When to Plant Boysenberry in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
What this month normally looks like in Subtropical
In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 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, 33 postcodes, SILO.
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This Boysenberry guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Jun to Sep
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Boysenberry is a thorny trailing bramble with large, dark red to black, tart berries. It is deciduous, tolerates frost and crops in its first season, with the pick in November and December (Daleys).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Subtropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun P
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep P
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys calls boysenberry one of the better performing trailing berries in the subtropics, and buyers at Marsden QLD report heavy flowering in the first year. A Sippy Downs QLD buyer reports rampant roots with little fruit, so give it a cool, airy spot and a trellis. Plant bare root in winter or a potted plant in early spring (bramble timing from Yates). Harvest November and December.
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How to Grow Boysenberry in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Good drainage with moderate water (Daleys). Rich, slightly acidic, moist soil for brambles (Yates loganberry page).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Daleys); shelter from hot afternoon sun and wind (Yates).
- Keep away from
- Windy, exposed sites, Wet, poorly drained ground
Subtropical Growing Tips for Boysenberry
Recommended Varieties
- Boysenberry (Daleys, cutting grown or bare root)
Key Challenges
- Thorny canes
- Birds
- Rampant rooting where tips touch the ground
Pro Tips
- Two wire trellis
- Cut fruited canes out in July
- Net as fruit colours
Pests and problems for Boysenberry in Subtropical
Harvesting Boysenberry
When ready: Berries turn from bright red to almost black with a dusty coating (Daleys).
How to harvest: Pick every few days over about six weeks (Daleys).
Storing and preserving boysenberry
How to keep it
- Freezing. Tray freeze then bag (NCHFP dry pack). Keeps: 8 to 12 months.
- Jam. Tested recipe, water bath (NCHFP). Keeps: 12 months.
- Canning whole. As blackberries, 15 to 20 minutes pints and quarts (NCHFP, boysenberry not named on the page). Keeps: 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 Boysenberry
When do you plant boysenberry in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jun to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Aug to Sep
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Sep
When should I plant Boysenberry in Brisbane?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys calls boysenberry one of the better performing trailing berries in the subtropics, and buyers at Marsden QLD report heavy flowering in the first year. A Sippy Downs QLD buyer reports rampant roots with little fruit, so give it a cool, airy spot and a trellis. Plant bare root in winter or a potted plant in early spring (bramble timing from Yates). Harvest November and December.
How do I know when Boysenberry are ready to harvest?
Berries turn from bright red to almost black with a dusty coating (Daleys).
What are the best Boysenberry varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Boysenberry (Daleys, cutting grown or bare root).
Are boysenberry salt tolerant?
No. Boysenberry are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
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 Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.