Vegetable Planting Guide: Best Time to Grow Tomato, Brinjal, Chilli & Okra

Dr. Veenarani
Assistant Director (Rtd.), Department of Agriculture
e-mail: karsha@mm.co.in, veenaraghavan@gmail.com

Let’s know the right time to plant each crop.

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If you choose the right time, you get a good harvest.

Sreenivasan’s dialogue, “Das, there is a time for wheat and for tomatoes,” is a line that one remembers, even if not perfectly. This is also a month like that. The new rains arrive at the end of the long monsoon season from June to August.

Vegetable seedlings ready for monsoon planting including tomato brinjal chilli and okra in raised beds

🌧️ New Rains Mean Seedling Time

This is the time to start cultivation as some local vegetable seeds and seedlings are becoming scarce during September-October, a time when there is a possibility to produce seeds. Especially since these are indispensable in today’s season.

Tomato, brinjal, and such varieties can be planted directly in the fields. Plant seedlings that are 15 to 20 days old at a distance of 20 cm.

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It is good for disease resistance to plant the seedlings after dipping them for an hour in a Pseudomonas solution — 25 grams mixed in 75 ml of water — along with cow dung powder in the planting pit.

🌶️ Best Time for Green Chillies, Okra and Brinjal

The most suitable time to plant green chilies.

This is a suitable time to plant chili varieties like Kanthari, Simla-chili, Piriyan-chili, Undamulaku, chili, Bajji-chili, Maali-chili, Manathakkali, Mullan-vazhuthana, Neelan-vazhuthana, Urunda-vazhuthana, amaranthus, okra, and ivy gourd.

Kanthari

Simla-chili

Piriyan-chili

Undamulaku

Bajji-chili

Maali-chili

Amaranthus

Okra

Ivy gourd

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Seedling Age and Spacing

Seedlings that are 20 to 25 days old can be planted one and a half feet apart.

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Okra Varieties

In the case of okra, varieties like Ver-Cap, Aruna, Salkeerthi, Radhika, and Perad Quintal will grow well.

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Okra Spacing

The seedlings should be planted one foot apart.

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Root Care

Good quality cow dung powder can be added to each pit. To prevent nodules that form on the roots of okra, neem cake can also be given.

🥬 Cold-Season Crops and Curry Leaf Care

Curry leaf: After pruning the plant to a height of 10 cm, add fertilizer and water it a little.

Cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, and amaranthus are crops that give a good yield in the cold season. The main problem with tomatoes is wilt disease.

✅ Plant tomato seedlings that are 25 days old.
✅ Keep a spacing of 2 feet between plants.
✅ Along with applying Pseudomonas, adding lime to the beds is good.
✅ It will increase the strength of the plants.

🥔 Tuber Crops and Legumes to Plant Now

Along with vegetables, it is time to cultivate tuber crops. It is time to plant sweet potato, elephant foot yam, taro, greater yam, ginger, turmeric, koorka, carrot, and beetroot.

This is the best time to plant elephant foot yam. Sprouted pieces can be planted after dipping them for 24 hours in a solution of 25 grams of Pseudomonas mixed in 75 ml of water.

Along with this, legume varieties like yard-long bean, bush bean, winged bean, soybean, pigeon pea, and cowpea can also be cultivated. Prepare the ground well, make beds, and plant the seeds in rows. A distance of 2 feet is needed.

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Dipping them for 24 hours in a solution of 25 grams of Pseudomonas in 75 ml of water will help prevent root rot. Cultivate after sprouting.

Tuber crops and legume seeds planted in prepared raised beds with organic manure and neem cake

Mannuthy-white, Bhagyalakshmi-green, Lola, Malika, Jyothika, Vaijayanthi, and Girija are the bean varieties suitable for our region.

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Fermenting rice water and mixing ash in it before pouring is good. It will reduce the leaf spot disease of beans.

🎃 Cucurbits, Amaranthus, Tomato and Pumpkin Varieties

Similar care can be taken for cucurbitaceous crops. It is time to plant cucumber, ash gourd, pumpkin, bottle gourd, and bitter gourd-ridge gourd.

✅ After two rounds of tilling, make beds.
✅ Add dried cow dung powder and neem cake, mix it, and plant the seeds.
✅ Mixing 20 grams per liter of water and pouring it is also good.
✅ Tilling after adding lime will also resist wilt disease.

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Amaranthus

Among green amaranthus, C.O. One, C.O. Two (red), Arun, Krishnasree (red), and C.O. Three varieties can be planted.

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Tomato

For tomatoes, Sakthi, Mukthi, and Anagha varieties can be chosen.

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Pumpkin

The Suvarna and Ambili varieties of pumpkin are also good.

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Field Preparation

Prepare the bed well with cow dung powder, neem cake, lime where needed, and proper seed placement.

🌅 Best Day and Time to Plant

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Not just Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday are also good. The time of planting is also important. It is better to plant before the daytime sun sets. Planting in the evening is good. This helps the plant to take root.

FAQ

What is the right time to plant tomato, brinjal and chilli seedlings?

The article points to the new rains after the long monsoon season from June to August as a suitable planting window. Tomato, brinjal and related varieties can be planted in the field, while chilli varieties, okra, amaranthus and ivy gourd are also suitable for this period.

How old should vegetable seedlings be before planting?

For tomato, brinjal and similar crops, seedlings that are 15 to 20 days old can be planted at 20 cm spacing. For chilli varieties and many other vegetables, seedlings that are 20 to 25 days old can be planted one and a half feet apart.

Why is Pseudomonas used before planting vegetables?

Pseudomonas is suggested in the article for disease resistance and to help prevent problems such as root rot. Seedlings may be dipped for an hour, while sprouted tuber pieces or legume seeds may be dipped for 24 hours in the mentioned Pseudomonas solution before planting.

Which okra varieties grow well in this season?

The okra varieties mentioned are Ver-Cap, Aruna, Salkeerthi, Radhika and Perad Quintal. The seedlings should be planted one foot apart. Good quality cow dung powder can be added to each pit, and neem cake can be given to help prevent nodules on the roots.

Which tuber crops can be planted along with vegetables?

This is also a suitable time for tuber crops such as sweet potato, elephant foot yam, taro, greater yam, ginger, turmeric, koorka, carrot and beetroot. The article especially notes that this is the best time to plant elephant foot yam using sprouted pieces.

How can leaf spot disease in beans be reduced?

For beans, the article recommends fermenting rice water and mixing ash in it before pouring. This practice is noted as good for reducing leaf spot disease. Suitable bean varieties include Mannuthy-white, Bhagyalakshmi-green, Lola, Malika, Jyothika, Vaijayanthi and Girija.

Is evening a good time to plant vegetable seedlings?

Yes. The article says the time of planting is important, and it is better to plant before the daytime sun sets. Planting in the evening is considered good because it helps the plant take root with less stress after planting.