such as anemones, belladonna lilies, daffodils, crocus, freesias, hyacinths, jonquils, dutch irises, ranunculi, and tulips. In warmer areas, it’s best to leave planting hyacinths, jonquils, and tulips until April.

March is also a great time to plant an array of flower seeds for a winter and early spring colour display. Some of the most popular varieties include calendula, cornflower, forget-me-not, foxglove, lavender, lobelia, pansy, poppy, stock, and sweet pea.

Vegetables to plant in the autumn include members of the onion family, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, parsnip, spinach, swede, and turnip. Give priority to slow-maturing varieties such as cabbage, broccoli and parsnip.

Prepare the soil well before planting root crops such as swede, parsnip, and carrot. They like porous, compost-rich soil dug to a good depth. Avoid adding animal manure before planting these crops as it encourages split or forked roots. Ideally, sow them where corn and tomatoes have just grown.

Continue making successive sowings of quick maturing vegetables such as Asian green seeds (bok choi, pak choi, mizuna), carrots, lettuce, radish, silverbeet, and spring onion. Many herbs also enjoy the cooler conditions so it’s a great time to plant parsley, chives, mint, oregano and thyme.

And why not try growing strawberry seeds in March, too, for an early harvest next summer?

What to Plant in April

Vegetables to plant in April include peas, parsnips, carrots, onions, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and spinach. Continue making successive sowings of quick maturing vegetables such as Asian greens, too, like bok choi, pak choi, and mizuna, as well as lettuce, radish, silverbeet and spring onion. It’s not too late to sow these herb varieties: parsley, chives, mint, oregano, and thyme.

Make sure you plant some sweet peas before Anzac Day as they like rich soil and full sun and need support from the likes of a trellis or a fence. Also plant winter and spring flowering seeds now such as alyssum, calendula, cosmos, foxglove, nemesia, snapdragon, poppies, and pansies.

You can also still plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, crocus, freesias, hyacinths, jonquils, dutch irises, ranunculi and tulips. Even in warmer areas, temperatures will be cool enough to plant heat-sensitive bulbs such as hyacinths and tulips.

Some summer-ready bulbs are also in season in April, too, including most potatoes, garlic, and shallots, so plant them now for a late winter harvest. Bulbs need little care and attention, but always ensure they have adequate drainage for best performance.

What to Plant in May

May is a delightful time of the year for your garden with cool mornings perfect for planting, mulching and composting, and warm afternoons for potting.

Plant nasturtiums in May for a burst of colour in late winter and early spring. In sub-tropical climates, you can also plant flowering annuals such as alyssum, calendula, carnation, chrysanthemum, cornflower, delphinium, dianthus, gypsophila, lobelia, pansy, snapdragon, stock, sweet peas, and viola.

In Northern Australia, start planting tomatoes and eggplant now, and in southern Australia, make sowings of cool-loving vegetables such as cabbage, kale, savoy cabbage, turnip, swede, celeriac, and parsnip. In most areas, May is a great time to sow broad beans, spinach, lettuce, and onions.

Flower bulbs to plant now include bearded iris and alstroemerias, and you can still plant daffodils, crocus, freesias, hyacinths, jonquils, dutch irises, ranunculi, and tulips in most areas. Several produce bulbs are also in season including potatoes, garlic and shallots, so plant them now for a late winter harvest.