When to plant basil in New Zealand
Outdoors, basil go in from around 22 August in Whangarei to 2 October in Invercargill.
- Type
- Tender No frost, likes warmth
- First harvest
- About 60 days from sowing in the UK
- Spacing
- 20 cm between plants
- In pots
- Yes in a big enough pot
- Tender. Basil goes outdoors only once the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
- Start under cover. In a greenhouse or polytunnel it can go in about four weeks earlier than outdoors.
- Two goes in warm places. Where summers are long, there’s a second window later in the year as well as the spring one.
Town by town
24 towns from north to south. Dates move later the further you go from the equator and the higher up. Tap a town for its full calendar.
Sow outdoorsSow under cover (a greenhouse or polytunnel)Months run July to June, so summer reads in one piece.
| TownTown, north to south | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhangareiFrom 22 AugOutdoors 22 Aug to 2 Apr | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| AucklandFrom 26 AugOutdoors 26 Aug to 31 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| PapatoetoeFrom 25 AugOutdoors 25 Aug to 1 Apr | July: Not this month | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| Manukau CityFrom 29 AugOutdoors 29 Aug to 29 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| PapakuraFrom 27 AugOutdoors 27 Aug to 30 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| TaurangaFrom 4 Sep and 3 FebOutdoors 4 Sep to 11 Jan, and 3 Feb to 14 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| HamiltonFrom 8 SepOutdoors 8 Sep to 9 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| RotoruaFrom 22 SepOutdoors 22 Sep to 19 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| GisborneFrom 9 SepOutdoors 9 Sep to 8 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| New PlymouthFrom 17 SepOutdoors 17 Sep to 4 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| NapierFrom 10 Sep and 27 JanOutdoors 10 Sep to 6 Jan, and 27 Jan to 26 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| HastingsFrom 12 Sep and 28 JanOutdoors 12 Sep to 13 Jan, and 28 Jan to 23 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| WhanganuiFrom 14 SepOutdoors 14 Sep to 27 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| Palmerston NorthFrom 19 SepOutdoors 19 Sep to 21 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| PoriruaFrom 21 SepOutdoors 21 Sep to 26 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| Upper HuttFrom 22 SepOutdoors 22 Sep to 24 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| Lower HuttFrom 17 SepOutdoors 17 Sep to 4 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| NelsonFrom 13 Sep and 31 JanOutdoors 13 Sep to 12 Jan, and 31 Jan to 15 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| WellingtonFrom 19 SepOutdoors 19 Sep to 1 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| RichmondFrom 14 Sep and 1 FebOutdoors 14 Sep to 16 Jan, and 1 Feb to 15 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| BlenheimFrom 17 SepOutdoors 17 Sep to 11 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| ChristchurchFrom 28 SepOutdoors 28 Sep to 1 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Sow under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow under cover | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| DunedinFrom 19 SepOutdoors 19 Sep to 2 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow under cover | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| InvercargillFrom 2 OctOutdoors 2 Oct to 20 Jan | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Sow under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow outdoors and under cover | February: Sow under cover | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
Don’t see your town? Find it by name or postcode.
Basil in other countries
When to plant other crops in New Zealand
Fruiting
Roots
Leaves
Beans and peas
Onion family
Brassicas
Herbs
Fruit
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Get these dates as reminders
Bia turns this calendar into a nudge when it’s time to sow, plant out and harvest, for your plot wherever you are in New Zealand. Free for 2 months.
App StoreComing soonHow these dates are worked out: climate records for each town (ERA5-Land, 1995 to 2024), its frost dates and its height above sea level turn a seed-packet date into a local one. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; towns from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). How sowing dates work