When to plant sweet corn in Melbourne
Sweet corn is frost-tender, so every date keys off Melbourne's last spring frost of Aug 28.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Sep 4 – Sep 25
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Nov 3 – Dec 13
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 100 d
Melbourne's 270-day season leaves this much room.
Sweet corn on Melbourne's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
HARVEST
AUG 28
MAY 25
Common questions
When can I sow sweet corn outdoors in Melbourne?
Direct-sow around early September (Sep 4–Sep 25) in Melbourne, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will sweet corn be ready to harvest in Melbourne?
Expect to harvest from around early November (Nov 3–Dec 13) in Melbourne, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 77%.
How long is the growing season in Melbourne?
Melbourne has roughly 270 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow sweet corn to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow sweet corn 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Melbourne's frost dates.
Confidence 86/100 · NOAA GHCN-Daily · 1991–2020 normals · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.