When to plant Kale in Temperate Australia
Temperate zone — applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Cool · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.
From March to June is kale time in temperate Australia — sow the seed direct where it is to grow, 10 mm deep. The autumn window is deliberate: kale is a genuine cool-season crop, and leaves that mature through cold weather taste noticeably sweeter than anything grown in warmth. Germination is brisk at 6–12 days and the first picking arrives within 50–70 days, so an April sowing feeds you right through winter. Allow 40–60 cm between plants — a happy kale gets big — and pick from the bottom of the stem upwards so it keeps producing for months.
Sowing calendar — temperate zone
Green months are your sowing window: March to June.
Growing notes
Kale is fully hardy, and temperate frosts work in its favour — cold converts starches in the leaf to sugars, so plants standing through the May and June frosts produce the best-eating kale of the year. No winter protection is needed.
Within the March–June window, earlier means bigger. March and April sowings go into warm soil, germinate near the fast end of the 6–12 day range, and build a large frame before growth slows. June sowings still succeed but tick along slowly, producing smaller plants that pick up again in early spring. The trade-off is pests: March sowings land in peak cabbage white butterfly season.
That butterfly, along with the cabbage moth, is the number-one failure mode for kale. Their green caterpillars can skeletonise unprotected seedlings inside a week during autumn. Fine exclusion netting over the bed from the day you sow beats any spray, and it can come off once cold weather knocks the moths back.
Soil-wise, kale wants fertile, firm ground that holds moisture — dig in compost before sowing.
- Sow 10 mm deep, thinning to 40–60 cm apart with rows 50–100 cm apart
- Water at the base; wet leaves invite fungal spotting
- Give a nitrogen-rich feed once plants are established
- Harvest the lower leaves first and leave the growing crown intact
Kale at a glance
| Sowing depth | 10 mm |
|---|---|
| Plant spacing | 40-60 cm |
| Row spacing | 50-100 cm |
| Germination | 6-12 days |
| Days to maturity | 50-70 days |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy |
| Method | Raise Seedlings,Sow Direct |
Companion planting
Grows well with
Nasturtiums: Trap crop for aphids and cabbage white
Marigold: Deters cabbage moth
Common questions
- Can I grow kale in winter in Australia?
- Yes — in temperate zones, sow direct from March to June and the plants stand happily through winter frost. Cold weather actually sweetens the leaves.
- How long does kale take to grow?
- Seed germinates in 6–12 days and the first leaves are ready to pick in 50–70 days. Picked from the bottom up, a plant keeps producing for months.
- What is eating holes in my kale leaves?
- Almost certainly caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly or cabbage moth, which target all brassicas. Fine exclusion netting from the day you sow is the most reliable fix.
- Should I sow kale direct or in punnets?
- Direct sowing works well — go 10 mm deep and thin seedlings to 40–60 cm apart. Autumn-sown seed comes up quickly in warm soil.
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