When to Plant Black Salsify 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 Black Salsify 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
- Sep to Mar
- Days to harvest
- about 17 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 15 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
Scorzonera hispanica. Black-skinned edible roots with pale flesh, distinct from white salsify. Sow directly in deep, loose soil; lift carefully.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cool Temperate
- Jan D
- Feb D
- Mar D
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep D
- 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, Black Salsify included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Black Salsify in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Deep, stone-free, loose sandy loam
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, 6 or more hours of direct sun a day
- Spacing
- 15cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Water steadily while the roots swell. Moist, well-drained soil suits it.
- Good companions
- Lettuce, Carrot, Spinach, Leek, Celeriac
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Black Salsify
Recommended Varieties
- Russian Giant: Produces long, straight black-skinned roots with white flesh and sweet, nutty flavour
- Giant Russian (Scorzonera): Sold as scorzonera seed by Eden Seeds
- Black Salsify (Scorzonera hispanica): Direct sow 20 mm deep, 10 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart. About 120 days to maturity
Key Challenges
- Root-Knot Nematodes: GrowVeg links soil nematodes to stunted plants
- Aphids: Sap-sucking, virus transmission
- Common Garden Snail: Introduced snail with a tan spiral shell
- Slugs: Soft-bodied shell-less molluscs that feed at night on seedlings and leafy vegetables
Pro Tips
- Avoid fresh manure or excess nitrogen which causes roots to fork; apply light compost prior to sowing or a single application of sulphate of potash when roots fill out
- Apply a light organic straw or compost mulch around plants to retain even soil moisture and reduce weed competition
Pests and problems for Black Salsify in Cool Temperate
- Common Garden Snail Common Garden Snail: Introduced snail with a tan spiral shell Watch
- Slugs Slugs: Soft-bodied shell-less molluscs that feed at night on seedlings and leafy vegetables Watch
- Aphids Aphids: Sap-sucking, virus transmission Watch
- White Blister Rust Rotate crops, space well and water the soil rather than the leaves. Watch
- Root-Knot Nematodes Root-Knot Nematodes: GrowVeg links soil nematodes to stunted plants Watch
Harvesting Black Salsify
When ready: Roots reach 15 to 30 cm long, typically around 120 to 150 days after sowing from late autumn through winter
How to harvest: Dig carefully along the side of the row using a garden fork to lift the brittle long roots without snapping them
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 Black Salsify
When do you plant black salsify in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Mar, Aug to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to Mar, Sep to Nov
Can you grow black salsify all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Black Salsify in Melbourne?
Sow directly in spring or early autumn into deeply cultivated, stone-free soil. Roots can be left in the ground to harvest throughout winter as cold weather improves root sweetness.
What soil temperature do Black Salsify need?
Black Salsify germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 21°C.
How do I know when Black Salsify are ready to harvest?
Roots reach 15 to 30 cm long, typically around 120 to 150 days after sowing from late autumn through winter
What are the best Black Salsify varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Russian Giant: Produces long, straight black-skinned roots with white flesh and sweet, nutty flavour, Giant Russian (Scorzonera): Sold as scorzonera seed by Eden Seeds, Black Salsify (Scorzonera hispanica): Direct sow 20 mm deep, 10 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart. About 120 days to maturity.
What grows well with Black Salsify?
Good companion plants for Black Salsify include: Lettuce, Carrot, Spinach, Leek, Celeriac.
Are black salsify salt tolerant?
Only a little. Black salsify 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.