When to Plant Black Salsify in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Black Salsify guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Apr to Jul
- Days to harvest
- about 17 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 15 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
Scorzonera hispanica. Black-skinned edible roots with pale flesh, distinct from white salsify. Sow directly in deep, loose soil; lift carefully.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul D
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Black Salsify in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Deep, stone-free, loose sandy loam
- 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, 6 or more hours of direct sun a day
- Spacing
- 15cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Water steadily while the roots swell. Moist, well-drained soil suits it.
- Good companions
- Lettuce, Carrot, Spinach, Leek, Celeriac
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Tropical Growing Tips for Black Salsify
Recommended Varieties
- Giant Russian (Scorzonera): Sold as scorzonera seed by Eden Seeds
- Black Salsify (Scorzonera hispanica): Direct sow 20 mm deep, 10 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart. About 120 days to maturity
Key Challenges
- Root-Knot Nematodes: GrowVeg links soil nematodes to stunted plants
- Aphids: Sap-sucking, virus transmission
- Common Garden Snail: Introduced snail with a tan spiral shell
- Slugs: Soft-bodied shell-less molluscs that feed at night on seedlings and leafy vegetables
Pro Tips
- Avoid fresh manure or excess nitrogen which causes roots to fork; apply light compost prior to sowing or a single application of sulphate of potash when roots fill out
- Apply a light organic straw or compost mulch around plants to retain even soil moisture and reduce weed competition
Pests and problems for Black Salsify in Tropical
- Common Garden Snail Common Garden Snail: Introduced snail with a tan spiral shell Watch
- Slugs Slugs: Soft-bodied shell-less molluscs that feed at night on seedlings and leafy vegetables Watch
- Aphids Aphids: Sap-sucking, virus transmission Watch
- White Blister Rust Rotate crops, space well and water the soil rather than the leaves. Watch
- Root-Knot Nematodes Root-Knot Nematodes: GrowVeg links soil nematodes to stunted plants Watch
Harvesting Black Salsify
When ready: Roots reach 15 to 30 cm long, typically around 120 to 150 days after sowing from late autumn through winter
How to harvest: Dig carefully along the side of the row using a garden fork to lift the brittle long roots without snapping them
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 Black Salsify
When do you plant black salsify in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Mar, Aug to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to Mar, Sep to Nov
Can you grow black salsify all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Apr to Jul. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Black Salsify in Cairns?
Supplier limits sowing to cooler tropical districts.
What soil temperature do Black Salsify need?
Black Salsify germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 21°C.
How do I know when Black Salsify are ready to harvest?
Roots reach 15 to 30 cm long, typically around 120 to 150 days after sowing from late autumn through winter
What are the best Black Salsify varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Giant Russian (Scorzonera): Sold as scorzonera seed by Eden Seeds, Black Salsify (Scorzonera hispanica): Direct sow 20 mm deep, 10 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart. About 120 days to maturity.
What grows well with Black Salsify?
Good companion plants for Black Salsify include: Lettuce, Carrot, Spinach, Leek, Celeriac.
Are black salsify salt tolerant?
Only a little. Black salsify 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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.