When to Plant Achacha in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Achacha guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil pH
- 5.0–7.0
Achacha is a slow growing Bolivian relative of mangosteen with orange, egg sized fruit and tangy white flesh.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
Achacha is not recommended for Cool Temperate.
A Sunbury VIC grower reports only a slow grower in a pot. Temperatures above 5 degrees are needed. No fruit in a cool climate is reported.
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How to Grow Achacha in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Good drainage (Daleys). Fertile loam high in organic matter, pH 5 to 7; iron deficiency on alkaline soil (IFAS).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 5.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun for mature trees (Daleys). Seedlings under 50 percent shade or indirect light until about 1 m tall (IFAS). A Klemzig SA grower had greenhouse seedlings burn from UV (Daleys review).
- Keep away from
- Cold dry winds during flowering (IFAS), Alkaline soil (IFAS)
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Achacha
Recommended Varieties
- Grafted achacha under plant breeders rights (Daleys)
- Seedling achacha (Daleys)
Key Challenges
- Cold
Pro Tips
- Not recommended
Pests and problems for Achacha in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Achacha
When ready: Dark orange peel; light orange fruit has not reached full sweetness (IFAS). Fruit does not ripen after picking (Daleys).
How to harvest: Clip mature fruit; there is usually a 2 to 3 week window after peak ripeness (IFAS).
Storing and preserving achacha
How to keep it
- freezing. Freeze whole fruit and eat like a sorbet, or scoop flesh, deseed and freeze in portions. Keeps: No sourced figure; eaten frozen (achacha.com.au).
- fresh_storage. Keep whole fruit in a cool room, not the fridge, out of direct sun. Keeps: Up to 2 weeks at 21 to 24 degrees; up to 6 weeks at 13 to 18 degrees and 80 percent humidity (IFAS).
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 Achacha
When do you plant achacha 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, Oct to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Nov to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): not recommended
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Nov
When should I plant Achacha in Melbourne?
A Sunbury VIC grower reports only a slow grower in a pot. Temperatures above 5 degrees are needed. No fruit in a cool climate is reported.
How do I know when Achacha are ready to harvest?
Dark orange peel; light orange fruit has not reached full sweetness (IFAS). Fruit does not ripen after picking (Daleys).
What are the best Achacha varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Grafted achacha under plant breeders rights (Daleys), Seedling achacha (Daleys).
Are achacha salt tolerant?
No. Achacha 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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.