When to Plant Rosella 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 Rosella 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 21 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 50 cm apart
Rosella is a tall annual shrub grown for its fleshy red calyces, the part around the seed pod. They make jam, syrup and tea. It needs a long, warm, frost free season of 5 months or more (Green Harvest).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
Rosella is not recommended for Cold / Highland.
Rosella is frost susceptible and needs 5 months or more without frost (Green Harvest). Growables limits it to about 600 m altitude in south east Queensland. Not viable outdoors in cold, high country.
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How to Grow Rosella in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Well drained soil with plenty of compost. No pH is given in the sources.
- Salt
- Moderately tolerant. Handles slightly salty water better than most veggies.
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours (Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 50cm apart, 100cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist while seedlings establish. Water regularly in dry spells. No source gives amounts.
- 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 Rosella
Key Challenges
- Frost
- Short season
- Altitude
Pro Tips
- Not recommended
Pests and problems for Rosella in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Rosella
When ready: Pick the fruit about 3 weeks after flowering, when the calyx is 2 to 3 cm across (Green Harvest).
How to harvest: Cut the whole fruit from the stem. The calyx is the fleshy red outer part, the seed capsule inside is removed.
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 Rosella
When do you plant rosella in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
When should I plant Rosella in Canberra?
Rosella is frost susceptible and needs 5 months or more without frost (Green Harvest). Growables limits it to about 600 m altitude in south east Queensland. Not viable outdoors in cold, high country.
What soil temperature do Rosella need?
Rosella germinate best when soil temperature is between 25°C and 35°C.
How do I know when Rosella are ready to harvest?
Pick the fruit about 3 weeks after flowering, when the calyx is 2 to 3 cm across (Green Harvest).
Are rosella salt tolerant?
Fairly. Rosella are moderately tolerant of salt and handle slightly salty water better than most veggies.
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.