Gardening is a therapeutic activity. Seeing the plants grow from a seed or a stalk to producing fruits and flowers gives great happiness. Why not try your hand at vegetable gardening? This is a great way to bring pesticide-free vegetables from the farm to the table. If you have a sunny garden place then with some plants and simple tools you can create your vegetable garden.
Steps to make a vegetable garden
Mark the garden space
- Check the direction of the sun. Vegetables need ample sunlight; at least six to eight hours. Choose an open plot without
- Measure the space where you plan to build your vegetable garden. This will help plan the layout, the number of plants to be grown and the watering methods to be incorporated.
- Introduce a water source near your vegetable garden that will take care of the water requirements.
Prepare the soil for the vegetable garden
- Loosen the soil and break the large pieces of soil rockwith a spade fork or shovel.
- Clean the soil by removing all the stones, debris, roots of old plants, garbage and wild plants.
- Check the soil type. If the soil is high on sand or clay, adding compost or manure will provide heaviness and improve its texture. As an estimate, it is good to add around 3 inches of compost to clay soil and around 4 inches to sandy s This will also improve the soil drainage, aiding in plant growth.
What to plant in your vegetable garden?
List of vegetables that you want in your vegetable garden. Most vegetables grow easily in Indian soil. Vegetables, such as tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, brinjal, bitter gourd, drum stick, capsicum, carrots, lady’s finger, spinach and ginger, and popular herbs and spices, like basil, coriander, mint, oregano, chilli and curry leaves, can all be grown effortlessly.
While these can be planted as young plants, you can also grow them from their seeds. To plant the seeds, follow the instructions in the manual.
Vegetable garden: Tips to plant
- Start by making holes by digging on the planned soil patch with a garden trowel. While digging, leave a space of a minimum of 3 ft between two holes so that the plants can easily grow and expand.
- Place the seeds/plants in these holes and cover them with soil and water.
- If you think a plant may need support, harness it with stakes.
Vegetable garden: Tips to water
- Water the plants only when the topsoil is slightly dry. It is a good idea to incorporate drip irrigation so that the plants are not over- or under-
- Water in the afternoon so that the plants have enough water through the night till the next day.
- Take care that only the roots are wet and not the leaves. Wet leaves could lead to fungal infections.
- You can hand-water the roots or use the drip irrigation method. Avoid sprinklers as they may wet the leaves and the fruits, thus, damaging the plants.
- Between two rows, make V-shaped furrows for the water to flow down to the roots.
- Different plants need different kinds of beds. For instance, create doughnut beds around plants, such as tomatoes, to retain water. Create waffle-shaped square beds for plants like beans.
Once the vegetable garden is designed and built, periodically inspect it to check on infections and address them immediately. Once vegetables start blooming, they may attract friendly animals. To discourage them, place mesh around the plants or fence around the garden.
Celebrities who have created a vegetable garden
Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu loves gardening and has a kitchen garden in her house at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
Source: Samantha Ruth Prabhu Instagram
Actor Mammootty spent most of his lockdown days in his farmhouse by engaging in gardening.
Source: Mammootty Instagram
Cricketer MS Dhoni, along with his family, grows vegetables in his home garden.
(Source: Ziva_Singh_Dhoni Instagram)
FAQs
How do you make a vegetable garden at home?
Make a standard mix of soil for your home vegetable garden. Use pebbles or thermocol pieces so that water doesn't get clogged.
What is a good layout for a vegetable garden?
While designing your vegetable garden, plant in such a way that the layout is even and the plants have to be in a north-south direction.
Which vegetables are easy to grow?
Raddish, lettuce, beans, carrots and spinach are easy to grow.
Which seeds grow fast at home?
Beans, peas and pumpkins grow fastest from seeds.
Which vegetables grow all year round?
Brinjal, tomato, beans and cucumber grow all year round.
How should you plan the layout of your vegetable garden?
While planning the layout, put the small plants at the border in the front, the medium-sized plants in the centre and the tall plants at the back.
How to protect your garden from animals?
Install a mesh or a fence to discourage animals from attacking your vegetable garden.
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