When to Plant Tangelo 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 Tangelo 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
- Oct to Nov
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Tangelo is a mandarin and grapefruit cross with large, juicy, easy peeling fruit and few seeds.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec -
P = Planting window
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. A Canberra buyer reports the tree survived its first winter and Daleys says Minneola handles frost, Orlando more so. Plant mid spring after frost against a warm wall. Harvest August to October is our estimate.
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How to Grow Tangelo in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Good drainage; Trifoliata rootstock for heavier soils (Daleys).
- 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 (Daleys).
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Basil, Dill, Borage, Thyme
- Keep away from
- Frost pockets, Wet heavy soil without a mound
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Tangelo
Recommended Varieties
- Minneola (Daleys)
- Orlando, more cold tolerant (Daleys)
- Dwarf Minneola on Flying Dragon (Daleys)
Key Challenges
- Needs a mandarin pollinator
- Fruit fly
- Gall wasp
- Birds and possums
Pro Tips
- Plant in spring, not winter
- Net the crop
- Thin heavy crops
Pests and problems for Tangelo in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Tangelo
When ready: Full orange colour and the fruit comes away with a twist; taste one first.
How to harvest: Clip or twist off; fruit holds on the tree for weeks.
Storing and preserving tangelo
How to keep it
- Fresh storage. Crisper. Keeps: 1 to 2 weeks.
- Juice frozen. Containers with headspace. Keeps: 6 months.
- Canned sections. As grapefruit and orange sections, 10 minutes (NCHFP). Keeps: 12 months.
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 Tangelo
When do you plant tangelo in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Nov
When should I plant Tangelo in Melbourne?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. A Canberra buyer reports the tree survived its first winter and Daleys says Minneola handles frost, Orlando more so. Plant mid spring after frost against a warm wall. Harvest August to October is our estimate.
How do I know when Tangelo are ready to harvest?
Full orange colour and the fruit comes away with a twist; taste one first.
What are the best Tangelo varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Minneola (Daleys), Orlando, more cold tolerant (Daleys), Dwarf Minneola on Flying Dragon (Daleys).
What grows well with Tangelo?
Good companion plants for Tangelo include: Nasturtium, Basil, Dill, Borage, Thyme.
Are tangelo salt tolerant?
No. Tangelo 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.