Pre Monsoon Vegetables & Greens

Vegetables and greens can be sown all year around according to the Indian Calendar making our climate one of the most conducive to farming. However, it is important to keep weather and changing climate in mind especially in the summer months where temperatures reach their hottest. Interesting, some of the bigger vegetables grow the best in the heat of the summer. Here is a low down on the ones you can plant right away in the humid-heat pre monsoon period of South India.

The Cucurbitaceae family of climber plants grows rapidly in the monsoon season. This includes all gourds, cucumbers and squashes. Similarly, the diverse vegetables of the Nightshade family, Solanaceae, fair well in the warmer wetter soils of the monsoon season.

You can mix and match your plants so that complimentary crops are grown together. For example, onion is often intercropped with the chilli plant. Likewise, okra and brinjal can support the growth of climbers such as cucumber and bitter gourd. Tomato is the most versatile and can be intercropped with all the above. However, it must be kept at a distance from the chilli as these attract the same pests and diseases.

Regardless of your chosen mode or method, treat your kitchen to these delicious homegrown vegetables and enjoy the process of rainy season gardening!