When to Plant Myoga in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
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 Myoga 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 Nov
- Days to harvest
- about 13 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Myoga is a shade loving Japanese ginger grown for its crisp pink flower buds, which push up at the soil surface and are eaten raw, pickled or in tempura (Daleys blog).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec -
P = Planting window
The cold hardiest of the gingers and frost tolerant if well mulched (ABC Gardening Australia). Diggers says protect from severe frost. Blaxland and Kandos growers in NSW keep it going, the Kandos one with winter protection. Plant rhizomes in spring after frost (Diggers), mulch well. Harvest October to December.
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How to Grow Myoga in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Free draining, moist; avoid winter waterlogging (Diggers). pH 6.6 to 7.3 (Daleys).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Part sun 50 to 80 percent, full sun scorches (Daleys); dappled light (Diggers).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 60cm between rows
- Watering
- Moderate water (Daleys); keep moist in the growing season.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Myoga
Key Challenges
- Severe frost
Pro Tips
- Mulch well before winter
- Divide in spring
Pests and problems for Myoga in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Myoga
When ready: Firm pink buds at the soil surface, picked before they open or turn green (West Ryde grower, Daleys review).
How to harvest: Part the mulch and snap or cut the buds at the base; mature leaves can be cut for wrapping food (Diggers).
Storing and preserving myoga
How to keep it
- Refrigerator pickle. Halve buds, cover with hot sweetened rice vinegar, chill. Keeps: 2 to 3 weeks.
- Fresh. Paper towel in a container in the crisper. Keeps: 3 to 5 days.
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 Myoga
When do you plant myoga in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Sep to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Nov
When should I plant Myoga in Melbourne?
The cold hardiest of the gingers and frost tolerant if well mulched (ABC Gardening Australia). Diggers says protect from severe frost. Blaxland and Kandos growers in NSW keep it going, the Kandos one with winter protection. Plant rhizomes in spring after frost (Diggers), mulch well. Harvest October to December.
How do I know when Myoga are ready to harvest?
Firm pink buds at the soil surface, picked before they open or turn green (West Ryde grower, Daleys review).
Are myoga salt tolerant?
Only a little. Myoga 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.