Mid-February to March 31 a prime window for cultivation of summer vegetable

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Feb, 2026) The agriculture experts urged the farmers to take advantage of mid-February to March 31 as it is sowing window for summer vegetables and in this connection, the agriculture department Punjab has issued crop-specific guidance to help maximize yield, improve quality and promote household kitchen gardening across the province.

A spokesman of Agriculture (Extension) Department said that the growers could cultivate summer vegetables including bitter gourd, bottle gourd, round gourd, ridge gourd, okra, sponge gourd, brinjal, tomato, green chilli, capsicum, pumpkin and cucumber during the ongoing sowing window. A temperature from 20 to 35 degrees Celsius is most suitable for healthy growth and optimum production, he added.

He said that well-drained loamy soil enriched with organic matter provides ideal conditions for vegetable cultivation. Incorporating well-decomposed farmyard manure a few days before sowing further improves soil fertility and enhances crop performance, he added.

He advised the farmers to use certified seed varieties with a germination rate of not less than 80 percent and urged them to consult local agricultural experts of Punjab Agriculture Department for selecting climate-resilient varieties with improved resistance against pests and diseases.

Regarding transplanting, he said that tomato and chilli crops should be raised through nursery seedlings and shifted to the field at the recommended spacing in consultation with local field staff when the seedlings attain an age of 30 to 35 days.

For better productivity, he recommended sowing bitter gourd, bottle gourd, round gourd, sponge gourd, pumpkin and cucumber on one side of ridges while okra and ridge gourd should be planted on both sides of the ridges to achieve improved results.

Encouraging small-scale cultivation, he also advised for growing seasonal vegetables under kitchen gardening at home gardens or even in pots on rooftops, enabling families to access fresh and healthy produce according to their needs.