This month's plant list is the planting calendar, not a guess from the season names. Open Plant now for the current month, or pick a location in the planting calendar.
A pot still needs a stored container figure. The container planner checks volume and depth only when those numbers are on file. The seed calculator counts plants from stored spacing.
Stored seasons for the Colombo sample
The month names below are the stored rainfall and cropping ranges. They are not averaged into one wet season and one dry season.
Low Country Wet Zone
First inter-monsoon · rainfall · March–April
Department of Meteorology Climate Seasons heading: March-April. A later paragraph on the same page says this inter-monsoon runs from March until mid-May. That second bound is not stored.
Official sourceUnverified — based on Climate of Sri Lanka, Department of Meteorology, accessed 2026-10-20: https://meteo.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=310&lang=en; confirm for your microclimate.
Southwest monsoon · rainfall · May–September
Department of Meteorology Climate Seasons heading: May-September. A later paragraph on the same page says mid-May to October. That second bound is not stored. The page says the southwestern coastal belt receives 1000-1600 mm during this five-month period. It does not give that total for a Colombo station. Colombo is named for daytime humidity above 70 percent all year, almost 90 percent in June.
Official sourceUnverified — based on Climate of Sri Lanka, Department of Meteorology, accessed 2026-10-20: https://meteo.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=310&lang=en; confirm for your microclimate.
Second inter-monsoon · rainfall · October–November
Department of Meteorology Climate Seasons heading: October-November.
Official sourceUnverified — based on Climate of Sri Lanka, Department of Meteorology, accessed 2026-10-20: https://meteo.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=310&lang=en; confirm for your microclimate.
Northeast monsoon · rainfall · December–February
Department of Meteorology Climate Seasons heading: December-February. A later paragraph on the same page says December to March. That second bound is not stored.
Official sourceUnverified — based on Climate of Sri Lanka, Department of Meteorology, accessed 2026-10-20: https://meteo.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=310&lang=en; confirm for your microclimate.
Yala (FAO) · agricultural · March–August
The FAO-hosted Department of Agriculture report calls Yala (southwest monsoon) the dry season from March to August. The National Drought Plan uses April-September. Both pairs are stored. They are not averaged.
Official sourceUnverified — based on Improvement of plant nutrient management for better farmer livelihood, food security and environment in Sri Lanka, J.D.H. Wijewardena, Department of Agriculture, hosted by FAO, accessed 2026-10-20: https://www.fao.org/4/ag120e/AG120E12.htm; confirm for your microclimate.
Maha (FAO) · agricultural · September–February
The FAO-hosted Department of Agriculture report calls Maha (northeast monsoon) the wet season and the major cropping season from September to February. The National Drought Plan uses October-March. Both pairs are stored. They are not averaged.
Official sourceUnverified — based on Improvement of plant nutrient management for better farmer livelihood, food security and environment in Sri Lanka, J.D.H. Wijewardena, Department of Agriculture, hosted by FAO, accessed 2026-10-20: https://www.fao.org/4/ag120e/AG120E12.htm; confirm for your microclimate.
Yala (National Drought Plan) · agricultural · April–September
National Drought Plan: Yala is April-September. April-June rainfall is described as the secondary cultivation season. The FAO-hosted report uses March-August. Not averaged.
Official sourceUnverified — based on National Drought Plan for Sri Lanka, Ministry of Environment, September 2020, accessed 2026-10-20: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/country_profile_documents/NDP%20of%20Sri%20Lanka-Final%20Report-Sept%202020.pdf; confirm for your microclimate.
Maha (National Drought Plan) · agricultural · October–March
National Drought Plan: Maha is October-March. October-December rainfall initiates the primary cultivation season. The FAO-hosted report uses September-February. Not averaged.
Official sourceUnverified — based on National Drought Plan for Sri Lanka, Ministry of Environment, September 2020, accessed 2026-10-20: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/country_profile_documents/NDP%20of%20Sri%20Lanka-Final%20Report-Sept%202020.pdf; confirm for your microclimate.
Crops with a stored container figure
Tomato, chilli, beans, and the leafy trays below have farmer field container notes. Official crop records for several of these leave container fields empty, so the field note is the size the container planner can use.
Tomato
- Days on the crop record: not stored.
- In-row spacing: not stored.
- Between-row spacing: not stored.
The calendar day count for this crop is a farmer field note, listed below when this guide includes field figures.
Official sourceUnverified — based on HORDI Crop - Tomato, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/hordi-crop-tomato/; confirm for your microclimate.
Chilli pepper
- Days on the crop record: 70–80 days.
- In-row spacing: not stored.
- Between-row spacing: not stored.
Unverified — based on Field Crops – Chilli – Sinhala, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, Sinhala page, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/field-crops-chilli-si/; confirm for your microclimate.
Okra
- Days on the crop record: 50–100 days.
- In-row spacing: 60 cm.
- Between-row spacing: 90 cm.
Unverified — based on HORDI Crop - Okra, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/hordi-crop-okra/; confirm for your microclimate.
Bush bean
- Days on the crop record: 45 days.
- In-row spacing: 15 cm.
- Between-row spacing: 50 cm.
Unverified — based on HORDI Crop - Bean, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/hordi-crop-bean/; confirm for your microclimate.
Bush bean crop pageWhen to plant in ColomboWhen to plant in Low Country Dry Zone
From farmer field experience
Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.
Tomato · Container volume: 15–20 L
One plant. The container planner uses 15 L, the low end of this range, as the minimum.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Tomato · Container diameter or width: 30 cm
Pot diameter about 30 cm.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Tomato · Container depth: 35 cm
Pot depth about 35 cm. The container planner uses this depth as the minimum depth.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Tomato · Plants in that container: 1
One plant in that pot.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Chilli pepper · Container volume: 10–15 L
One plant. The container planner uses 10 L, the low end, as the minimum.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Chilli pepper · Container diameter or width: 25 cm
Pot diameter about 25 cm.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Chilli pepper · Container depth: 30 cm
Pot depth about 30 cm.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Chilli pepper · Plants in that container: 1
One plant in that pot.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Bush bean · Container volume: 10 L
Two or three plants.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Bush bean · Container diameter or width: 25 cm
Pot diameter about 25 cm.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Bush bean · Container depth: 25 cm
Pot depth about 25 cm.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Bush bean · Plants in that container: 2–3
Plants in that pot.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.