When to Plant Sugar Cane 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 Sugar Cane 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
- Mar to Apr
- Days to harvest
- about 52 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
Sugar cane is a tall, clumping tropical grass grown for its sweet, juicy stems. It needs a long, warm, frost-free season and takes about a year to mature.
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 P
- Apr P
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Sugar cane grows well in subtropical gardens, though winter frost can cut the tops back. Plant cane sets in autumn, March to April.
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How to Grow Sugar Cane in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, organic-rich alluvial loam or heavy clay loam
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, requiring at least 6 to 8 hours of direct, intense sun daily
- Spacing
- 100-180cm apart, 150cm between rows
- Watering
- water deeply once or twice a week, keep soil moist but not waterlogged, mulch
Subtropical Growing Tips for Sugar Cane
Recommended Varieties
- Yellow Chewing Cane: Fast-growing, sweet yellow-green stalked variety well adapted to warm subtropical conditions
Key Challenges
- Canegrubs (white grubs): Grubs eat the roots, so plants yellow, wilt and may topple or die
- Sugarcane borers: Tunnelling weakens stalks and lowers juice quality, and can lead to stalk breakage
- Termites, ants and sap suckers: Weakened, yellowing growth, sticky honeydew and damaged setts or stalks
- Sugarcane smut: Thin, grassy stunted stalks with reduced yield
Pro Tips
- Heavy feeder; apply well-rotted manure or nitrogen-rich organic fertiliser during early spring growth and follow with high-potassium fertiliser in summer
- Apply a heavy mulch of sugar cane trash or straw around stool bases to preserve soil moisture and suppress weeds
Pests and problems for Sugar Cane in Subtropical
- Sugarcane smut Use disease free planting material and resistant varieties. Watch
- Mosaic virus Choose resistant varieties and healthy cuttings. Watch
- Canegrubs (white grubs) Canegrubs (white grubs): Grubs eat the roots, so plants yellow, wilt and may topple or die Watch
- Sugarcane borers Sugarcane borers: Tunnelling weakens stalks and lowers juice quality, and can lead to stalk breakage Watch
Harvesting Sugar Cane
When ready: Stalks reach 2 to 4 metres tall, turn hard with prominent joint nodes, and lower leaves dry out and yellow around 12 to 18 months after planting
How to harvest: Cut heavy thick stalks flush with the ground using a sharp cane knife or machete and strip away outer foliage
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 Sugar Cane
When do you plant sugar cane in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Apr
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Apr
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Apr
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Mar to Apr
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Mar to Apr
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Apr
When should I plant Sugar Cane in Brisbane?
Sugar cane grows well in subtropical gardens, though winter frost can cut the tops back. Plant cane sets in autumn, March to April.
How do I know when Sugar Cane are ready to harvest?
Stalks reach 2 to 4 metres tall, turn hard with prominent joint nodes, and lower leaves dry out and yellow around 12 to 18 months after planting
What are the best Sugar Cane varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Yellow Chewing Cane: Fast-growing, sweet yellow-green stalked variety well adapted to warm subtropical conditions.
Are sugar cane salt tolerant?
Only a little. Sugar cane 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 Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.