When to Plant Taro in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
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 Taro 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.
- Days to harvest
- about 39 weeks
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 80 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.0
Taro is a tropical plant with large, heart shaped leaves and a starchy corm that is a staple food in many cultures. It likes warmth, moisture and part shade, and it grows slowly. Expect to wait 7 to 12 months for a crop.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
Taro is not recommended for Cool Temperate.
Taro needs 25 to 35°C for best growth and a long frost free season (Green Harvest). Gardenate gives no planting months for cool and mountain areas. Not viable outdoors. Grow in a large pot under cover only if you have a warm place.
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How to Grow Taro in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Rich, moisture holding soil with plenty of compost (Yates). Green Harvest gives a pH of 5.5 to 7.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.0
- Sunlight
- Part shade (Yates).
- Spacing
- 80cm apart, 180cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist all the time. Taro grows best in wet, well mulched soil. Do not let it dry out.
- Good companions
- Ginger, Banana, Turmeric, Chinese Water Chestnut
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Taro
Key Challenges
- Cold
- Frost
- Season too short
Pro Tips
- Not recommended
Harvesting Taro
When ready: The leaves begin to yellow and die down, about 7 months after planting (Gardenate) or 9 to 12 months (Yates, Green Harvest).
How to harvest: Lift the corms with a fork. Harvest before the first frost (Yates).
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 Taro
When do you plant taro in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Aug to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Dec
- 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 Nov
When should I plant Taro in Melbourne?
Taro needs 25 to 35°C for best growth and a long frost free season (Green Harvest). Gardenate gives no planting months for cool and mountain areas. Not viable outdoors. Grow in a large pot under cover only if you have a warm place.
What soil temperature do Taro need?
Taro germinate best when soil temperature is between 20°C and 35°C.
How do I know when Taro are ready to harvest?
The leaves begin to yellow and die down, about 7 months after planting (Gardenate) or 9 to 12 months (Yates, Green Harvest).
What grows well with Taro?
Good companion plants for Taro include: Ginger, Banana, Turmeric, Chinese Water Chestnut.
Are taro salt tolerant?
Only a little. Taro 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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.