The last two weeks of spring are the best time to get a Sydney garden ready for summer. The soil is warm, plants are growing hard, and the hottest weather is still a few weeks away. What you do now in your Inner West backyard, courtyard or balcony decides how well your plants cope in January. Here are the five jobs worth doing before December, from the team at Newtown Garden Market on King Street.
This summer looks likely to be a hot one. The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range outlook, issued 12 November 2026, gives a greater than 80% chance of above average daytime and overnight temperatures across almost all of Australia from December to February, with eastern New South Wales among the areas most likely to see unusually hot days. For the Sydney coast, the outlook shows no clear signal for a wetter or drier summer. Hotter days and warmer nights mean pots and garden beds dry out faster, which makes the mulching and watering jobs below more important than usual.
How to mulch a Sydney garden before summer
Mulch your garden beds and large pots now, before the first heatwave. A 5 to 7cm layer keeps roots cooler, slows evaporation and stops the surface baking hard. Mulch works best laid in the right order: feed first, water deeply, then mulch. Mulch spread over dry, hungry soil locks the problem in rather than fixing it.
Start with a slow release or organic fertiliser, give the bed a long soak, then spread your mulch. Keep it a hand's width away from stems and trunks so they don't stay wet and rot. For veggie patches and pots, lucerne mulch is the best choice: it breaks down into the soil as it goes, adding organic matter. For ornamental beds and large planters, a woody bark mulch such as hardwood or cypress lasts longer. We carry lucerne pellets and bales, and hardwood and cypress mulch, in store on King Street. If your beds need more than a top-up, our spring garden prep guide covers soil preparation.
How often to water plants in a Sydney summer
Water less often but more deeply. A long soak two or three times a week pushes roots down where the soil stays cool, while a light daily sprinkle keeps roots near the surface, where they cook on a hot day. Water early in the morning so plants go into the heat fully hydrated and leaves dry quickly.
Pots are different. A small terracotta pot in full sun can need water every day in summer, while a large glazed pot in part shade might go three or four days. Use the finger test: push a finger 3cm into the mix and only water when it feels dry. Saucers under balcony pots hold a reserve on hot days, and self-watering pots or water crystals mixed into the potting mix help small pots go further between drinks. If you are away for a few days, group pots together in the shade so they share humidity and dry out more slowly.
What to plant in Sydney in late November
Late November is still a good time to plant summer vegetables and herbs in Sydney. Tomatoes, basil, chillies, capsicum, cucumber, zucchini and beans all go in now and crop through summer into autumn. Seedlings are the fastest route to a harvest at this point in the season. Seed still works for basil and beans, while tomatoes and chillies sown from seed now will crop later, into autumn.
Herb and veggie seedling punnets are the quickest way to fill a bed or a balcony trough. We also carry chilli seedlings and potted basil, parsley, thyme and rosemary, while heirloom seed gives you varieties you won't find as seedlings. Edibles in pots do best in a dedicated vegetable and herb potting mix rather than garden soil. Our spring planting guide covers spacing and companion planting. Give fruiting plants a regular liquid feed once flowers appear.
How to care for indoor plants in summer heat
Indoor plants are growing hard in late spring, so this is the time to feed and repot them, before summer heat makes it stressful. Move plants back from west-facing windows, where afternoon sun through glass can scorch leaves within an hour on a hot day. Bright, indirect light is still the goal.
Feed every two to four weeks through the warm months with a diluted liquid fertiliser. If roots are circling the pot or poking out the drainage hole, repot now into a container one size up with fresh indoor potting mix. Ferns and calatheas prefer humidity, so group them together or sit them on a tray of damp pebbles when air conditioning dries the room out. Check under leaves weekly as the weather warms. Our October guide to pests and plant health covers what to look for.
Plants that handle a Sydney summer on a balcony or courtyard
The plants that cope best with a Sydney summer in pots are the ones built for heat and dry spells: succulents, Mediterranean herbs, flowering perennials such as salvia and geranium, and citrus. Salvias, geraniums and portulaca keep flowering through the heat. Proteas and leucadendrons handle sun and dry spells once established, as long as the mix drains freely and they are never given a high phosphorus fertiliser. Succulents such as aloe store water in their leaves and are happy to dry out between waterings. Rosemary, thyme and oregano come from hot, dry hillsides and only need watering once the top of the mix has dried.
Citrus loves Sydney heat and fruits well in a large pot, as long as it is fed and watered consistently. Our guide to growing citrus in Sydney covers the detail. For a hot balcony, choose bigger pots, which dry out more slowly. Light-coloured pots stay cooler than dark ones, and glazed, plastic or polyresin pots hold moisture longer than unsealed terracotta. Succulents and cacti are the lowest-water options of all.
Frequently asked questions
Is it too late to plant tomatoes in Sydney in November?
No. Late November is still a good time to plant tomatoes in Sydney. Seedlings planted now will fruit through summer into autumn. Choose a sunny spot with at least six hours of direct sun, use a vegetable and herb mix in pots, stake the plants early, and feed regularly with a tomato fertiliser once flowers appear.
How often should I water pots in a Sydney summer?
It depends on pot size, material and sun. Small terracotta pots in full sun may need water daily, while large glazed pots in part shade can go three or four days. Push a finger 3cm into the mix and water only when it feels dry. Water early in the morning, deeply, until it drains from the base.
Should I mulch before or after watering?
After. Feed the soil, water it deeply, then spread mulch 5 to 7cm thick. Mulch laid over dry soil can stop light rain and quick waterings reaching the roots. Keep mulch a hand's width from stems and trunks to prevent rot, and top up organic mulches such as lucerne as they break down.
Where should I put indoor plants in summer?
Keep indoor plants in bright, indirect light and move them back from west-facing windows, where afternoon sun through glass can scorch leaves. Summer is their main growing season, so feed every two to four weeks with diluted liquid fertiliser, and repot any that have outgrown their pots while they are actively growing.
Get your garden ready for summer at Newtown Garden Market
Come and see us at 538 King Street, Newtown. Seedlings, mulch, potting mix and summer-tough plants are all in store. Bring a photo of your balcony or garden and the team will help you choose plants that will actually thrive in it. If you'd like to make something green this month, join our terrarium workshop on Saturday 28 November.
