You need to know exactly when to sow seed for your organic garden. Now that you have learnt the basics of the potting mixture, composting and right choice of pots, the right time to sow seeds will make you a better gardener.
In India we have three different weather conditions –
The summer from March to June, Rainy Season from July to November and Winter from December to February.
ANd accordingly the veggies vary too. I am attempting to give a month by month list of veggies you can sow each month.
Expert Tips
- If you prepare seedlings earlier you can get advantage of longer harvest period
- Always try to win over a season by being ready with all inputs before the season commences
- Make sure you have the knowledge of pests and diseases that may occur in that particular season.
I am starting my Sowing Calendar from April, so that if you are begining now you will have the maximum benefit from it. I shall also make a printable format so that you could print it out and use later.
Monthly Calender
| Month | North India | South India |
| April | Cucumber, Melons, Beans, Capsicum, Corn, Herbs , Lettuce, Coriander, Mint, Peppers, Squash | Onions, Amaranthus, Coriander, Gourds, Okra, Tomato, Chilly, Herbs |
| May | Onion, Pepper, Brinjal, Okra, coriander | Okra, Onion, Chilli, herbs |
| June | All gourds, Brinjal, Cucumber, Cauliflower (Early), Okra, Onion, Garden beans, bush beans,Tomato,Peppe | Gourds, Brinjal, Chillies, Okra, Beans, Almost all above ground vegetables and herbs |
| July | All gourds, Cucumber, Okra, bush beans, Tomato, greens | All above ground vegetables |
| August | Carrot, Cauliflower, Radish, Tomato, Cabbage | Carrot, Cauliflower, Beans, Beet, cabbage |
| September
|
Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Peas, Radish, Tomato, Lettuce | Cauliflower, Cucumber, Onion,Peas,Spinach |
| October | Beet, Brinjal, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Peas, Radish, Spinach, Turnip | Brinjal, Cabbage,Capsicum,Cucumber, Beans,Peas, Spinach, Turnip, Watermelon |
| November | Turnip, Tomato, Radish, Pepper, Peas, Beet | Beet, Eggplant, Cabbage, Carrot, Beans, Lettuce, Melon, Okra, Turnip |
| December | Tomato, Bengal gram, Greens, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, carrot | Lettuce, Pumpkin, Watermelon, Muskmelon, Ash gourd, Ridge gourd, Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, Chilly, Cabbage, |
| January | Brinjal, Tomato, Okra | Lettuce,Spinach, Gourds, Melons, Radish, Carrot, Onion, Tomato,Okra,Brinjal, Bean |
| February | Applegourd, Bittergourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, French Beans, Okra, Sponge, Gourd, Watermelon, Spinach | Greens, herbs, menlons, Gourds |
| March | Melons – both water melon and pumpkins, ash gourd and other gourds, cucumber, gerkins | Amaranthus, Coriander, Gourds, Beans, Melons, Spinach, Okra |
Well, with that list done, I would like to reiterate that you can easily win over the season if you do the right crop practices and maintain a temperature that would be suitable.
I have cauliflower and strawberry growing in my garden in 42 degrees here. Its just practice and you can easily get your harvest any month.
I have not given any fruit crops here, You can expect that list soon too. On fact by the end of this month I would have easily educated you about a whole lot of things you can grow in one small terrace or a patch of land.
I also am planning to give a plan to insert in your veggies and fruits in your organic terrace garden.
Well, here is a list of the ideal temperature ranges for each vegetable crop which will be useful if you want to sow them in a different timezone.
Temperature Requirements
| Vegetable | Ideal C | Range C | Direct/ Transplant | North India | South India |
| Tinda | 25 | 20-30 | Direct | Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul | Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul |
| Beet | 20 | Oct-30 | Direct | Oct-Nov | Aug-Nov |
| Bittergourd | 25 | 20-30 | Direct | Feb-March/ June-July | Nov-Dec/ Dec-Jan/ Jun-July |
| Bottlegourd | 25 | 20-30 | Direct | Feb-March/ June-July | Nov-Dec/ Dec-Jan/ Jun-July |
| Brinjal/ Eggplant | 30 | 21-35 | Transplant | Jan-Feb/ May-Jun/ Oct-Nov | Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov/ Jan-Feb |
| Cabbage | 20 | Oct-20 | Transplant | Sep-Oct | Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov |
| Capsicum | 21 | 15-25 | Transplant | Nov-Jan | Jul-Aug/ Oct-Nov/ Jan-Feb |
| Carrot | 25 | Oct-30 | Direct | Aug-Sep-Oct | Aug-Nov |
| Cauliflower (early) | 25 | 25-27 | Transplant | Mid-June | Jun-Jul/ Aug-Sep |
| Cauliflower (late) | 18 | 16-20 | Transplant | Aug-Sep-Oct | Jun-Jul |
| Cauliflower (midseason) | 15 | <16 | Transplant | Sep-Oct | Jun-Jul/ Aug-Sep |
| Cucumber | 16 | 16-32 | Direct | Feb-March/ June-July | Jun-July/ Sep-Oct/ Dec-Jan |
| Frenchbeans | 20 | 16-30 | Direct | Feb-March | |
| Lettuce | 20 | Jul-27 | Transplant | Sep-Oct | Oct-Dec |
| Melon | 27 | 22-32 | Direct | Jan-Feb | Oct-Jan |
| Okra | 25 | 20-32 | Direct | Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul | Jan-Feb/ May-Jun/ Oct-Dec |
| Onion | 22 | Oct-32 | Transplant | May-Jun | Mar-Apr/ May-June/ Sep-Oct |
| Peas | 22 | Oct-22 | Direct | Sep-Oct, Nov | Sep-Oct, Nov |
| Pepper | 30 | 18-32 | Transplant | Nov-Jan/ May-Jun | Jan-Feb/ May-Jun/ Oct-Nov |
| Radish | 30 | Oct-30 | Direct | Aug-Jan | (Depending |
| Sembeans | 30 | 25-35 | Direct | Jun-Jul | Jun-Jul, Aug |
| Spinach | 22 | Oct-22 | Direct | Sep-Nov/ Feb | Sep, Oct, Nov |
| Spongegourd | 22 | 20-30 | Direct | Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul | Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov |
| Tomato | 30 | 20-30 | Transplant | Jun-Aug/ Nov-Dec | Jan-Feb/ Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov |
| Turnip | 30 | 15-35 | Direct | Oct-Nov | Oct-Nov |
| Watermelon | 30 | 20-30 | Direct | Jan-Mar | Oct-Jan |
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