I’m bringing all sorts of vegetable seeds with me to Malawi. With a bit of luck the tomato vines will take over and produce more tomato’s than anyone knows what to do with. Why don’t invasive species work like that?
I went a little overboard and ordered 19 different seed packs. I brought many varieties of tomato’s, peppers, peas, spinach, okra, and asparagus. I have a bit of experience of growing veggies from some time I spent working in permaculture and aquaponics in the bahamas but I’m a bit rusty. Part of the trouble is that first hand experience and observation are key to successful gardening. Observation is tough when you are only around for a single season. In any case I’ll do my best and see what grows.
I’ve already signed up for a local veggie box from a group of permaculture people so if nothing grows there will still be fresh veggies. There are a number of permaculture groups in Malawi, some of which are close to Lilongwe.
So far I’ve found, http://www.kusamala.org , http://wikimapia.org/12888957/Four-Seasons , http://www.neverendingfood.org , http://www.nrc.mw/consultancy.htm
It looks like we’ll be arriving towards the end of the dry season. Hopefully that means I’ll be able to get some plants started indoors before the rainy season.
Climate/Seasons
The following chart shows the average high and low temperatures for each month of the year for Lilongwe. The temperatures are shown in Fahrenheit.
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
June
|
July
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
|
63/79
|
62/80
|
61/80
|
58/79
|
52/78
|
47/75
|
47/74
|
48/77
|
53/82
|
58/86
|
62/85
|
63/81
|
Average rainfall (inched). The following chart shows the average rainfall in inches for each month of the year in Lilongwe. These amounts will vary according to the year and location.
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
June
|
July
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
|
8.70
|
7.70
|
5.90
|
1.90
|
0.40
|
0.10
|
0.10
|
0
|
0.10
|
0.50
|
3.20
|
8.00
|
Malawi's tropical climate is moderated across much of the country by altitude. There are two seasons in Malawi. The dry season last from April through November and the wet season is from December through March. Even in the wet season, the rains are usually short-lived storms typical of the tropics.
Although May to October is often described as the ideal time to travel to Malawi, the rainy season is attractive for the display of orchids on Nyika Plateau, for birdwatching and seeing lush vegetation.