When to Plant Sweet Corn in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
Also called corn, maize.
That soil figure is read off our own weather station in South East Queensland at 21:55 yesterday, not a model.
What this month normally looks like in Subtropical
In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 33 postcodes, SILO.
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This Sweet Corn guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Sep to Feb
- Days to harvest
- about 11 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.8–7.0
- Shop price
- $11.26/kg
Sweet corn is a warm-season grass requiring block planting for wind pollination. Freshly picked corn is dramatically sweeter than shop-bought because sugars convert to starch within hours of picking.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Subtropical
- Jan D
- Feb D
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep D
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Subtropical zone right now, Sweet Corn included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Sweet Corn in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost and aged manure. Heavy feeder.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.8-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 8 hours). No shade tolerance.
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 60cm between rows
- Watering
- Deep water 2-3 times weekly. CRITICAL: increase at tasselling/silk stage. Water stress causes bare cob patches.
- Good companions
- Broad Beans (following season), Jerusalem artichoke (similar height/culture), Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Peas
- Keep away from
- Celeriac, Celery (Listed under keep apart from celery. No reason is given.), Cherry, Chickpeas, Egyptian Spinach, Silverbeet (competes for nutrients), Tomato (shared corn earworm)
- Grow before it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
- Grow after it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Give the bed 3 turns before other fruiting crops go back in. Corn, okra and sunflower are heavy feeders that sit with the fruiting crops in the cycle.
Subtropical Growing Tips for Sweet Corn
Recommended Varieties
- Honey and Cream
- Golden Bantam
- Balinese
- Early Gem
Key Challenges
- Corn earworm
- Fall armyworm increasing
- January heat stress on pollination
Pro Tips
- Block plant 4x4 minimum
- Three Sisters works excellently in SEQ
- Bt on silks at first emergence
Pests and problems for Sweet Corn in Subtropical
- Corn Earworm and Fungal Infections High
- Helicoverpa / Corn Earworm / Tomato Grub Watch
- Green Vegetable Bug Watch
- Wireworms Watch
- Cutworms Watch
- Common Rust Resistant varieties. Good spacing. Watch
- Northern Corn Leaf Blight Resistant varieties. Crop rotation. Remove old debris. Watch
Organic prevention (Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa)): Remove old plants. Crop rotation.
Harvesting Sweet Corn
When ready: Silks brown/dry. Cob full and firm through husk. Kernel exudes milky juice when pierced with thumbnail (milk stage).
How to harvest: Grasp cob, snap downward while twisting. Eat immediately. Sugar converts to starch within hours.
Storing and preserving sweet corn
How to keep it
- Freezing (blanched kernels). Husk, desilk. Blanch whole cobs 4-6 min. Ice bath. Cut kernels off. Freeze in portions. Keeps: 12 months.
- Freezing (on cob). Husk, desilk, blanch 4-6 min, ice bath, wrap individually, freeze. Keeps: 12 months.
- Corn Relish. Kernels + diced capsicum, onion, celery, mustard, vinegar, sugar. Simmer 30 min. Bottle hot. Keeps: 12 months.
Canning safety. Low-acid vegetables like sweet corn must be pressure canned, never water-bath canned.
Grow vs buy
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 12 plants, about $34 worth at today’s Aldi, Coles, IGA and Woolworths prices, checked today.
That is roughly 3 kg at $11.26 a kilo.
Draw your sweet corn bed → No account needed.
What sweet corn costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Sweet Corn
When do you plant sweet corn in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan, Aug to Oct, Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan, Sep to Dec
Can you grow sweet corn all year round in Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
What else is sweet corn called?
Sweet corn is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it corn, maize. Same plant, same growing advice.
When should I plant Sweet Corn in Brisbane?
Sow direct in blocks from September to February. August soil is usually too cool, and March sowings meet the cold at cob fill.
What soil temperature do Sweet Corn need?
Sweet Corn germinate best when soil temperature is between 16°C and 35°C.
How do I know when Sweet Corn are ready to harvest?
Silks brown/dry. Cob full and firm through husk. Kernel exudes milky juice when pierced with thumbnail (milk stage).
What are the best Sweet Corn varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Honey and Cream, Golden Bantam, Balinese, Early Gem.
What grows well with Sweet Corn?
Good companion plants for Sweet Corn include: Broad Beans, Jerusalem artichoke, Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Peas.
Are sweet corn salt tolerant?
Only a little. Sweet corn are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.