Planting Calendar for Kolkata, West Bengal — When to Sow What
This is a sowing calendar for Kolkata, West Bengal built around the three Indian growing seasons rather than a single frost date: rabi (cool, roughly October–February), kharif (monsoon, June–September) and the short zaid season between them. Below, 29 vegetables with their sowing and harvest months for north and central India, plus what to do in the current month.
📅 Add these dates to your calendar (.ics) 🌡️ Kolkata frost datesThe .ics file drops every sowing date straight into Google, Apple or Outlook Calendar, each with a reminder two days before — or use your browser’s print option for a paper copy of the table.
Sowing and harvest dates for Kolkata
Sowing months come from regional practice for north and central India, where the monsoon rather than frost sets the calendar. Where a crop shows two sowing windows, both are real — one before the monsoon and one after it.
| Crop | Sow | Harvest | Days to maturity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomato | June–August · November–December | September–March | 60–85 days |
| 🌶️ Chilli / Pepper | November–January · May–June | February–September | 60–90 days |
| 🌱 Okra | February–March · June–July | May–October | 50–65 days |
| 🥕 Carrot | August–October | November–January | 70–80 days |
| 🍆 Aubergine / Eggplant | January–February · May–June · October–November | April–February | 70–85 days |
| 🌿 Coriander / Cilantro | September–November · February | October–April | 40–50 days |
| 🥔 Potato | October–November | January–March | 90–120 days |
| 🥬 Spinach | September–November · February | November–April | 40–50 days |
| 🌱 Peas | September–November | December–March | 60–70 days |
| 🥦 Cauliflower | June–October | September–January | 60–85 days |
| 🧅 Onion | October–November | March–May | 100–120 days |
| 🥦 Broccoli | September–October | December–February | 60–90 days |
| 🥒 Cucumber | February–March · June–July | May–September | 55–65 days |
| 🥬 Cabbage | September–October | December–February | 60–90 days |
| 🥒 Courgette / Zucchini | February–March · June–July | May–October | 45–60 days |
| 🌰 Radish | August–January | September–February | 25–40 days |
| 🥬 Kale | September–October | November–February | 55–75 days |
| 🌱 French / green beans | February–March · September–October | May–December | 55–65 days |
| 🧄 Garlic | October–November | March–April | 180–240 days |
| 🎃 Pumpkin / winter squash | February–March · June–July | June–November | 90–120 days |
| 🥬 Lettuce | September–November | November–January | 45–55 days |
| 🟣 Beetroot | September–November | December–February | 50–70 days |
| 🍉 Watermelon | February–March | May–June | 80–100 days |
| 🌿 Fenugreek | September–November · February | October–April | 25–40 days |
| 🌽 Sweetcorn | February–March · June–July | June–November | 70–100 days |
| 🥒 Bottle gourd | February–March · June–July | May–October | 60–80 days |
| 🧅 Spring onion / scallion | September–November | November–March | 60–80 days |
| 🥬 Swiss chard | September–November | November–March | 50–60 days |
| 🔴 Turnip | September–November | November–February | 40–60 days |
What to do in Kolkata this month
Where this calendar comes from
Indian sowing windows follow the monsoon, not frost, so this calendar uses regional sowing practice for north and central India rather than the frost arithmetic used on our US and UK city pages. Applying frost maths to a monsoon climate produces confident-looking dates that are simply wrong, so we do not do it.
Two local factors will shift these windows by a couple of weeks in either direction: the monsoon's actual arrival in your district, and altitude. Hill stations run a full season behind the plains at the same latitude, and a late monsoon pushes every kharif sowing back with it.
Free tools that work with this calendar
Frequently asked questions
When should I start a vegetable garden in Kolkata, West Bengal?
In Kolkata the year splits into three sowing seasons rather than one. The rabi (cool) season from about October to February is the most productive window for most vegetables — cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, peas, spinach and coriander all belong here. The kharif (monsoon) season suits gourds, okra and beans that handle heat and heavy rain. The short zaid season between them works for fast summer crops in beds that can be watered reliably.
What can I plant right now in Kolkata, West Bengal?
The table above lists every crop by its sowing months, so find the current month and start there. As a rule: sow leafy greens and root crops as the heat breaks in autumn, sow gourds and okra just before or at the start of the monsoon, and avoid transplanting anything tender into waterlogged soil during the heaviest rain weeks.
Does Kolkata, West Bengal get frost?
See the Kolkata, West Bengal frost-date page for the measured answer from 15 years of local records. Across most of India frost is either absent or limited to a few nights in the north, which is why this calendar is built on monsoon and season timing rather than on frost dates.
How many crops can I grow in one year here?
Two full rounds are normal and three are possible for fast crops. A rabi crop of greens or roots, a kharif crop of gourds or okra, and a quick zaid catch-crop of amaranth or cucumber in between is a realistic yearly plan for one bed — provided the soil is refreshed with compost between rounds, because three crops a year takes far more out of a bed than one.
Planting calendars for nearby places
Frost data: Open-Meteo historical reanalysis, 2011–2025. Crop timing: seed-packet and extension norms. Dates are planning guidance from past weather, not a forecast — always check the current forecast before planting out.
