Salsify · Cairo, Cairo, Egypt

When to plant salsify in Cairo

Main outdoor window

1 Oct - 15 Nov

A climate estimate. Check your soil, forecast and cultivar.

Timed from temperature

October to April

No frost on record in Cairo, so the months this crop fits in our temperature model set the timing. This does not confirm local suitability.

Ready to pick

29 Jan - 28 Feb

If you plant at the start of the window.

Temperature-based estimate. Cairo has no dependable frost season. These dates do not account for rain, humidity or waterlogging. Check the local growing season, especially in monsoon climates, before treating this window as a planting recommendation.
Rainfall check: the wettest month is November (about 17 mm), and the driest is August (about 0 mm). Compare all months and check the limitations before choosing the season.

Step by step in Cairo

Download these planting dates (.ics)

Import into Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook. Dates use the selected risk level and are planning estimates, not frost alerts.

Each window is a planning range. Check the forecast, soil and cultivar before planting; a later date is not automatically safer in hot or wet conditions.

Sow direct

1 Oct - 15 Nov

The opening weeks of the stretch when the average temperature suits this crop, which here runs from October to April. There is no frost to work around, so heat is what sets the timing.

Harvest

29 Jan - 28 Feb

Frost tolerance
Very-hardy
Damaged below
-15°C (5°F)
Days to maturity
120–150
Min soil temp
7°C (44.6°F)
Spacing
10 cm
Sowing depth
15 mm (0.6 in)
Sun
Full

Salsify through the year

Against the monthly temperature record in Cairo

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Frost risk Sow direct Harvest Today
Open My Garden

Seasonal context

Rainfall and the growing season in Cairo

November has the highest average precipitation (17 mm); August has the lowest (0 mm). Compare this pattern with the planting windows and your water supply.

Jan 8 mm
Feb 7 mm
Mar 7 mm
Apr 9 mm
May 0 mm
Jun 0 mm
Jul 0 mm
Aug 0 mm
Sep 0 mm
Oct 5 mm
Nov 17 mm
Dec 7 mm

During wetter months, check that beds and containers drain after heavy rain. During drier months, plan how you will keep seeds and new transplants watered. Monthly averages can hide long dry spells and intense storms; they do not show soil moisture, humidity or this week's weather.

Frost-free does not mean every month is suitable. In tropical and monsoon climates, rainfall, heat, drainage and the cultivar can set the practical growing season. Match the temperature window to these conditions and check advice from a local grower before buying planting material.

Source: NASA POWER, corrected MERRA-2 precipitation, 2001–2020. Values are approximate monthly totals, including the water equivalent of snow, from the nearest 0.5° × 0.625° grid cell. This reference period differs from the temperature record. Rainfall provides context and does not change the calculated planting dates. Method and limitations.

Monthly growing conditions in Cairo

Compare the planting window with the local temperature pattern. These are historical monthly averages, not this year's forecast or measured soil temperatures. Average frost days do not tell you whether a particular night will freeze.

NASA POWER climate averages, 1995–2024
MonthAverage lowAverage highFrost days
January 7°C (44.5°F) 19.1°C (66.4°F) 0.0
February 7.6°C (45.8°F) 20.9°C (69.6°F) 0.0
March 9.7°C (49.4°F) 24.9°C (76.8°F) 0.0
April 12.9°C (55.3°F) 29.6°C (85.3°F) 0.0
May 16.9°C (62.5°F) 34.2°C (93.6°F) 0.0
June 19.8°C (67.6°F) 37.5°C (99.4°F) 0.0
July 21.5°C (70.8°F) 38.8°C (101.8°F) 0.0
August 22°C (71.5°F) 38.5°C (101.2°F) 0.0
September 20.3°C (68.5°F) 35.9°C (96.7°F) 0.0
October 17.4°C (63.4°F) 31.2°C (88.1°F) 0.0
November 13.3°C (55.9°F) 25.8°C (78.5°F) 0.0
December 9.2°C (48.5°F) 20.9°C (69.6°F) 0.0

For salsify, also check drainage, sunlight and cultivar requirements. See the rainfall context above; humidity, irrigation and local pest pressure are not calculated.

Local growing check

Before choosing salsify for Cairo

  • November is the wettest month in the rainfall grid, averaging about 17 mm. Check how your own bed drains and plan watering around actual soil moisture; monthly rain totals are not an irrigation schedule.

The temperature and rainfall tables on this page show the underlying climate estimates. How these suitability checks work · Record what happens in your garden.

Before you plant salsify

Use the calendar to plan ahead, then check the conditions in your own garden.

  • Measure the soil at sowing depth. Aim for at least 7°C (44.6°F); the calendar estimates soil warmth from air temperatures and cannot measure your bed.
  • In a frost-free climate, check seasonal rainfall, humidity and heat before planting. A month with suitable average temperatures can still be too wet, dry or hot for this crop.
  • Use the maturity range on your seed packet when choosing a variety. Cold, short days and transplant stress can make harvest later than the calendar estimate.

Prepare a deep bed and lift salsify without snapping roots

Sow into prepared soil and thin seedlings so roots are not tightly crowded. Keep establishment moisture steady and distinguish the fine young leaves from weeds before hoeing.

Loosen soil well below the root before lifting instead of pulling the foliage alone. Use roots before they become damaged or dry out, and follow suitable kitchen preparation. If plants are left into a second year, expect flowering and possible self-seeding rather than the same root crop.

What to record this season

How many roots were straight, usable and lifted intact? Add the cultivar, sowing date and conditions to your growing record so you can compare next season.

Further reading: RHS salsify growing guide . General crop guidance; local dates on this site are calculated separately. Source checked 19 September 2026 by Safe to Plant; this is not an expert review.

The RHS reference is written for UK growing conditions. Use its cultivation advice with local seasonal guidance; UK sowing months are not worldwide planting dates.

How the dates are calculated and their limits · Keep a growing record · Report a local discrepancy

Why these dates

Frost-relative timing needs a dependable seasonal frost date. Cairo has no such date in this record, so this page compares monthly temperatures with the crop's model range instead. Local wet and dry seasons, day length and cultivar requirements still need a separate check.

The model uses a growing-temperature band for salsify between 7°C (44.6°F) and 25°C (77°F) — and in Cairo that is October to April, 7 months of the year, taken from this location's own monthly averages. The planting window begins near the start of this period. The catalog estimate is 120 to 150 days from planting to maturity under suitable conditions.

See every crop timed for Cairo →

Growing salsify in Cairo

Can I grow salsify in Cairo?

The calendar estimates a planting window, not a guarantee of success. November is the wettest month in the rainfall grid, averaging about 17 mm. Check how your own bed drains and plan watering around actual soil moisture; monthly rain totals are not an irrigation schedule.

When should I plant salsify in Cairo?

The temperature-based window is 1 Oct - 15 Nov. Cairo has no dependable frost season: October to April have monthly averages inside the model range for salsify. Check seasonal rainfall, heat and cultivar requirements before planting.

When might salsify be ready to harvest in Cairo?

The estimated period is 29 Jan - 28 Feb, based on 120 to 150 days from the modeled planting date. Cultivar, planting material and growing conditions can change this interval; check the plant as well as the calendar.

How much frost will salsify tolerate?

Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.