When to Plant Egyptian Spinach 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.
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This Egyptian Spinach 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
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 4.5–8.2
Egyptian spinach (molokhia, jute mallow) is a tall, fast summer green to 1.2 m grown for its mucilaginous leaves, ready about 60 days from sowing (The Seed Collection).
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 S
- Nov T/D
- Dec T/D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Egyptian Spinach in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Moist, well drained soil (The Seed Collection); PFAF gives a wide pH range.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 4.5-8.2
- Sunlight
- Full sun (The Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 50cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep moist; drought brings mites (The Seed Collection, PROTA).
- Good companions
- Onion, Cabbage, Peas, Strawberry, Broccoli
- Keep away from
- Potato, Pumpkin, Sweet Corn
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before leafy greens go back in. Leaf crops want the nitrogen the legumes left behind.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Egyptian Spinach
Recommended Varieties
- Egyptian spinach
Key Challenges
- Short warm season
Pro Tips
- Transplant after nights warm
Pests and problems for Egyptian Spinach in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Egyptian Spinach
When ready: Plants about 50 cm tall (The Seed Collection); 30 to 40 cm for a once-over cut (PROTA).
How to harvest: Cut the top shoots and leaves; first cut 4 to 6 weeks after transplanting, then every 2 to 3 weeks (PROTA).
Storing and preserving egyptian spinach
How to keep it
- Blanching and freezing. Blanch 2 minutes, cool, drain, pack (NCHFP greens method). Keeps: 8-12 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 Egyptian Spinach
When do you plant egyptian spinach in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan, Sep to Dec
Can you grow egyptian spinach 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 Egyptian Spinach in Melbourne?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Start seed indoors in October, transplant in November and December once nights are warm, or sow direct in November and December; it is frost tender and stops growing below 15C (The Seed Collection, PROTA). Expect a short summer crop. Months derived.
What soil temperature do Egyptian Spinach need?
Egyptian Spinach germinate best when soil temperature is between 25°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Egyptian Spinach are ready to harvest?
Plants about 50 cm tall (The Seed Collection); 30 to 40 cm for a once-over cut (PROTA).
What are the best Egyptian Spinach varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Egyptian spinach.
What grows well with Egyptian Spinach?
Good companion plants for Egyptian Spinach include: Onion, Cabbage, Peas, Strawberry, Broccoli.
Are egyptian spinach salt tolerant?
Only a little. Egyptian spinach 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.