What are the best days for planting above-ground crops in 2026?

Above-ground crops are sown while the moon is waxing — between the new moon and the full moon. The strongest 2026 above-ground windows for Jamaican gardens are April 17–May 1, May 17–30, September 2–15, October 2–15 and November 1–14 (aligned with the two rainy seasons).

What are the best days for planting below-ground crops in 2026?

Below-ground (root) crops are sown while the moon is waning — between the full moon and the next new moon. The strongest 2026 below-ground windows for Jamaican soil are April 2–16, May 2–16, September 17–30, October 18–30 and November 16–29.

Which crops are above-ground vs below-ground?

Above-ground: callaloo, pak choi, lettuce, cabbage, tomato, pepper, string beans, pigeon peas, corn, pumpkin, cucumber, okra, melons. Below-ground: carrot, beet, radish, onion, dasheen, sweet potato, Irish potato, ginger, turmeric, cassava, yam.

Does moon planting actually work in Jamaica?

In Jamaican backyard gardens the result is reliable even if the mechanism is debated. Waxing-moon mornings tend to be dewier and above-ground seedlings establish faster; waning-moon soil tends to be slightly drier and friendlier to root crops. Combined with Jamaica's rainy windows, the almanac timing beats random sowing.

🌙 Best Days for Planting Above- & Below-Ground Crops in 2026

Seeds Jamaica Growing Guides · Published October 2026 · 6 min read

The Farmers' Almanac has given Jamaican growers two words for 400 years: above-ground and below-ground. Match your crop to the right moon window — then overlay our rainy seasons — and the garden all but plants itself. Here's the full 2026 planting-days guide, Jamaican-style.

The rule in two lines

Above-ground crops (leaves, fruits, legumes, corn, pumpkin): sow while the moon is waxing — new moon → full moon.
Below-ground crops (roots, bulbs, tubers): sow while the moon is waning — full moon → next new moon.

What goes above-ground vs below-ground?

🌱 Above-ground	🥕 Below-ground
Callaloo · pak choi · lettuce · cabbage · broccoli · cauliflower	Carrot · beet · radish · onion · garlic · leek
Tomato · sweet pepper · scotch bonnet · eggplant	Dasheen · sweet potato · Irish potato · ginger · turmeric
String beans · pigeon peas · red peas · gungo	Cassava · yam · coco · arrowroot
Corn · okra · pumpkin · cucumber · melon	Peanut (planted as above-ground, harvested as below)

2026 above-ground planting days — month by month

These are the waxing-moon windows. Pair with our rainy-season months for the strongest results.

January: Jan 1–13 (dry season — only sow if you can irrigate)
February: Jan 29–Feb 12 (dry season)
March: Mar 1–14 (dry, light showers)
April: Mar 30–Apr 13 and Apr 17–May 1 ⭐ (first rains begin — strongest window)
May: May 17–30 ⭐ (deep first-rains window)
June: Jun 15–28 (rains tapering)
July: Jul 14–27 (hot, dry — only if you can water)
August: Aug 13–25 (hot — stick to callaloo, okra, pak choi)
September: Sep 2–15 ⭐ (second rains begin — strongest window of the second half)
October: Oct 2–15 ⭐ (deep second-rains window — see our October 2026 planting-days guide)
November: Nov 1–14 ⭐ (last of the rains + cooling nights — great for Christmas crops)
December: Dec 1–13 and Dec 31 (dry season begins; great for tomato, pepper, lettuce)

2026 below-ground planting days — month by month

These are the waning-moon windows. Root crops especially like the drier side of the moon.

January: Jan 15–28 (good for carrots, radishes in cool season)
February: Feb 14–26 (prime carrot & beet window)
March: Mar 16–28 (last chance before the heat)
April: Apr 2–16 ⭐ (first rains land — plant sweet potato slips)
May: May 2–16 ⭐ (deep root-crop month)
June: Jun 1–14 and Jun 30 (dasheen, yam setts)
July: Jul 1–13 and Jul 29–31 (mid-year ginger, turmeric)
August: Aug 1–12 and Aug 27–31
September: Sep 17–30 ⭐ (second-rains root window)
October: Oct 18–30 ⭐ (prime carrot, beet, radish, onion)
November: Nov 16–29 ⭐ (end-of-rains root crops — into the cool season)
December: Dec 15–30 (dry-season carrots & onions with irrigation)

💡 Jamaica rule of thumb: the almanac tells you which days; the rains tell you which months. Combine both — a waxing-moon day in April rain beats a waxing-moon day in July heat every single time.

How to actually use this calendar

Decide what you want to grow this month.
Sort into above-ground or below-ground.
Find the matching window on the list above.
Check the week's rain forecast — avoid sowing right before a storm.
Sow in the morning, water lightly, and leave the moon and the rain to do the rest.

What if I miss the window?

Nothing dramatic happens. Seeds sown off-almanac still germinate — germination rates in Jamaica are high because our heat is reliable. The almanac just stacks the odds. If you miss a window, sow anyway and water a little more generously for the first fortnight.

Get the seeds to match the moon

All our seeds are hand-packed in Mandeville for Jamaican backyard growers. Browse leafy greens, fruiting vegetables, root vegetables, and Jamaican favorites.

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Want the full-year framework? See the Jamaica Planting Calendar and download the free 2026 Planting Days PDF.