What to plant in January in Philippines
13 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in January in Philippines, for the climate around Luzon, Philippines (near 15°N, 121°E).
Climate: Tropical and frost-free all year, with a drier season from December to May (hot days up to 38 °C) and a heavy monsoon from June to November, when August can bring over 600 mm of rain.
Vegetables
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Grows best in the cooler, drier months from November to February, and rain-fed beds in the wet season need careful disease control.
Harvest: 60–90 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Eggplant Solanum melongena
Heat-loving and productive through the dry season, with no frost to limit it.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Sweet pepper Capsicum annuum
Thrives in the warm dry season, and seedlings are easy to buy locally.
Harvest: 70–100 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Yardlong bean Vigna unguiculata
A heat-tolerant climber that fixes nitrogen and copes with both wet and dry spells.
Harvest: 55–75 daysEasyIn pots
Cucumber Cucumis sativus
Quick-growing in the dry season, and trellised vines suit a balcony or small bed.
Harvest: 50–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Squash Cucurbita moschata
Tolerates heat and humidity and stores well after harvest.
Harvest: 90–120 daysEasy
Pechay Brassica rapa
A fast leafy green that bolts less in the cooler dry months from October to February.
Harvest: 30–45 daysEasyIn pots
Ampalaya Momordica charantia
A bitter gourd that thrives on heat and needs a trellis in the dry season.
Harvest: 60–80 daysModerateIn pots
Fruits
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
Sweetest when grown in the hot, dry season from December to March.
Harvest: 80–100 daysModerate
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Thrives in warm sun and is easy to grow from seed in pots.
Harvest: 30–45 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Spring onion Allium fistulosum
Tolerates the warm nights and cooler dry months with minimal care.
Harvest: 50–60 daysEasyIn pots
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
Bolts quickly in heat, so it is best sown in the cooler dry months from October to February.
Harvest: 45–60 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Spearmint Mentha spicata
A vigorous perennial that does well in pots and benefits from partial shade in the dry heat.
Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →