When to Plant Zucchini in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
Sow August to March. Right now in October you can sow.
Grow Zucchini in your space
Also called courgette.
- Planting window
- September to March. Long productive season.
- Days to harvest
- 45 days
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours daily)
- Water needs
- Deep water 2-3 times weekly at base. Avoid wetting leaves, powdery mildew magnet...
- Spacing
- 90cm apart, 120cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Shop price
- $7.44/kg average
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Zucchini 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.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Zucchini (courgette) is the quintessential productive home garden vegetable. A single plant can produce more fruit than a family can eat. A warm-season C. pepo cucurbit with bush habit, making it suitable for smaller gardens. Fast-growing, prolific, and forgiving. The classic 'too much zucchini' problem is real. Plant fewer than you think you need.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Subtropical
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/T/D | S/T/D | T | - | - | - | - | S | S | S/T/D | S/T/D | S/T/D |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 21.2°C (optimal range: 18–35°C) ✓ Ready to plant
That figure is read off our own weather station in South East Queensland at 7:55 this morning, not a model.
What this month normally looks like
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.
How to Grow Zucchini in Subtropical Australia
When to Plant
September to March. Long productive season.
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of compost. Raised beds excellent.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours daily)
- Spacing
- 90cm apart, 120cm between rows
- Watering
- Deep water 2-3 times weekly at base. Avoid wetting leaves, powdery mildew magnet. Consistent moisture during fruiting.
Companion plants: Corn, Beans, Nasturtium, Marigold, Borage
Avoid planting near: Potato, Other C. pepo varieties if seed saving
Grow before, grow after
Zucchini belongs with the cucurbits, the fruiting crops turn of a four turn bed rotation.
- 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 cucurbits go back in. Pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini want a bed with fresh compost dug through.
Subtropical Growing Tips for Zucchini
Recommended Varieties
- Black Beauty
- Blackjack
- Greyzini
- Gold Rush
- Costata Romanesco (ribbed heirloom)
Key Challenges
- Powdery mildew from January
- Pumpkin beetle
- Aphids/whitefly
- OVERPRODUCTION
Pro Tips
- Seriously: plant fewer than you think. 2 plants feeds a family of 4.
- Pick DAILY in warm weather. Zucchini go from perfect to baseball bat overnight
- Milk spray weekly from January as powdery mildew prevention
Harvesting Zucchini
When ready: 15-20cm long for standard varieties, 8-10cm for round types. Skin glossy and tender (can pierce with thumbnail). Firm but not hard.
How to harvest: Cut with sharp knife leaving 2-3cm stem. Pick YOUNG. Check plants DAILY in warm weather. A 15cm zucchini today is a 30cm marrow tomorrow.
Preserving: pressure canning
2 tested pressure-canning recipes for Zucchini: 2 where it is a main ingredient. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.
Worth growing?
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 3 plants, about $112 worth at today’s Aldi and Coles prices, checked on 5 October.
That is roughly 15 kg at $7.44 a kilo.
Draw your zucchini bed → No account needed.
Common Zucchini Pests in Subtropical Zones
Squash Vine Borer, risk: MODERATE (score: 64/100)In the pest library for zucchini:
Queensland Fruit Fly, critical severity Green Vegetable Bug, high severity Whitefly (Silverleaf and Greenhouse), high severity Thrips (Onion, Tomato, Western Flower), high severity Two-spotted Spider Mite, high severity Root-knot Nematode, high severity Powdery Mildew, high severity Downy Mildew, high severity Mosaic Viruses (CMV, ToMV, ZYMV), high severity Aphids (Green Peach, Cabbage, Cotton), moderate severity Pumpkin Beetle, moderate severityWhere to next
Supermarket Price
Current average retail: $7.44/kg (12-month range: $3.90–$9.98)
Grow your own and save on grocery bills.
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Zucchini
When do you plant zucchini in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Oct
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Aug to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
Does zucchini grow all year round in Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
What else is zucchini called?
Zucchini is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it courgette. Same plant, same growing advice.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page 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.