When to Plant Nasturtium in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
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.
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This Nasturtium 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.
- Planting window
- Oct to Jan
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Spacing
- 25 cm apart
Nasturtium is an easy trailing plant with round leaves and bright flowers. Both are edible, with a peppery taste. It prefers poor soil and full sun, and rich soil gives you leaves and few flowers.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
- Jan D
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Cold / Highland zone right now, Nasturtium included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Nasturtium in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Not fussy. Poorer soil is better, as rich soil gives leaves over flowers (Bunnings, Seeds of Plenty).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- Sunlight
- Full sun is best, light shade is tolerated (Bunnings).
- Spacing
- 25cm apart
- Watering
- Water reliably while young. Once settled, about once a week, with extra water only in very dry spells (Bunnings). Leaf quality falls in drought (Seeds of Plenty).
- Good companions
- Cabbage (trap crop), Kale (trap crop), Collards (trap crop), Turnip (trap crop for aphids), Rutabaga (trap crop)
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Nasturtium
Recommended Varieties
- Common nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Key Challenges
- Frost
- Short season
Pro Tips
- Sow late spring
- Choose a frost free spot
Pests and problems for Nasturtium in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Nasturtium
When ready: Pick leaves and open flowers any time once the plant is growing well. Gardenate gives 2 to 3 months from sowing.
How to harvest: Pick leaves and flowers by hand. Rinse well before eating, and wait a few days after any fertiliser (Bunnings).
Storing and preserving nasturtium
How to keep it
- Fresh only. Pick and use leaves and flowers fresh in salads. No Australian source read for preserving.
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 Nasturtium
When do you plant nasturtium in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): all year
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): all year
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
Can you grow nasturtium all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Jan, Oct to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Nasturtium in Canberra?
Derived from the Gardenate cool and mountain calendar, trimmed to late spring because Bunnings says choose a frost free spot. Seeds of Plenty says it tolerates light to moderate frost, so sources disagree.
What soil temperature do Nasturtium need?
Nasturtium germinate best when soil temperature is between 21°C and 27°C.
How do I know when Nasturtium are ready to harvest?
Pick leaves and open flowers any time once the plant is growing well. Gardenate gives 2 to 3 months from sowing.
What are the best Nasturtium varieties for Canberra?
Recommended varieties for the Cold / Highland zone include: Common nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus).
What grows well with Nasturtium?
Good companion plants for Nasturtium include: Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Turnip, Rutabaga.
Are nasturtium salt tolerant?
No. Nasturtium are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
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.