When to Plant Perilla 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 Perilla 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
- Aug to Jan
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 20 cm apart
Perilla, also called shiso, is a bushy Asian herb related to basil. Green types suit sushi and salads and purple types add colour. It germinates easily in warm soil and grows to 45 to 90 cm.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cool Temperate
- Jan T
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug S
- Sep S/T/D
- Oct S/T/D
- Nov S/T/D
- Dec S/T/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, Perilla included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Perilla in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Moist, free draining soil. Heavy, waterlogged soil leads to root rot (Seeds of Plenty).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun or part shade (ABC Organic Gardener, The Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep soil moist but not soggy. Water more in hot or windy weather and mulch (Seeds of Plenty).
- Good companions
- Tomato, Capsicum
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Perilla
Recommended Varieties
- Green perilla
- Purple shiso
Key Challenges
- Short season
- Frost
Pro Tips
- Start in trays
- Plant after last frost
Pests and problems for Perilla in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Perilla
When ready: Two young leaves and a tip bud have the best aroma and flavour (Seeds of Plenty).
How to harvest: Pinch tips or trim with scissors. Each cut tip is replaced by a pair of new ones. Snip the stems then strip the leaves (ABC Organic Gardener).
Storing and preserving perilla
How to keep it
- Use fresh. No Australian source read on preserving.
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 Perilla
When do you plant perilla in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan, Aug to Dec
Can you grow perilla all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Jan, Aug to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Perilla in Melbourne?
The Seeds of Plenty cool chart matches the temperate one: trays from August, direct sow September to December. Use warm soil and plant out after the last frost. The season is short, so start in trays.
What soil temperature do Perilla need?
Perilla germinate best when soil temperature is between 19°C and 21°C.
How do I know when Perilla are ready to harvest?
Two young leaves and a tip bud have the best aroma and flavour (Seeds of Plenty).
What are the best Perilla varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Green perilla, Purple shiso.
What grows well with Perilla?
Good companion plants for Perilla include: Tomato, Capsicum.
Are perilla salt tolerant?
Only a little. Perilla 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.