In the winter season, the demand for green leafy vegetables increases in the market. In such a situation, people who do kitchen gardening, they start preparing vegetables to grow in the winter season from August-September. Today we are going to tell you about those green vegetables that grow in the winter season, for which you should start preparing now.
Anurabha Mani Tripathi, who lives in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, has been doing gardening in his house for the past several years. He also has his own YouTube channel.
The Better India Talking to TOI, he said, “If any place in your house like terrace, balcony or courtyard gets good sunlight, then you should try to plant vegetables. Because, even if there is no open space, you can still plant most vegetables in pots or containers.”
Arunabh says that there is no answer for home vegetable grown by organic methods. He told that in the month of August you can plant many types of vegetables. Especially that all those vegetables which are eaten in winter. If you start planting winter vegetables now, you will start getting yields by the time winter starts.
“Many people start preparing plants of cold season vegetables like carrot, radish, beet, capsicum, brinjal, tomato, green chilli etc. from August-September itself. Because, from this month the temperature starts decreasing slightly. So the plants are well prepared and till the onset of winter, in two-and-a-half months, the vegetables start coming. So if you are thinking of growing vegetables, start from today,” he added.
how to prepare
Anurabha says that first of all you see what kind of space is available in your house, where you can plant vegetables. If there is open and unoccupied space, then use it. If not, you can use a pot or a waste bucket, tub or any other container. But keep in mind that whatever you use, its drainage system should be good. Because, in this season, vegetables need moisture to thrive but water should not stagnate in the pot.
Next, be careful when buying vegetable seeds. Always buy seeds from a trusted place and buy only those seeds that can grow well in the temperature and climate of your area.
Always treat seeds with a ‘fungicide’ before planting. He said, “Often people plant seeds and the seeds they planted get spoiled. The reason for this is fungus which means mildew. Mildew grows easily in damp places. That’s why your seeds get spoiled. But fungicides can save your seeds. Take any good quality fungicide from the market. Make a solution by mixing it with water. After this, tie the seeds in a cloth bundle, dip them in it. This will treat your seeds and you can plant them.”
plant these vegetables
1. Radish
First of all, take a deep pot or grow bag, because radish is a root crop and it grows downwards. For potting mix you can mix soil, sand/cocopete and compost or vermicompost.
- You’ll need to plant the radish seeds first, so you can plant them in a small planter like a paper cup.
- You fill a paper cup with potting mix or just cocopeat and plant a couple of seeds in it.
- Now sprinkle water on it and you have to keep it in the shade, where there is good light but no direct sunlight.
- You have to take care of the soil that there is moisture in it.
- Your seeds will start to sprout in about 6-7 days, and after about three weeks, the plants will be large enough to transplant.
- Now put potting mix in the pot and plant the plants in it.
- Plant only one or two plants in a pot.
- For two-four days after transplant, you keep the pot in direct sunlight.
- Add water to it as per your need.
- After about a month, keep giving liquid fertilizers to the plants from time to time.
- After 90 days your radish will be ready to harvest.
2. Beetroot
First of all, you have to prepare a beet plant, for which you can use a small pot or cut a plastic bottle.
- For potting mix, you can add cocopeat, sand and compost to the soil.
- Your clay should be slightly loose and not too hard.
- You plant beetroot seeds in a pot or planter at a short distance.
- Give water by spraying.
- Keep this planter in a place that does not get a lot of sunlight.
- In about two to three weeks the plants will start growing and your job is to regularly check that the soil does not dry out.
- If the soil feels dry, then water it so that the moisture remains in the soil.
- After about three weeks your plants will be large enough to be transplanted.
- While transplanting, you can plant only two-three plants in a medium sized pot or you can also use a deep and wide container.
- Spray water in them and keep it in the shade for two-three days.
- After this you keep them in the sun and take regular care.
- After about a month, you keep giving fertilizers like mustard cake or neemkhali to these plants.
Your beet plants will be ready for harvesting after about 3 months.
3. Carrots
Carrot is also a root crop and hence it is important that you get a pot or grow bag that has a good drainage system. In addition, this pot or grow bag should also be a little deep so that the carrots have enough room to grow.
- First prepare the pot by adding potting mix.
- Now make pits in the soil in rows at equal distance with your finger.
- In these pits, you put carrot seeds one by two.
- Cover all the seeds with light soil on top.
- Now sprinkle water in it.
- Your seedlings will begin to form in about 15 days.
- If you see many plants growing from the same place, then you can also remove one or two plants.
Do not plant too many plants in one pot so that you get good growth of carrots. Also, after the carrot plants are 2-3 weeks old, you can apply liquid fertilizer to them. Try to give manure to the plants by changing it every ten days.
- Carrots need enough sunlight to grow.
- Carrots are ready for harvesting in about two-and-a-half months.
4. Cauliflower
Cauliflower is also a winter vegetable and you can start planting it from the month of August. You can put different varieties of it.
- First, put the potting mix in a slightly large grow bag or pot. Along with this, prepare small grow bags of paper.
- Place these grow bags in a large grow bag or pot at an equal distance.
- You have to plant the seeds in these small grow bags.
- After about 10-15 days your seeds will start to germinate.
- With regular watering, your seedlings will be ready in about a month.
- Plant this sapling separately and plant it in pots.
- Cabbage will be ready in two-and-a-half months.
5. Cabbage
You can also grow cabbage from seed or from the stem part of the cabbage that comes to your home. Look at the stem at the bottom of the cabbage you brought from the market, if you see a few bud/roots/sprout in it then you can use it to grow new plants.
how to grow
- First of all, from the place where the sprouts are coming, you should cut it without damaging the sprout.
- Now prepare potting mix in which you can mix nutrients like sand, dung manure, earthworm manure and cocopeat along with the soil.
- Fill this potting mix in a slightly wide and lightly deep pot or container.
- It should have good drainage system.
- Now put the sprouted part in the soil and cover it with soil.
- Give water from sprinkler.
- Now keep the pot in the sun and keep watering regularly.
- The plants will start to appear in about 2 weeks.
- When these plants are one month old, you can add other organic fertilizers like banana peel water, onion peel water.
- Your cabbage will be ready in about two and a half to three months.
So what is the delay, you should start preparing for the vegetable growing in the winter season from today itself.
Happy Gardening.
Editing – G N Jha
Cover Photo
Also read: Delhi: Grow 40+ fruits and vegetables in waste boxes, enough for the whole family
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