What to plant in August in Nigeria
14 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in August in Nigeria, for the climate around Cotonou area, southern Benin.
Climate: Hot, humid and frost-free all year, with nights never below 20 °C; the main rains fall from April to July and again in September and October, with a short dry spell from November to March.
Vegetables
Chili pepper Capsicum annuum
Warm nights and steady heat suit it, and it thrives in containers on a balcony.
Harvest: 70–100 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Eggplant Solanum melongena
It loves the constant warmth and produces well through the wet months.
Harvest: 75–100 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
A heat-loving crop that copes well with humidity and gives pods quickly.
Harvest: 50–60 daysEasy
Amaranth Amaranthus cruentus
Fast-growing leafy greens that tolerate heat and rain and can be cut repeatedly.
Harvest: 30–45 daysEasyIn pots
Cowpea Vigna unguiculata
A traditional rain-season legume that fixes its own nitrogen and tolerates heat.
Harvest: 60–75 daysEasy
Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas
Cuttings root readily in warm, moist soil and yield well in the rainy season.
Harvest: 90–120 daysEasy
Maize Zea mays
Grows fast in the heat and rain, and sweetcorn is easy to raise from seed.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasy
Cucumber Cucumis sativus
Quick to crop in warm weather, especially on a trellis in a container.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
West African pumpkin Cucurbita moschata
Vigorous in heat and rain and stores well for months after harvest.
Harvest: 90–110 daysEasy
Bitter gourd Momordica charantia
A vine that enjoys hot, humid weather and needs a trellis for good yields.
Harvest: 60–80 daysModerateIn pots
Jute mallow Corchorus olitorius
A traditional leafy vegetable that flourishes in the heat and rain.
Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn pots
Fruits
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
Ripens best in the dry-season heat when sown early, with irrigation.
Harvest: 70–90 daysModerate
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Thrives in warmth and sun and is easy to grow in a balcony pot.
Harvest: 25–35 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
African basil Ocimum gratissimum
A native clove-scented basil that thrives in heat and humidity.
Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn pots