When to plant Curry Plant in Cool Australia
Cool zone — applies to Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Armidale and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.
Raise curry plant from seed in September to November, sowing into trays under cover and transplanting seedlings out once frost has passed. This Mediterranean silver-leaved herb (the source of the warm curry scent, not the curry-leaf tree) is only half hardy, so in cool districts like Canberra, Orange and Ballarat it is safest started indoors and moved out in late spring. Sow shallowly at about 3 mm; germination is slow and uneven at 14-21 days, so be patient. Plants reach a usable, established size in 90-120 days. Set them out 30-60 cm apart in rows about 60 cm apart, in the hottest, best-drained, sunniest spot you can offer.
Sowing calendar — cool zone
Green months are your sowing window: September to November.
Growing notes
Curry plant is a small, aromatic, silver-foliaged shrub from dry Mediterranean hillsides, so the whole game in a cool climate is giving it heat, sun and sharp drainage. It resents cold wet feet more than it resents cold itself, and winter waterlogging is what kills it in cool gardens far more often than frost.
The main failure mode is root rot in heavy, wet soil over winter. In the cool zone, plant it into free-draining ground or raised beds, add grit if your soil is clay, and never mulch right up against the stem. A hot, sheltered position against a north-facing wall helps it survive the cold months and ripens the growth so it comes through winter better.
Germination is the other frustration. Seed is slow and erratic, so sow more than you need, keep the trays warm, and do not give up too early. Once established, curry plant is fairly drought tolerant and dislikes rich feeding.
Prune lightly in spring to keep the plant compact and prevent it becoming woody and open in the centre, but avoid cutting back hard into old bare wood, which it is reluctant to reshoot from. In the coldest highland gardens around Armidale, treat borderline plants to a winter cloche or grow them in a pot you can shelter.
Curry Plant at a glance
| Sowing depth | 3 mm |
|---|---|
| Plant spacing | 30-60 cm |
| Row spacing | 60 cm |
| Germination | 14-21 days |
| Days to maturity | 90-120 days |
| Frost tolerance | Half Hardy |
| Method | Plant Seedlings |
Common questions
- is curry plant frost hardy
- It is only half hardy, so in cool districts it needs a sheltered, sunny, well-drained spot and may struggle in the hardest frosts. Winter wet is actually a bigger threat than cold, so sharp drainage matters most.
- how do you grow curry plant from seed
- Raise seedlings under cover from September to November, sowing shallowly at about 3 mm. Germination is slow and patchy at 14-21 days, so sow generously and keep the trays warm before transplanting after frost.
- why is my curry plant dying over winter
- The usual cause is cold, wet soil rotting the roots. Plant into free-draining ground or a raised bed, keep mulch away from the stem, and choose a warm, sheltered position to help it through a cool-climate winter.
- is curry plant the same as curry leaf
- No. Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) is a silver Mediterranean herb grown for its aroma, not the tropical curry-leaf tree. They are unrelated, and the curry plant is the one suited to cool-zone conditions with the right drainage.
Track curry plant in your garden — sow dates, harvest countdowns, reminders. Free.
Add to my garden