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What to plant in March in Nigeria

15 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in March 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

  • Tomato Solanum lycopersicum

    Sown in the dry season under irrigation, it fruits before the heaviest rains bring disease.

    Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →

  • 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

  • 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 →

  • Bitter gourd Momordica charantia

    A vine that enjoys hot, humid weather and needs a trellis for good yields.

    Harvest: 60–80 daysModerateIn pots

Fruits

  • Papaya Carica papaya

    Frost-free nights and year-round heat let it fruit almost continuously.

    Harvest: 9–12 monthsEasyCare guide →

  • Banana Musa acuminata

    Needs warmth and rain, which this climate supplies in abundance.

    Harvest: 9–12 monthsModerateCare guide →

  • 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

  • Spearmint Mentha spicata

    Vigorous and fragrant in a shaded pot, and it tolerates the humid warmth.

    Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →