When to Plant Cassava in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
What this month normally looks like in Arid / Semi-Arid
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
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This Cassava guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Days to harvest
- about 43 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 100 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.5
Cassava is a tropical shrub grown for its starchy roots. You plant it from stem cuttings, and it needs a long, warm, frost free season. Expect to wait 8 to 18 months for a crop.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Arid / Semi-Arid
Cassava is not recommended for Arid / Semi-Arid.
No Australian source covers dry inland areas. Frost kills the stems and cassava needs a long warm season with regular water. Not recommended without a source.
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How to Grow Cassava in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Sandy loam with good drainage (Rob Pyne). Waterlogged soil rots the roots.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours a day (Rob Pyne).
- Spacing
- 100cm apart, 100cm between rows
- Watering
- Water cuttings until they shoot. Established plants are tolerant of dry spells, but regular water improves root size. No source gives amounts.
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Peas, Peanut, Pigeon Pea
- Keep away from
- Potato
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Cassava
Key Challenges
- Frost
- Dry heat
- Water supply
Pro Tips
- Not recommended without a local source
Pests and problems for Cassava in Arid / Semi-Arid
Harvesting Cassava
When ready: The leaves yellow and fall (Green Harvest). Early varieties take 8 to 10 months, sweet types 10 to 12, late types 12 to 18 (Rob Pyne).
How to harvest: Lift the roots with a fork. Green Harvest says the roots store well.
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 Cassava
When do you plant cassava in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): not recommended
- Mediterranean (Perth): not recommended
When should I plant Cassava in Alice Springs?
No Australian source covers dry inland areas. Frost kills the stems and cassava needs a long warm season with regular water. Not recommended without a source.
How do I know when Cassava are ready to harvest?
The leaves yellow and fall (Green Harvest). Early varieties take 8 to 10 months, sweet types 10 to 12, late types 12 to 18 (Rob Pyne).
What grows well with Cassava?
Good companion plants for Cassava include: Dwarf Beans, Peas, Peanut, Pigeon Pea.
Are cassava salt tolerant?
Only a little. Cassava 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 Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.