When to Plant Broccolini 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 Broccolini 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 Aug
- Days to harvest
- about 11 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli (gai laan). You eat the tender stems, the leaves and the small flower buds.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr S
- May S/T
- Jun S/T
- Jul S/T
- Aug T
- 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 Broccolini in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Deep, well drained soil with compost, well rotted manure and blood and bone (Bunnings). Choose a spot that did not grow brassicas last year (Baag).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Seed Station, Bunnings).
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Water deeply 2 to 3 times a week, and more in warm or dry weather (Bunnings). Baag says to check by pushing a finger into the soil. Without water the plants bolt (Gardenate).
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Dill
- Keep away from
- Tomato, Climbing beans, Capsicum and chilli, Eggplant
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Tropical Growing Tips for Broccolini
Recommended Varieties
- Broccolini
- Broccoletti
Key Challenges
- Heat and humidity
- Caterpillars
- Fungal disease
Pro Tips
- Net from planting day
- Grow in the dry season
- Water at the base
Pests and problems for Broccolini in Tropical
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Watch
- Aphids Watch
- Clubroot Rotate brassicas. Baag advises not growing brassicas in the same spot as the previous year, and Bunnings notes rotation reduces clubroot... Watch
- Fungal diseases in warm, humid weather Space plants well for airflow, water at the base and rotate beds (Bunnings). Watch
- Caterpillars Caterpillars Watch
Harvesting Broccolini
When ready: Pick the main stem while the buds are still tight and green, before they open into yellow flowers (Gardenate: pick as soon as possible).
How to harvest: Cut the stem with a sharp knife. Leave the plant in the ground. Side shoots keep developing and can be picked for several weeks (Bunnings, Gardenate).
Storing and preserving broccolini
How to keep it
- Refrigeration. Bunnings says broccoli keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. We have assumed the same for broccolini. No freezing instructions were read. Keeps: Up to 5 days (broccoli).
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 Broccolini
When do you plant broccolini in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Jun
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to Jun
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Apr, Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Apr, Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to Jun
Can you grow broccolini all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Apr to Aug. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Broccolini in Cairns?
Seed Station lists April to July for the tropics. Broccolini does not like heat and humidity, so grow it in the dry season only. Start seed in trays and plant out about a month later. Wet season plantings will struggle with caterpillars and fungal disease.
What soil temperature do Broccolini need?
Broccolini germinate best when soil temperature is between 7°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Broccolini are ready to harvest?
Pick the main stem while the buds are still tight and green, before they open into yellow flowers (Gardenate: pick as soon as possible).
What are the best Broccolini varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Broccolini, Broccoletti.
What grows well with Broccolini?
Good companion plants for Broccolini include: Nasturtium, Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Dill.
Are broccolini salt tolerant?
Only a little. Broccolini 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.