When to Plant Rosella 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 Rosella 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
- Nov to Dec
- Days to harvest
- about 21 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 50 cm apart
Rosella is a tall annual shrub grown for its fleshy red calyces, the part around the seed pod. They make jam, syrup and tea. It needs a long, warm, frost free season of 5 months or more (Green Harvest).
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 -
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Rosella in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Well drained soil with plenty of compost. No pH is given in the sources.
- Salt
- Moderately tolerant. Handles slightly salty water better than most veggies.
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours (Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 50cm apart, 100cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist while seedlings establish. Water regularly in dry spells. No source gives amounts.
- Grow before it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
- Grow after it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Give the bed 3 turns before other fruiting crops go back in. Corn, okra and sunflower are heavy feeders that sit with the fruiting crops in the cycle.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Rosella
Key Challenges
- Short season
- Frost before ripening
- Cold soil in spring
Pro Tips
- Use the warmest, most sheltered spot
- Start seed indoors
- Expect a smaller crop
Pests and problems for Rosella in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Rosella
When ready: Pick the fruit about 3 weeks after flowering, when the calyx is 2 to 3 cm across (Green Harvest).
How to harvest: Cut the whole fruit from the stem. The calyx is the fleshy red outer part, the seed capsule inside is removed.
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 Rosella
When do you plant rosella in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
Can you grow rosella all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Nov to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Rosella in Melbourne?
Gardenate has no cool and mountain calendar. Seed Collection gives November and December. The season is too short in most years, because rosella needs 5 months or more without frost (Green Harvest). Start seed indoors in spring and plant out after the last frost in the warmest spot. Treat the dates as a guide.
What soil temperature do Rosella need?
Rosella germinate best when soil temperature is between 25°C and 35°C.
How do I know when Rosella are ready to harvest?
Pick the fruit about 3 weeks after flowering, when the calyx is 2 to 3 cm across (Green Harvest).
Are rosella salt tolerant?
Fairly. Rosella are moderately tolerant of salt and handle slightly salty water better than most veggies.
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.