When to Plant Tangelo 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 Tangelo 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, Sep to Nov
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Tangelo is a mandarin and grapefruit cross with large, juicy, easy peeling fruit and few seeds.
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 P
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec -
P = Planting window
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys lists subtropical and warm temperate for Minneola, not tropical, and no tropical grower report was opened. Plant in autumn or spring; harvest follows the national listing. Plant an early flowering mandarin as a pollinator.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Tangelo in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Good drainage; Trifoliata rootstock for heavier soils (Daleys).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Daleys).
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Basil, Dill, Borage, Thyme
- Keep away from
- Frost pockets, Wet heavy soil without a mound
Tropical Growing Tips for Tangelo
Recommended Varieties
- Minneola (Daleys)
- Orlando, more cold tolerant (Daleys)
- Dwarf Minneola on Flying Dragon (Daleys)
Key Challenges
- Needs a mandarin pollinator
- Fruit fly
- Gall wasp
- Birds and possums
Pro Tips
- Plant in spring, not winter
- Net the crop
- Thin heavy crops
Pests and problems for Tangelo in Tropical
Harvesting Tangelo
When ready: Full orange colour and the fruit comes away with a twist; taste one first.
How to harvest: Clip or twist off; fruit holds on the tree for weeks.
Storing and preserving tangelo
How to keep it
- Fresh storage. Crisper. Keeps: 1 to 2 weeks.
- Juice frozen. Containers with headspace. Keeps: 6 months.
- Canned sections. As grapefruit and orange sections, 10 minutes (NCHFP). Keeps: 12 months.
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 Tangelo
When do you plant tangelo in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Nov
When should I plant Tangelo in Cairns?
You might be able to grow it here under the right conditions. Daleys lists subtropical and warm temperate for Minneola, not tropical, and no tropical grower report was opened. Plant in autumn or spring; harvest follows the national listing. Plant an early flowering mandarin as a pollinator.
How do I know when Tangelo are ready to harvest?
Full orange colour and the fruit comes away with a twist; taste one first.
What are the best Tangelo varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Minneola (Daleys), Orlando, more cold tolerant (Daleys), Dwarf Minneola on Flying Dragon (Daleys).
What grows well with Tangelo?
Good companion plants for Tangelo include: Nasturtium, Basil, Dill, Borage, Thyme.
Are tangelo salt tolerant?
No. Tangelo 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.