When to Plant Rockmelon in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Also called cantaloupe.
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 Rockmelon 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 Jul
- Days to harvest
- about 12 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 100 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
Rockmelon (called cantaloupe outside Australia/NZ) is a warm-season melon requiring long hot summers for sweet fruit. Australia is a major commercial rockmelon producer.
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 S
- Apr S/T/D
- May S/T/D
- Jun T/D
- Jul T
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Rockmelon in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Sandy loam or well-drained fertile soil. Excellent drainage essential.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 8 hours for sweet fruit)
- Spacing
- 100cm apart, 180cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular deep watering during vine growth and fruit set. CRITICAL: reduce watering significantly as fruit approaches maturity for sweetness.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Sweet Corn, Radish, Sunflower
- Keep away from
- Cucumber (same family rotation issues), Potato
- 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 cucurbits go back in. Pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini want a bed with fresh compost dug through.
Tropical Growing Tips for Rockmelon
Recommended Varieties
- Hales Best Jumbo
- Planters Jumbo
- Imperial
Key Challenges
- Fruit fly critical
- Fungal diseases in humidity
- Poor storage in heat
Pro Tips
- Dry season only
- Exclusion netting essential for fruit fly
- Raised mounds for drainage
Pests and problems for Rockmelon in Tropical
- Queensland Fruit Fly Watch
- Mosaic Viruses Watch
- Fusarium Wilt Crop rotation (5+ years). Resistant varieties. pH 6.5+. Excellent drainage. Watch
- Powdery Mildew Resistant varieties. Good airflow. Watch
- Pumpkin Beetle Watch
- Aphids Watch
- Fruit fly critical Fruit fly critical Watch
- Fungal diseases Fungal diseases in humidity Watch
Harvesting Rockmelon
When ready: Skin changes from green to golden beneath netting. Strong sweet aroma at stem end. Fruit 'slips' from vine easily (full slip). Stem end cracks slightly.
How to harvest: Gently push fruit from vine or cut with knife. Handle carefully. Harvest in morning.
Storing and preserving rockmelon
How to keep it
- Freezing. Deseed, peel, cube. Freeze on tray, bag. Best for smoothies. Texture changes on thawing. Keeps: 12 months.
- Dehydrating. Peel, deseed, slice thin (5mm). Dehydrate 55C for 10-14 hours. Sweet chewy snack. Keeps: 6-12 months.
- Fresh eating (best option). Best fresh. Refrigerate whole ripe 5 days. Cut lasts 2-3 days refrigerated. Keeps: 5 days whole, 2-3 days cut.
What rockmelon 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 Rockmelon
When do you plant rockmelon in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Aug to Dec
Can you grow rockmelon all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Mar to Jul. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
What else is rockmelon called?
Rockmelon is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it cantaloupe. Same plant, same growing advice.
When should I plant Rockmelon in Cairns?
A dry season crop. Start seed in trays from March, and sow direct or plant out from April to July. Avoid the wet season.
What soil temperature do Rockmelon need?
Rockmelon germinate best when soil temperature is between 20°C and 35°C.
How do I know when Rockmelon are ready to harvest?
Skin changes from green to golden beneath netting. Strong sweet aroma at stem end. Fruit 'slips' from vine easily (full slip). Stem end cracks slightly.
What are the best Rockmelon varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Hales Best Jumbo, Planters Jumbo, Imperial.
What grows well with Rockmelon?
Good companion plants for Rockmelon include: Nasturtium, Sweet Corn, Radish, Sunflower.
Are rockmelon salt tolerant?
Only a little. Rockmelon 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.