What is a kitchen garden?

A separated area in your garden which is dedicated solely for the purpose of raising herbs and vegetables for cooking is called kitchen garden. Since the increasing awareness about benefits of eating fresh veggies and produce which is free from use of chemicals and pesticides, more and more people are now turning to kitchen gardening. Nothing gives more satisfaction than plucking your own tomatoes or brinjals and eating them with relish. Besides being great on economy as it cuts down on the necessity of buying vegetables from outside, gardening is an activity that is great for burning calories as well as therapeutic for mind and soul. Just being able to breathe fresh air while working with the plants and concentrating on various activities involved is great booster for energy. The added bonus is that since it has been produced in your garden, it is easy on environment as well as there is no transportation involved.

Those who are fortunate enough to have a large space around their house for gardens can grow a lot of vegetables in addition to having large fruiting trees. For those who do not have such a space need not get disheartened, because this is a concept which can be well employed in a number of containers to successfully grow vegetables. Most vegetables that we require for daily cooking needs can be grown nicely in assorted pots and containers, there are people who have successfully grown potatoes and yams in sacks! Some people have converted their terraces into farming spaces. Those who are interested in such a garden only need to waterproof the terrace properly with the help of an expert and then prepare vegetable beds on the terrace. Alternatively, a good quality thick plastic sheet is laid flat upon the terrace and then soil is poured over it to prepare beds. In addition to these, a number of pots and containers such as plastic or thermocol packing containers can also be used for such purposes.

Soil Culture for Kitchen Gardens

The soil that should be used for planting vegetables should be porous and rich in nutrients. For this purpose use only organic manures such as well rotted cow dung manure, vermiculture compost or the best among all Neem ki khali. The best combination to use in kitchen gardens is a combination of cow dung manure and Neem ki khali. Leaf mould also can be added to the soil to increase its porosity and nutrient value. Before adding any manure, please ensure that the manure is well rotted, otherwise it will only serve as a host to a number of harmful bacteria, fungi and pests. Also, as an ongoing activity, whatever fallen leaves you collect, keep putting them back in the soil. The leaves will act as a mulch thereby preventing evaporation of water and keeping the soil moist as well as prevent growth of unwanted weeds. The leaves will also turn to humus in due course of time, athe most important constituent of a rich and good quality soil.

The best time to grow most vegetables is between September to April but there are also some vegetables and herbs that can grown through out the year.

Here are some common and frequently used herbs and vegetables that you can plant in your garden, which are also quite easy to grow and manage:

Basic Herbs That Are Must for an Indian Kitchen Garden:

Some of the herbs that are used for flavors in almost all Indian kitchens are the coriander, mint and curry leaves. Although curry leaves is more a favorite in Maharashtra and South India, it can still be planted everywhere for its dark, glossy beautiful leaves with fragrance. Curry leaves can be planted successfully in slightly larger pots too and kept in well lit areas. It propagates itself by means of suckers or babyplants which should uprooted and planted in other areas from time to or else all plants will get crowded in one area. Curry leaves shrubs need slightly acidic soils hence pouring a little buttermilk occasionally will be good for their healthy growth.

Coriander is also quite easy to grow from the seeds. Prepare the bed well and sow seeds in neat rows. Before sowing, the seeds should be rolled over lightly with a rolling pin or some flat object so that they are halved. This ensures better germination of seeds. After sowing seeds, cover with a thin layer of soil. In case of balcony gardens, rectangular containers can be used. Water well with a watering can just enough to keep the soil moist at all times. Young coriander shoots will develop in 2 or 3 days. You may want to protect the seeds and seedlings with a net as they are favorite amongst birds especially sparrows. Coriander plants are really beautiful to look at because of their lovely fresh colour and beautifully-shaped fragrant leaves. Coriander can be grown in well lit areas but only between the months of April to June when the sunlight is too harsh, it should be grown in well-lit but shaded areas.

Mint is another fragrant herb that is used for making chutneys, sauces and also used in digestive aids. It can also be used in containers, in fact I have a very nich mint growing in a rather small pot. You can start growing your own mint from a think cutting with tiny roots. You can easily sort out such cuttings the next time you buy a bundle of mint from the market. Select such health, thick cuttings and keep them immersed in water overnight and plant the next day. Within no time you will have a full shrub of mint growing. Also, keep plucking it frequently, the more you pluck mint, the more luxurious it will grow.

Lemongrass or Cymbopogon citratus is another fragrant herb that is fast gaining popularity in most gardens. This is a beautiful shrub with long grass-like leaves having fresh, lemony fragrance and taste. It is called Gavati Chaha in Marathi and until now was mainly used to add flavour to tea and to prepare kadhas as cure for colds, coughs and sinus infections. But with increasing popularity of Malaysian, Thai, Philipino etc. cuisines, it is now used to flavour a variety of soups, curries, noodles etc. and is grown in more homes than before. This too can be grown in pots and being a tropical plant, loves a lot of sunlight and is super easy to grow. As the plant grows, its stalk multiplies and once you find the stalks are thick enough at the base, you can divide them from the parent stalk, ensuring there are a few roots attached. Plant these stalks in other places or pots and in no time, they will flourish on their own.

Basil or Holy Basil, most commonlyknow as Tulsi is another plant that thrives well in Indian conditions. Although we Indians plant it for more religious reasons than eating purposes, it is a flavourful addition to soups, pastas, pesto sauces, pizza toppings etc. Traditionally Basil has been used in a number of preparations to cure coughs, colds, fever etc. It is an extremely hardy plant and self-seeding too. So once you plant a Basil, every year you will find more Basil seedlings which you can move to other places. It also produces beautiful tiny purple or white flowers that make Basil even more attractive.

Besides the above mentioned herbs, you can also grow foriegn herbs such as Parsley, Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Cilantro etc. The seeds for these are now easily available in many seeds and plant nurseries. They only need a little extra care and nothing more. If you are not very confidant, then it is better to grow these herbs in pots so that if the climate gets very hot, then you can temporarily move them indoors or in cooler, shady parts of your garden.

Capsicums and Chillies

They are my summer favorites to grow and give a very good harvest. I had a single green pepper plant in a medium-sized container and it gave me a yield of about 2 kilos of green peppers for 3 consecutive years. So if you plant them in a dedicated bed, you can get a much better wield. In addition you can also obtain seeds of yellow and red peppers and get a conitnuous supply of beautiful color for your pizza and pasta toppings. Chillies are a common ingredient in Indian cooking for its spicy, pungent taste. Having just about 2 or 3 healthy chilli plants will keep you in supply for a whole year. You can select seeds from a wide range of varieties depending upon your taste.

Ginger

Ginger is a regular favorite among Indians and it is also used for its digestive and curative properties. It is a rhizome that grows below the soil with beautiful green leaves on top. Next time you buy ginger, check it for new growing tips which are lighter in colour. Just cut them out and plant in your garden and it will take root immediately. Just take care to plant it in shady but well lit areas. After planting in about five months fresh new ginger is ready to be dug up and used. Ginger can also be grown in pots quite successfully.

Garlic

Garlic should be separated in cloves and planted about 6 inches apart with the pointed tip upwards. In a few days, green leaves come up which too can be harvested to be used in chutneys and currys. Ideally garlic should be planted in October. Once the leaves turn yellow, then stop watering and in a few days garlic will be ready to be harvested. It can also be grown well in pots, in one pot, you can plant about 15 cloves with comfortable growing room for each clove.

Onions

Onions are grown from seeds available with nurseries. These can also be planted in rectangular pots.

Fenugreek or Methi

Methi is a favorite vegetable cum herb among Indians. Methi seeds should be sown by the end of October in the prepared beds. Seeds and young seedlings should be protected with netting because these are also favoured by the birds. As the young plants start growing, keep pinching out leaves, because like mint the more it is plucked, the more thicker it grows.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a must have in every kitchen garden. Beautifully coloured, tomatoes are an essential part of many curries, gravies, sauces, toppings etc. They are also easy to grow and good quality seeds can be obtained from any plant nursery. They should be planted in neat rows with stakes driven for each plant. As they grow bigger, the branches will need to supported on these stakes to carry the weight of growing tomatoes. Tomatoes also grow well in pots and containers.

Peas, Beans etc.

If you have space enough then you can also have beds for planting peas, variety of beans such as French beans, cluster beans etc. Although keep in mind that it will involve a bit of work preparing trellises or putting up stakes etc. so that the plants can be supported. Beans will need to be trained carefully to climb up on supporting wires of trellises. But once you start getting the fruits, every effort is worth it.

Besides the above vegetables I have mentioned, there are many more things that you can easily plant in your gardens and grow them quite easily. With a lot of space or availability of fencing walls, poles, wire meshes etc. you can even plant cucumbers, various types of gourds, squashes, zucchinis etc. Even pumpkins are very easy to grow. You can also try planting radishes, brinjals, okras (lady fingers). If you have the inclination and time to spend, you can even have a small corner dedicated to growing salad, you can easily plant a variety of lettuces and grow them easily. Once you get started, there are a lot of possibilities that you can explore. Some ideas might fail, some might succeed, but the thing is it will help you learn a lot of things through trial and error. You just need to have a will and some time and efforts every day and then, I am sure your garden will become the envy of the neighbourhood.

Important Note: Remember to plant the same type of vegetables a few days apart to ensure you have continuous harvest. Eg. if you plant brinjals, plant a few seeds in one week and the remaining at least 10 days afterwards so that there will be a little gap between harvesting time of the fruits of these plants. Otherwise the harvest time of all brinjals will be at the same time and you will not know what to do with so many at one time!

Also refrain from using any chemical pesticides to keep away pests or insects. If you see any pests or diseases on these plants, usually a spray of neem oil mixed with mild detergent will work. Alternatively you can use tobacco water to get rid of the disease. The key is to keep it organic!