23/09/2026
🌡️🌸 Adelaide Hills Gardeners: Don't let those sunny spring days fool you!
Down on the plains, Adelaide might be warming up fast, but up here in the Hills, our soil stays cold for a lot longer. Planting your summer veggies too early into our chilly, wet winter ground is a recipe for root rot and stunted growth.
Before you rush out to plant your tomatoes and chillies, grab a soil thermometer! Here is your localized Adelaide Hills guide to matching your planting schedule to your dirt's true temperature:
The Hills Spring Planting Guide
Cool (10ºC – 15ºC) – Perfect for early spring in the hills
Plant now: peas, broad beans, spinach, kale, carrots and onions
Warm (15ºC – 20ºC) – Usually hit around mid-to-late October
Wait for this: beetroot, sweet corn, dward beans, potatoes, and early tomato varieties
Hot (20ºC+) Usually November onwards in our valleys
Hold off: Capsicum, chillies, eggplants, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini, and basil absolutely demand warm soil.
Hills-Specific Tips to Cheat the Climate:
• Watch the Microclimates: Soil in valleys or south-facing slopes (like parts of Stirling or Aldgate) will stay cold and wet much longer than north-facing hillsides in Woodside or Mount Barker. Test individual beds!
• Trap the Warmth: Because our nights stay cool well into spring, lay down black plastic or clear tarps over your veggie patches right now. This traps the sun's rays and artificially bumps up your soil temperature by a few crucial degrees.
• Pot Up First: Keep your heat-loving seedlings (like capsicums and eggplants) in pots sitting on a sunny veranda or inside a greenhouse for a few more weeks. Let them build a strong root system before committing them to the ground.
Drop by our store to grab some seed packets and Rocky Point ActivGrow to help condition and warm up your garden beds!
