When to Plant Choko in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
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 Choko 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.
- 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 Cold / Highland
Choko is not recommended for Cold / Highland.
Choko is very frost tender and needs 4 to 5 months without frost. The highlands cannot give that outdoors, and Gardenate gives no planting months for cool and mountain areas. Not viable outdoors.
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How to Grow Choko in Cold / Highland 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.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Choko
Key Challenges
- Frost
- Short, cool season
Pro Tips
- A large pot in a heated greenhouse is the only realistic option
Pests and problems for Choko in Cold / Highland
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.
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- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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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 Canberra?
Choko is very frost tender and needs 4 to 5 months without frost. The highlands cannot give that outdoors, and Gardenate gives no planting months for cool and mountain areas. Not viable outdoors.
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 Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.