When to Plant Breadfruit 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 Breadfruit 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
- Nov to Mar
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.2
Breadfruit is a strictly tropical tree with a canopy about 20 m across, grown around Cairns for its starchy 1 to 2 kg fruit that is cooked as a vegetable (Queensland DPI&F).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Tropical
- Jan P
- Feb P
- Mar P
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov P
- Dec P
P = Planting window
Breadfruit is strictly tropical and trees over 50 years old grow around Cairns; peak maturity is around March, and a mix of varieties gives fruit for much of the year (Queensland DPI&F). Only the peak month is listed because the notes name no others. Planting months are our estimate: the wet season, with weekly water for two years (Queensland DPI&F).
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How to Grow Breadfruit in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Deep, free draining soil, mulched, never swampy (Queensland DPI&F).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 5.5-6.2
- Sunlight
- Full sun for mature trees; young trees need protection from strong sun, wind and cold (Queensland DPI&F).
- Keep away from
- Septic systems, pipes and foundations within 20 m (Queensland DPI&F), Windy sites (Queensland DPI&F), Swampy ground (Queensland DPI&F)
Tropical Growing Tips for Breadfruit
Recommended Varieties
- Limberlost winter white, two crops (Queensland DPI&F)
- Noli, about 2 degrees hardier (Queensland DPI&F)
- Samoan dwarf and Golden Samoan (Queensland DPI&F)
- Mason, Rodgers, Cannonball (Queensland DPI&F)
Key Challenges
- Wind snaps branches carrying fruit (Queensland DPI&F)
- Skin rot in the wet
- Browsing animals on young trees
- Roots reach septic and pipes within 20 m (Queensland DPI&F)
Pro Tips
- Plant in a hole twice the pot size with compost and blood and bone, stake and shade (Queensland DPI&F)
- Top prune so fruit is reachable (Queensland DPI&F)
- Mulch 5 to 15 cm deep (Queensland DPI&F)
Pests and problems for Breadfruit in Tropical
Harvesting Breadfruit
When ready: Mature fruit shows drops of white sap on a smoother skin (Queensland DPI&F; Morton). Fruit can be picked half grown to mature green for cooking as a starchy vegetable (Queensland DPI&F).
How to harvest: Pick early in the morning with a pole and catch the fruit; stems bleed sticky latex (Queensland DPI&F). Fruit ripens soft in a day or two unless held at 10 to 13 degrees (Queensland DPI&F).
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 Breadfruit
When do you plant breadfruit in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Mar, Nov to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Feb, Nov to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): not recommended
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): not recommended
- Mediterranean (Perth): not recommended
When should I plant Breadfruit in Cairns?
Breadfruit is strictly tropical and trees over 50 years old grow around Cairns; peak maturity is around March, and a mix of varieties gives fruit for much of the year (Queensland DPI&F). Only the peak month is listed because the notes name no others. Planting months are our estimate: the wet season, with weekly water for two years (Queensland DPI&F).
How do I know when Breadfruit are ready to harvest?
Mature fruit shows drops of white sap on a smoother skin (Queensland DPI&F; Morton). Fruit can be picked half grown to mature green for cooking as a starchy vegetable (Queensland DPI&F).
What are the best Breadfruit varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Limberlost winter white, two crops (Queensland DPI&F), Noli, about 2 degrees hardier (Queensland DPI&F), Samoan dwarf and Golden Samoan (Queensland DPI&F), Mason, Rodgers, Cannonball (Queensland DPI&F).
Are breadfruit salt tolerant?
No. Breadfruit 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.