This calendar organizes activities around:
- The transition between wet and dry seasons rather than temperature changes
- Continuous planting and harvesting throughout the year
- Managing rainfall extremes (both excess and drought)
- Accommodating multiple growing cycles within a single year
- Specialized maintenance relevant to tropical conditions
These guides should help gardeners in tropical regions maximize their unique growing conditions while avoiding the frustration of attempting to grow vegetables that require cold periods or can’t tolerate extreme heat and humidity.
This guide goes hand in hand with our vegetable gardening guide for USDA zones 11-13. That guide provides the information you need on sowing, planting and harvesting over 40 vegetables, on a vegetable by vegetable basis, tailored to conditions in USDA Zones 11-13.
January
Sow Outdoors:
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Chinese Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Edible-Podded Peas (during cool weather)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa
- Mustard Greens
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus)
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant varieties)
Plant:
- Cassava cuttings
- Chayote fruits
- Ginger rhizomes
- Sweet Potato slips
- Turmeric rhizomes
- Yam pieces
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Cucumbers
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves
- Mustard Greens
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Pigeon Peas
- Sweet Potato leaves
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant)
Garden Maintenance:
- Monitor irrigation during dry season
- Apply mulch to retain soil moisture
- Check for pests like aphids and whiteflies
- Prune perennial vegetables for continued production
February
Sow Outdoors:
- Aubergine (Eggplant) – final sowings for main season
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon – final sowings for main season
- Chinese Broccoli – final sowings before hot season
- Cucumbers
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa
- Mustard Greens – final sowings before hot season
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili) – final sowings for main season
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus)
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant) – final sowings before hot season
Plant:
- Cassava cuttings
- Ginger rhizomes
- Sweet Potato slips
- Turmeric rhizomes
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Chinese Broccoli
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Cucumbers
- Edible-Podded Peas
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- Mustard Greens
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Pigeon Peas
- Sweet Potato leaves
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant)
Garden Maintenance:
- Begin preparing beds for rainy season planting
- Monitor dry season irrigation needs
- Apply compost to garden beds
- Prune perennial vegetables
March
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Cucumbers
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus)
Plant:
- Cassava cuttings
- Coconut (if planting new trees)
- Sweet Potato slips
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Chinese Broccoli – final harvests
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Cucumbers
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- Mustard Greens – final harvests
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Pigeon Peas
- Sweet Potato leaves
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant)
Garden Maintenance:
- Monitor increasing temperatures
- Ensure adequate irrigation during dry season
- Apply mulch to conserve moisture and reduce soil temperature
- Install shade cloth for sensitive crops
April
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus) – final sowings before rainy season
- Beans (Winged/Goa) – final sowings before rainy season
- Cucumbers – final sowings before rainy season
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
Plant:
- Sweet Potato slips (ongoing)
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Cucumbers
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Pigeon Peas – final harvest of season
- Sweet Potato leaves
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant) – final harvests before heat decline
Garden Maintenance:
- Prepare for transition to rainy season
- Consider raised beds for areas prone to flooding
- Set up drainage systems
- Apply pre-rainy season fertilization
May
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra (heat-loving)
Plant:
- Cassava cuttings (as rainy season begins)
- Ginger rhizomes
- Malanga/Taro
- Sweet Potato slips
- Turmeric rhizomes
- Yam pieces
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus) – final harvests
- Beans (Winged/Goa) – final harvests
- Bitter Melon
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Cucumbers – final harvests
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Sweet Potato leaves
- Turmeric (planted previous year)
Garden Maintenance:
- Monitor for increased pest activity with rainy season
- Apply organic fungicides preventatively
- Check drainage systems
- Mulch heavily to prevent soil erosion
June
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa (with rainy season)
- Malabar Spinach
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Pigeon Peas (with rainy season)
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus) (with rainy season)
Plant:
- Cassava cuttings
- Chayote fruits
- Malanga/Taro
- Sweet Potato slips
- Yam pieces
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Bitter Melon – final harvests
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Ginger (young rhizomes)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili) – final harvests of season
- Sweet Potato leaves
- Turmeric (young rhizomes)
Garden Maintenance:
- Monitor drainage during heavy rains
- Check for fungal diseases
- Apply organic fungicides as needed
- Support plants prone to damage from heavy rain
July
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Pigeon Peas
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus)
Plant:
- Malanga/Taro (final planting)
- Sweet Potato slips
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant) – reduced harvest during peak rainy season
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Sweet Potato leaves
Garden Maintenance:
- Continue monitoring drainage
- Stake or trellis plants for support in heavy rains
- Check for waterlogged areas in garden
- Apply compost or organic fertilizer to replace nutrients leached by heavy rain
August
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Pigeon Peas (final sowings)
Plant:
- Sweet Potato slips (final planting)
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant) – reduced harvest during peak rainy season
- Cassava (from previous year’s planting)
- Chayote
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa (young fruits)
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Sweet Potato leaves
Garden Maintenance:
- Maintain drainage systems
- Monitor for fungal diseases
- Begin planning for post-rainy season planting
- Apply light fertilization to support plants through rainy season
September
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant) – as rainy season diminishes
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili) – as rainy season diminishes
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Cassava
- Chayote
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Pigeon Peas (new season)
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus) calyces
- Sweet Potato leaves
- Sweet Potatoes (from early plantings)
Garden Maintenance:
- Begin preparing beds for dry season planting
- Repair any damage from rainy season
- Apply compost to rejuvenate soil
- Begin reducing irrigation as rainfall decreases
October
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Chinese Broccoli (as temperatures moderate)
- Cucumbers
- Edible-Podded Peas (in cooler zones 11-12)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa
- Mustard Greens (as temperatures moderate)
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant)
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Cassava
- Chayote
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- Malanga/Taro (early plantings)
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Pigeon Peas
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus) calyces
- Sweet Potatoes
- Yams (early plantings)
Garden Maintenance:
- Adjust irrigation systems for dry season
- Apply mulch to retain moisture
- Check for pests that proliferate in dry conditions
- Prune perennial vegetables for renewed growth
November
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Chinese Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Edible-Podded Peas
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spinach
- Moringa
- Mustard Greens
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant)
Plant:
- Cassava cuttings
- Chayote fruits
- Ginger rhizomes
- Sweet Potato slips
- Turmeric rhizomes
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Chinese Broccoli
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Cucumbers
- Edible-Podded Peas (early plantings)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Malanga/Taro
- Moringa leaves and pods
- Mustard Greens
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Pigeon Peas
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus) calyces
- Sweet Potatoes
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant, early plantings)
- Yams
Garden Maintenance:
- Continue dry season irrigation monitoring
- Apply mulch to conserve moisture
- Plan for following year’s garden rotations
- Maintain perennial vegetables through pruning
- Check for pest populations that build during dry season
- Clean and maintain garden tools and equipmentach
- Moringa
- Mustard Greens
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Peppers (Hot/Chili)
- Tomatoes (Heat-tolerant)
Plant:
- Ginger rhizomes (dry season planting)
- Turmeric rhizomes (dry season planting)
Harvest:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant) (new plantings beginning to produce)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus) (new plantings)
- Beans (Winged/Goa) (new plantings)
- Cassava
- Chayote
- Coconuts (ongoing)
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Malabar Spinach
- Malanga/Taro
- Moringa leaves and pods
- New Zealand Spinach
- Okra
- Pigeon Peas
- Roselle (Sorrel/Hibiscus) calyces
- Sweet Potatoes
- Yams
Garden Maintenance:
- Monitor irrigation during dry season
- Remove any plants finished from rainy season
- Prepare beds for new plantings
- Check for dry season pests
December
Sow Outdoors:
- Amaranth (Callaloo)
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beans (Long/Yard-Long/Asparagus)
- Beans (Winged/Goa)
- Bitter Melon
- Chinese Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Edible-Podded Peas
- Kangkong (Water Spinach)
- Luffa
- Malabar Spin
Vegetable Gardening Guide Resources
Martin Cole has been an avid plant lover and gardener for more than 20 years and loves to talk and write about gardening. In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year competition. He is a member of the National dahlia Society.
He previously lived in London and Sydney, Australia, where he took a diploma course in Horticultural studies and is now based in North Berwick in Scotland. He founded GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012. The website is aimed at everybody who loves plants or has been bitten by the gardening bug and wants to know more.
Gardening Step by Step has been cited by Thompson and Morgan, the UK’s largest mail order plant retailer, as a website that publishes expert gardening content.