Sowing at the right time is the single biggest reason a home garden succeeds. Here is a simple sowing calendar for the Tamil Nadu plains, based on the growing guides on our seed packets. Hill areas are cooler, so cool-season crops do well there for longer.
Winter sowing (October – January)
The cool, dry months are best for root crops, cole crops and tender greens.
- Root crops: carrot, beetroot, radish, noolkol (kohlrabi), onion
- Vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, beans, capsicum, tomato (November sowing)
- Greens and herbs: palak, coriander, venthaya keerai (fenugreek), lettuce
- Flowers: dahlia, marigold, gladiolus bulbs
Monsoon / Aadi pattam sowing (June – August)
The traditional Aadi pattam season suits fruiting vegetables and climbers.
- Vegetables: tomato, brinjal, chilli, okra (ladies finger), drumstick
- Gourds and climbers: bottle gourd, snake gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, pumpkin, ash gourd, cucumber
- Beans: avarai (bush and pole lablab), cluster beans, karamani
- Fruit and flowers: papaya, balsam
Summer sowing (January – March)
Warm-season crops that love heat and sun.
- Fruits: watermelon, muskmelon
- Vegetables: okra, cucumber and the gourds (they have a second season in summer)
All-season
Keerai such as arai, siru, mulai and thandu keerai, basil, zinnia, vinca, cosmos and sunflower can be sown most of the year. Avoid only the heaviest rain weeks.
Three tips for better germination
- Use a light mix: garden soil, cocopeat and vermicompost in equal parts. See soil and growing media.
- Keep the soil moist but never waterlogged until seeds sprout. A rose-head watering can or drip kit helps.
- Start tomato, brinjal, chilli and cabbage in a seedling tray and transplant them after 4–5 weeks.
Results depend on weather, soil and care. Each seed page on nafco.in has its own depth, spacing and harvest guide. Questions? Message us on WhatsApp at +91 92056 28005.