When to Plant Mango in Cairns, Tropical Guide

Plant October to November. Right now in September it is out of season. The next planting month is October.

Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Mango 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.

Mango

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The king of tropical fruits. Large evergreen tree that is strictly tropical to subtropical in Australia. Needs dry winters for flowering and fruit set. Wet conditions during flowering cause anthracnose and poor pollination. Grafted trees fruit in 3-5 years; seedlings take 6-10+ years and may not produce quality fruit. Polyembryonic varieties (Kensington Pride, R2E2, Nam Doc Mai) produce true-to-type seedlings, but grafted trees on vigorous rootstock are still preferred for earlier and more reliable production.

Best Planting Window for Tropical

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - - - - - - - - P P -

P = Planting window

Plant at start of wet season (Oct-Nov) for establishment. Or early dry season (April) if irrigation available.

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How to Grow Mango in Tropical Australia

When to Plant

Plant at start of wet season (Oct-Nov) for establishment. Or early dry season (April) if irrigation available.

Soil
Deep, well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soils but performs best in fertile loam. Cannot tolerate waterlogging.
pH Range
5.5-7.0
Sunlight
Full sun, maximum heat. Warm north-facing position essential in southern limit of range.

Companion plants: Tropical ground covers, Sweet potato

Avoid planting near: Buildings (large root system), Other mangoes too close (fungal spread)

Tropical Growing Tips for Mango

Recommended Varieties

  • Kensington Pride (KP, Bowen)
  • R2E2 (large, colourful)
  • Calypso (compact, excellent flavour)
  • Palmer
  • Kent

Key Challenges

  • Anthracnose in wet flowering years
  • Fruit fly
  • Cyclone damage
  • Bat damage to ripe fruit

Pro Tips

  • This is mango heartland. FNQ, NT, and Bowen are Australia's mango capitals.
  • Dry season flowering is critical. Wet seasons that extend into flowering devastate crops.
  • Bat netting may be needed for ripe fruit.

Harvesting Mango

When ready: Skin colour changes (variety-specific: KP turns yellow-orange with red blush, R2E2 turns red-yellow). Stem end becomes slightly rounded. Aroma develops. Fruit gives slightly when gently squeezed. Can harvest at 'hard ripe' (full colour but firm) and ripen at room temperature.

How to harvest: Cut stem with secateurs leaving 2-3cm stub (sap squirts and burns skin). Place stem-down on newspaper for 24 hours to drain sap. WEAR GLOVES - mango sap causes dermatitis.

Where to next

What mango costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.

Also worth sowing in the tropical zone this September: Lemongrass, Ginger, Cucumber and Basil.

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Common Questions About Mango

When do you plant mango in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page 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.