When to Plant Okinawa Spinach 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 Okinawa 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
- Oct to Apr
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.1–6.5
Okinawa spinach is a low perennial to about 70 cm with green leaves that are purple underneath, grown from cuttings as a year-round cooked green in warm wet climates (Green Harvest).
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 P
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec P
P = Planting window
Plant rooted cuttings from October to April, whenever the soil is above 25C; Green Harvest says it does best in the warm wet tropics and subtropics. Space 60 cm apart in rich mulched soil with ample water (Green Harvest). Months are derived from the soil temperature rule, no calendar source.
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How to Grow Okinawa Spinach in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Rich, fertile, well drained and mulched (Green Harvest).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.1-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade (Green Harvest, Daleys).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 60cm between rows
- Watering
- Ample water (Green Harvest).
- 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 Okinawa Spinach
Recommended Varieties
- Okinawa spinach (Green Harvest)
Key Challenges
- Waterlogging in the wet
Pro Tips
- Mounded, well drained bed
Pests and problems for Okinawa Spinach in Tropical
Harvesting Okinawa Spinach
When ready: Young leaves and shoot tips once the plant is bushy (Green Harvest).
How to harvest: Pinch tips and young leaves; this doubles as the pruning the plant needs (Green Harvest).
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 Okinawa Spinach
When do you plant okinawa spinach in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Apr, Oct to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Apr, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Mar, Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Mar, Oct to Dec
When should I plant Okinawa Spinach in Cairns?
Plant rooted cuttings from October to April, whenever the soil is above 25C; Green Harvest says it does best in the warm wet tropics and subtropics. Space 60 cm apart in rich mulched soil with ample water (Green Harvest). Months are derived from the soil temperature rule, no calendar source.
How do I know when Okinawa Spinach are ready to harvest?
Young leaves and shoot tips once the plant is bushy (Green Harvest).
What are the best Okinawa Spinach varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Okinawa spinach (Green Harvest).
Are okinawa spinach salt tolerant?
Only a little. Okinawa 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.