How to grow taro in Australia

Taro needs a long, warm, wet growing season of roughly six to eight months, so timing is about giving it as much warmth as possible.

Tropical (Darwin, Cairns): The classic climate. Plant corms at the start of the wet season, around October to December, and let the rains do much of the watering.

Subtropical (Brisbane, northern NSW): Plant in spring, from September to December, once the soil has warmed, and keep the water up through summer.

Warm temperate (Sydney, Perth, Adelaide): Possible in a warm, sheltered, well-watered spot. Plant in late spring and accept a smaller harvest and a race against the cooling autumn.

Cool temperate (Melbourne): Marginal. Grow in a large container in the warmest microclimate you have, or in a pond margin, and expect modest results.

Cold (Hobart, Canberra, alpine): Not viable outdoors. The season is too short and cool. Grow ornamentally under cover if at all.

Arid (Alice Springs): Only workable with generous, constant irrigation, since taro is a bog plant at heart. Plant in spring and never let it dry out.

Taro is grown from corms, or from the tops (setts) cut from harvested corms. Plant them about 8 to 10cm deep into rich, heavy, moisture-holding soil that has had plenty of compost or manure dug through. Space plants around 60cm apart, as they grow large.

Taro loves water and tolerates boggy ground that would rot most vegetables, so a low, wet spot or a pond edge is ideal. If your soil drains freely you will need to water very frequently. Feed generously through the growing season, as it is a hungry crop.

In warm gardens taro is usually grown in the ground, and it works beautifully at the edge of a pond or in a permanently moist bed. A wide, low position that collects water suits it perfectly.

In cooler districts a large pot is the better option, ideally sitting in a saucer of water so the roots stay wet, kept in the warmest, brightest spot you have. Container plants give smaller corms but let you grow taro well outside its comfort zone.

Taro grows in full sun to part shade. In hot inland gardens some afternoon shade helps, while in cooler zones give it all the sun and warmth you can.

Water is the non-negotiable part. Taro wants constantly wet soil and will not size up its corms if it dries out. Treat it as a bog plant: heavy mulch, frequent deep watering, and ideally a naturally moist position.

Corms are ready to harvest when the leaves start to yellow and die back, usually six to eight months after planting. Lift the whole clump carefully with a fork, keep the main corm and side corms for eating, and replant a few tops to grow the next crop.

Remember that everything must be cooked. Peel and boil, steam or roast the corms thoroughly, and if you are eating the leaves of a leaf variety, cook them well too. Thorough cooking breaks down the calcium oxalates that make raw taro toxic.

Given enough warmth and water, taro is fairly easy. The main causes of failure are cold and dryness rather than pests, so a plant that sulks is usually telling you it is not warm or wet enough. Leaf-eating caterpillars and the occasional aphid may appear but rarely need action.

Two cautions worth noting: taro can become a weed near natural waterways, so keep it out of creek lines and drains, and the raw plant is toxic to people and pets through its calcium oxalates. Site it and cook it accordingly.

Taro is usually grown in its own wet patch rather than interplanted, simply because few common vegetables share its love of saturated soil. It pairs naturally with other moisture-lovers and can be grown at a pond margin alongside ornamental marginal plants. Keep it away from crops that need sharp drainage, which will resent the constant wet.

Taro is broadly split into dasheen types, grown mainly for a large central corm, and eddoe types, which produce clusters of smaller side corms. Some varieties are also grown for their edible leaves. Availability in Australia is limited and mostly through specialist and Pacific or Asian grocers and nurseries, so grow what you can source locally, since those are the types suited to your area.

Can you eat taro raw?

No. Raw taro corms and leaves contain calcium oxalates that are toxic and intensely irritating. It must be peeled and cooked thoroughly (boiled, steamed or roasted) before eating.

How long does taro take to grow?

Around six to eight months from planting the corm to harvest, which is why it needs a long warm season. You lift it once the leaves begin to yellow and die back.

Does taro need a pond?

Not exactly, but it wants constantly wet soil and thrives in boggy ground or at a pond margin. In free-draining soil you will need to water very frequently to get a decent corm.