Ube growing calendar for the Philippines
Philippine ube is planted at the onset of the wet season, around May and June, and harvested eight to ten months later. Nationally the harvest peaks October to December: 80% of the crop is in its peak window in October, against 6% in July.
Every figure below is derived from PSA quarterly production for 61 producing provinces, weighted by how much each one actually grows.
When the national crop comes out of the ground
Share of national production whose province is in peak harvest that month. Darker means more of the country is lifting at once.
This is a quarterly calendar on a monthly grid. PSA publishes volume of production by quarter, so the three months inside a quarter necessarily carry the same value. It is accurate at quarter resolution. Read it as a seasonal shape rather than a month-by-month forecast.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) OpenSTAT — Vegetables and Root Crops: Volume of Production and Area Planted/Harvested, by Region, Province, Quarter and Semester, 2010-2026. Commodity: Ubi (Greater yam). National 2025: 12,180 tonnes from 2,317 hectares.
The planting year
- 1
Land preparation
March to AprilMounding and trellis material gathered before the rains arrive.
- 2
Planting
May to JuneSetts go in at the onset of the wet season, when there is enough soil moisture for cuttings to establish. Planted dry and they struggle; planted late and the growing window shortens before the dry-season harvest.
- 3
Vine growth and tuber formation
June to OctoberThe vine climbs, then the plant redirects energy underground. Starch and aroma accumulate on a biological timetable that cannot be hurried.
- 4
Harvest
October to FebruaryThe vine yellows and dies back, which is the signal. Lifting is manual, tuber by tuber.
Not every province peaks in the same quarter
The national shape hides real regional spread. If you are buying, this is where off-season supply comes from. If you are growing, it is who you will be standing beside at the buyer.
These percentages count each province once, under its single heaviest quarter, so they sum to 100. The month grid above counts a province in every month its calendar marks as peak, and several provinces peak twice. That is why January to March reads high on the grid while the first quarter holds a small share here: Bohol, which alone is nearly a third of national output, marks both the fourth and the first quarter as peak.
Fourth quarter, October to December
30 provinces · 80% of national outputFirst quarter, January to March
12 provinces · 8% of national outputSecond quarter, April to June
11 provinces · 9% of national outputThird quarter, July to September
8 provinces · 4% of national outputFrequently asked
When is ube harvest season in the Philippines?
Nationally the peak runs October to December. Weighted by production, 80% of the Philippine ube crop is in its peak harvest window during October, against 6% in July. A second wave runs January to March, carried mainly by Bohol, whose calendar marks both windows as peak.
When is ube in season?
Fresh Philippine ube is most widely available from October through February, with the heaviest volume in November and December. Outside that window supply thins and prices firm, which is why processed forms such as powder and frozen carry the off-season.
When should I plant ube in the Philippines?
Ube is planted at the onset of the wet season, typically May to June, so cuttings have the soil moisture to establish. Planting in the dry season leads to poor establishment; planting late shortens the growing window before the dry-season harvest months.
How long between planting and harvest?
Eight to ten months for most commercial cultivars, longer for heirloom varieties such as Kinampay, which commonly run ten to twelve. The cycle cannot be meaningfully shortened, so the planting month decides the selling month.
Does every province harvest at the same time?
No, and this is the part most calendars miss. 30 of 61 producing provinces peak in the fourth quarter, but 12 peak in the first, 11 in the second and 8 in the third. Laguna and Nueva Vizcaya, for instance, both peak in the second quarter.
Why do ube prices fall at harvest?
Because the concentration is extreme. Roughly four fifths of national production peaks in the same quarter, so most farms reach a buyer in the same few weeks. Supply arrives together, and the price reflects it.
Is this calendar monthly or quarterly?
Quarterly, drawn on a monthly grid. PSA publishes volume of production by quarter, not by month, so the three months inside a quarter carry the same value here. It is accurate at quarter resolution and should not be read as a month-by-month forecast.
Work out your own window
The national calendar tells you who else is selling. The calculator tells you when your own crop arrives.