When to Plant Carob in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
What this month normally looks like in Subtropical
In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 33 postcodes, SILO.
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This Carob guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Sep to Nov
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.6–8.0
Carob is a slow, long lived evergreen legume tree from the Mediterranean, grown for its sweet brown pods, which are dried and ground as a chocolate substitute (ABC Gardening Australia).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Subtropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep P
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec -
P = Planting window
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. A Humeburn QLD buyer grows it for goat feed in the dry west, but no coastal subtropical crop was reported in any source opened, and the tree wants dry summers and perfect drainage. Plant in spring after frost (Nurseries Online); harvest months follow the Daleys listing.
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How to Grow Carob in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Perfect drainage; not very acid or waterlogged (Daleys, Nurseries Online). Deep taproot (Nurseries Online).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-8.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, sheltered (Daleys, Nurseries Online).
- Keep away from
- Waterlogged ground, Frost pockets, Paving, because of the deep taproot and wide canopy
Subtropical Growing Tips for Carob
Recommended Varieties
- Clifford, self fertile (Daleys)
- Sfax female with a male or bisexual tree (Daleys review)
Key Challenges
- Slow growth
- Needs both sexes unless grafted
- Frost at flowering
Pro Tips
- Plant Clifford for one tree
- Wait for the stem end to blacken
- Reduce water as pods mature
Harvesting Carob
When ready: Pods turn from green to brown (ABC); wait until the stem end turns black (Daleys review).
How to harvest: Pick or shake pods onto a sheet; pods take about ten months to ripen (Nurseries Online).
Storing and preserving carob
How to keep it
- Drying and grinding. Dry pods, deseed, roast lightly, grind (ABC). Keeps: 12 months.
- Syrup. Boil pods (ABC). Keeps: 6 months in the fridge.
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 Carob
When do you plant carob in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Nov
When should I plant Carob in Brisbane?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. A Humeburn QLD buyer grows it for goat feed in the dry west, but no coastal subtropical crop was reported in any source opened, and the tree wants dry summers and perfect drainage. Plant in spring after frost (Nurseries Online); harvest months follow the Daleys listing.
How do I know when Carob are ready to harvest?
Pods turn from green to brown (ABC); wait until the stem end turns black (Daleys review).
What are the best Carob varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Clifford, self fertile (Daleys), Sfax female with a male or bisexual tree (Daleys review).
Are carob salt tolerant?
No. Carob 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 Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.