Growing essentials for your cool season garden

The ABC Organic Gardener team of experts have some planting ideas for you to try this autumn.

Autumn in Australia offers a unique opportunity to grow a variety of plants. Discover the best selections for vibrant color, texture, and seasonal resilience in your garden.

English spinach

This delicious and dependable leafy green loves the cool season so get plants started as soon as you feel the temperatures drop. Direct sow seed into compost enriched soil or start them in punnets. If you get a warm day, move punnets to a cooler spot or protect emerging seedlings in the ground with a shade cloth cover. Keep moist and once seedlings appear, give them a weekly soaking with diluted fish emulsion and seaweed extract mixed at half strength to encourage rapid and luxuriant leaf growth.

Particularly good plant for arid/semi-arid areas.

Microgreens

Quick and easy to grow, microgreens can be raised outside in the sun or indoors on a windowsill. Some good plants to try include amaranth, broccoli, coriander, radish, mustard greens and peas. Fill a seedling tray or recycled fruit punnet (with drainage holes) with seedling mix, sprinkle seeds over the surface, gently pat them down and then cover lightly with more mix. Water gently and keep moist. Harvest when they develop four true leaves. Cut as required.

Particularly good plant for subtropical areas as can be grown indoors.

Natives

Plant out tubestock and potted natives to establish root growth before winter. Dig planting holes twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth. Never plant into dry soil – fill holes with water and allow to drain and soak plant roots before planting. Tubes often have vertical ribs directing roots downward, so roots generally won’t need pruning. For round pots, slit two sides of the root ball to prevent roots circling. Backfill around root ball with loose soil and gently firm around roots, removing air pockets. Water in with 5–10L to each plant and mulch the surrounding soil 50mm deep.

Particularly good for temperate areas.

Garlic

Plant garlic now for autumn establishment growth. Choose a sunny position, with well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. Loosen soil to 30cm deep, incorporating well-rotted compost and manure, a sprinkle of rock dust and blood and bone. Choose early, mid and late season varieties. Separate cloves and plant pointy end up, 5cm deep, 10cm apart.

Particularly good for cool temperate and warm temperate areas. Tropical, subtropical and arid/semi-arid areas need to wait until it’s April-June, depending on local climate.

For more expert tips for your garden in the cooler months, get a copy of our Autumn 2025 issue (OG 156), available here.