GardenGardening seasons in India
Most of India has three growing seasons, not four. Farmers call them kharif, rabi and zaid, and the same calendar guides a kitchen garden. Knowing which season a vegetable belongs to matters more than any other piece of gardening knowledge: a plant sown in its season almost grows itself, and a plant sown out of season struggles whatever you do.
| Season | Sown | Harvested | Typical garden crops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kharif (monsoon) | June and July, with the rains | September and October | Okra, gourds, cucumber, cowpea, cluster beans, sweet corn, brinjal, chilli |
| Rabi (winter) | September to November | December to March | Peas, carrot, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, methi, potato, onion, garlic |
| Zaid (summer) | February and March | April to June | Melons, cucumber, gourds, pumpkin, okra, amaranth |
Warm-season and cool-season plants
Behind the three seasons are two kinds of plants. Warm-season vegetables, such as okra, gourds, brinjal and beans, need warm soil and are killed by frost. They are grown in kharif and zaid. Cool-season vegetables, such as peas, cauliflower, carrots and leafy greens, grow best in mild days and cold nights and run to seed in heat. They are the rabi crops.
How the regions differ
- Northern and central plains: all three seasons are sharp. Winter is the best vegetable season, and May and June are too hot for most sowing.
- South and coast: winter is mild, so cool-season crops are grown in the coolest months and in the higher, cooler places such as Bengaluru and the hill towns. Warm-season crops can be sown almost all year. Tamil Nadu gets much of its rain from the north-east monsoon in October to December, so its sowing calendar runs later.
- Hills: winter is too cold to grow much. The main season runs from March to October, and cool-season crops such as peas and cabbage are grown in summer, when the plains cannot grow them.
What this means for you
- Find your region on the home page and look at the list for the present month.
- Buy seeds a few weeks before the season, not during it.
- Prepare the soil while the previous crop is finishing, so that sowing day is not lost.
More garden help
- Balcony and terrace gardenPots, potting mix, sun and water for growing in containers.
- How to sow seedsDepth, trays, transplanting and why seeds fail.
- Compost at homeTurn kitchen waste into plant food in a bucket or a pot.
- Pests without poisonSimple, safe ways to deal with the common garden pests.
- Flower calendarWhen to sow 20 garden flowers in each region.
- Kitchen herbsTulsi, mint, coriander, curry leaf and six more.