When to Plant Basil in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow October to February. Right now in September it is out of season. The next sowing month is October.
Grow Basil in your space
- Planting window
- Seed trays Nov-Dec. Transplant Dec-Jan only. Extremely short season of 8-12 weeks.
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours). More sun = more essential oils = more flavour.
- Water needs
- Regular, consistent watering. Basil wilts dramatically when dry but recovers quickly...
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Basil guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The king of summer herbs. Sweet basil (O. basilicum) is the standard culinary variety, but Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. x citriodorum), and purple basil (O. basilicum 'Purpurascens') each bring distinct flavours. Extremely frost-sensitive. Even a light frost kills it dead. Thrives in warm conditions across most of Australia from spring through autumn.
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/T | T | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S/T | S/T |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 12.9°C (optimal range: 18–35°C) ✗ Outside optimal range
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
How to Grow Basil in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
Seed trays Nov-Dec. Transplant Dec-Jan only. Extremely short season of 8-12 weeks.
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of compost. Warm soil is critical.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours). More sun = more essential oils = more flavour.
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular, consistent watering. Basil wilts dramatically when dry but recovers quickly. Water at base, not overhead, to reduce fungal issues. Morning watering preferred.
Companion plants: Tomato, Capsicum, Chilli, Marigold
Avoid planting near: Rue, Sage, Common Thyme
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Basil
Recommended Varieties
- Greek basil (compact, cold-tolerant)
- Sweet basil in protected spots
Key Challenges
- Frost risk from March
- Cool nights slow growth
- May not reach harvest size in poor summers
Pro Tips
- Greenhouse or cold frame essential for reliable crops
- Grow exclusively in containers that can be brought undercover
- Black plastic mulch to warm soil
Harvesting Basil
When ready: Begin harvesting when plants have 6+ sets of leaves. Harvest before or at first sign of flower buds for best flavour.
How to harvest: Pinch or cut stems just above a leaf pair. This encourages two new shoots from that node. Never strip more than 1/3 of plant at once. Harvest in morning after dew dries when essential oil concentration peaks.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Basil
When do you plant basil in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Feb, Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
Does basil grow all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Jan to Feb, Oct to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page 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 Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.