When to Plant Chinese Water Chestnut 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 Chinese Water Chestnut 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
- Sep to Nov
- Days to harvest
- about 26 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 75 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
Eleocharis dulcis. Aquatic sedge grown for edible corms. Keep in a contained water garden with clean water; harvest after foliage dies back.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Planting Calendar for Subtropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep T
- Oct T
- Nov T
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Chinese Water Chestnut in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Rich, organic-rich clay loam or muddy aquatic soil mix
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sun a day
- Spacing
- 75cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist until shoots are about 10 cm tall, then flood to about 10 cm deep and keep it flooded through the growing season. It can be grown in a flooded bed, pond, bathtub or halved water tank.
- Good companions
- Taro, Watercress
Subtropical Growing Tips for Chinese Water Chestnut
Key Challenges
- Rats and Mice: Rodents can cause large losses of corms at harvest
- Billbug: Tunnelled stems weaken and yellow
- Stem and awl nematodes: Reduced growth and lower corm yield
- Fusarium wilt and stem blight: Plants die back early and corm yield falls
Pro Tips
- Mix well-rotted manure, compost, or blood and bone into soil mix prior to planting; apply organic water-soluble fertiliser in mid-summer
Pests and problems for Chinese Water Chestnut in Subtropical
Harvesting Chinese Water Chestnut
When ready: Rush-like tubular foliage turns yellow and completely dies back in late autumn or winter
How to harvest: Drain water, tip out container or dig through mud by hand to feel for crisp round corms
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 Chinese Water Chestnut
When do you plant chinese water chestnut in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Aug to Oct
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Nov
Can you grow chinese water chestnut all year round in Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Sep to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Chinese Water Chestnut in Brisbane?
Plant corms in spring in submerged tubs or bog gardens in full sun. Harvest corms after tops turn brown in late autumn.
How do I know when Chinese Water Chestnut are ready to harvest?
Rush-like tubular foliage turns yellow and completely dies back in late autumn or winter
What grows well with Chinese Water Chestnut?
Good companion plants for Chinese Water Chestnut include: Taro, Watercress.
Are chinese water chestnut salt tolerant?
Only a little. Chinese water chestnut 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 Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.