When to Plant Shallots 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 Shallots 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 Aug
- Days to harvest
- about 15 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 20 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–6.5
Shallots are a mild, easy bulb onion that grows as a clump, like garlic. You plant small bulblets in the cool months, keep a few from each harvest and replant them. They take about 3 to 4 months.
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/D
- Apr S/T/D
- May S/T/D
- Jun S/T/D
- Jul S/T/D
- Aug T/D
- Sep -
- 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, Shallots included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Shallots in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Rich, well drained loam with low nitrogen. Avoid fresh manure (Garden Express).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Garden Express).
- Spacing
- 20cm apart
- Watering
- Keep the soil evenly moist, then stop watering once the bulbs mature (Seeds of Plenty).
- Good companions
- Lettuce, Carrot, Beetroot, Borage, Silverbeet
- Keep away from
- Peas, Beans
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before alliums go back in. Onion, garlic and leek like a lean bed and clean up after the heavy feeders.
Tropical Growing Tips for Shallots
Key Challenges
- Heat and humidity
- Rots in wet soil
- Smaller bulbs
Pro Tips
- Use raised beds for drainage
- Plant in the dry season
- Lift when tops fall over
Pests and problems for Shallots in Tropical
Harvesting Shallots
When ready: Lift when the tops fall over (Garden Express).
How to harvest: Lift the clump, shake off the soil and cure the bulbs in full sun for about 2 weeks (Seed Collection).
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 Shallots
When do you plant shallots in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Apr to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Jun
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Mar to Jun
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Mar to Jun, Aug to Oct
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Jun
Can you grow shallots all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Mar to Aug. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Shallots in Cairns?
Gardenate lists March to August for the tropics. Shallots are a cool season crop, so keep to the dry, cooler months and expect smaller bulbs. Plant small bulblets with the tip just showing, and make sure the bed drains well.
What soil temperature do Shallots need?
Shallots germinate best when soil temperature is between 8°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Shallots are ready to harvest?
Lift when the tops fall over (Garden Express).
What grows well with Shallots?
Good companion plants for Shallots include: Lettuce, Carrot, Beetroot, Borage, Silverbeet.
Are shallots salt tolerant?
Only a little. Shallots 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.