When to Plant Pine Nut 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 Pine Nut 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 Aug
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.5
The stone pine, an umbrella shaped evergreen from Spain and Portugal that grows 12 to 20 m and gives the pine nuts of pesto (HortFlora, 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 -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys customers at Banyo in Brisbane report a growing tree, but Daleys lists warm temperate and arid as the preferred climates and no subtropical grower reports cones. Give it a dry, perfectly drained spot. No Australian source read gives a planting month, so none is listed; Daleys and Diggers sell potted trees.
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How to Grow Pine Nut in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Light well drained sandy loam, even rocky or chalky ground; never waterlogged (Daleys, Plants For A Future).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 5.5-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun; tolerates part shade when young (Daleys, Good Organic Gardening).
- Keep away from
- Bushland edges, it self seeds, Waterlogged ground, Humid coastal sites in the north
Subtropical Growing Tips for Pine Nut
Recommended Varieties
- Seedling stone pine
Key Challenges
- Wet summers
- Long wait
Pro Tips
- Plant two for pollination
Harvesting Pine Nut
When ready: Ripe cones, 10 to 14 cm, fall from the tree in their third year (HortFlora, Good Organic Gardening).
How to harvest: Collect fallen cones, keep them in a warm dry place until they open, shake out the seeds and crack off the brown shell (Good Organic Gardening).
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 Pine Nut
When do you plant pine nut in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jun to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jun to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Aug
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jun to Aug
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Aug
When should I plant Pine Nut in Brisbane?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys customers at Banyo in Brisbane report a growing tree, but Daleys lists warm temperate and arid as the preferred climates and no subtropical grower reports cones. Give it a dry, perfectly drained spot. No Australian source read gives a planting month, so none is listed; Daleys and Diggers sell potted trees.
How do I know when Pine Nut are ready to harvest?
Ripe cones, 10 to 14 cm, fall from the tree in their third year (HortFlora, Good Organic Gardening).
What are the best Pine Nut varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Seedling stone pine.
Are pine nut salt tolerant?
No. Pine nut 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.