When to Plant Orange 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 Orange 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
- $2.30/kg
Classic backyard citrus. Sweet oranges need more heat than lemons for sweetness development. Coastal Melbourne oranges are noticeably more tart than those from Mildura or the Riverland.
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 raised, free-draining bed as the wet opens. Oranges fruit well here but rinds often stay green when ripe, so judge by taste.
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How to Grow Orange in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, slightly acidic. Same requirements as other citrus.
- 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 6-8 hours. More heat = sweeter fruit.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Chives, Garlic, Marigold, Comfrey
- Keep away from
- Grass right to trunk
Tropical Growing Tips for Orange
Recommended Varieties
- Valencia (juicing, summer fruit)
- Navel (eating, winter fruit)
- Washington Navel
Key Challenges
- Fruit less sweet than from cooler areas
- Disease pressure higher
Pro Tips
- Oranges grow well but fruit quality is better from areas with cooler winters.
- Valencia is the better choice for tropics.
Pests and problems for Orange in Tropical
Harvesting Orange
When ready: Full orange colour (some green at stem end is normal). Taste test. Sweetness develops with time on tree. Navel oranges ripen faster than Valencia.
How to harvest: Cut with secateurs or twist-pull.
Storing and preserving orange
How to keep it
- Juicing and freezing. Juice and freeze in ice cube trays or containers. Keeps: 12 months.
- Marmalade. Seville/bitter oranges are traditional. Slice thin, soak, boil with sugar to setting point. Keeps: 12 months.
- Candied peel. Boil peel strips 3x, simmer in syrup until translucent, dry. Keeps: 3 months.
- Segments in syrup. Peel, segment, pack in light syrup, water bath process. Keeps: 12 months.
What orange 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 Orange
When do you plant orange 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 Orange in Cairns?
Plant grafted trees on a raised, free-draining bed as the wet opens. Oranges fruit well here but rinds often stay green when ripe, so judge by taste.
How do I know when Orange are ready to harvest?
Full orange colour (some green at stem end is normal). Taste test. Sweetness develops with time on tree. Navel oranges ripen faster than Valencia.
What are the best Orange varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Valencia (juicing, summer fruit), Navel (eating, winter fruit), Washington Navel.
What grows well with Orange?
Good companion plants for Orange include: Nasturtium, Chives, Garlic, Marigold, Comfrey.
Are orange salt tolerant?
No. Orange 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.