When to Plant Brazilian Spinach in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
What this month normally looks like in Cold / Highland
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
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This Brazilian Spinach 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.
- Days to harvest
- about 13 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Brazilian spinach (sissoo spinach) is a low spreading perennial ground cover to about 30 cm with crinkled leaves, grown from cuttings in hot humid climates (Green Harvest, Succeed Heirlooms).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cold / Highland
Brazilian Spinach is not recommended for Cold / Highland.
It is a tropical and subtropical perennial that Green Harvest says is unlikely to do well south of Sydney. No source lists it for cold or highland areas and frost would kill it outdoors.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Brazilian Spinach in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Most soils; prefers a moderate to rich loam and dislikes waterlogging (Green Harvest).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun to medium shade (Green Harvest, Daleys).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 60cm between rows
- Watering
- Moderate water; avoid waterlogging (Daleys, Green Harvest).
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before leafy greens go back in. Leaf crops want the nitrogen the legumes left behind.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Brazilian Spinach
Key Challenges
- Frost
Pro Tips
- Not an outdoor crop
Pests and problems for Brazilian Spinach in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Brazilian Spinach
When ready: Young leaves once the plant has mounded (Green Harvest, Succeed Heirlooms).
How to harvest: Pick young leaves and tips regularly (Succeed Heirlooms).
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 Brazilian Spinach
When do you plant brazilian spinach in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Mar, Nov to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Dec
When should I plant Brazilian Spinach in Canberra?
It is a tropical and subtropical perennial that Green Harvest says is unlikely to do well south of Sydney. No source lists it for cold or highland areas and frost would kill it outdoors.
How do I know when Brazilian Spinach are ready to harvest?
Young leaves once the plant has mounded (Green Harvest, Succeed Heirlooms).
Are brazilian spinach salt tolerant?
Only a little. Brazilian spinach 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 Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.