When to Plant Tomato in Cairns, Tropical Guide

Out of season. Next window opens in March Soil 24.7°C, best 18–30°C

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.

Jump to section
  1. Planting calendar
  2. How to grow
  3. Local tips and varieties
  4. Pests and problems
  5. Harvesting
  6. Storing and preserving
  7. Grow vs buy
  8. Other zones and related crops
  9. Common questions

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This Tomato 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 10 weeks
Sun
Full sun
Water
Regular
Spacing
60 cm apart
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
Shop price
$11.86/kg

Tomatoes are Australia's most popular home-grown vegetable and arguably the most rewarding. The difference between a sun-ripened home-grown tomato and a supermarket specimen is profound.

Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

Tomato

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Planting Calendar for Tropical

  • Jan -
  • Feb -
  • Mar S
  • Apr S/T
  • May S/T
  • Jun S/T
  • Jul T
  • Aug -
  • 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, Tomato included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

How to Grow Tomato in Tropical Australia

Soil
Well-drained, rich loam with plenty of compost. Deep soil preferred. pH-adjusted with lime if acidic.
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 6-8 hours daily). More sun = more fruit = more flavour.
Spacing
60cm apart, 90cm between rows
Watering
Deep watering 2-3 times per week, consistent and at the base. NEVER overhead water, promotes fungal disease. Inconsistent watering is the #1 cause of blossom end rot and fruit splitting. Drip irrigation is ideal.
Good companions
Nasturtium, Carrot, Radish, Basil, Chives
Keep away from
Broccoli, Cabbage, Chickpeas, Chinese cabbage, Collards, Dill (attracts tomato hornworm), Fennel, Galangal, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens (Listed under 'keep apart from' for mustard greens; no reason is given.), Peach, Pear, Popcorn (Listed as a bad companion for corn.), Potato (shared diseases), Raspberry (share diseases), Strawberry, Sweet Corn (shared corn earworm), Walnut (juglone sensitive)
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 nightshades go back in. Tomato, capsicum, eggplant and potato share wilts and blights that live on in the soil.

Members see the exact salt threshold, how much harvest it loses as salt rises, and what to grow instead. See what members get

Tropical Growing Tips for Tomato

Recommended Varieties

  • Tropic
  • Floradade
  • Sweet Bite (cherry)
  • Tropical Ruby

Key Challenges

  • Fruit fly year-round, critical management needed
  • Bacterial wilt in wet soils
  • Blossom drop above 35C
  • Humidity drives fungal diseases

Pro Tips

  • USE GRAFTED PLANTS on wilt-resistant rootstock (Maxifort, Beaufort, or Wild Malay eggplant rootstock). This is the single most impactful thing you can do in tropics
  • Shade cloth (30%) reduces fruit scald and extends productive period
  • Raised beds essential for drainage

Pests and problems for Tomato in Tropical

Members see each pest score and pest risk alerts for your area. See what members get

Browse the full pest library →

Harvesting Tomato

When ready: Fully coloured (red, pink, yellow depending on variety), slight give when gently squeezed, aromatic. For best flavour, pick vine-ripened. In fruit fly zones, pick at 'breaker' stage (first colour change) and ripen indoors.

How to harvest: Twist and snap or cut with clean secateurs. Harvest in morning when cool. Handle carefully to avoid bruising.

Storing and preserving tomato

How to keep it
  • Sun-drying / Dehydrating. Halve Roma/paste types. Salt lightly. Dehydrate at 60C for 8-12 hours until leathery (not crisp). Pack in sterilised jars, cover with good olive oil. Store in fridge. Keeps: 6-12 months in oil, refrigerated.
  • Freezing (whole). Wash, core, freeze whole on tray. Bag when solid. Skin slips off when thawed. Use in cooked dishes. Keeps: 12 months.
  • Freezing (roasted). Halve, toss with olive oil, garlic, herbs. Roast at 200C for 30-40 min. Cool and freeze in portions. Intensified flavour. Keeps: 12 months.
  • Passata/Sauce (Italian-style bottling). Blanch 30 seconds, ice bath, peel, core. Cook down with optional basil/garlic (no other vegetables for shelf-stable passata). Bottle in sterilised jars while boiling hot. Water bath 30-40 minutes. Ensure lid seals (button depresses). Keeps: 12 months (sealed jar, cool dark place).
  • Green Tomato Chutney. End-of-season green tomatoes: dice, combine with onion, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, ginger, chilli. Simmer 1 hour until thick. Jar hot in sterilised jars. Keeps: 12 months.
  • Tomato Kasundi. Australian-Indian condiment: ripe tomatoes, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, turmeric, chilli, vinegar, oil. Cook down 45 min. Jar hot. Keeps: 6-12 months.

Members see the full pressure-canning detail for tomato (16 tested recipes). See what members get

Grow vs buy

A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 9 plants, about $480 worth at today’s Aldi and Coles prices, checked today.

That is roughly 41 kg at $11.86 a kilo.

Draw your tomato bed → No account needed.

What tomato costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.

Members see the price history and price alerts for tomato. See what members get

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

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Common Questions About Tomato

When do you plant tomato in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

Can you grow tomato 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.

When should I plant Tomato in Cairns?

Plant out from late April to July for the best crops; tomatoes fruit here from May to October. Plant seedlings in the evening to avoid sunburn, and choose cherry or heat-set types for later plantings.

What soil temperature do Tomato need?

Tomato germinate best when soil temperature is between 18°C and 30°C.

How do I know when Tomato are ready to harvest?

Fully coloured (red, pink, yellow depending on variety), slight give when gently squeezed, aromatic. For best flavour, pick vine-ripened. In fruit fly zones, pick at 'breaker' stage (first colour change) and ripen indoors.

What are the best Tomato varieties for Cairns?

Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Tropic, Floradade, Sweet Bite (cherry), Tropical Ruby.

What grows well with Tomato?

Good companion plants for Tomato include: Nasturtium, Carrot, Radish, Basil, Chives.

Are tomato salt tolerant?

Only a little. Tomato 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.