When to Plant Lemon 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 Lemon 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
- Oct to Dec
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
- Shop price
- $13.00/kg at one shop
The most widely grown backyard fruit tree in Australia. Tough, productive, and fruits nearly year-round in warm climates.
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 -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec P
P = Planting window
Plant grafted trees on a mound as the wet opens; citrus hate wet feet. The main crop comes in the wet, with odd fruit most of the year.
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How to Grow Lemon in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral. Tolerates most soils except heavy waterlogged clay. Add gypsum to clay soils.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun, minimum 6 hours. More sun = more fruit.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Chives, Marigold, Comfrey, Lemongrass
- Keep away from
- Grass right to trunk
Tropical Growing Tips for Lemon
Recommended Varieties
- Eureka
- Lisbon
- Meyer
- Yen Ben
Key Challenges
- Citrus leafminer year-round
- Higher disease pressure
- Less distinct fruiting seasons
Pro Tips
- Lemons grow easily in tropics. Eureka is a year-round producer.
- Leafminer management on young trees only.
Pests and problems for Lemon in Tropical
Harvesting Lemon
When ready: Skin turns fully yellow. Fruit feels heavy and gives slightly when squeezed. Lemons can hang on tree for months, getting larger (eventually lose acidity if left too long).
How to harvest: Cut with secateurs or twist-pull. Don't tear bark.
Storing and preserving lemon
How to keep it
- Juice freezing. Juice lemons, freeze in ice cube trays, bag frozen cubes. One cube ≈ one lemon. Keeps: 12 months.
- Zest drying. Finely zest lemons (avoid pith). Spread on tray, air dry 24-48 hours. Store in airtight jar. Keeps: 6 months.
- Preserved lemons (salt). Quarter lemons leaving base attached. Pack with coarse salt in sterilised jar. Press down to release juice. Top with extra lemon juice. Seal and leave 4-6 weeks before using. Keeps: 12+ months.
- Lemon curd. Combine juice, zest, butter, sugar, and eggs over double boiler. Stir until thick. Jar hot. Keeps: 4 weeks refrigerated, 6 months frozen.
- Lemon marmalade. Slice lemons thin, soak overnight, boil with sugar to setting point. Jar hot. Keeps: 12 months.
- Limoncello. Infuse lemon zest in vodka for 7-10 days. Strain, add sugar syrup. Bottle. Keeps: Indefinite (high alcohol).
What lemon 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 Lemon
When do you plant lemon in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Oct to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Apr to May, Sep to Nov
When should I plant Lemon in Cairns?
Plant grafted trees on a mound as the wet opens; citrus hate wet feet. The main crop comes in the wet, with odd fruit most of the year.
How do I know when Lemon are ready to harvest?
Skin turns fully yellow. Fruit feels heavy and gives slightly when squeezed. Lemons can hang on tree for months, getting larger (eventually lose acidity if left too long).
What are the best Lemon varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Eureka, Lisbon, Meyer, Yen Ben.
What grows well with Lemon?
Good companion plants for Lemon include: Nasturtium, Chives, Marigold, Comfrey, Lemongrass.
Are lemon salt tolerant?
No. Lemon are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
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.