When to plant sweetcorn in New Zealand
Outdoors, sweetcorn go in from around 21 October in Napier to 22 November in Invercargill.
- Type
- Tender No frost, likes warmth
- First harvest
- About 100 days from sowing in the UK
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- In pots
- Not really better in the ground
- Tender. Sweetcorn 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 30 Oct and 8 FebOutdoors 30 Oct to 26 Dec, and 8 Feb to 16 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 |
| AucklandFrom 31 Oct and 9 FebOutdoors 31 Oct to 27 Dec, and 9 Feb to 13 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 29 Oct and 9 FebOutdoors 29 Oct to 24 Dec, and 9 Feb to 14 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 |
| Manukau CityFrom 30 Oct and 8 FebOutdoors 30 Oct to 25 Dec, and 8 Feb to 10 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 28 Oct and 8 FebOutdoors 28 Oct to 23 Dec, and 8 Feb to 11 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 23 Oct and 3 FebOutdoors 23 Oct to 12 Dec, and 3 Feb to 19 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow outdoors and 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 under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| HamiltonFrom 31 Oct and 6 FebOutdoors 31 Oct to 23 Dec, and 6 Feb to 13 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 outdoors and 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 |
| RotoruaFrom 4 NovOutdoors 4 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 |
| GisborneFrom 24 Oct and 30 JanOutdoors 24 Oct to 12 Dec, and 30 Jan to 12 Feb | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow outdoors and 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 under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| New PlymouthFrom 11 NovOutdoors 11 Nov to 19 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 outdoors and under cover | February: Sow under cover | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month |
| NapierFrom 21 OctOutdoors 21 Oct to 6 Dec | 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 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 23 OctOutdoors 23 Oct to 9 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow outdoors and 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 3 NovOutdoors 3 Nov to 27 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 7 NovOutdoors 7 Nov to 5 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 |
| PoriruaFrom 18 NovOutdoors 18 Nov to 6 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 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 17 NovOutdoors 17 Nov to 6 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 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 15 NovOutdoors 15 Nov to 6 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 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 23 OctOutdoors 23 Oct to 11 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow outdoors and 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 |
| WellingtonFrom 16 NovOutdoors 16 Nov to 6 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 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 25 OctOutdoors 25 Oct to 13 Dec | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Sow outdoors and 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 |
| BlenheimFrom 1 NovOutdoors 1 Nov to 31 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 27 OctOutdoors 27 Oct 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 |
| DunedinFrom 28 OctOutdoors 28 Oct to 28 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 |
| InvercargillFrom 22 NovOutdoors 22 Nov to 8 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: 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.
Sweetcorn 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