27 Easy Vegetables to Grow in Queensland (Beginner-Friendly List!)
If you're struggling to grow vegetables in Queensland, I feel your pain! Despite having plenty of sun hours, there's always something trying to make things just that little bit more difficult. Right now, it's bandicoots and drought. A few months ago, the whole yard was underwater. I should've grown seaweed instead of silverbeet!
Even if you're not struggling, and you just want to find some super easy-to-grow vegetables to get started with, this list will be perfect to start with! It's a practical list of easy growers that won't throw a hissy fit at the first bit of adversity. I've linked each to a helpful growing guide to get you growing in no time. And remember, if you need growing supplies, grab your 10% off at Aussie Gardener with my coupon code: AUSSIEROOTS10.
Easy Leafy Greens
We'll start our easy vegetables with leafy greens. Those staples that are perfect for a quick salad or on a sandwich, or anything really. Remember, you can also eat many lesser-known greens like beetroot and carrot leaves! If you're growing those, don't toss those tasty greens.
Sweet Leaf
Perennial greens shrub that actually likes QLD heat and humidity; best with morning sun/afternoon shade.
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Apr
Tip: Keep pruned to ~1–1.2 m and harvest tender tips; cook leaves as default. Great from cuttings.
Lettuce
Growing as baby leaf is easiest, lettuce can bolt in summer. Great the rest of the year! Choose cos/butterhead (summer) types.
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Sep (Oct–Feb only with shade).
Tip: Afternoon shade + steady water = no bitterness.
Silverbeet
Another great spinach alternative and tasty in just about anything. Handles the heat much better than spinach.
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Sep (summer with shade).
Tip: Harvest outer leaves; mulch (affiliate link) well to stop wilting.
Celery
Delicious, crunchy stems. Many sources say they struggle in summer but I've had no issues in the tropics. Loves mulch (affiliate link).
Best time (SEQ): Feb–Jun.
Tip: Keep moisture even; a light shade cloth stops stringy growth.
New to Veggie Growing?
Aussie Gardener runs free online classes that help you start a productive veggie patch step by step. Perfect for a bit of extra confidence before planting!
Root Vegetables for QLD
These are your silent performers! Most of these are dead-easy to grow and provide the bulk of your diet (and your livestock, if you have them!). For many of these, again, the foliage is edible as well as the root crop. There are exceptions or certain plants that need specific preparation (like taro leaf) so make sure you've done your research.
Sweet Potato
Near-bulletproof staple; leaves are edible too. Feeds the family and the livestock!
Best time (SEQ): Year-round; best Sep–Mar. Easier the harvest in the wet season!
Tip: Plant slips on mounds; 4–6 months to tubers.
Taro
Shade-tolerant (mine actually do better with a bit of shade) and lush; great for wet spots. Handles clay better than most plants.
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Feb.
Tip: Keep soil moist; 8–12 months to harvest. Cook corms well.
Cassava
Ultra-tough starch crop for poor soils. Incredibly easy to propagate (just whack a piece of stem in the ground).
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Dec.
Tip: 8–12 months to harvest; must be cooked (don’t eat raw).
QLD Arrowroot
Perennial starch crop that loves QLD heat and summer rain; also a great mulch plant + animal forage. Chooks love it!
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Apr. Tip: Plant 60–90 cm apart, keep moist to establish, cook rhizomes 8–12 months after planting; chop (#ad)-and-drop leaves for mulch.
Carrots
Carrots do well in loose, raised beds; best in the cool months but I grow them almost 9 months of the year.
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Sep (Oct–Feb possible with shade)
Tip: Sow direct on a fine bed; keep evenly moist 7–14 days (cover with hessian/board), thin to 3–5 cm; avoid fresh manure to prevent forking.
Jerusalem Artichoke
Tough perennial tuber; tall sunflower cousin that loves the heat and handles some drought. Bandicoots love digging through them, so watch out for that!
Best time (SEQ): Jul–Sep (tubers)
Tip: Use a barrier or big grow bag to contain spread. Harvest when tops die back (late autumn–winter); leave a few to re-sprout. Best roasted (raw can be gassy).
Make Growing Easy
I'm loving my Geofelt bags to keep roots cool and the soil draining well. Helps keep your easy veggies easy to grow!
Fruiting Vegetables
This is my kids' favourite category, by far. Most days, there's something to harvest in the garden and we love walking around, having ourselves a little snack of tomatoes, cucumbers, and asparagus. Right now, the mulberries are in full force, as are some of the dwarf bananas. It feels like, some days, who needs ‘real' lunch?
Cherry Tomatoes
These little tomatoes are much easier to grow than the big slicers, especially in high humidity or when the fruit flies are out. I use Morag Gamble's method of growing (‘learn more' link below).
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Jul (also Aug–Sep in some spots).
Tip: Good airflow; bag fruit or net (#ad) if fruit fly is bad.
Cucumbers
Super fast growing. Does prefer a trellis with good airflow. Kids love them, loves warmth. Try lebanese or round varieties, or the even-easier-to-grow cucamelon!
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Jan.
Tip: Trellis for airflow; deep water to avoid bitterness. Pick often.
Okra
A new addition for me this year, great performer! Requires some learning as to how to cook it. Thrives in heat; pods daily once it gets going.
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Jan.
Tip: Pick young (every 1–2 days) or it gets woody.
Asparagus
Asparagus is one of my favourites! They're incredibly delicious (and nutritious!) and grow very, very well in Queensland. Plant once, harvest for years.
Best time (SEQ): Jul–Sep (crowns).
Tip: Don’t harvest first year; heavy mulch; winter cutback.
Chillies
Short-lived perennials; crops for multiple seasons. No need to replant every year! Loves growing in raised beds or grow bags.
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Dec.
Tip: Mulch + afternoon shade to prevent sunscald. Keep an eye on blossom end rot and fruit flies.
Herbs
Chives
Clumping, hollow leaves with mild onion or garlic flavour; easy in beds or 20–25 cm pots.
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Sep (survives year-round with afternoon shade in summer)
Tip: Keep evenly moist and trim often to encourage fresh growth; divide clumps every 12–18 months.
Bunching Onions
Non-bulbing onions you harvest as needed; great for cut-and-come-again bunches. I grew 6 different varieties this year!
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Sep (summer plantings cope with afternoon shade)
Tip: Sow or plant densely, then thin for meals; lightly hill soil for longer white shanks.
Lemongrass
Crazy tough! Awesome windbreak, protector for more fragile crops + tea herb; doesn't mind neglect.
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Apr.
Tip: Big clump = less watering; divide every 1–2 years. Rather fantastic for the food forest. Chooks like to take dust baths underneath.
Ginger
Happy in rich, moist mix; great in grow bags. Keep moist but not soaking to avoid rot. Well-draining soil.
Best time (SEQ): Aug–Dec.
Tip: Morning sun/afternoon shade; harvest 8–10 months (earlier for young ginger). Harvest the whole lot or slice of pieces.
Turmeric
Similar to ginger; loves warmth and mulch. Does well in shade, in the ground or grow bags. A must-grow herb for your health (and pet's health!)
Best time (SEQ): Aug–Dec.
Tip: Part shade is fine; harvest late autumn when tops die back.
Galangal
Spicier and more fibrous than ginger. Nearly bulletproof. Beautiful flowers and many medicinal uses inc. indigestion as a tea.
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Dec.
Tip: Large pot/bed, rich mix, steady moisture; 10–12 months to harvest.
Basil
Grows nearly year-round in QLD with sun and regular trims; Thai/holy love humidity, but Genovese/Mammoth do great with a bit of afternoon shade.
Best time (SEQ): Sep–Apr (year-round possible with shade/protection)
Tip: If it bolts, cut back hard to a node and keep pinching tips; water in the morning to reduce leaf spot.
Parsley
Does prefer the cooler months but has performed well here in the tropics. I'm growing triple curled, moss curled, and Italian and they are doing well in grow bags. Can bolt in peak summer.
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Sep.
Tip: Morning sun + afternoon shade in warmer months.
Oregano
This is a Mediterranean herb, so it's best in excellent drainage. I'm growing mine at the top of the herb spiral and it's very happy. Great in pots, just don't let it sit in water and don't overwater in summer. Hardy if drainage is good.
Best time (SEQ): Mar–Sep.
Tip: Full sun, lean soil.
What I'm Loving Right Now
From the Wild
Turn everyday “weeds” into food and medicine: 30 plants, 100+ recipes & remedies, plus clear ID and safe-foraging tips.
Ferment It
Stop wasting your harvest! Turn cucumbers, cabbage or other veg into jars that keep for months and taste better than store-bought.
Chop and Snip
Lightweight with a comfy grip and razor-sharp edges for fast and tidy trimming. No sore hands! Awesome secateurs (#ad).
What Will You Grow?
I'd love to hear about your favourite easy vegetables for Queensland! What are you growing? If you're just starting out, which vegetable will be your first? Most of my veggies are going to seed (#ad) at the moment (start of spring) and I've given up my battle with the bandicoots. But, I'm always thinking of my next crops to grow and will start them in pots soon. I'll put them on a raised table of some form or shape to keep them safe from the bandicoots. Then, the minute it rains, I'll be ready to plant them out.
Enjoy growing your own veggies – whether you're sharing them (voluntarily or not!) with the wildlife or not – and getting your hands in the dirt!
