When to Plant Popcorn in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
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 Popcorn 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
- Mar to Sep
- Days to harvest
- about 14 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 25 cm apart
Popcorn is a type of corn with hard kernels that pop when heated. The plants are tall, 150 to 200 cm, and grow best in full sun. Sow straight into warm soil in blocks, not single rows.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul D
- Aug D
- Sep D
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Tropical zone right now, Popcorn included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Popcorn in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Moist, nutrient rich and well-drained soil. Poorly drained soil increases lodging and cuts yield (Utah State University Extension). Improve soil fertility with compost before sowing (Seeds of Plenty corn grow guide).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Seeds of Plenty).
- Spacing
- 25cm apart, 50cm between rows
- Watering
- Water regularly while the tassels and ears form. Drought during silking can cause kernel tip back (Seeds of Plenty).
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Peas, Summer squash, Pumpkin
- Keep away from
- Tomato (Listed as a bad companion for corn.)
- Grow before it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
- Grow after it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
Give the bed 3 turns before other fruiting crops go back in. Corn, okra and sunflower are heavy feeders that sit with the fruiting crops in the cycle.
Tropical Growing Tips for Popcorn
Recommended Varieties
- Popping Corn
Key Challenges
- Wet weather at drying
- Rust
- Caterpillars
Pro Tips
- Sow in blocks
- Let the ears dry on the stalk
- Dry further indoors
Pests and problems for Popcorn in Tropical
Harvesting Popcorn
When ready: Harvest when the silks are dark brown and dry (Seeds of Plenty). Kings Seeds NZ says to wait until the husks turn brown and papery and the kernels are hard.
How to harvest: Pick the whole ear, then dry in a well ventilated, dry place (Seeds of Plenty).
Storing and preserving popcorn
How to keep it
- Drying. Leave ears on the plant until the silks are dark brown and dry, then dry the ears in a well ventilated, dry place (Seeds of Plenty).
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 Popcorn
When do you plant popcorn in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Dec
Can you grow popcorn all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Mar to Sep. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Popcorn in Cairns?
No popcorn calendar was found. We have used the Gardenate sweet corn months, March to September, since both are Zea mays. Seeds of Plenty shows corn can be sown across the year in the tropics. Dry season sowings suit popcorn best, because the ears need dry weather to cure on the plant.
What soil temperature do Popcorn need?
Popcorn germinate best when soil temperature is between 20°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Popcorn are ready to harvest?
Harvest when the silks are dark brown and dry (Seeds of Plenty). Kings Seeds NZ says to wait until the husks turn brown and papery and the kernels are hard.
What are the best Popcorn varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Popping Corn.
What grows well with Popcorn?
Good companion plants for Popcorn include: Dwarf Beans, Cucumber, Peas, Summer squash, Pumpkin.
Are popcorn salt tolerant?
Only a little. Popcorn 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.