When to Plant Boysenberry in Cairns, Tropical Guide
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 Boysenberry 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.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Boysenberry is a thorny trailing bramble with large, dark red to black, tart berries. It is deciduous, tolerates frost and crops in its first season, with the pick in November and December (Daleys).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Tropical
Boysenberry is not recommended for Tropical.
Daleys lists boysenberry for warm temperate and cool temperate climates only, and it is a deciduous bramble that rests over a cool winter. The wet tropics do not give it that rest, so we do not list planting months.
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How to Grow Boysenberry in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Good drainage with moderate water (Daleys). Rich, slightly acidic, moist soil for brambles (Yates loganberry page).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Daleys); shelter from hot afternoon sun and wind (Yates).
- Keep away from
- Windy, exposed sites, Wet, poorly drained ground
Tropical Growing Tips for Boysenberry
Recommended Varieties
- Boysenberry (Daleys, cutting grown or bare root)
Key Challenges
- Thorny canes
- Birds
- Rampant rooting where tips touch the ground
Pro Tips
- Two wire trellis
- Cut fruited canes out in July
- Net as fruit colours
Pests and problems for Boysenberry in Tropical
Harvesting Boysenberry
When ready: Berries turn from bright red to almost black with a dusty coating (Daleys).
How to harvest: Pick every few days over about six weeks (Daleys).
Storing and preserving boysenberry
How to keep it
- Freezing. Tray freeze then bag (NCHFP dry pack). Keeps: 8 to 12 months.
- Jam. Tested recipe, water bath (NCHFP). Keeps: 12 months.
- Canning whole. As blackberries, 15 to 20 minutes pints and quarts (NCHFP, boysenberry not named on the page). 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 Boysenberry
When do you plant boysenberry in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jun to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Aug to Sep
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Sep
When should I plant Boysenberry in Cairns?
Daleys lists boysenberry for warm temperate and cool temperate climates only, and it is a deciduous bramble that rests over a cool winter. The wet tropics do not give it that rest, so we do not list planting months.
How do I know when Boysenberry are ready to harvest?
Berries turn from bright red to almost black with a dusty coating (Daleys).
What are the best Boysenberry varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Boysenberry (Daleys, cutting grown or bare root).
Are boysenberry salt tolerant?
No. Boysenberry 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.