Turn your terrace or balcony into an urban vegetable garden. Growing garden edibles directly from seeds has many benefits.
Start by deciding what veggies you want to grow
There are vegetables that can be harvested in 1-1.5 months, and then there are those that take 2-3 months. For a beginner, the recommendation is to start with vegetables that are quick-growing. These include:
Spinach
Methi
Coriander
Mint
Lettuce
Radish
Some long-term vegetables are:
Tomatoes
Brinjal
Capsicum
Chilli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Most vegetables do best in soil rich with organic matter. Adding materials such as compost or earthworm castings can help provide your garden with the organic materials it needs. Layer 3 to 4 inches of compost on top of your garden, and then incorporate it down into the soil several inches. Mix it in well, smooth it out, and you're set for simple seeds.
STEPS TO GROW
Pick the planters:
Fill up the pot/planter with 3/4th with a mixture of coco peat, mature, red soil. It makes gardening effortless and lighter. Furthermore, it provides a porous media to plant roots.
The size and shape of planters will vary with the type of vegetable grown. Check out individual vegetable grow guides to help you choose a planter for a specific vegetable.
Sow the seeds:
At the moment first thing to note is that except for root vegetables, coriander and fenugreek, all the other seeds should be grown in a small container initially. Place a single seed in each hole. Then sprinkle some cocopeat to cover the seeds for germination. Sprinkle a small amount of water to keep them moist. Monitor the progress daily. Be careful of keeping the cocopeat moist but not waterlogged.
Transplantation:
When the seedlings become 2-3 inches tall bearing a set of seed leaves and true leaves, it indicates that it is time to transplant the seedlings into a bigger pot.
Feed the plant with nutrients and water. Either use organic manure or nutrient solution to provide necessary growth nutrients to satiate the growing needs of the plant.
Care until the harvest:
All vegetables fall prey to pests as they give fruits, edible leaves, etc. You need to regularly spray foliar nutrients and neem oil. This will ensure regular nutrients for the plants to give healthy vegetables
Harvest:
The sweet fruit of our hard work is ready in the form of fresh and aromatic garden vegetables! The long-awaited moment is reaping the crop. The technique and time of harvesting vary with the nature of crops.
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