Australian planting calendar
What to plant in February in a Cool garden
Explore 53 core planting options for February in the Cool zone, with practical garden jobs and links to our growing guides.
These are broad climate-zone windows. Local weather, frost, soil conditions and your garden’s microclimate can shift timing. Check the plant guide before starting.
Not sure which zone applies? Find your zone before using this calendar. Want this tailored to your garden? Save your plants in My Garden.
Core planting options
The planting method matters: sowing seed and planting seedlings, tubers or nursery plants are different jobs. “Sow” means the underlying source does not specify direct sowing or trays.
Edible flowers
Alyssum
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Apr,Sep-Dec
How to grow alyssumHerbs
Anise
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Feb,Sep-Dec
How to grow aniseHerbs
Basil
Sow
Core planting window: Sep-Feb
How to grow basilHerbs
Bee balm
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Mar,Oct-Dec
How to grow bee balmRoots & bulbs
Beetroot
Sow
Core planting window: Sep-Apr
How to grow beetrootLeafy & brassicas
Broccoli
Sow
Core planting window: Oct-Mar
How to grow broccoliRoots & bulbs
Burdock
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Feb, Sep–Dec
How to grow burdockLeafy & brassicas
Cabbage
Sow
Core planting window: Sep-Apr
How to grow cabbageEdible flowers
Calendula
Sow
Core planting window: Feb–Apr, Sep–Nov
How to grow calendulaHerbs
Caraway
Sow
Core planting window: Feb-Apr,Sep-Nov
How to grow carawayEdible flowers
Carnation
Sow
Core planting window: Feb-May,Aug-Oct
How to grow carnationRoots & bulbs
Carrot
Sow
Core planting window: Aug-Mar
How to grow carrotLeafy & brassicas
Cauliflower
Sow
Core planting window: Nov-Mar
How to grow cauliflowerHerbs
Chervil
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Mar,Sep-Dec
How to grow chervilLeafy greens
Chicory
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Mar, Dec
How to grow chicoryLeafy greens
Chinese cabbage
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Feb, Dec
How to grow chinese cabbageHerbs
Chives
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec
How to grow chivesLeafy greens
Choy sum
Sow direct / transplant seedlings
Core planting window: Aug–Apr
How to grow choy sumLeafy greens
Collards
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Feb
How to grow collardsHerbs
Coriander
Sow
Core planting window: Aug-Apr
How to grow corianderRoots & bulbs
Daikon
Sow direct
Core planting window: Jan-May,Oct-Dec
How to grow daikonHerbs
Dandelion
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Feb,Sep-Dec
How to grow dandelionLeafy greens
Endive
Sow
Core planting window: Feb–Mar, Sep–Nov
How to grow endiveVegetables
Florence fennel
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Apr,Aug-Dec
How to grow florence fennelLeafy greens
Gai lan
Sow direct / transplant seedlings
Core planting window: Aug–Apr
How to grow gai lanLeafy greens
Garden cress
Sow
Core planting window: All year
How to grow garden cressHerbs
Hyssop
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Feb,Sep-Dec
How to grow hyssopLeafy greens
Ice plant
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Feb,Sep-Dec
How to grow ice plantLeafy greens
Kale
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Feb
How to grow kaleRoots & bulbs
Kohlrabi
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Mar, Aug–Dec
How to grow kohlrabiLeafy greens
Komatsuna
Sow direct / transplant seedlings
Core planting window: Aug–Apr
How to grow komatsunaHerbs
Lavender
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Feb,Sep-Dec
How to grow lavenderRoots & bulbs
Leek
Sow
Core planting window: Sep-Apr
How to grow leekLeafy & brassicas
Lettuce
Sow
Core planting window: Sep-May
How to grow lettuceHerbs
Lovage
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Feb,Sep-Dec
How to grow lovageRoots & bulbs
Mangel wurzel
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Apr,Sep-Dec
How to grow mangel wurzelFruiting crops
Marrow
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Feb,Oct-Dec
How to grow marrowLeafy greens
Mizuna
Sow
Core planting window: Feb–Apr
How to grow mizunaLeafy greens
Mustard greens
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Apr
How to grow mustard greensAsian greens
Pak choy
Sow
Core planting window: Feb-May
How to grow pak choyHerbs
Parsley
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Mar, Sep–Dec
How to grow parsleyEdible flowers
Primrose
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Aug,Dec
How to grow primroseRoots & bulbs
Radish
Sow
Core planting window: Aug-Jun
How to grow radishLeafy greens
Rocket
Sow
Core planting window: Feb–Mar, Sep–Nov
How to grow rocketRoots & bulbs
Rutabaga
Sow direct
Core planting window: Jan-Apr,Dec
How to grow rutabagaHerbs
Salad burnet
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-Apr,Sep-Dec
How to grow salad burnetRoots & bulbs
Salsify
Sow direct
Core planting window: Jan-Apr,Oct-Dec
How to grow salsifyLeafy & brassicas
Silverbeet
Sow
Core planting window: Sep-Mar
How to grow silverbeetLeafy & brassicas
Spinach
Sow
Core planting window: Feb-Nov
How to grow spinachRoots & bulbs
Spring onions
Sow
Core planting window: Jan-May,Aug,Oct-Dec
How to grow spring onionsLeafy greens
Tatsoi
Sow direct / transplant seedlings
Core planting window: Aug–Apr
How to grow tatsoiRoots & bulbs
Turnip
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Apr, Sep–Dec
How to grow turnipLeafy greens
Warrigal greens
Sow
Core planting window: Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec
How to grow warrigal greensPossible / shoulder planting options
These sit at the edge of the planting window and need more care with local conditions. They are kept separate from the core options.
Leafy greens
Brussels sprouts
Sow
Core planting window: Nov–Dec
How to grow brussels sproutsLeafy greens
Corn salad
Sow
Core planting window: Mar–May
How to grow corn saladHerbs
Dill
Sow
Core planting window: Jan, Sep–Dec
How to grow dillEdible flowers
French marigold
Sow
Core planting window: Sep–Dec
How to grow french marigoldEdible flowers
Nasturtium
Sow
Core planting window: Sep–Dec
How to grow nasturtiumRoots & bulbs
Parsnip
Sow
Core planting window: Sep–Nov
How to grow parsnipLegumes
Snow peas
Sow
Core planting window: Jul–Oct
How to grow snow peasIn the garden in February
Use these jobs when the stated conditions apply in your garden.
Reset beds for autumn
Remove spent plants and weeds, then add finished compost to beds you plan to use in autumn.
When this applies: Compost only healthy material; dispose of diseased or biosecurity-sensitive material according to local advice.
Year-round care
Check before watering
Check moisture around the roots and the rain forecast before watering. Water only where needed and follow local watering rules.
When this applies: Use the soil and plant needs to guide watering, rather than a fixed calendar interval.
How to do it
Reset a bed after a finished crop
When a crop has actually finished and you have decided what comes next. Use the plant guide to confirm harvesting before clearing.
Plan a simple crop rotation
Before choosing the next crops for each bed.
Decide whether your plant needs water
Before watering, after useful rain, and more often when plants are young or weather is hot or windy. This is a check, not a fixed watering schedule.
Sources and timing
Planting windows come from The Garden Hand’s existing planting calendar. Follow each plant link for its full growing guide. Garden jobs retain their existing zone, month and condition rules; year-round care is shown separately.
- Waterwise gardening: Watering
© The State of Queensland. Adapted and abridged; sourced 17 September 2026. No endorsement implied.
CC BY 4.0 - February In Your Patch
Cited for factual research only. Garden Archive wording is original; sourced 18 September 2026.
All rights reserved; research only