When to Plant Lavender in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Arid / Semi-Arid
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
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This Lavender guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Sep to Dec
- Days to harvest
- about 52 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 7.0–8.0
Lavender is a woody Mediterranean shrub grown for scented flower spikes used dried, in sugar and syrups, and for bees.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Arid / Semi-Arid
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep S
- Oct S/T
- Nov S/T
- Dec T
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Lavender in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Very well drained, gritty or sandy; raised beds on clay (Yates, The Seed Collection).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 7.0-8.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours (Yates).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 80cm between rows
- Watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week in dry weather once established; never let it sit wet (Yates).
- Good companions
- Thyme, Rosemary, Silverbeet, Pear, Mandarin
- Keep away from
- thirsty leafy crops that need regular water
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Lavender
Recommended Varieties
- Hidcote, Munstead, True English (The Seed Collection)
- French lavender for humid areas, lavandin for hot dry areas (Yates)
Key Challenges
- Summer water for young plants
Pro Tips
- Full sun, very well drained soil (Yates).
- Prune by one third after flowering (Yates).
- Choose the species for your climate (Yates).
Pests and problems for Lavender in Arid / Semi-Arid
Harvesting Lavender
When ready: Flower spikes coloured but buds not yet fully open (The Seed Collection); cut early in the morning (Yates).
How to harvest: Cut stems with secateurs, bunch and hang to dry (The Seed Collection).
Storing and preserving lavender
How to keep it
- Drying. Hang bunches in a dark airy place until stems snap, strip buds, store airtight. Keeps: 12 months.
- Lavender sugar. Layer dried buds in caster sugar for 2 weeks, sift. Keeps: 12 months.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Lavender
When do you plant lavender in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
Can you grow lavender all year round in Alice Springs?
No. In the Arid / Semi-Arid zone the planting months are Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Lavender in Alice Springs?
Sow seed in trays from September to November (The Seed Collection chart for arid areas) or plant nursery plants from September to December. Yates says lavandin (L. x intermedia) suits hot dry areas; water deeply once or twice a week when dry. Nursery plant months are our estimate.
What soil temperature do Lavender need?
Lavender germinate best when soil temperature is between 18°C and 21°C.
How do I know when Lavender are ready to harvest?
Flower spikes coloured but buds not yet fully open (The Seed Collection); cut early in the morning (Yates).
What are the best Lavender varieties for Alice Springs?
Recommended varieties for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone include: Hidcote, Munstead, True English (The Seed Collection), French lavender for humid areas, lavandin for hot dry areas (Yates).
What grows well with Lavender?
Good companion plants for Lavender include: Thyme, Rosemary, Silverbeet, Pear, Mandarin.
Are lavender salt tolerant?
Only a little. Lavender are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.