When to Plant Nashi 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 Nashi 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.
- Planting window
- Jun to Aug
- Days to harvest
- about 104 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
Nashi is a deciduous tree that grows about 4 m tall and wide and produces round, crisp, juicy fruit.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Planting Calendar for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun ✓
- Jul ✓
- Aug ✓
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Nashi in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Deep, rich, organic-rich well-drained loam
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day
- Spacing
- 200-400cm apart, 400cm between rows
- Watering
- water regularly to keep soil moist, reduce watering in autumn and winter
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Chives, Garlic, Comfrey, Borage
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Nashi
Recommended Varieties
- Nijisseiki (20th Century): Classic smooth, green-yellow skinned Asian pear with exceptionally juicy, sweet, crisp flesh; requires cross-pollination
- Hosui (Nashi, grafted tree): Harvest about February to April. Partly self-fertile but crops better with a cross-pollinator such as Shinsui, Nijisseiki or Kosui
- Shinseiki (Nashi, grafted tree): Listed as self-pollinating with a lower chill requirement than most, though a cross-pollinator is still suggested
Key Challenges
- Heavy fruit set that needs thinning
- Codling moth
- Pear and cherry slug on the leaves
- Wildlife taking fruit
Pro Tips
- Plant a second nashi or a common pear nearby
- Hosui needs a partner, and Nijisseiki is only partly self-pollinating
- Thin fruit when it is about thumb size, and hose slugs off the leaves
Pests and problems for Nashi in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Nashi
When ready: Fruit skin changes colour from green to golden brown or yellow-green, gives off a subtle fragrance, and lifts easily from the spur when gently lifted and twisted
How to harvest: Cup the fruit gently and tilt upward to snap the stem cleanly without bruising the delicate skin
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 Nashi
When do you plant nashi in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jun to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jun to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Aug
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jul to Sep
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Aug
Can you grow nashi all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Jun to Aug. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Nashi in Melbourne?
Plant bare-root nashi in winter, from June to August, while the tree is dormant.
How do I know when Nashi are ready to harvest?
Fruit skin changes colour from green to golden brown or yellow-green, gives off a subtle fragrance, and lifts easily from the spur when gently lifted and twisted
What are the best Nashi varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Nijisseiki (20th Century): Classic smooth, green-yellow skinned Asian pear with exceptionally juicy, sweet, crisp flesh; requires cross-pollination, Hosui (Nashi, grafted tree): Harvest about February to April. Partly self-fertile but crops better with a cross-pollinator such as Shinsui, Nijisseiki or Kosui, Shinseiki (Nashi, grafted tree): Listed as self-pollinating with a lower chill requirement than most, though a cross-pollinator is still suggested.
What grows well with Nashi?
Good companion plants for Nashi include: Nasturtium, Chives, Garlic, Comfrey, Borage.
Are nashi salt tolerant?
No. Nashi 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.