Getting started
Sowing and space
Start seed warm or transplant after the soil has warmed and local frost risk has passed.
The cycle is an editorial band linked to the method above. Cultivar, temperature, transplant age and the harvest stage can change it.
Allow about 40 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 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
Maintain airflow and avoid overhead wetting during humid periods.
Humid subtropical
Hot and arid
Warm temperate
Cool temperate
A short outdoor season may not suit slow varieties.
Practical care
- Use one plant per large container.
- Support branches before fruit becomes heavy.
Points to check
- Frost damages plants.
- Extreme heat can interrupt flowering and fruit set.
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.