When to Plant Sweet Marjoram in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow September to December. Right now in October you can sow.
Grow Sweet Marjoram in your space
- Planting window
- Sweet marjoram is frost tender and usually grown as a summer annual here, planted out from late November. It may overwinter in a warm...
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sunlight
- Full sun. At least 6 hours.
- Water needs
- Moderate. More water-needy than oregano but still prefers drying between waterings.
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.5-7.5
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Sweet Marjoram 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.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
A tender perennial (grown as annual in cold zones) closely related to oregano but with a sweeter, more delicate flavour. Essential in French and Mediterranean cooking. More cold-sensitive than oregano. Forms a compact bushy plant to 30-40cm. Often confused with oregano but the flavour is distinctly different.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S | T/D | T/D |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 13.6°C (optimal range: 10–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like
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.
How to Grow Sweet Marjoram in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
Sweet marjoram is frost tender and usually grown as a summer annual here, planted out from late November. It may overwinter in a warm, sheltered spot.
- Soil
- Well-drained, light soil with some organic matter. Not as lean as oregano prefers.
- pH Range
- 6.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun. At least 6 hours.
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Moderate. More water-needy than oregano but still prefers drying between waterings.
Companion plants: Most vegetables, Other Mediterranean herbs
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Sweet Marjoram
Recommended Varieties
- Standard sweet marjoram
Key Challenges
- Very short season
- Frost-tender
Pro Tips
- Container growing under cover gives longest season
- Or use dried marjoram from warmer-zone harvest
Harvesting Sweet Marjoram
When ready: Harvest once plant is bushy at 15cm+. Best just before flowering.
How to harvest: Snip stems above leaf pair. Regular harvesting delays flowering.
Common Sweet Marjoram Pests in Cold / Highland Zones
Aphids and Powdery Mildew, risk: LOW (score: 38/100)Organic prevention (Aphids): Healthy plants in full sun.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Sweet Marjoram
When do you plant sweet marjoram in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Aug to Oct
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Apr, Aug to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Aug to Oct
Does sweet marjoram grow all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page 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.