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Farmers almanac
One almanac per growing zone, published every month. Pick your zone and month below for the full picture: what to plant now, what should be coming ready to harvest, the moon planting calendar, sunrise and sunset for your zone, and the climate averages you can expect from Bureau of Meteorology records.
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September 2026 Farmers Almanac
Planting, moon and climate guide for the Arid zone
Climate Overview
| Zone | Max | Min | Rainfall | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arid | 23-28°C | 10-14°C | 8-12mm | Warming rapidly. Cool nights still. Wildflowers spectacular. |
Astronomical Events
Moon Phases
Sunrise / Sunset
Days lengthening rapidly toward the equinox. Here’s the change across the month:
| City | 1st | 15th | Last | Daylight change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Springs (ACST) | 6:45am – 6:23pm (11h 37m) | 6:31am – 6:28pm (11h 56m) | 6:16am – 6:33pm (12h 16m) | +39 min |
Trend: Nearly an hour gained in all cities. The equinox (Sep 23) brings equal day and night.
Planting Guide
Arid Zone
Planting windows from the GardenBuddy zone planting master (109 crops tracked for this zone). Harvest months are the verified zone harvest window where we have one, otherwise calculated from typical days to maturity.
- Amaranth (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Artichokes (seed tray, transplant)
- Asparagus Pea (sow direct)
- Avocado (grafted tree, potted)
- Basil (seed tray, transplant)
- Beans – climbing (sow direct, transplant)
- Beans – dwarf (sow direct, transplant)
- Beetroot (sow direct, transplant)
- Borage (sow direct, transplant)
- Cape Gooseberry (transplant)
- Capsicum (seed tray, transplant)
- Carrot (sow direct)
- Chilli peppers (seed tray, transplant)
- Chives (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Cucumber (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Dill (sow direct, transplant)
- Eggplant (seed tray)
- Fig (potted or bare-root tree, or cuttings)
- French tarragon (cuttings or divisions)
- Grapefruit (grafted tree, potted)
- Jerusalem Artichokes (tubers)
- Lemon (grafted tree, potted)
- Lemon Balm (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Lemongrass (divisions)
- Lettuce (sow direct, transplant)
- Lime (grafted tree, potted)
- Luffa (seed tray)
- Mandarin (grafted tree, potted)
- Mango (grafted tree, potted)
- Mint (cuttings or divisions)
- Mulberry (potted or bare-root tree, or cuttings)
- Mustard greens (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- NZ Spinach (seed tray)
- Okra (seed tray)
- Orange (grafted tree, potted)
- Oregano (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Pak Choy (transplant)
- Parsley (sow direct, transplant)
- Passionfruit (grafted vine)
- Potato (seed potatoes)
- Pumpkin (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Radish (sow direct)
- Rocket (sow direct)
- Rockmelon (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Rosemary (cuttings or potted plants)
- Sage (seed tray, transplant)
- Savory – summer savory (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Savory – winter savory (transplant)
- Silverbeet (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Snow Peas (sow direct, transplant)
- Spring Onion (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Squash (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Strawberries (runners)
- Sunflower (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Sweet Corn (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Sweet Marjoram (sow direct, transplant)
- Thyme (seed tray, transplant)
- Tomatillo (transplant)
- Tomato (sow direct, transplant)
- Watermelon (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Winter squash (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Yacon (crowns)
- Zucchini (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Beetroot
- Borage
- Broad Beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Celeriac
- Chives
- Collards
- Coriander
- Daikon
- Dill
- Endive
- Fennel
- Grapefruit
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Lemon
- Lemon Balm
- Lettuce
- Mint
- Mizuna
- Mulberry
- Mustard greens
- Onion
- Oregano
- Pak Choy
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Peas
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Rocket
- Rosemary
- Rutabaga
- Sage
- Salsify
- Savory – winter savory
- Silverbeet
- Snow Peas
- Spinach
- Spring Onion
- Strawberries
- Thyme
- Turnip
Moon Planting Calendar
| Phase | Dates | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Waning (Full to Last Quarter) | Sep 1-4 | Root vegetables, garlic, onions, bulbs. Pruning. |
| Waning (Last Quarter to New) | Sep 4-11 | Soil preparation, composting, pest control. Rest period. |
| Waxing (New to First Quarter) | Sep 11-19 | Leafy greens and herbs. Sow above-ground crops that fruit outside the plant. |
| Waxing (First Quarter to Full) | Sep 19-27 | Fruiting crops – tomatoes, beans, cucurbits. Strongest above-ground planting energy. |
| Waning (Full to Last Quarter) | Sep 27-30 | Root vegetables, garlic, onions, bulbs. Pruning. |
Livestock Guide
Lambing and calving are peaking. This is the busiest stretch of the year for anyone running stock.
Cattle
- Calving season peak
- Close monitoring required
- Pasture at best condition
- Parasite treatment
Sheep & Goats
- Lambing/kidding peak
- Intensive monitoring
- Marking and tagging
- Mothering up
Poultry
- Peak breeding season
- Excellent hatch rates
- Production strong
- Free range ideal
Bees
- Peak activity
- Swarm prevention critical
- Spring honey flow
- Super management
Self-Sufficiency Focus
The Spring Gap
This is the “spring gap” – the tail end of the hungry period between winter and summer abundance. Food prices are often at their peak. If you’ve preserved well, you’re nearly through it. Fresh asparagus and early strawberries signal better times ahead.
Energy Excellence
This is one of the best months for energy balance. Solar output is excellent, and you need neither heating nor cooling most days. If you’ve got batteries, you’re probably building up credits. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Key Takeaways
- Spring Equinox: September 23 – major Gann date, equal day and night
- Peak planting: All summer vegetables can go in now
- Tomato time: Plant after last frost risk passes
- Lambing peak: Intensive livestock management period
- Spring gap ending: Fresh produce returning, prices starting to ease
- Energy good window: Solar excellent, minimal heating/cooling