When to Plant Chinese Water Chestnut 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 Chinese Water Chestnut 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 26 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 75 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
Eleocharis dulcis. Aquatic sedge grown for edible corms. Keep in a contained water garden with clean water; harvest after foliage dies back.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
Chinese Water Chestnut is not recommended for Cold / Highland.
Allocation and calendar not established for this broad zone.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Cold / Highland zone right now, Chinese Water Chestnut included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Chinese Water Chestnut in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Rich, organic-rich clay loam or muddy aquatic soil mix
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sun a day
- Spacing
- 75cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist until shoots are about 10 cm tall, then flood to about 10 cm deep and keep it flooded through the growing season. It can be grown in a flooded bed, pond, bathtub or halved water tank.
- Good companions
- Taro, Watercress
Pests and problems for Chinese Water Chestnut in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Chinese Water Chestnut
When ready: Rush-like tubular foliage turns yellow and completely dies back in late autumn or winter
How to harvest: Drain water, tip out container or dig through mud by hand to feel for crisp round corms
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 Chinese Water Chestnut
When do you plant chinese water chestnut in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Aug to Oct
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Nov
When should I plant Chinese Water Chestnut in Canberra?
Allocation and calendar not established for this broad zone.
How do I know when Chinese Water Chestnut are ready to harvest?
Rush-like tubular foliage turns yellow and completely dies back in late autumn or winter
What grows well with Chinese Water Chestnut?
Good companion plants for Chinese Water Chestnut include: Taro, Watercress.
Are chinese water chestnut salt tolerant?
Only a little. Chinese water chestnut 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.