When to Plant Coconut 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 Coconut 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
- 5.5–8.0
Coconut is the tropical palm behind drinking nuts, coconut cream and desiccated coconut.
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
Daleys lists Malay Gold fruiting February through December. Plant deep with deep organic mulch and water often. Planting months are our estimate for a nursery tree: plant in the warm, wet months so the roots settle before any dry or cool weather.
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How to Grow Coconut in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Perfect drainage, sand or volcanic soil (Daleys). Any well drained soil, pH 5.5 to 8.0, tolerates brackish soil and salt spray; mound in low ground (growables).
- Salt
- Moderately tolerant. Handles slightly salty water better than most veggies.
- pH Range
- 5.5-8.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Daleys).
- Good companions
- Sweet Potato, Ginger, Banana, Chilli peppers, Turmeric
- Keep away from
- Paths, driveways, roofs and play areas (falling nuts, growables), Waterways and bushland (growables, invasive warning)
Tropical Growing Tips for Coconut
Recommended Varieties
- Dwarf Malay Gold
- Dwarf Malay Bronze
- Dwarf Green (all three worth trying to Coffs Harbour, Daleys)
- Dwarf Yellow and Malay Red (best in the tropics, Daleys)
Key Challenges
- Falling nuts
- Waterlogging
Pro Tips
- Plant deep, mulch deep (Daleys)
- Site away from paths
Harvesting Coconut
When ready: Drinking nuts at about 7 months; nuts for flesh and desiccated coconut fully ripe (growables).
How to harvest: Cut bunches with a knife on a long pole from the ground; no climbing spikes (growables). Dwarf palms keep nuts within reach.
Storing and preserving coconut
How to keep it
- freezing. Shred the meat or put it through a food chopper, pack, cover with coconut liquid if desired, leave headspace, seal and freeze (NCHFP). Keeps: Up to 12 months in a sealed container (NCHFP general guidance).
- dehydrating. Grate fully ripe flesh and dry it as desiccated coconut (growables says ripe nuts are used for this); no home method figure found. Keeps: No sourced figure.
- fresh_storage. Drinking nuts are picked at about 7 months (growables). Keep whole nuts cool and dry. Keeps: No sourced figure for whole nuts.
What coconut costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Coconut
When do you plant coconut 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 Coconut in Cairns?
Daleys lists Malay Gold fruiting February through December. Plant deep with deep organic mulch and water often. Planting months are our estimate for a nursery tree: plant in the warm, wet months so the roots settle before any dry or cool weather.
How do I know when Coconut are ready to harvest?
Drinking nuts at about 7 months; nuts for flesh and desiccated coconut fully ripe (growables).
What are the best Coconut varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Dwarf Malay Gold, Dwarf Malay Bronze, Dwarf Green (all three worth trying to Coffs Harbour, Daleys), Dwarf Yellow and Malay Red (best in the tropics, Daleys).
What grows well with Coconut?
Good companion plants for Coconut include: Sweet Potato, Ginger, Banana, Chilli peppers, Turmeric.
Are coconut salt tolerant?
Fairly. Coconut are moderately tolerant of salt and handle slightly salty water better than most veggies.
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.