When to Plant Lavender 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 Lavender 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.
- Days to harvest
- about 52 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 7.0–8.0
Lavender is a woody Mediterranean shrub grown for scented flower spikes used dried, in sugar and syrups, and for bees.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
Lavender is not recommended for Tropical.
Cannot be grown outdoors here. Yates lists lavender for cool to warm temperate climates and The Seed Collection sowing chart gives no months for tropical areas; the humid wet season rots the plant.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Tropical zone right now, Lavender included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Lavender in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Very well drained, gritty or sandy; raised beds on clay (Yates, The Seed Collection).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 7.0-8.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours (Yates).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 80cm between rows
- Watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week in dry weather once established; never let it sit wet (Yates).
- Good companions
- Thyme, Rosemary, Silverbeet, Pear, Mandarin
- Keep away from
- thirsty leafy crops that need regular water
Tropical Growing Tips for Lavender
Recommended Varieties
- Hidcote, Munstead, True English (The Seed Collection)
- French lavender for humid areas, lavandin for hot dry areas (Yates)
Key Challenges
- Humidity
Pro Tips
- Grow rosemary, which takes humidity better.
Pests and problems for Lavender in Tropical
Harvesting Lavender
When ready: Flower spikes coloured but buds not yet fully open (The Seed Collection); cut early in the morning (Yates).
How to harvest: Cut stems with secateurs, bunch and hang to dry (The Seed Collection).
Storing and preserving lavender
How to keep it
- Drying. Hang bunches in a dark airy place until stems snap, strip buds, store airtight. Keeps: 12 months.
- Lavender sugar. Layer dried buds in caster sugar for 2 weeks, sift. 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 Lavender
When do you plant lavender in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
When should I plant Lavender in Cairns?
Cannot be grown outdoors here. Yates lists lavender for cool to warm temperate climates and The Seed Collection sowing chart gives no months for tropical areas; the humid wet season rots the plant.
What soil temperature do Lavender need?
Lavender germinate best when soil temperature is between 18°C and 21°C.
How do I know when Lavender are ready to harvest?
Flower spikes coloured but buds not yet fully open (The Seed Collection); cut early in the morning (Yates).
What are the best Lavender varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Hidcote, Munstead, True English (The Seed Collection), French lavender for humid areas, lavandin for hot dry areas (Yates).
What grows well with Lavender?
Good companion plants for Lavender include: Thyme, Rosemary, Silverbeet, Pear, Mandarin.
Are lavender salt tolerant?
Only a little. Lavender 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.