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What to grow in summer: a planting guide for India
Enough to feed a family of five through the hot months — what to plant, how far apart, how many, and what to pair it with. The summer kitchen garden, organised.
Summer in India is hot work for a garden, so the secret is in the preparation. Start with a roughly 30 sq m patch, dig it 8–10 inches deep and sift out the stones, then feed it generously — 30 kg compost, 15 kg cocopeat to hold water, and 0.5 kg rock phosphate. Level it into 3 ft beds with 1 ft paths, and mulch thickly: that blanket of dry leaves is what carries the soil through the heat.
Then it’s a matter of planting the right crops at the right spacing. The table below is sized to feed a family of five, with companion pairings that help each other along — leafy greens shading roots, tall crops sheltering tender ones. Water deeply at dawn or dusk, keep the mulch topped up, and a fierce Indian summer becomes a productive one — all on strictly organic lines.
Pick a sunny, drained spot
Choose a well-draining area with at least 6 hours of direct sun. Mark out about 30 sq m for a family of five and clear it by hand.
Dig deep, sift stones
Dig 8–10 inches deep, break up the clods and pull out the large stones so roots can run.
Amend the soil
Work in 30 kg well-rotted compost, 15 kg cocopeat (for water-holding) and 0.5 kg rock phosphate (slow-release phosphorus). Mix it through evenly.
Build the beds
Level it and form raised beds 3 ft wide with a 1 ft path between them — easy reach, good airflow and drainage.
Mulch heavily
Lay 2–3 inches of dry leaves, straw or grass clippings over the soil to lock in moisture and smother weeds through the heat.
Plant by the table, then tend
Sow or transplant at the spacings below, pairing the companions listed. Water deeply at the base, early morning or late evening, and top up the mulch as it thins.
Summer planting table (family of five)
- Bhindi (okra) — 10 in apart · 50–52 plants · full sun · with water spinach
- Beans (vaal) — 36 in · 6–8 plants · full sun · with red amaranth
- Chillies — 18 in · 10–12 plants · full sun · with Brazilian spinach
- Brinjal — 18 in · 12–15 plants · full sun · with Brazilian spinach
- Malabar spinach — 36 in · 3–5 plants · full sun · with red amaranth
- Brazilian spinach — 12 in · 18–20 plants · partial shade · with brinjal & chilli
- Red amaranth — 12 in · 20–25 plants · full sun · with beans & spinach
- Water spinach / sweet-potato greens — 8 in · 20–22 plants · partial shade · with bhindi & brinjal
- Gourds (bottle, ridge, snake, bitter, ash, pumpkin) — 36 in · 10–12 plants · full sun · with red amaranth or any leafy veg
Frequently asked questions
How often should I water in summer?
Deeply every 2–3 days, adjusted for rain. Water early morning or late evening to cut evaporation and plant stress.
Can I sow seeds straight into the beds?
Hardy crops like gourds and beans germinate well direct-sown; delicate ones like chillies and brinjal do better raised in a nursery first.
What organic pest control works in summer?
Neem-oil spray, a garlic-chilli emulsion, yellow sticky traps and pheromone traps, plus flowering plants to draw in beneficial insects.
Why rock phosphate?
It’s a slow-release phosphorus source for roots, flowering and fruiting — one application at bed prep lasts the season, and our acidic soils help unlock it.