Cedric Silveira
Having a kitchen garden in your own home is a joy. And with the rains in full strength, one has a range of vegetables which one can plant in the confines of your home. The search nowadays is for organic food, and what better way than having the produce from your own garden. What is required is simply a small area wherein one can plant vegetables. Although the primary goal is to provide fresh, readily available ingredients for cooking, a kitchen garden can also offer benefits like stress reduction, physical activity, and eco-friendly food production. Whether it’s a collection of pots on a balcony, a raised bed in the yard, a vertical wall of veggies or a few containers on a windowsill, anyone can cultivate a kitchen garden. In Goa, traditionally bhendis or ladyfingers and cucumbers are grown by most people who possess a kitchen garden in the rains. The seeds are easily available and within a week the plants come up. As they grow it is a pleasant sight, and one can get a generous amount of yield in a few days. One has to simply dig up the soil and let it stay for a day or two. Using organic matter, such as cowdung and poultry manure, boosts crop development and productivity. Then the seeds can be put into the soil.
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LADY FINGERS
Lady fingers are rich in Vitamins A and B, proteins, and minerals. It is also considered an excellent source of iodine, which can help in the treatment of goitre.
CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers on the other hand, are vining types, and grow better with support whether they are planted in the ground or in containers. Using a framework of sticks, keeps fruit off the soil, improves air movement, and makes harvesting easier. It’s best to set up support early and check regularly, as cucumber vines grow quickly and will readily climb with a bit of help. Cucumbers can be eaten as salad, as a vegetable dish, cucumber soup, pickles or juices, make up some of the uses of cucumbers if you tend to get a healthy crop. Cucumbers are also used for hydration as they contain 95 percent of water, are a rich source of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, magnesium and potassium, as they are low in calories and high in water content, they serve as an addition to a weight loss diet. Finally, cucumber slices can be put on the eyes to reduce puffiness or dark circles and it also soothes the skin. Apart from ladyfingers, and cucumbers, a wide range of other vegetable plants can be grown, for example corn, coriander, brinjals, bitter gourd (lauki) or karela. The simplest is corn which does not require much care. The seeds are easily available and when planted 8-12 inches apart it comes up rapidly.
BRINJALS
Brinjals are grown from June to September and they do well in the monsoons. This period offers consistent rainfall and warm temperatures which makes an environment wherein the plant can thrive. They are closely related to tomatoes and chilies and enjoy similar conditions. While planting brinjals a mix of soil which works well includes 40 percent garden soil, 40 percent Coco-peat, and 20 percent compost like decomposed cow dung or vermicompost. Brinjal plants require a lot of sunlight and planting them in a place where they will be exposed to sunlight will go a long way in getting a good produce. Pruning the brinjal plant results not only in more yield but also better-quality yield.
CORIANDER
Coriander (Dhania) also grows quickly during monsoons and can be easily harvested regularly every day for cooking. It is one of the easiest herbs to grow at home. The soil must be moist but not soggy.
KARELA
Karela, also known as Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon, is a tropical vegetable known for its distinctive bitter taste. It belongs to the gourd family and is rich in nutrients and health benefits, especially useful for diabetics. It grows well in the monsoons and not much care is required. However, being a creeper, framework of sticks will help it to grow faster and the fruit will not touch the ground. So this monsoon start with growing a couple of plants and see the difference it makes in your life.
