Getting started
Sowing and space
Direct-sow into warm soil or transplant carefully without disturbing the root ball.
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 60 cm between plants. A suitably sized container can work when the full root volume and mature canopy are allowed.
Water demand is frequent and even. 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
Humidity and leaf wetness increase disease pressure as rain builds.
Humid subtropical
Hot and arid
Shield young plants from extreme heat and watch container moisture closely.
Warm temperate
Cool temperate
Practical care
- Train vines early to avoid tangled growth.
- Pick regularly to keep fruit from becoming oversized.
Points to check
- Cold soil slows or rots seed.
- A trellis must be able to carry wet foliage and fruit in wind.
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.