A monsoon sowing calendar for Indian kitchen gardens

The monsoon is the most generous and the most punishing sowing window of the year. Warm soil and steady moisture germinate almost anything - and then rot it if drainage is poor.

Sow as the rains begin

Okra, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, cowpea, amaranth, marigold. These want heat and water together and grow fast enough to outrun fungal problems.

Hold until the rains ease

Tomato, brinjal, chilli and capsicum are better raised in trays under cover and transplanted once heavy rain has passed. Direct sowing them into a soaked bed usually ends in damping off.

Wait for winter

Carrot, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, coriander, methi. Sown in the wet they bolt or rot.

Drainage beats everything

Raise beds by six inches. In pots, check the drain hole is actually open. More monsoon seedlings are lost to standing water than to any pest.