When to Plant Lablab Bean in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide

Not recommended for the Cold / Highland zone

Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.

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.

Jump to section
  1. Planting calendar
  2. How to grow
  3. Local tips and varieties
  4. Pests and problems
  5. Harvesting
  6. Other zones and related crops
  7. Common questions

Add to my garden

This Lablab Bean 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 9 weeks
Sun
Full sun
Water
Low
Spacing
20 cm apart
Soil pH
5.0–7.8

Lablab is a vigorous climbing bean with purple flowers. It grows well in heat and copes with dry spells, but it does not like wet feet or frost. Young pods, leaves and flowers are eaten.

Lablab Bean

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland

Lablab Bean is not recommended for Cold / Highland.

Frost sensitive (Herbiguide). Not viable outdoors in cold, high country.

Want a nudge when it is sowing time?

One email a week with what is worth planting in the Cold / Highland zone right now, Lablab Bean included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

How to Grow Lablab Bean in Cold / Highland Australia

Soil
Free draining soil. It is highly susceptible to waterlogging (NT DAF snippet, Herbiguide).
Salt
Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
pH Range
5.0-7.8
Sunlight
Full sun.
Spacing
20cm apart
Watering
Drought tolerant once established, but water young plants. Do not let water pool around the roots.
Good companions
Sweet Corn
Grow before it
Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Grow after it
Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)

Give the bed 3 turns before legumes go back in. Beans and peas fix nitrogen, so they leave the bed richer than they found it.

Members see the exact salt threshold, how much harvest it loses as salt rises, and what to grow instead. See what members get

Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Lablab Bean

Key Challenges

  • Frost

Pro Tips

  • Not recommended

Pests and problems for Lablab Bean in Cold / Highland

Members see each pest score and pest risk alerts for your area. See what members get

Browse the full pest library →

Harvesting Lablab Bean

When ready: Pick young pods while they are flat and tender, from about 60 to 65 days after sowing for early cultivars (CTAHR). Leaves and flowers are also eaten.

How to harvest: Pick pods by hand, or cut with scissors.

Members see the price history and price alerts for lablab bean. See what members get

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

Join GardenBuddy.au

Common Questions About Lablab Bean

When do you plant lablab bean in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

When should I plant Lablab Bean in Canberra?

Frost sensitive (Herbiguide). Not viable outdoors in cold, high country.

What soil temperature do Lablab Bean need?

Lablab Bean germinate best when soil temperature is between 18°C and 30°C.

How do I know when Lablab Bean are ready to harvest?

Pick young pods while they are flat and tender, from about 60 to 65 days after sowing for early cultivars (CTAHR). Leaves and flowers are also eaten.

What grows well with Lablab Bean?

Good companion plants for Lablab Bean include: Sweet Corn.

Are lablab bean salt tolerant?

Only a little. Lablab bean 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.