When to Plant Brussels Sprouts in Sydney, Warm Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Sydney), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Warm Temperate
In October the Warm Temperate zone normally runs 24°C by day and 13°C overnight, with about 66 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -1.5°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 153 postcodes, SILO.
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This Brussels Sprouts guide is written for the Warm Temperate zone, which takes in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Dec to Feb
- Days to harvest
- about 21 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
Brussels sprouts are a long, cold weather brassica that carry small cabbage like buds up a tall stem. They do not form tight sprouts in warm areas, where they open and go floppy.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Warm Temperate
- Jan S/T
- Feb T
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec S
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Brussels Sprouts in Warm Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Moist, fertile soil with plenty of compost (Seeds of Plenty). Firm soil helps the tall stems stand.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun, with shelter from wind because tall plants topple (Yates).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart
- Watering
- Keep the water even. Dry spells stress brassicas. No exact water figure was found.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Dill
- Keep away from
- Tomato, Climbing beans, Capsicum and chilli, Eggplant
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Warm Temperate Growing Tips for Brussels Sprouts
Recommended Varieties
- Catskill
- Long Island Improved
Key Challenges
- Warm weather opening the sprouts
- Caterpillars
- Wind
Pro Tips
- Stake plants
- Net early
- Pick from the bottom as the sprouts reach 2 to 3 cm
Pests and problems for Brussels Sprouts in Warm Temperate
- Diamondback Moth Watch
- Cabbage White Butterfly Watch
- Downy Mildew Space plants for airflow and water at the base in the morning. Watch
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Watch
- Aphids Watch
- Clubroot Rotate brassicas, and keep tools and soil from infected beds away from clean ones. Watch
- Caterpillars Caterpillars Watch
Harvesting Brussels Sprouts
When ready: Sprouts are firm and about 2 to 3 cm across (Yates), picked while small (Gardenate).
How to harvest: Pick from the bottom of the stem and leave the plant growing (Gardenate, Yates).
What brussels sprouts 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 Brussels Sprouts
When do you plant brussels sprouts in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Jun
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Feb, Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan, Nov to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Mar
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Mar
Can you grow brussels sprouts all year round in Sydney?
No. In the Warm Temperate zone the planting months are Jan to Feb, Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Brussels Sprouts in Sydney?
A short window. Gardenate lists December to February for seed in trays or seedlings, and The Seed Collection extends sowing to April. Plant so the sprouts form in the cool months. Warm weather makes them open loose.
What soil temperature do Brussels Sprouts need?
Brussels Sprouts germinate best when soil temperature is between 7°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Brussels Sprouts are ready to harvest?
Sprouts are firm and about 2 to 3 cm across (Yates), picked while small (Gardenate).
What are the best Brussels Sprouts varieties for Sydney?
Recommended varieties for the Warm Temperate zone include: Catskill, Long Island Improved.
What grows well with Brussels Sprouts?
Good companion plants for Brussels Sprouts include: Nasturtium, Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Dill.
Are brussels sprouts salt tolerant?
Only a little. Brussels sprouts 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 Warm Temperate zone, Sydney is its reference city.