Grow vegetables in
your kitchen garden
DO soaring vegetable prices inspire
you to do something about them? You must have vowed to
grow some in your backyard and have, perhaps, already
started. Growing vegetables on your own will give you
pleasure besides helping you to economise. Freshness and
nutrition are intact. Each piece of vegetable that grows
in your garden should be excellent. How can you achieve
that?
Besides garden pests,
there are other factors which, when taken care of, make
all the difference. Unlike in summer, there is a wide
range of winter vegetables radish, turnip, carrot,
potato, cauliflower, cabbage, beet-root (chukandar),
Knol-khol (Bandh-gobhi), dhania, pudina
etc. besides exotic types like broccolli, brussel
sprouts, lettuce, celery, leek, and asparagus.
Cultural and agronomic
practices make a lot of difference. The general
impression is that a liberal use of water will increase
the output. But in certain crops it causes more harm than
good. For example, peas do not need much watering. They
hardly need three watering throughout the life of the
crop or else there is rotting of the roots. Root crops
like radish, turnip and beetroot need light watering and
should preferably be grown on ridges.
Watering between ridges
reduces the incidence of leaf diseases and rotting of
fruit due to contact with water. This also does not mean
that these crops should be subjected to a water stress.
Such conditions at the development stage adversely effect
the size, quality and weight of the fruit. The roots of
radish, turnip and carrot become rough bitter and uneven.
At the same time, heavy and excessive watering leads to
forked and mis-shapen roots. Carrots, in comparison,
should be given less water. Heavily watered carrots,
planted in plain beds, and at less distance give
excessive leaves, become hairy and the root quality
suffers.
Irregular watering or
flooding after excessive drying may cause the splitting
of the cabbage heads and onions. Pudina flourishes
well near a water source. Pudina, dhania and
lettuce could be sown on the ridges between two beds.
This way you will be able to save space.
Farmyard manure is
indispensable. Its application in case of vegetables
should be a few days before sowing. Use of fresh farmyard
manure leads to formation of rough and branched roots.
For the improvement in quality of carrots and to get
long, cylinderical roots, use of potash is beneficial.
Among various types of gobhi the cauliflower is more
demanding than knol-khol which otherwise becomes hard and
loses tenderness. Cauliflower is prized for its hard curd
(edible portion) and its snow white colour. But does the
one in your garden turn yellow and dull?
Cauliflower grown in
exposed conditions may show the effect of being exposed
to the sun and turn yellow. Pluck one of its own leaf and
cover the curd with it. You can also do it by bending one
of its own leaf on it. You will get a sparkling white
flower.
A proper distance should
be maintained between rows and plants. Brinjal and tomato
when grown close, reach a height. For want of light, they
tend to get overcrowded. Do not always think that
vegetable growing is a dull hobby. It has an ornamental
aspect too. Grow ornamental tomatoes (cherry tomatoes) in
a basket and then see for yourself. Since it is a weak
vine, the tomato will hang down and you could use the
same basket to grow a matching winter annual.
|