When to Plant Egyptian Spinach 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 Egyptian Spinach 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
- Sep to Mar
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 4.5–8.2
Egyptian spinach (molokhia, jute mallow) is a tall, fast summer green to 1.2 m grown for its mucilaginous leaves, ready about 60 days from sowing (The Seed Collection).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan D
- Feb D
- Mar D
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep D
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Egyptian Spinach in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Moist, well drained soil (The Seed Collection); PFAF gives a wide pH range.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 4.5-8.2
- Sunlight
- Full sun (The Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 50cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep moist; drought brings mites (The Seed Collection, PROTA).
- Good companions
- Onion, Cabbage, Peas, Strawberry, Broccoli
- Keep away from
- Potato, Pumpkin, Sweet Corn
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before leafy greens go back in. Leaf crops want the nitrogen the legumes left behind.
Tropical Growing Tips for Egyptian Spinach
Recommended Varieties
- Egyptian spinach (The Seed Collection)
Key Challenges
- Self-seeding
- Mites in the dry
Pro Tips
- Cut before pods form
Pests and problems for Egyptian Spinach in Tropical
Harvesting Egyptian Spinach
When ready: Plants about 50 cm tall (The Seed Collection); 30 to 40 cm for a once-over cut (PROTA).
How to harvest: Cut the top shoots and leaves; first cut 4 to 6 weeks after transplanting, then every 2 to 3 weeks (PROTA).
Storing and preserving egyptian spinach
How to keep it
- Blanching and freezing. Blanch 2 minutes, cool, drain, pack (NCHFP greens method). Keeps: 8-12 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 Egyptian Spinach
When do you plant egyptian spinach in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan, Sep to Dec
Can you grow egyptian spinach all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Egyptian Spinach in Cairns?
Sow direct September to March, the warm wet months; it grows at 25 to 32C and stops below 15C (PROTA). The Seed Collection gives spring and summer as the season. Months derived for the tropics, no regional chart.
What soil temperature do Egyptian Spinach need?
Egyptian Spinach germinate best when soil temperature is between 25°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Egyptian Spinach are ready to harvest?
Plants about 50 cm tall (The Seed Collection); 30 to 40 cm for a once-over cut (PROTA).
What are the best Egyptian Spinach varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Egyptian spinach (The Seed Collection).
What grows well with Egyptian Spinach?
Good companion plants for Egyptian Spinach include: Onion, Cabbage, Peas, Strawberry, Broccoli.
Are egyptian spinach salt tolerant?
Only a little. Egyptian spinach 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.