When to Plant Bitter Melon 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 Bitter Melon 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
- Feb to Nov
- Days to harvest
- about 11 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
Bitter melon is a climbing vine with warty green fruit that is eaten as a bitter vegetable. It needs warm soil above 20°C and a trellis.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb D
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul D
- Aug D
- Sep D
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Bitter Melon in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Moist, well drained soil with plenty of compost.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun, 6 hours or more (Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist. Wet weather can bring wilt and fungal disease.
- Good companions
- Sweet Corn, Radish, Basil, Climbing Beans, Okra
- Keep away from
- Potato
- Grow before it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
- Grow after it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Give the bed 3 turns before cucurbits go back in. Pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini want a bed with fresh compost dug through.
Tropical Growing Tips for Bitter Melon
Key Challenges
- Wet season fungal disease
- Melon fly
- Weed spread
Pro Tips
- Trellis the vine
- Pick fruit often
- Bin fallen fruit
Pests and problems for Bitter Melon in Tropical
- Powdery Mildew Give the vine room for airflow and water the soil, not the leaves. Watch
- Fungal and Bacterial Wilt Plant on a trellis, water at the base and pick fruit often. Rotate cucurbits to a new bed each year. Watch
- Wet season fungal disease Wet season fungal disease Watch
- Melon fly Melon fly Watch
Harvesting Bitter Melon
When ready: First fruit comes about 11 to 12 weeks after sowing (Succeed Heirlooms). Pick while the fruit is green and firm.
How to harvest: Cut the fruit from the vine with scissors.
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 Bitter Melon
When do you plant bitter melon in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Feb to Nov
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Dec
Can you grow bitter melon all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Feb to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Bitter Melon in Cairns?
Seed Collection gives February to November. Sow once the soil is above 20°C. Heavy wet season rain brings fungal disease, so trellis the vine and pick often. Also see the weed warning in the guide.
What soil temperature do Bitter Melon need?
Bitter Melon germinate best when soil temperature is between 25°C and 28°C.
How do I know when Bitter Melon are ready to harvest?
First fruit comes about 11 to 12 weeks after sowing (Succeed Heirlooms). Pick while the fruit is green and firm.
What grows well with Bitter Melon?
Good companion plants for Bitter Melon include: Sweet Corn, Radish, Basil, Climbing Beans, Okra.
Are bitter melon salt tolerant?
Only a little. Bitter melon 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.