When to Plant Mango 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 Mango 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
- 5.5–7.0
The king of tropical fruits. Large evergreen tree that is strictly tropical to subtropical in Australia. Needs dry winters for flowering and fruit set.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cold / Highland
Mango is not recommended for Cold / Highland.
Not possible.
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How to Grow Mango in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Deep, well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soils but performs best in fertile loam. Cannot tolerate waterlogging.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, maximum heat. Warm north-facing position essential in southern limit of range.
- Good companions
- Sweet Potato
- Keep away from
- Buildings (large root system), Other mangoes too close (fungal spread)
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Mango
Key Challenges
- Frost kills trees outright
Pro Tips
- Impossible in cold highland zones.
Pests and problems for Mango in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Mango
When ready: Skin colour changes (variety-specific: KP turns yellow-orange with red blush, R2E2 turns red-yellow). Stem end becomes slightly rounded. Aroma develops. Fruit gives slightly when gently squeezed. Can harvest at 'hard ripe' (full colour but firm) and ripen at room temperature.
How to harvest: Cut stem with secateurs leaving 2-3cm stub (sap squirts and burns skin). Place stem-down on newspaper for 24 hours to drain sap. WEAR GLOVES - mango sap causes dermatitis.
Storing and preserving mango
How to keep it
- Freezing (cheeks). Slice cheeks, dice or puree. Freeze flat in zip-lock bags. Keeps: 6-12 months.
- Dehydrating. Slice cheeks into 5mm strips. Dehydrate at 55°C for 10-14 hours until leathery. Keeps: 6-12 months.
- Mango chutney. Dice slightly underripe mango, cook with vinegar, sugar, spices (ginger, mustard seeds, chilli). Simmer until thick. Jar hot. Keeps: 12 months.
- Mango leather. Puree mango, spread thin on dehydrator sheets, dry at 55°C for 8-12 hours until peelable. Keeps: 6 months.
What mango costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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Common Questions About Mango
When do you plant mango in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Oct to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Dec
When should I plant Mango in Canberra?
Not possible.
How do I know when Mango are ready to harvest?
Skin colour changes (variety-specific: KP turns yellow-orange with red blush, R2E2 turns red-yellow). Stem end becomes slightly rounded. Aroma develops. Fruit gives slightly when gently squeezed. Can harvest at 'hard ripe' (full colour but firm) and ripen at room temperature.
What grows well with Mango?
Good companion plants for Mango include: Sweet Potato.
Are mango salt tolerant?
No. Mango 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.