When to Plant Grape 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 Grape 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 Sep
- Days to harvest
- about 156 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
- Shop price
- $23.75/kg at one shop
Grapes are a deciduous vine that grows in most climates (Yates), happiest with a cool winter, a wet spring and a long dry summer (SGA, Diggers).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr P
- May P
- Jun P
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep P
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Grapes dislike humidity (Bunnings) and need a long dry summer (Diggers). Daleys lists the muscadine types Adonis, Achilles and Lady Patricia for the subtropics and Bunnings names muscadine for humid tropical and subtropical areas, so those are the ones to try, with downy mildew tolerant hybrids as a second choice. Plant bare root vines in winter, or potted vines in autumn, winter or spring (Bunnings).
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How to Grow Grape in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Free draining, neutral to slightly acidic (Bunnings); not fussy (Diggers).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, sheltered from wind and severe frost (Bunnings).
- Good companions
- Chives, Garlic, Hyssop, Kiwiberry
- Keep away from
- Cabbage, Radish
Tropical Growing Tips for Grape
Recommended Varieties
- Muscadine Adonis, Achilles, Lady Patricia (Daleys)
- Chambourcin (Daleys)
Key Challenges
- Humidity
- Downy mildew
Pro Tips
- Muscadines only
- Open airy trellis
Pests and problems for Grape in Tropical
Harvesting Grape
When ready: Full colour, sweet taste and a dusty bloom; grapes do not ripen further after picking.
How to harvest: Cut whole bunches with secateurs, mid to late summer through late autumn (Yates).
Storing and preserving grape
How to keep it
- Freezing. Whole seedless grapes on a tray or in 40 percent syrup (NCHFP). Keeps: 8 to 12 months.
- Grape jam. NCHFP grape jam without pectin, water bath 5 minutes at sea level. Keeps: 1 year.
- Fruit leather. Puree, spread, dry at 60C for 6 to 8 hours (NCHFP). Keeps: 1 month room temperature, 1 year frozen.
What grape costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
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 Grape
When do you plant grape in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Apr to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Apr to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Apr to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jun to Sep
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Apr to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Apr to Sep
When should I plant Grape in Cairns?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Grapes dislike humidity (Bunnings) and need a long dry summer (Diggers). Daleys lists the muscadine types Adonis, Achilles and Lady Patricia for the subtropics and Bunnings names muscadine for humid tropical and subtropical areas, so those are the ones to try, with downy mildew tolerant hybrids as a second choice. Plant bare root vines in winter, or potted vines in autumn, winter or spring (Bunnings).
How do I know when Grape are ready to harvest?
Full colour, sweet taste and a dusty bloom; grapes do not ripen further after picking.
What are the best Grape varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Muscadine Adonis, Achilles, Lady Patricia (Daleys), Chambourcin (Daleys).
What grows well with Grape?
Good companion plants for Grape include: Chives, Garlic, Hyssop, Kiwiberry.
Are grape salt tolerant?
Only a little. Grape 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.