When to Plant Gai Lan in Perth, Mediterranean Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Perth), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Mediterranean
In October the Mediterranean zone normally runs 22°C by day and 10°C overnight, with about 38 mm of rain over 6 or 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 19 postcodes, SILO.
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This Gai Lan guide is written for the Mediterranean zone, which takes in Perth, Adelaide and Bunbury. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Sep to Apr
- Days to harvest
- about 9 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 20 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
Gai lan (Chinese broccoli, kailaan) is grown for its thick juicy flowering stems, picked just before the buds open (Green Harvest).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Mediterranean
- Jan D
- Feb D
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep D
- Oct D
- 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 Gai Lan in Mediterranean Australia
- Soil
- Fertile, well drained soil with plenty of compost; a heavy feeder (Green Harvest, SGA).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, 6 or more hours; part shade in very hot areas (Green Harvest, SGA, The Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep moist; shallow roots need frequent water and mulch (Green Harvest, SGA).
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Carrot, Beetroot, Peas
- Keep away from
- Parsley (SGA)
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Mediterranean Growing Tips for Gai Lan
Recommended Varieties
- Kailaan
Key Challenges
- Hot dry summer
Pro Tips
- Skip the hottest weeks
Pests and problems for Gai Lan in Mediterranean
Harvesting Gai Lan
When ready: Flower buds formed but not open, stems 15 to 20 cm (Green Harvest).
How to harvest: Cut the top 15 to 20 cm of the stalk; leave at least 8 cm of stem so side shoots regrow (Green Harvest, Succeed Heirlooms).
Storing and preserving gai lan
How to keep it
- Blanching and freezing. Blanch 2 minutes, cool in iced water, drain, pack and freeze (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 Gai Lan
When do you plant gai lan in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Apr, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Feb, Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Jul
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Apr, Sep to Dec
Can you grow gai lan all year round in Perth?
No. In the Mediterranean zone the planting months are Jan to Apr, Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Gai Lan in Perth?
Sow direct September to April, the temperate window (Green Harvest, The Seed Collection). Skip the hottest dry weeks or give part shade (SGA). No Mediterranean-specific source; this is the temperate window applied here.
What soil temperature do Gai Lan need?
Gai Lan germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 29°C.
How do I know when Gai Lan are ready to harvest?
Flower buds formed but not open, stems 15 to 20 cm (Green Harvest).
What are the best Gai Lan varieties for Perth?
Recommended varieties for the Mediterranean zone include: Kailaan.
What grows well with Gai Lan?
Good companion plants for Gai Lan include: Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Carrot, Beetroot, Peas.
Are gai lan salt tolerant?
Only a little. Gai lan 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 Mediterranean zone, Perth is its reference city.