Getting started
Sowing and space
Start seed warm or transplant a sturdy seedling after cold-soil and frost risk ease.
The cycle is an editorial band linked to the method above. Cultivar, temperature, transplant age and the harvest stage can change it.
Allow about 35 cm of usable depth and roughly 50 cm between plants. A suitably sized container can work when the full root volume and mature canopy are allowed.
Water demand is moderate and regular. That is not a fixed timetable: heat, wind, rain, container size and growth stage change the interval.
Planting windows by broad profile
The highlighted months are conservative editorial references, not a current forecast or postcode calendar. Confirm the cultivar, packet, current warning and local advice.
Tropical wet–dry
Use airflow and shelter from driving rain as the wet season approaches.
Humid subtropical
Hot and arid
Flowers may drop during extreme heat even when water is available.
Warm temperate
Cool temperate
A protected start may be needed to obtain a useful outdoor season.
Practical care
- Stake before a heavy crop develops.
- Water the root zone evenly rather than by a rigid schedule.
Points to check
- Frost damages plants.
- Large swings between dry and saturated mix stress fruiting plants.
Provenance and confidence
This rule is editorial guidance without claimed independent agronomic review. Confidence describes evidence coverage, not the chance of a harvest.
Australian home food garden editorial synthesis — version 1
Original synthesis for broad Australian profiles. It remains editorial draft until independent agronomic review is recorded.