When to Plant Thyme in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow September to December. Right now in October you can sow.
Grow Thyme in your space
- Planting window
- A hardy perennial for a sunny, well-drained spot. Start from seed or rooted pieces in spring, or buy potted plants.
- Days to harvest
- about 13 weeks
- Sunlight
- Full sun. Maximum sun = maximum essential oil = maximum flavour.
- Water needs
- Minimal once established. Water young plants until rooted. Overwatering is the primary...
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-8.0
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Thyme 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
Low-growing Mediterranean perennial subshrub with tiny aromatic leaves. Common/garden thyme (T. vulgaris) is the culinary standard; lemon thyme (T. x citriodorus) adds citrus notes. Extremely drought-tolerant, hates wet feet, and needs excellent drainage. Identical requirements to rosemary. Forms a low mat 15-30cm tall. Long-lived if drainage is right.
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/D | S/T/D | S/T/D | T |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 13.4°C (optimal range: 15–25°C) ✗ Outside optimal range
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 Thyme in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
A hardy perennial for a sunny, well-drained spot. Start from seed or rooted pieces in spring, or buy potted plants.
- Soil
- Well-drained, lean, sandy or gravelly soil. Does NOT want rich soil.
- pH Range
- 6.0-8.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun. Maximum sun = maximum essential oil = maximum flavour.
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Minimal once established. Water young plants until rooted. Overwatering is the primary killer.
Companion plants: Rosemary, Sage, Lavender, Cabbage, Strawberry, Tomato
Avoid planting near: Mint, Basil (different water needs)
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Thyme
Recommended Varieties
- Common thyme (very cold hardy)
- Creeping thyme
Key Challenges
- Wet cold soil
- Short initial establishment window
Pro Tips
- Very cold hardy, survives hard frosts
- Excellent drainage critical for winter survival
- One of the more reliable herbs for cold zones
Harvesting Thyme
When ready: Harvest from established plants (3+ months). Evergreen. Best flavour just before flowering.
How to harvest: Snip stem tips. Never cut into old woody growth, it won't regenerate. Always cut above green leafy growth.
Common Thyme Pests in Cold / Highland Zones
Fungal Infection and Aphids, risk: LOW (score: 29/100)Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Thyme
When do you plant thyme in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Jun, Aug to Oct
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Apr, Aug to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to May, Aug to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to May, Aug to Nov
Does thyme 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.