When to Plant Carambola in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
What this month normally looks like in Cold / Highland
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
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This Carambola guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Carambola, or star fruit, is a small evergreen tree of 3 to 5 m, or 2 to 3 m pruned, for warm humid tropical and subtropical gardens, with waxy yellow ribbed fruit that cuts into stars (Daleys).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cold / Highland
Carambola is not recommended for Cold / Highland.
Frost kills young trees at minus 3 to minus 1.7 degrees and mature trees at minus 6.7 to minus 4.4 (IFAS). Cold and highland winters are beyond it.
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How to Grow Carambola in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Rich moist soil with compost and manure, mulched (Daleys); pH 4.5 to 7 (IFAS); no flooding (Morton).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun, sheltered from constant wind (IFAS).
- Keep away from
- Windy sites (IFAS), Wet ground (Morton), Limestone soil (Morton)
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Carambola
Key Challenges
- Frost
Pests and problems for Carambola in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Carambola
When ready: Pick when the furrows turn yellow and only the rib tips are still green; fruit gains no sugar after picking (IFAS).
How to harvest: Clip the fruit with a short stem and handle gently; the ribs bruise.
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 Carambola
When do you plant carambola in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Mar, Nov to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Feb, 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 Carambola in Canberra?
Frost kills young trees at minus 3 to minus 1.7 degrees and mature trees at minus 6.7 to minus 4.4 (IFAS). Cold and highland winters are beyond it.
How do I know when Carambola are ready to harvest?
Pick when the furrows turn yellow and only the rib tips are still green; fruit gains no sugar after picking (IFAS).
Are carambola salt tolerant?
No. Carambola are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
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 Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.