Introduction: The Warm-Up for Summer
This Jan–Mar window is the dynamic period where we shift from harvesting the cool-weather crops (6.1.1) to planting the high-energy, heat-loving summer champions. The days get steadily longer and warmer, triggering explosive growth in vining and fruiting plants.
We present this specialized data drawn from two decades of successful rooftop farming, giving you a proven roadmap. Feel free to use this as your authoritative starting point, or, true to the spirit of self-discovery, embark on your own experiments.
Fun Nugget: This is the season of the "Gourd Race!" Where winter crops grow slow and steady, these summer vines take off like rockets. Within a few weeks of sprouting, you will need your trellises (1.5.3.2) ready. Watching a small seedling turn into a vine covering a 6 foot trellis in a single month is one of the most satisfying rewards of the rooftop year.
What to Grow: The Spring/Summer Sowing List
The Jan-Mar period is ideal for starting the vining and fruiting crops that will produce through the summer heat.
| Crop Category | Recommended Crops | Why They Thrive Now |
| Gourds & Melons | Bottle Gourd (Lauki), Ridge Gourd (Torai), Cucumber, Bitter Gourd (Karela), Watermelon (Small varieties). | The increasing warmth and sunlight perfectly meet their high-energy requirements for rapid growth and flowering. |
| Fruiting Vegetables | Okra (Bhindi), Cluster Bean (Gawar Phali), Brinjal (Eggplant), Early Tomato varieties. | These plants are highly tolerant of the strong sun and heat that will follow in April-May. Starting them now gives them time to establish deep roots. |
| Heat-Tolerant Herbs | Basil, Mint, Lemongrass. | Mint and Lemongrass thrive in the relentless summer heat, offering an incredibly reliable supply for kitchen needs throughout the season. |
Fun Fact Nugget (The Okra Obsession)
Our in-house experience with thousands of rooftop setups shows that Okra (Bhindi) sown in February is often the most reliable crop of the entire year. It is disease-resistant, loves the strong sun, and provides an astonishingly continuous yield. If you can only plant one summer crop, make it Okra—it guarantees satisfaction!
