When to Plant Cassava 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 Cassava 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
- All year
- Days to harvest
- about 43 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 100 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.5
Cassava is a tropical shrub grown for its starchy roots. You plant it from stem cuttings, and it needs a long, warm, frost free season. Expect to wait 8 to 18 months for a crop.
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 P
- May P
- Jun P
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep P
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec P
P = Planting window
Green Harvest says plant all year in the tropics. Rob Pyne prefers the start of the rains, so cuttings strike quickly and the roots bulk up through the wet. Growth is best at 25 to 35°C and stops below 15°C. Crops take 8 to 18 months, so harvest runs through the year.
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How to Grow Cassava in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Sandy loam with good drainage (Rob Pyne). Waterlogged soil rots the roots.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 hours a day (Rob Pyne).
- Spacing
- 100cm apart, 100cm between rows
- Watering
- Water cuttings until they shoot. Established plants are tolerant of dry spells, but regular water improves root size. No source gives amounts.
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Peas, Peanut, Pigeon Pea
- Keep away from
- Potato
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Tropical Growing Tips for Cassava
Key Challenges
- Mealybug and whitefly
- Mosaic virus
- Waterlogging in the wet
Pro Tips
- Plant on a ridge or mound
- Use clean cuttings
- Peel and cook the roots thoroughly
Pests and problems for Cassava in Tropical
Harvesting Cassava
When ready: The leaves yellow and fall (Green Harvest). Early varieties take 8 to 10 months, sweet types 10 to 12, late types 12 to 18 (Rob Pyne).
How to harvest: Lift the roots with a fork. Green Harvest says the roots store well.
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 Cassava
When do you plant cassava in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): not recommended
- Mediterranean (Perth): not recommended
Can you grow cassava all year round in Cairns?
Yes, every month is on the calendar for the Tropical zone, though not every month is equally easy. Green Harvest says plant all year in the tropics. Rob Pyne prefers the start of the rains, so cuttings strike quickly and the roots bulk up through the wet. Growth is best at 25 to 35°C and stops below 15°C. Crops take 8 to 18 months, so harvest runs through the year.
When should I plant Cassava in Cairns?
Green Harvest says plant all year in the tropics. Rob Pyne prefers the start of the rains, so cuttings strike quickly and the roots bulk up through the wet. Growth is best at 25 to 35°C and stops below 15°C. Crops take 8 to 18 months, so harvest runs through the year.
How do I know when Cassava are ready to harvest?
The leaves yellow and fall (Green Harvest). Early varieties take 8 to 10 months, sweet types 10 to 12, late types 12 to 18 (Rob Pyne).
What grows well with Cassava?
Good companion plants for Cassava include: Dwarf Beans, Peas, Peanut, Pigeon Pea.
Are cassava salt tolerant?
Only a little. Cassava 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.