When to Plant Asparagus pea 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 Asparagus pea 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
- Apr to Jun
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.0
A small sprawling annual legume from the Mediterranean, 30-40 cm tall, with red flowers and four-winged pods. It likes mild weather and dislikes summer heat and hard frost.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Asparagus pea in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Light, well-drained soil; does well in sandy loam without much feeding.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours)
- Spacing
- 20-30cm apart, 45cm between rows
- Watering
- Water regularly in dry spells, more often once flowering starts. Avoid soggy soil.
- Good companions
- Cucumber, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato
- Keep away from
- Onions, Garlic
- 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 Asparagus pea
Recommended Varieties
- Asparagus pea (Lotus tetragonolobus), usually sold unnamed
Key Challenges
- Wet season heat and humidity
- Small yields
Pro Tips
- Pick pods at 2-3 cm, before they turn stringy
- Twiggy sticks keep pods clean
- Grow a short row for interest; it is not a bulk crop
Pests and problems for Asparagus pea in Tropical
Harvesting Asparagus pea
When ready: Pods 2-3 cm long, before they turn stringy.
How to harvest: Pick every 2-3 days; larger pods are woody.
Storing and preserving asparagus pea
How to keep it
- Freezing (Young Pods). Top and tail young pods. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Ice bath for 2 minutes. Drain well, pat dry, spread on tray to flash-freeze. Transfer to freezer bags. Keeps: 6-8 months.
- Stir-fry and Freeze. Slice young pods and stir-fry lightly with garlic and ginger for 2 minutes. Cool completely, portion into meal-sized bags, freeze flat. Keeps: 3-4 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 Asparagus pea
When do you plant asparagus pea in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Apr, Aug to Oct
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Aug to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Mar, Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Apr, Aug to Oct
Can you grow asparagus pea all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Apr to Jun. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Asparagus pea in Cairns?
True asparagus pea is a small, cool-season Mediterranean legume, so only try it in the dry season. Pick the pods at 2 to 3 cm, because they turn stringy quickly.
What soil temperature do Asparagus pea need?
Asparagus pea germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 25°C.
How do I know when Asparagus pea are ready to harvest?
Pods 2-3 cm long, before they turn stringy.
What are the best Asparagus pea varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Asparagus pea (Lotus tetragonolobus), usually sold unnamed.
What grows well with Asparagus pea?
Good companion plants for Asparagus pea include: Cucumber, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato.
Are asparagus pea salt tolerant?
Only a little. Asparagus pea 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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.