When to plant Salad Burnett in Subtropical Australia

Subtropical zone — applies to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Tropical · Arid.

Sow salad burnet direct in March and April or again in September and October, working around the humid heart of summer. Scatter seed about 5 mm deep into free-draining soil; germination is leisurely at 14–21 days, so keep the bed evenly moist and weed-free while it establishes. Thin or space plants to 30 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart to give each rosette room to spread. Leaves reach picking size in 60–90 days, and the cucumber-scented foliage is best young. In Brisbane and Coffs Harbour, the cooler shoulder seasons give the most tender, mildest growth.

Sowing calendar — subtropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: March to April and September to October.

Growing notes

Salad burnet is a hardy perennial that grows almost too easily in the mild subtropical winter, then struggles in the wet summer. The main failure here is heat and humidity turning the leaves bitter, tough and prone to fungal spotting from December through February.

The fix is timing and position. Treat the autumn and spring sowings as your main crops, and give plants light afternoon shade so they coast through the hottest months rather than bolting. Once a plant sends up its wiry flower stems, leaf quality drops sharply, so cut the flowering stalks off at the base to push fresh, mild growth.

Across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, keep the following in mind:

• Pick leaves young; older foliage turns leathery in the heat.
• Space at 30 cm for airflow, which limits the leaf spots that appear in humid spells.
• Water at the base, not over the leaves, to keep foliage dry overnight.

Salad burnet is genuinely perennial here, often living several years if you cut it back hard after each flowering flush. Do not overfeed; lean soil gives firmer, better-flavoured leaves than rich, forced growth.

Salad Burnett at a glance

Common questions

when should I sow salad burnet in the subtropics?

Sow in March and April or September and October. These shoulder seasons dodge both the humid peak of summer and give the cool, steady conditions that produce the mildest, most tender leaves.

why does my salad burnet taste bitter?

Heat and flowering are the usual causes. In a subtropical summer the leaves toughen and turn bitter, and once the plant flowers, quality drops further. Cut off flower stems at the base and give afternoon shade to keep new growth mild.

is salad burnet perennial in Brisbane?

Yes. In Brisbane's mild winters it lives for several years. Cut it back hard after each flowering flush to keep it producing fresh, tender leaves rather than woody stems.

does salad burnet need full sun in the subtropics?

It prefers some afternoon shade here. Full, unbroken subtropical sun pushes it to flower and toughen quickly, so a spot with morning sun and afternoon relief gives longer-lasting, milder leaves.

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