When to Plant Choko in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
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 Choko 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.
- Planting window
- Sep to Dec
- Days to harvest
- about 17 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 100 cm apart
Choko is a vigorous vine that gives a heavy crop of pale green fruit from one plant. You grow it from a whole fruit that has sprouted, and it needs a strong trellis, fence or pergola.
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
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep P
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec P
P = Planting window
Gardenate lists September to December and January to February for arid areas. We have dropped January and February, because those plantings meet winter frost before they fruit. Choko likes humid air (FAO EcoCrop gives 80 to 85 per cent), so dry heat is hard on it. Give it shade, mulch and regular deep watering. No local source was found.
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How to Grow Choko in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Well drained soil enriched with compost or manure. Waterlogged soil can kill the vine (Yates).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade, with at least 4 hours of sun a day (Yates). Love the Garden recommends full sun.
- Spacing
- 100cm apart
- Watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week, depending on the weather (Yates). Water young plants twice a week to establish them (Love the Garden). Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and water the roots, not the leaves.
- Good companions
- Cucumber
- Grow before it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
- Grow after it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Give the bed 3 turns before cucurbits go back in. Pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini want a bed with fresh compost dug through.
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Choko
Key Challenges
- Dry heat and low humidity
- Winter frost
- Constant water demand
Pro Tips
- Give afternoon shade
- Mulch deeply
- Water deeply and often
Pests and problems for Choko in Arid / Semi-Arid
Harvesting Choko
When ready: Fruit is light green and 5 to 7 cm long, with tender skin (Yates, Gardenate). Older fruit becomes tough. Vines begin fruiting about 18 weeks after planting (Yates).
How to harvest: Pick regularly, as often as you can reach it, to keep the vine producing.
What choko costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
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 Choko
When do you plant choko in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Dec
When should I plant Choko in Alice Springs?
Gardenate lists September to December and January to February for arid areas. We have dropped January and February, because those plantings meet winter frost before they fruit. Choko likes humid air (FAO EcoCrop gives 80 to 85 per cent), so dry heat is hard on it. Give it shade, mulch and regular deep watering. No local source was found.
What soil temperature do Choko need?
Choko germinate best when soil temperature is between 18°C and 25°C.
How do I know when Choko are ready to harvest?
Fruit is light green and 5 to 7 cm long, with tender skin (Yates, Gardenate). Older fruit becomes tough. Vines begin fruiting about 18 weeks after planting (Yates).
What grows well with Choko?
Good companion plants for Choko include: Cucumber.
Are choko salt tolerant?
Only a little. Choko 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.