When to Plant Adzuki Bean in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Adzuki Bean guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- All year
- Days to harvest
- about 17 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 10 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
Adzuki is a frost tender climbing annual bean grown for small red dried seeds used in red bean paste, soups and sprouts, and as a cover crop (The Seed Collection, Succeed Heirlooms).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan D
- Feb D
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul D
- Aug D
- Sep D
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
You can sow adzuki bean in any month in Tropical, but the months are not equal. Summer heat brings faster bolting and heavier pest pressure, so pick a heat tolerant variety, sow little and often, and give afternoon shade from December through February.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Tropical zone right now, Adzuki Bean included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Adzuki Bean in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Well drained soil enriched with compost.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Succeed Heirlooms).
- Spacing
- 10cm apart, 50cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist through flowering and pod set; ease off as pods yellow.
- Good companions
- Sweet Corn, Sunflower
- 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.
Tropical Growing Tips for Adzuki Bean
Recommended Varieties
- Adzuki (The Seed Collection, Succeed Heirlooms)
Key Challenges
- Wet season pod rot
Pro Tips
- Give it a trellis (Succeed Heirlooms).
- Sow once soil is 18C or more (The Seed Collection).
Pests and problems for Adzuki Bean in Tropical
Harvesting Adzuki Bean
When ready: Pods turn fully yellow or dry and the beans inside are hard (Succeed Heirlooms).
How to harvest: Pick dry pods, shell by hand, finish drying the beans on trays.
Storing and preserving adzuki 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 Adzuki Bean
When do you plant adzuki bean in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Nov to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan, Oct to Dec
Can you grow adzuki bean all year round in Cairns?
Yes, every month is on the calendar for the Tropical zone, though not every month is equally easy. Sow direct any month; Succeed Heirlooms says adzuki can be grown year round in the tropics with dry season watering, while The Seed Collection chart shows February to October. Rows 50 cm apart, plants 10 cm apart, 20 mm deep (The Seed Collection).
When should I plant Adzuki Bean in Cairns?
Sow direct any month; Succeed Heirlooms says adzuki can be grown year round in the tropics with dry season watering, while The Seed Collection chart shows February to October. Rows 50 cm apart, plants 10 cm apart, 20 mm deep (The Seed Collection).
What soil temperature do Adzuki Bean need?
Adzuki Bean germinate best when soil temperature is between 18°C and 32°C.
How do I know when Adzuki Bean are ready to harvest?
Pods turn fully yellow or dry and the beans inside are hard (Succeed Heirlooms).
What are the best Adzuki Bean varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Adzuki (The Seed Collection, Succeed Heirlooms).
What grows well with Adzuki Bean?
Good companion plants for Adzuki Bean include: Sweet Corn, Sunflower.
Are adzuki bean salt tolerant?
No. Adzuki 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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.