When to Plant Sweet Marjoram in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Sow August to October. Right now in September you can sow.
Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Sweet Marjoram 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.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
A tender perennial (grown as annual in cold zones) closely related to oregano but with a sweeter, more delicate flavour. Essential in French and Mediterranean cooking. More cold-sensitive than oregano. Forms a compact bushy plant to 30-40cm. Often confused with oregano but the flavour is distinctly different.
Planting Calendar for Cool Temperate
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S/T/D | T/D | - | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 13.1°C (optimal range: 10–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
How to Grow Sweet Marjoram in Cool Temperate Australia
When to Plant
Plant Oct-Dec. Treat as annual.
- Soil
- Well-drained, light soil with some organic matter. Not as lean as oregano prefers.
- pH Range
- 6.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun. At least 6 hours.
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Moderate. More water-needy than oregano but still prefers drying between waterings.
Companion plants: Most vegetables, Other Mediterranean herbs
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Sweet Marjoram
Recommended Varieties
- Standard sweet marjoram
Key Challenges
- Frost kills it
- Short season
Pro Tips
- Grow as annual
- Start indoors for longest season
- Harvest and dry before frosts
Harvesting Sweet Marjoram
When ready: Harvest once plant is bushy at 15cm+. Best just before flowering.
How to harvest: Snip stems above leaf pair. Regular harvesting delays flowering.
Common Sweet Marjoram Pests in Cool Temperate Zones
Organic prevention: Healthy plants in full sun.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join Garden BuddyCommon Questions About Sweet Marjoram
When do you plant sweet marjoram in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Aug to Oct
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Aug to Oct
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Aug to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jul to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Aug to Oct
Does sweet marjoram grow all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Aug to Oct. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page 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.