When to Plant Sugar Cane 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 Sugar Cane 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 Apr
- Days to harvest
- about 52 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
Sugar cane is a tall, clumping tropical grass grown for its sweet, juicy stems. It needs a long, warm, frost-free season and takes about a year to mature.
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 P
- Apr P
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Sugar cane loves tropical heat and humidity and grows strongly with plenty of water. Plant cane sets in autumn, March to April.
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How to Grow Sugar Cane in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, organic-rich alluvial loam or heavy clay loam
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, requiring at least 6 to 8 hours of direct, intense sun daily
- Spacing
- 100-180cm apart, 150cm between rows
- Watering
- water deeply once or twice a week, keep soil moist but not waterlogged, mulch
Tropical Growing Tips for Sugar Cane
Recommended Varieties
- Red Chewing Cane: Soft-stemmed heirloom variety producing dark reddish-purple stalks with sweet, juicy sap ideal for fresh chewing and juicing
Key Challenges
- Canegrubs (white grubs): Grubs eat the roots, so plants yellow, wilt and may topple or die
- Sugarcane borers: Tunnelling weakens stalks and lowers juice quality, and can lead to stalk breakage
- Termites, ants and sap suckers: Weakened, yellowing growth, sticky honeydew and damaged setts or stalks
- Sugarcane smut: Thin, grassy stunted stalks with reduced yield
Pro Tips
- Heavy feeder; apply well-rotted manure or nitrogen-rich organic fertiliser during early spring growth and follow with high-potassium fertiliser in summer
- Apply a heavy mulch of sugar cane trash or straw around stool bases to preserve soil moisture and suppress weeds
Pests and problems for Sugar Cane in Tropical
- Sugarcane smut Use disease free planting material and resistant varieties. Watch
- Mosaic virus Choose resistant varieties and healthy cuttings. Watch
- Canegrubs (white grubs) Canegrubs (white grubs): Grubs eat the roots, so plants yellow, wilt and may topple or die Watch
- Sugarcane borers Sugarcane borers: Tunnelling weakens stalks and lowers juice quality, and can lead to stalk breakage Watch
Harvesting Sugar Cane
When ready: Stalks reach 2 to 4 metres tall, turn hard with prominent joint nodes, and lower leaves dry out and yellow around 12 to 18 months after planting
How to harvest: Cut heavy thick stalks flush with the ground using a sharp cane knife or machete and strip away outer foliage
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 Sugar Cane
When do you plant sugar cane in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Apr
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Apr
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Apr
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Mar to Apr
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Mar to Apr
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Apr
When should I plant Sugar Cane in Cairns?
Sugar cane loves tropical heat and humidity and grows strongly with plenty of water. Plant cane sets in autumn, March to April.
How do I know when Sugar Cane are ready to harvest?
Stalks reach 2 to 4 metres tall, turn hard with prominent joint nodes, and lower leaves dry out and yellow around 12 to 18 months after planting
What are the best Sugar Cane varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Red Chewing Cane: Soft-stemmed heirloom variety producing dark reddish-purple stalks with sweet, juicy sap ideal for fresh chewing and juicing.
Are sugar cane salt tolerant?
Only a little. Sugar cane 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.