What to plant in March in Taiwan
21 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in March in Taiwan, for the climate around Yilan and Hualien coast, northeastern Taiwan.
Climate: Subtropical and frost-free, with a mild winter (coldest night 10 °C), a hot humid summer up to 34 °C, and heavy rain from June to November, peaking in June and November.
Vegetables
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Autumn and early spring suit tomatoes, and sheltering the plants from the June and November rains keeps blight down.
Harvest: 70–90 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Sweet pepper Capsicum annuum
Warm days and mild nights give steady fruit set in spring and autumn.
Harvest: 75–100 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Eggplant Solanum melongena
Eggplant thrives in the heat of Taiwan's summers and yields well from spring plantings.
Harvest: 80–100 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Cucumber Cucumis sativus
Warm soil and long days in spring and late summer give fast, heavy cropping.
Harvest: 50–65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas
It loves the hot, humid summers and tolerates the heavy rains better than most root crops.
Harvest: 100–150 daysEasy
Water spinach Ipomoea aquatica
A fast, heat-loving leafy green that grows vigorously in the wet, hot months.
Harvest: 30–45 daysEasyIn pots
Chinese cabbage Brassica rapa
Cool autumn and winter nights suit its growth and head formation.
Harvest: 55–70 daysEasy
Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
It thrives in the hot, humid summers and produces pods all season.
Harvest: 50–65 daysEasyIn pots
Bitter gourd Momordica charantia
A traditional summer vine that copes well with heat and heavy rain.
Harvest: 60–80 daysEasy
Yardlong bean Vigna unguiculata
It fixes nitrogen, climbs easily, and is productive through the warm months.
Harvest: 55–70 daysEasyIn pots
Taro Colocasia esculenta
It needs wet soil and warm humid weather, both of which this climate provides.
Harvest: 180–270 daysModerateIn pots
Fruits
Banana Musa acuminata
Frost-free winters and a hot, wet summer are ideal for banana plants set out in spring.
Harvest: 9–15 monthsModerateCare guide →
Papaya Carica papaya
It fruits fast in warm, humid conditions with no frost to damage it.
Harvest: 8–12 monthsEasyIn potsCare guide →
Guava Psidium guajava
A hardy subtropical tree that tolerates the mild winters and the rainy season.
Harvest: 2–3 yearsEasyIn pots
Passion fruit Passiflora edulis
A vigorous vine that bears heavily in warm, humid summers.
Harvest: 1–2 yearsModerateIn potsCare guide →
Dragon fruit Hylocereus undatus
A cactus that loves the heat and needs little water in the dry spells.
Harvest: 1–2 yearsEasyIn pots
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
Hot days in late spring and early summer ripen the melons well.
Harvest: 70–90 daysModerate
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
It grows lush in warm weather and is easy to keep on a balcony.
Harvest: 30–50 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Spearmint Mentha spicata
Vigorous and rain-tolerant, it spreads well in pots and beds.
Harvest: 60–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus
It thrives in the heat and rain, and a clump gives harvests for years.
Harvest: 120–180 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Perilla Perilla frutescens
A heat-loving herb with aromatic leaves that does well in the wet, hot months.
Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn pots