Tropical & subtropical edibles
Bitter melon
Firm green fruit to pick before it colours and splits.
Sowing & planting windows in Australia
Planting timing varies by broad Australian gardening zone. Local weather, unusual seasons and your garden’s microclimate can shift timing.
Cool
Sow · Oct-Dec
Core months: October, November, December
Temperate
Sow · Jan,Sep-Dec
Core months: January, September, October, November, December
Subtropical
Sow · Jan,Aug-Dec
Core months: January, August, September, October, November, December
Tropical
Sow · Feb-Nov
Core months: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Arid
Sow · Jan,Sep-Dec
Core months: January, September, October, November, December
Getting started
Sow seed in the recorded five-zone window. Use clean seed and follow the packet's depth and spacing for the named species or cultivar.
The right conditions
Choose a warm, sunny, frost-free position with fertile, free-draining soil and reliable moisture.
As it grows
Water consistently while establishing, mulch without burying the crown or stem, manage weeds early and provide support where the mature habit needs it.
Ready to harvest
Pick firm green fruit before it colours and splits; mature fruit becomes softer and markedly more bitter.
Important cautions
Harvest fruit while immature. Do not use this guide as medical advice; avoid eating mature red seeds and discard unusually bitter or spoiled fruit.
Plant guidance: P11a propagation, food-safety and plant-specific guide audit. Planting windows are a guide rather than a rule.