When to Plant Popcorn 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 Popcorn 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
- Nov
- Days to harvest
- about 14 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 25 cm apart
Popcorn is a type of corn with hard kernels that pop when heated. The plants are tall, 150 to 200 cm, and grow best in full sun. Sow straight into warm soil in blocks, not single rows.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov D
- Dec -
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, Popcorn included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Popcorn in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Moist, nutrient rich and well-drained soil. Poorly drained soil increases lodging and cuts yield (Utah State University Extension). Improve soil fertility with compost before sowing (Seeds of Plenty corn grow guide).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Seeds of Plenty).
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 50cm between rows
- Watering
- Water regularly while the tassels and ears form. Drought during silking can cause kernel tip back (Seeds of Plenty).
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Peas, Summer squash, Pumpkin
- Keep away from
- Tomato (Listed as a bad companion for corn.)
- Grow before it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
- Grow after it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Give the bed 3 turns before other fruiting crops go back in. Corn, okra and sunflower are heavy feeders that sit with the fruiting crops in the cycle.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Popcorn
Recommended Varieties
- Popping Corn
Key Challenges
- Frost
- A season too short for 100 days plus drying
Pro Tips
- Start with the earliest variety you can find
- Pick a sheltered, sunny spot
- Be ready to finish drying indoors
Pests and problems for Popcorn in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Popcorn
When ready: Harvest when the silks are dark brown and dry (Seeds of Plenty). Kings Seeds NZ says to wait until the husks turn brown and papery and the kernels are hard.
How to harvest: Pick the whole ear, then dry in a well ventilated, dry place (Seeds of Plenty).
Storing and preserving popcorn
How to keep it
- Drying. Leave ears on the plant until the silks are dark brown and dry, then dry the ears in a well ventilated, dry place (Seeds of Plenty).
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 Popcorn
When do you plant popcorn in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Dec
Can you grow popcorn all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Popcorn in Canberra?
No popcorn calendar was found. The sowing window is short, since sweet corn here is sown in November and popcorn needs about 100 days plus drying. Seeds of Plenty counts four sowing months for cool and mountain areas. Early frost in autumn is the main risk. This is our judgement.
What soil temperature do Popcorn need?
Popcorn germinate best when soil temperature is between 20°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Popcorn are ready to harvest?
Harvest when the silks are dark brown and dry (Seeds of Plenty). Kings Seeds NZ says to wait until the husks turn brown and papery and the kernels are hard.
What are the best Popcorn varieties for Canberra?
Recommended varieties for the Cold / Highland zone include: Popping Corn.
What grows well with Popcorn?
Good companion plants for Popcorn include: Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Peas, Summer squash, Pumpkin.
Are popcorn salt tolerant?
Only a little. Popcorn 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.