When to Plant Salad Burnet 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 Salad Burnet 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
- Sep to Nov
- Days to harvest
- 56 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.0
Salad burnet is a hardy perennial rosette herb, 30 to 60 cm, with ferny leaves that taste of cucumber, used young in salads, drinks and dressings; old leaves turn bitter (Succeed Heirlooms, The Seed Collection).
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 D
- Oct D
- 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, Salad Burnet included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Salad Burnet in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Any well drained soil.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun or light shade (Succeed Heirlooms).
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular water keeps leaves tender; drought turns them bitter.
- Good companions
- Thyme, Mint
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Salad Burnet
Recommended Varieties
- Sanguisorba minor seed (Succeed Heirlooms, The Seed Collection)
Key Challenges
- Short season
Pro Tips
- Sow direct 5 to 8 mm deep, 30 cm apart (Succeed Heirlooms).
- Pick young leaves; old ones are bitter (Succeed Heirlooms).
- Cut flower stems unless saving seed.
Pests and problems for Salad Burnet in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Salad Burnet
When ready: Young leaves 8 to 10 weeks from sowing (Succeed Heirlooms); 70 to 90 days (The Seed Collection).
How to harvest: Cut young outer leaves at the base; leave the centre to grow.
Storing and preserving salad burnet
How to keep it
- Fresh in the fridge. Wrap young leaves in a damp cloth in a bag. Keeps: 3 to 5 days.
- Herb vinegar. Steep leaves in white wine vinegar 2 weeks, strain. Keeps: 6 months.
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 Salad Burnet
When do you plant salad burnet in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
Can you grow salad burnet all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Sep to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Salad Burnet in Canberra?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. No source covers cold highland gardens, but The Seed Collection calls it a hardy perennial that survives frost and seed germinates at 10 to 14C. Sow direct from September to November as for cool areas; months are our estimate.
What soil temperature do Salad Burnet need?
Salad Burnet germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 14°C.
How do I know when Salad Burnet are ready to harvest?
Young leaves 8 to 10 weeks from sowing (Succeed Heirlooms); 70 to 90 days (The Seed Collection).
What are the best Salad Burnet varieties for Canberra?
Recommended varieties for the Cold / Highland zone include: Sanguisorba minor seed (Succeed Heirlooms, The Seed Collection).
What grows well with Salad Burnet?
Good companion plants for Salad Burnet include: Thyme, Mint.
Are salad burnet salt tolerant?
Only a little. Salad burnet 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.