When to Plant Yam 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 Yam 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
- Sep to Nov
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.5
Tropical climbing vines grown for large starchy tubers, ready 8-10 months after planting. Not the New Zealand yam (oca), which has its own page. Always cook yams; some kinds are bitter or harmful raw.
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 -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep P
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Plant tuber pieces or sprouting tubers in the build-up with a strong trellis, and they will race away in the wet. Dig the tubers once the vines yellow and die back in the dry season.
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How to Grow Yam in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Deep, loose, well-drained soil with compost, or a mound, so tubers can swell.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun to light shade
- Spacing
- 60-90cm apart, 100cm between rows
- Watering
- Water regularly while the vine grows, then reduce as it yellows and dies back before digging.
- Good companions
- Cashew
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Tropical Growing Tips for Yam
Recommended Varieties
- Purple yam (D. alata)
- Lesser yam (D. esculenta)
Harvesting Yam
When ready: Vine yellows and dies back, 8-10 months after planting.
How to harvest: Dig carefully around the tuber to avoid cuts, which rot in storage.
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 Yam
When do you plant yam in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Sep to Nov
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Oct to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): not recommended
- Mediterranean (Perth): Oct to Nov
When should I plant Yam in Cairns?
Plant tuber pieces or sprouting tubers in the build-up with a strong trellis, and they will race away in the wet. Dig the tubers once the vines yellow and die back in the dry season.
How do I know when Yam are ready to harvest?
Vine yellows and dies back, 8-10 months after planting.
What are the best Yam varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Purple yam (D. alata), Lesser yam (D. esculenta).
What grows well with Yam?
Good companion plants for Yam include: Cashew.
Are yam salt tolerant?
Only a little. Yam 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.