Choosing the plant

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
• Fruits



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