When to Plant Sweet Marjoram 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 Sweet Marjoram 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 Jun
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 20 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.5–7.5
A tender perennial (grown as annual in cold zones) closely related to oregano but with a sweeter, more delicate flavour. Essential in French and Mediterranean cooking. More cold-sensitive than oregano.
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 S
- May S/D
- Jun T
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Tropical zone right now, Sweet Marjoram included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Sweet Marjoram in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, light soil with some organic matter. Not as lean as oregano prefers.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun. At least 6 hours.
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Moderate. More water-needy than oregano but still prefers drying between waterings.
- Good companions
- Capsicum, Sage, Apple, Gai Lan, Nectarine
Tropical Growing Tips for Sweet Marjoram
Recommended Varieties
- Standard sweet marjoram
Key Challenges
- Humidity
- Root rot
Pro Tips
- Container growing with sandy mix
- Dry season annual only
Pests and problems for Sweet Marjoram in Tropical
Harvesting Sweet Marjoram
When ready: Harvest once plant is bushy at 15cm+. Best just before flowering.
How to harvest: Snip stems above leaf pair. Regular harvesting delays flowering.
Storing and preserving sweet marjoram
How to keep it
- Drying (good). Hang bundles 1-2 weeks. Strip leaves. Marjoram dries well but loses some sweetness. Keeps: 12 months.
- Freezing. Chop and freeze in ice cube trays with oil or butter. Keeps: 6 months.
- Herbes de Provence. Blend dried marjoram with thyme, rosemary, savory, oregano. Store in jar. 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 Sweet Marjoram
When do you plant sweet marjoram in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Aug to Oct
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Apr, Aug to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Aug to Oct
Can you grow sweet marjoram all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Apr to Jun. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Sweet Marjoram in Cairns?
Dry season only, grown as an annual. Start in trays in April or May, sow direct in May, and plant out in June.
What soil temperature do Sweet Marjoram need?
Sweet Marjoram germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 25°C.
How do I know when Sweet Marjoram are ready to harvest?
Harvest once plant is bushy at 15cm+. Best just before flowering.
What are the best Sweet Marjoram varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Standard sweet marjoram.
What grows well with Sweet Marjoram?
Good companion plants for Sweet Marjoram include: Capsicum, Sage, Apple, Gai Lan, Nectarine.
Are sweet marjoram salt tolerant?
Only a little. Sweet marjoram 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.