• Home
• About Us
• Newsroom
• Speeches
• Galleries
• Contact Us

• jamaica.gov.jm

Eat What We Grow
Choosing Plants for the Backyard Garden

The best place to begin is choosing the plant. In selecting the plant for your garden the family’s tastes, the harvest period and the space required must be taken into account. For the most part, small containers are all we need to begin our garden; then we can expand as our skill sets develop.

Homes with back yards are ideal for growing vine plants such as potato, watermelon and pumpkin. Take note this does not exclude the front yard. Front yard gardens, however, will demand an eye for design and layout to make the garden appealing to passers-by.

Let us turn our focus on the growing period. Vegetables are good plants to begin with because they take 3-6 months to mature. Other options include:

• Legumes & Nuts
• Vegetables
• Condiments
• Starchy Foods
• Fruit

Legumes & Nuts
	Peanut Sowing date April and September Growth time 60 days		Peas & Beans Sowing date April Growth time 60 days
Vegetables
	Asparagus Sowing date Year-round Growth time Second year		Beetroot Sowing date September-January Growth time 40-70 days
	Broccoli Sowing date April-May Growth time 4-5 months		Cabbage Sowing date September-January; grown year round with irrigation Growth time 4-5 months
	Calaloo Sowing date Year-round Growth time 30-60 days		Beetroot Sowing date September-Januarygrown year round Growth time 90 days
	Cauliflower Sowing date Year-round Growth time 4-5 months		Cho-Cho Sowing date Growth time 4-8 months
	Cucumbers Sowing date Year-round Growth time 2-3 months		Eggplants Sowing date Grown year round Growth time 4-5 months
	Lettuce Sowing date Year-round with good water supply Growth time 70-90 days		Okra Sowing dateYear round at low lands; hot months in high areas Growth time 60-90 days
	Pak Choi Sowing date Year-round with good water supply Growth time 60 days		Pumpkin Sowing dateYear round Growth time4-5 months
	Radish Sowing date September-January. Does best at high elevations. Growth time		Sorrel Sowing date Plant in July to be reaped in December to January Growth time 5-6 months
	String beans Sowing date Year-round Growth time 60 days		Okra Sowing dateYear round with irrigation Growth time 4-5 months
	Turnip Sowing date Cool climate essential; grows best at high elevations. Growth time 60-90 days
Condiments
	Escallion Sowing date Year-round Growth time 60-90 days		Garlic Sowing date Growth time 5 months
	Onions Sowing date March-April Growth time 4-5 months		Hot Pepper Sowing dateYear round Growth time 4-5 months
	Sweet (Bell) Pepper Sowing date September to January; prefers high elevation Growth time 60 days		Thyme Sowing dateYear round Growth time 60-90 days
Starchy Foods
	Cassava Sowing date Requires alternating dry and rainy seasons Growth time 9-12 months		Coco Sowing date Growth time 7-9 months
	Corn Sowing date March-May; plant at the start of the rainy season Growth time 2-3 months		Dasheen Sowing date Growth time 7-9 months
	Potatoes (Irish and Sweet) Sowing date April-May Growth time 90-150 days		Yam Sowing date Year orund Growth time 7-10 months
Fruits
	Canteloupe Sowing date September-April Growth time 9-12 months		Paw-paw Sowing date Growth time 10-12 months
	Pineapple Sowing date Growth time 12-13 months		Watermelon Sowing date September-April Growth time 4-5 months

 

 

 

 

All content copyright © 2011 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, all rights reserved.                                                      Last Updated on
Important Notices | Help