When to plant Wormwood in Cool Australia

Cool zone — applies to Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Armidale and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Wormwood is not recommended for direct sowing on any set schedule in the cool zone, which is why no reliable sowing window is listed here. It is a tough, hardy perennial herb that establishes best from a nursery seedling or a division rather than from seed sown to a calendar. If you do raise seedlings, the tiny seed germinates over 10–28 days and plants reach useful size in 90–120 days. Sow just 3 mm deep, then space the vigorous plants a generous 60 cm apart with rows 60–90 cm wide, as one plant becomes a large silver shrub.

Sowing calendar — cool zone

No sowing window in this zone.

Growing notes

There is no recommended sowing window for wormwood in the cool zone because it is almost always started from a purchased seedling, cutting, or division rather than from seed on a fixed date. Once in the ground it is hardy and long-lived, easily surviving the frosts of Hobart, Canberra, or Armidale, so a single established plant does the job for years without replanting.

The main pitfall is planting it too close to vegetables and edible herbs. Wormwood releases compounds that can suppress the growth of nearby plants, so site it at the edge of the garden or in its own bed, well away from crops you want to thrive. Give it the full 60 cm spacing and it will not crowd or chemically inhibit its neighbours.

Wormwood wants full sun and free-draining soil, and it strongly dislikes wet feet. In a cool, wet winter, heavy or waterlogged ground is the quickest way to kill it, so plant on a slope, a raised bed, or gritty soil. It needs little feeding and no coddling; over-rich soil produces soft, floppy growth. Cut it back hard in late winter to keep the silver foliage dense and tidy.

Wormwood at a glance

Common questions

can you grow wormwood in a cool climate

Yes, wormwood is fully hardy and handles cold winters in places like Canberra and Hobart without trouble. It is simply started from a seedling or division rather than sown to a strict calendar, which is why no fixed sowing window is given.

why is wormwood bad for other plants

Wormwood releases compounds that can suppress the growth of nearby plants, so it can stunt vegetables and herbs planted too close. Site it at the garden's edge or in its own bed and keep the full 60 cm spacing.

does wormwood need full sun

Yes, it wants full sun and sharply drained soil. It hates wet feet, so in a cool wet winter avoid heavy or waterlogged ground and consider a raised bed or gritty mix.

how big does wormwood get

A single plant grows into a large silver shrub, which is why it needs 60 cm between plants and 60–90 cm between rows. Cut it back hard in late winter to keep it dense and manageable.

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