How to Grow Pomelo in Australia

Updated September 2026

The giant of the citrus family, for warm and frost free gardens

The pomelo is the largest of all citrus, with fruit that can be bigger than a person's head, a thick, soft pith and sweet to mildly tangy flesh in firm segments. It is a favourite in Southeast Asian cooking, and it is one of the parents of the grapefruit.

It is also tender. Pomelo needs long, hot summers to fill its fruit and shelter from frost, so it suits warm gardens far better than cool ones. This guide covers where it grows, planting a big citrus, feeding, pollination, pests and harvest.

When to Plant in Your Region

Pomelo is a tender citrus, planted as a grafted tree once the weather is warm or, in the north, during the dry. Plant from March to September in South East Queensland and Northern Rivers NSW. Plant from September to November in Sydney & Coastal NSW and Perth & WA. Plant from September to October in Adelaide & SA. Plant from May to September in North Queensland. Plant from May to August in Darwin & Top End. It is not suited to Melbourne & Victoria, Tasmania and Canberra & ACT. Choose your region below for the local calendar and any regional note.

Your region

Climate and Where It Grows in Australia

Pomelo loves heat and humidity and dislikes cold. The warm subtropics and the tropics are its home ground.

South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers suit it well, with a planting window from autumn through to early spring. In North Queensland and the Top End, plant in the dry season and water regularly; pomelo crops well in the north. Sydney and Perth can grow it in a warm, sheltered spot, planted in spring, though fruit is smaller and sharper than in the tropics. Adelaide is marginal: plant in spring after frost against a warm wall and protect young trees in winter. Melbourne, Tasmania and Canberra are not suited, because the cold and the short summers are too much for it.

South East Queensland: plant from March to September.
Northern Rivers NSW: plant from March to September.
Sydney & Coastal NSW: plant from September to November. Plant Sep to Nov in the warmest sheltered spot. Needs long hot summers; fruit is smaller and sharper than in the tropics.
Melbourne & Victoria: not suited. Not viable. Too cold for this tender citrus, which needs long hot summers to fill its fruit.
Adelaide & SA: plant from September to October. Marginal. Plant Sep to Oct after frost against a warm wall, and shelter young trees through winter.
Perth & WA: plant from September to November. Plant Sep to Nov in a warm sheltered spot. Mulch the sandy soil heavily and water deeply through summer.
Tasmania: not suited. Unsuitable. Needs long hot summers. Not viable in Tasmania.
Canberra & ACT: not suited. Not viable. Hard frosts kill this tender citrus and the summer is too short to fill the fruit.
North Queensland: plant from May to September. Plant May to Sep in the dry with regular watering. Pomelo loves tropical heat and crops well in the north.
Darwin & Top End: plant from May to August. Plant May to Aug in the dry with regular watering. Pomelo loves Top End heat.

Choosing a Variety

Grafted pink fleshed types

Pink to red flesh, often a little sweeter. Buy grafted so you know what fruit you are getting and the tree crops sooner.

Grafted white fleshed types

Pale flesh with a mild, clean flavour. Popular for eating fresh and in salads.

Seedlings

Slow to fruit, often very thorny, and fruit quality varies. Best avoided if a grafted tree is available.

Planting

Choose the warmest, sunniest, most sheltered spot you have, out of frost and strong wind. Pomelo wants deep, free-draining soil with a pH of about 6 to 7.5, and like every citrus it will not tolerate waterlogged roots.

Space. Allow about 5 m between trees. A pomelo grows to 4 to 7 m.
Not for pots. The plant library does not recommend pomelo for containers. The tree and fruit are simply too big.
Planting. Plant at the depth it sat in the pot, graft union above the soil, water in and mulch clear of the trunk.
Frost. In marginal areas, wrap young trees in frost cloth on cold nights for their first few winters.

Care

Watering

Water deeply and regularly through the warm months. A pomelo carrying heavy fruit through summer uses a lot of water, and dry spells cause fruit drop and dry segments. In the tropics, keep watering through the dry season.

Feeding

Citrus are hungry trees and underfeeding is the most common reason a backyard tree crops poorly. Feed with a complete citrus fertiliser in late winter, before the spring flowering, and again in late summer, spreading it under the canopy out to the drip line rather than against the trunk, then water it in. Pale leaves with green veins usually point to a shortage of trace elements, which a citrus food that includes them will fix. Top up the mulch each spring, keeping it clear of the trunk.

Pruning

Prune lightly after harvest: remove dead wood, shoots below the graft, and branches that crowd the centre. The fruit is heavy, so on young trees thin clusters to one fruit to protect the branches.

Pollination

Pomelo flowers are large and heavily scented and attract bees. Some pomelo selections are self-incompatible and set better when a second pomelo or another citrus flowers nearby, so ask the nursery about the tree you are buying, particularly if you only have room for one.

Pests and Diseases

Citrus in Australian gardens share a short list of pests. None of them needs heavy spraying if you catch it early.

Citrus gall wasp. Swollen, lumpy growths on young stems, each one full of larvae. Cut the galls out in winter, before the adult wasps emerge in spring, and bag them for the bin rather than the compost.
Citrus leaf miner. Silvery trails and curled new leaves, worst on the late summer and autumn flush. It is mostly cosmetic on an established tree but sets young trees back. Horticultural oil on the new growth protects it, and avoiding pruning in late summer and autumn means less soft growth when the moth is most active.
Scale. Small brown or white bumps on stems and under leaves, often with black sooty mould and a trail of ants. Horticultural oil smothers scale, and keeping ants off the trunk lets the natural predators do their work.
Bronze orange bug. Large shield bugs that suck on new shoots and flower stalks, so flowers and young fruit drop. Knock the young nymphs into a bucket of soapy water in winter while they are small. Wear gloves and eye protection, because they squirt a fluid that burns skin and eyes.

Melanose shows as small, raised brown specks on leaves and fruit that feel like fine sandpaper. The fungus lives on dead twigs inside the canopy, so cutting out dead wood is most of the cure.

The plant library also lists citrus canker, because it is one of the most serious citrus diseases in the world. It is not established in Australia and it is a notifiable disease. If you see raised, corky spots with a yellow or oily halo on leaves, stems and fruit, report it to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881 rather than treating it yourself.

Harvest and Storage

Pomelo fruit takes many months to mature. It is ready when the skin turns from deep green to yellow green or pale yellow, the fruit feels heavy for its size and the skin gives a little and smells fragrant. Taste one before picking the lot, as the fruit does not ripen further once picked.

Cut fruit off with secateurs rather than pulling. Thanks to the thick skin, pomelos keep for weeks in a cool place, and flavour often improves after a week or two off the tree.

Track Your Pomelo Tree

Add pomelos to your garden in the Planting Season app and get reminders for planting, care and harvest, tuned to your region.

Open the App →

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I plant pomelos in Australia?

It depends on your region. Plant from March to September in South East Queensland and Northern Rivers NSW. Plant from September to November in Sydney & Coastal NSW and Perth & WA. Plant from September to October in Adelaide & SA. Plant from May to September in North Queensland. Plant from May to August in Darwin & Top End. It is not suited to Melbourne & Victoria, Tasmania and Canberra & ACT. Choose your region in the calendar on this page for the local window.

Can I grow pomelo in Melbourne?

No. The site lists pomelo as not suited to Melbourne, Tasmania or Canberra. It is a tender citrus that needs long hot summers and no hard frost. In the south, Adelaide is marginal, and Sydney and Perth can grow it in a warm, sheltered spot.

How long does a pomelo take to fruit?

A grafted pomelo usually starts fruiting in about three years. Seedling trees take longer and their fruit varies.

How do you peel a pomelo?

Cut off the top, score the thick skin in several places from top to bottom, and peel it away in large pieces. Then pull the segments apart and peel off the tough membrane around each one before eating.