When to plant chillies in New Zealand
Outdoors, chillies go in from around 27 October in Napier to 27 November in Porirua.
- Type
- Tender No frost, likes warmth
- First harvest
- About 140 days from sowing in the UK
- Spacing
- 40 cm between plants
- In pots
- Yes in a big enough pot
- Tender. Chilli 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 7 Nov and 8 FebOutdoors 7 Nov to 18 Dec, and 8 Feb to 3 May | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow under cover | June: Not this month |
| AucklandFrom 8 Nov and 9 FebOutdoors 8 Nov to 19 Dec, and 9 Feb to 31 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow 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 6 Nov and 9 FebOutdoors 6 Nov to 17 Dec, and 9 Feb to 3 Apr | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow 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 7 Nov and 8 FebOutdoors 7 Nov to 17 Dec, and 8 Feb to 22 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow 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 5 Nov and 8 FebOutdoors 5 Nov to 15 Dec, and 8 Feb to 26 Mar | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow 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 30 Oct and 3 FebOutdoors 30 Oct to 5 Dec, and 3 Feb to 16 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Sow outdoors and under cover | March: Sow under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| HamiltonFrom 8 NovOutdoors 8 Nov to 16 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| RotoruaFrom 11 NovOutdoors 11 Nov to 18 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| GisborneFrom 31 Oct and 30 JanOutdoors 31 Oct to 6 Dec, and 30 Jan to 5 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Sow under cover | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| New PlymouthFrom 20 NovOutdoors 20 Nov to 6 Jan | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| NapierFrom 27 OctOutdoors 27 Oct to 30 Nov | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow under cover | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| HastingsFrom 30 OctOutdoors 30 Oct to 3 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow under cover | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| WhanganuiFrom 10 NovOutdoors 10 Nov to 19 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| Palmerston NorthFrom 15 NovOutdoors 15 Nov to 26 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| PoriruaFrom 27 NovOutdoors 27 Nov to 6 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Sow 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 |
| Upper HuttFrom 26 NovOutdoors 26 Nov to 28 Jan | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Sow 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 |
| Lower HuttFrom 24 NovOutdoors 24 Nov to 22 Jan | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | 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 |
| NelsonFrom 30 OctOutdoors 30 Oct to 4 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow under cover | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| WellingtonFrom 25 NovOutdoors 25 Nov to 26 Jan | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Sow 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 |
| RichmondFrom 31 OctOutdoors 31 Oct to 6 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow under cover | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| BlenheimFrom 9 NovOutdoors 9 Nov to 22 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| ChristchurchFrom 3 NovOutdoors 3 Nov to 10 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| DunedinFrom 4 NovOutdoors 4 Nov to 19 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and under cover | January: Sow under cover | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| InvercargillUnder cover onlyUnder cover only | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Sow under cover | December: Sow under cover | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | 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.
Chillies 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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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