What to plant in September in Ecuador
18 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in September in Ecuador, for the climate around Coastal Guayas and Manabí, Ecuador (near Guayaquil).
Climate: Hot equatorial lowland with no frost, about 19 to 35 °C year-round, a wet season from January to April and again in September and October, and a dry spell from June to August and in November and December that calls for irrigation.
Vegetables
Bush bean Phaseolus vulgaris
Quick, reliable beans grow well in the warm lowlands and can be sown in either wet or dry months.
Harvest: 55–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
Okra loves heat and tolerates dry spells, making it ideal for the coastal lowlands.
Harvest: 55–65 daysEasyIn pots
Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas
Tropical warmth and the rainy season produce abundant tubers from cuttings with little care.
Harvest: 90–150 daysEasy
Pumpkin Cucurbita moschata
Warm, humid weather suits this squash, which is vigorous and stores well after the rains.
Harvest: 90–110 daysEasy
Cassava Manihot esculenta
Drought-tolerant and heat-loving, cassava gives starchy roots in the warm lowlands.
Harvest: 8–12 monthsEasy
Swiss chard Beta vulgaris
Chard tolerates the warmth better than most leafy greens and can be picked over many weeks.
Harvest: 50–60 daysModerateIn pots
Fruits
Banana Musa acuminata
Constant heat and rainfall suit bananas, which fruit reliably with no winter minimum to worry about.
Harvest: 9–12 monthsEasyCare guide →
Papaya Carica papaya
Frost-free warmth lets papaya fruit almost year-round, with good drainage and watering in dry months.
Harvest: 8–10 monthsEasyIn potsCare guide →
Pineapple Ananas comosus
Pineapple tolerates the dry spells and heat of the coastal lowlands, grown from crowns or suckers.
Harvest: 18–24 monthsEasyIn pots
Passion fruit Passiflora edulis
A vigorous vine that bears well in the warm climate, with trellising handling the rainy season.
Harvest: 10–14 monthsModerateIn potsCare guide →
Lime Citrus aurantiifolia
Lime is frost-free here, bears fruit throughout the year, and grows well in a sunny yard or a large pot.
Harvest: 2–3 yearsEasyIn pots
Mango Mangifera indica
Hot lowland temperatures and a dry spell help mango flower and set fruit reliably.
Harvest: 3–5 yearsModerateCare guide →
Guava Psidium guajava
A hardy tropical tree that thrives in heat and tolerates both wet and dry seasons.
Harvest: 2–3 yearsEasyIn pots
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Basil loves the year-round warmth and sun, and grows quickly in beds or pots.
Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
Coriander prefers the cooler, drier months, and bolts quickly during the hottest rainy weeks.
Harvest: 40–50 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Mint Mentha spicata
Spearmint spreads vigorously in warm, moist conditions and grows well in containers.
Harvest: 60–75 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus
Lemongrass grows fast in heat and rain and can be harvested for months from divisions.
Harvest: 4–6 monthsEasyIn potsCare guide →
Welsh onion Allium fistulosum
Hardy and quick, Welsh onion copes with the heat and humidity and can be cut repeatedly.
Harvest: 60–90 daysEasyIn pots