When to Plant Anise in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
Jump to section
This Anise guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Oct to Dec
- Days to harvest
- 45 days
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 28 cm apart
Anise is a frost tender annual grown for its liquorice flavoured seed; the young leaves go in salads too (Happy Valley).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
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 Cool Temperate zone right now, Anise included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Anise in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Moist, well drained (The Seed Collection).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun (The Seed Collection, Seeds of Plenty, Happy Valley).
- Spacing
- 28cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep the seed bed moist through the slow germination, then water evenly.
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Basil, Coriander, Parsley
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Anise
Key Challenges
- 130 days to seed
Pro Tips
- Sow as early as frost allows
- Warm sheltered bed
Pests and problems for Anise in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Anise
When ready: Leaves from 30 to 60 days (Seeds of Plenty). Seed heads developed but still green (Seeds of Plenty); seed ripens 17 to 20 weeks after sowing (Happy Valley).
How to harvest: Cut seed heads, hang upside down in a paper bag, thresh when dry (Seeds of Plenty).
Storing and preserving anise
How to keep it
- Drying seed. Hang heads in a paper bag with holes (NCHFP). Keeps: 1 to 3 years airtight.
- Freezing leaves. Chop and freeze in ice cube trays (NCHFP). 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 Anise
When do you plant anise in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Sep to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Nov to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
Can you grow anise all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Oct to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Anise in Melbourne?
Sow after the last frost in spring (Happy Valley), which here is usually October or later. Seed needs 130 days (The Seed Collection), so an early sowing matters; late sowings give leaves only.
What soil temperature do Anise need?
Anise germinate best when soil temperature is between 20°C and 22°C.
How do I know when Anise are ready to harvest?
Leaves from 30 to 60 days (Seeds of Plenty). Seed heads developed but still green (Seeds of Plenty); seed ripens 17 to 20 weeks after sowing (Happy Valley).
What grows well with Anise?
Good companion plants for Anise include: Dwarf Beans, Basil, Coriander, Parsley.
Are anise salt tolerant?
Only a little. Anise 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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.