When to plant onions in New Zealand
Outdoors, onions go in from around 3 July in Rotorua to 26 June in Palmerston North.
- Type
- Hardy Copes with cold
- First harvest
- About 140 days from planting in the UK
- Spacing
- 10 cm between plants
- In pots
- Not really better in the ground
- Straight in the ground. Plant onions where they’re to grow, not in seed trays.
- 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.
Plant outdoorsPlant 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 8 FebOutdoors 8 Feb to 18 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| AucklandFrom 9 FebOutdoors 9 Feb to 18 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| PapatoetoeFrom 9 FebOutdoors 9 Feb to 3 Oct | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| Manukau CityFrom 8 FebOutdoors 8 Feb to 17 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| PapakuraFrom 8 FebOutdoors 8 Feb to 16 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| TaurangaFrom 3 Feb and 9 MayOutdoors 3 Feb to 26 Mar, and 9 May to 30 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| HamiltonFrom 6 Feb and 30 MayOutdoors 6 Feb to 9 Mar, and 30 May to 7 Oct | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| RotoruaFrom 3 JulOutdoors 3 Jul to 14 Oct | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant under cover | December: Not this month | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Plant under cover |
| GisborneFrom 30 Jan and 23 MayOutdoors 30 Jan to 8 Mar, and 23 May to 12 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| New PlymouthFrom 7 Feb and 10 JunOutdoors 7 Feb to 3 Mar, and 10 Jun to 15 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| NapierFrom 27 Jan and 9 JunOutdoors 27 Jan to 10 Feb, and 9 Jun to 1 Oct | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| HastingsFrom 28 Jan and 14 JunOutdoors 28 Jan to 6 Feb, and 14 Jun to 3 Oct | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant under cover | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| WhanganuiFrom 4 Feb and 15 JunOutdoors 4 Feb to 16 Feb, and 15 Jun to 8 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| Palmerston NorthFrom 26 JunOutdoors 26 Jun to 15 Oct | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant under cover | December: Not this month | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Plant under cover |
| PoriruaFrom 7 Feb and 17 JunOutdoors 7 Feb to 25 Feb, and 17 Jun to 17 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| Upper HuttFrom 7 Feb and 21 JunOutdoors 7 Feb to 19 Feb, and 21 Jun to 16 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| Lower HuttFrom 7 Feb and 5 JunOutdoors 7 Feb to 9 Mar, and 5 Jun to 17 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| NelsonFrom 4 JulOutdoors 4 Jul to 2 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Plant under cover |
| WellingtonFrom 7 Feb and 11 JunOutdoors 7 Feb to 4 Mar, and 11 Jun to 17 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Plant under cover | June: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| RichmondFrom 4 JulOutdoors 4 Jul to 4 Oct | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Plant under cover |
| BlenheimFrom 7 JulOutdoors 7 Jul to 4 Sep | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Plant under cover |
| ChristchurchFrom 7 AugOutdoors 7 Aug to 8 Oct | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| DunedinFrom 13 AugOutdoors 13 Aug to 7 Oct | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| InvercargillFrom 12 AugOutdoors 12 Aug to 27 Oct | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant under cover | December: Not this month | 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.
Onions in other countries
When to plant other crops in New Zealand
Fruiting
Roots
Leaves
Beans and peas
Onion family
Brassicas
Herbs
Fruit
Also searched for
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