When to Plant Jujube 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 Jujube 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
- Jul to Sep
- Sun
- Full sun
Jujube, the Chinese date, is a thorny deciduous tree for warm temperate and arid gardens with hot dry summers (Daleys, NMSU).
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 P
- Aug P
- Sep P
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys lists warm temperate and arid climates and says fruit needs hot dry summers; humid coastal summers give poorer fruit. Plant in late winter or early spring while the tree is dormant (our timing). Harvest March to May. Collect fallen fruit so birds do not spread seed.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Subtropical zone right now, Jujube included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Jujube in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Perfect to good drainage (Daleys); sandy, loam or clay, even poor soils (NMSU).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3 (Daleys); tolerates 5.0 to 8.5 (NMSU)
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Daleys, NMSU).
- Keep away from
- Vegetable beds that get dug, which triggers suckers, Bushland edges in the dry tropics
Subtropical Growing Tips for Jujube
Recommended Varieties
- Li
- Si Hong
- Sugar Cane
- Porterville (early)
Key Challenges
- Humid summers
- Suckers
- Birds
Pro Tips
- Do not dig near the roots
- Collect fallen fruit
- Prune to 2 m
Pests and problems for Jujube in Subtropical
Harvesting Jujube
When ready: Fruit goes from green to creamy yellow, then brown red spots, then fully red brown (NMSU). Eat fresh from the creamy stage; dry at full red.
How to harvest: Hand pick fresh fruit; shake drying fruit onto a tarp (NMSU).
Storing and preserving jujube
How to keep it
- Drying. Pick fully red, dry at 60 to 63 C (NMSU, NDSU). Keeps: 6 to 12 months.
- Fresh. Fridge at 4 C. Keeps: 2 weeks or more.
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 Jujube
When do you plant jujube in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jul to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jul to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Aug to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jul to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jul to Sep
When should I plant Jujube in Brisbane?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys lists warm temperate and arid climates and says fruit needs hot dry summers; humid coastal summers give poorer fruit. Plant in late winter or early spring while the tree is dormant (our timing). Harvest March to May. Collect fallen fruit so birds do not spread seed.
How do I know when Jujube are ready to harvest?
Fruit goes from green to creamy yellow, then brown red spots, then fully red brown (NMSU). Eat fresh from the creamy stage; dry at full red.
What are the best Jujube varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Li, Si Hong, Sugar Cane, Porterville (early).
Are jujube salt tolerant?
No. Jujube 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.