What is a crop calendar?
A crop calendar is a schedule of farm work through the year: when each crop is sown, when it is ready to harvest, and when it is dried, stored or processed. It depends on rainfall, temperature and soil, so a calendar for Mulshi, with its heavy monsoon, looks different from one for dry Marathwada.
Farmers use it to plan seed, water and labour. As a visitor, it tells you what you will see on a farm in the month you go.
India's three crop seasons
| Season | Sowing | Harvest | Common crops in Maharashtra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kharif (monsoon) | June to July | September to October | Rice, jowar, bajra, ragi, maize, soybean, groundnut, tur, cotton |
| Rabi (winter) | October to December | February to April | Wheat, rabi jowar, gram (chana), safflower, winter vegetables |
| Zaid (summer) | March to April | May to June | Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, gourds, fodder crops |
The Farmstead crop calendar, month by month
Sowing, harvest and processing months for the crops on our farm in Kharawade, Mulshi. Months are approximate and shift a few weeks with the rains each year.
| Crop | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphonso mango | Apr | May | Jun |
| Jackfruit | Apr | May | Jun |
| Bitter gourd | Apr to May | Jun to Aug | Aug to Oct |
| Bottle gourd | Apr to May | Jun to Aug | Aug to Oct |
| Ridge gourd | Apr to May | Jun to Aug | Aug to Oct |
| Snake gourd | Apr to May | Jun to Aug | Aug to Oct |
| Chillies | Apr to May | Jun to Aug | Aug to Oct |
| Cucumbers | Apr to May | Jun to Aug | Aug to Oct |
| Marigold | May to Jun | Jul to Sep | Sep to Nov |
| Turmeric | Jun to Aug | Sep to Dec | Jan to Mar |
| Ragi (nachni) | Jun to Jul | Aug to Oct | Oct to Dec |
| Groundnut | Jun to Jul | Aug to Sep | Sep to Oct |
| Sweet potato | Jun to Jul | Aug to Sep | Sep to Oct |
| Yam (kand) | Jun to Jul | Aug to Sep | Sep to Oct |
| Muskmelon | Jun | Jul to Aug | Aug to Sep |
| Toor dal (pigeon pea) | Jul to Sep | Oct to Dec | Jan to Feb |
| Horse gram (kulith) | Sep | Oct to Nov | Nov to Dec |
| Lima beans (pavta) | Sep | Oct to Nov | Nov to Dec |
| Cabbage | Dec to Jan | Feb to Mar | Apr to May |
| Capsicum | Dec to Jan | Feb to Mar | Apr to May |
| Radish | Dec to Jan | Feb to Mar | Apr to May |
| Watermelon | Jan | Feb to Mar | Mar to Apr |
What you will see on the farm, by season
- June to September (monsoon): sowing of ragi, groundnut, sweet potato and yam, gourds ready to pick, green fields and waterfalls around Mulshi.
- October to December (post-monsoon): harvest of ragi, groundnut and marigold, turmeric growing, horse gram and lima beans sown.
- January to March (winter): cabbage, radish and capsicum harvested, watermelon planted, turmeric and toor dal processed.
- April and May (summer): Alphonso mangoes and jackfruit ready, gourds and chillies planted for the monsoon.
Want to see a crop at a particular stage? Message us on WhatsApp before you come and we will tell you what is in the fields that week.
Read more about agro tourism activities or life on the farm.
Questions
What is a crop calendar?
A crop calendar is a month-by-month schedule of when each crop is sown, harvested and processed in a region. Farmers use it to plan work, water and labour, and visitors can use it to know what they will see on a farm in a given month.
What are the crop seasons in India?
India has three crop seasons: kharif, sown with the monsoon in June and July and harvested from September to October; rabi, sown from October to December and harvested from February to April; and zaid, a short summer season from March to June.
Which crops grow in the kharif season in Maharashtra?
Kharif crops in Maharashtra include rice, jowar, bajra, ragi (nachni), maize, soybean, groundnut, tur (pigeon pea), moong, urad and cotton. In Mulshi, paddy and ragi are the main monsoon crops on the hill slopes and valley fields.
Which crops grow in the rabi season in Maharashtra?
Rabi crops in Maharashtra include wheat, rabi jowar, gram (chana), safflower and winter vegetables such as cabbage, radish and capsicum.
What is the best month to see harvesting on a farm near Pune?
October and November, when the monsoon crops such as paddy, ragi and groundnut are harvested. February and March are good for winter vegetables, and May is mango and jackfruit season.
Spend a day or a night on the farm
The Farmstead is a 6 acre agro tourism farm on the Mutha river in Kharawade, Mulshi, about an hour from Pune. Day outings run 8 AM to 6 PM with three meals; stays include all meals.