When to Plant Mung Bean in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
That soil figure is read off our own weather station in South East Queensland at 6:55 this morning, not a model.
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 Mung Bean 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
- Oct to Jan
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 10 cm apart
Mung bean is a quick, warm season bush legume grown for small green dried seeds used in curries, dhal and bean sprouts, and as a green manure (Succeed Heirlooms).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Subtropical
- Jan D
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Subtropical zone right now, Mung Bean included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Mung Bean in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Well drained loam.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.0 to 7.5 (general bean practice, unsourced for mung).
- Sunlight
- Full sun.
- Spacing
- 10cm apart, 50cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist through flowering and pod fill, then ease off so pods dry.
- Good companions
- Sweet Corn
- Keep away from
- onion family
- Grow before it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
- Grow after it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
Give the bed 3 turns before legumes go back in. Beans and peas fix nitrogen, so they leave the bed richer than they found it.
Subtropical Growing Tips for Mung Bean
Recommended Varieties
- Any mung bean sold as seed by Succeed Heirlooms
Key Challenges
- Cold soil at sowing
- Pod borer
- Wet weather at pod drying
Pro Tips
- Use a soil thermometer: 16C at 9 am, better 17C (Frontiers in Plant Science).
- Pick dry pods promptly before they shatter.
Pests and problems for Mung Bean in Subtropical
Harvesting Mung Bean
When ready: Pods turn black or brown and dry on the bush; seeds are hard and green.
How to harvest: Pick dry pods in two or three passes as they ripen, shell and finish drying the seed on trays.
Storing and preserving mung bean
How to keep it
- Dry storage. Dry pods on the plant until they rattle, shell, spread the seeds on trays for another week in a dry airy spot, then jar. Freeze the jar for 48 hours first if you want to kill any weevil eggs (USU storing dry beans, via the existing chickpea record). Keeps: 12 months or more.
- Freezing cooked beans. Cook fully, cool, freeze in portions with a little liquid. Keeps: 8 to 12 months.
- Pressure canning. Soak 12 to 18 hours, boil 30 minutes, pack hot with 2.5 cm headspace, process at 10 to 11 psi for 75 minutes (pints) or 90 minutes (quarts) (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 Mung Bean
When do you plant mung bean in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Feb
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Nov to Dec
Can you grow mung bean all year round in Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Jan, Oct to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Mung Bean in Brisbane?
Sow direct from October to January once the soil is above 16C, better 17C or more (Frontiers in Plant Science). This is the home of the Australian mung bean crop, grown in subtropical Queensland and northern NSW. Our month list is derived from the soil temperature rule, no source gives home garden months by zone.
What soil temperature do Mung Bean need?
Mung Bean germinate best when soil temperature is between 16°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Mung Bean are ready to harvest?
Pods turn black or brown and dry on the bush; seeds are hard and green.
What are the best Mung Bean varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Any mung bean sold as seed by Succeed Heirlooms.
What grows well with Mung Bean?
Good companion plants for Mung Bean include: Sweet Corn.
Are mung bean salt tolerant?
No. Mung bean 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.