Do you want to grow some of your own vegetables?May be just the leafy greens?Are you planning to gt a Hydroponic system?Do you plan to invest in one of those cute table top salad producers?
I have a hydroponic system and I stopped using it because the chemicals I have to buy regularly online for sustaining my crops stopped making sense during COVID, when delivery of certain things were restricted.
Today I will tell you the story behind my kitchen garden.From my teenage years I suffered from various episodes of gastritis.It wasn’t a regular affair but if I missed meals or had processed food like the famous fried chicken or pizza from a renowned pizza shop , I suffered classic travelers diarrhea even when I didn’t travel.Funny right?
Frozen chicken ,frozen fish didn’t agree with my tummy.But at home I could eat almost anything.
The problem was with my digestion. I saw that I could eat anything if the quantity was less and ate before 8 pm.It was also important I avoid sweets in the evening.These two things were not really rocket science, but me being a sweet loving Bengali it was difficult. I was the doctor who had to moderate her own sweet intake before I recommended less sweets for my patients.
Now how does the story about my digestive capabilities link to my farming activities?I wanted to grow my own food.Organic food is not possible in a small town where I live.Commercially produced or mass produced vegetables reek of pesticticides and taste like sawdust.During the COVID lockdown I grew pumpkin greens,bottle gourd greens,mustard greens,spinach and lettuce in pots on my balcony garden.
My husband seeing this and my daughter being stuck at home had a change of heart.He decided to restore and refurbish the broken down childhood home and reclaim the soil that was his gift .
You can read about the village home and garden here ,but since you have read this far ,here is a list of easy vegetables you can grow in a small 1000 square foot plot in smallpatches in winter.
Malda Temperature in December is maximum 24.5°C and minimum 13° degree C.November it’s warmer. January is colder .The nights stay cold till end of March .So the winter veggies grow well.There’s usually no rainfall until end of February when few days of rainfall prolong the cold season .Its humid subtropical zone where most tropical fruits and vegetables grow
Vegetable to Grow
- Spinach
- Lettuce,
- Radish
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Mustard greens
- Methi greens
- Coriander
- Green chillies and bay leaves are a year round staple now.Onion greens ,garlic greens you can grow in pots on window sills and balcony for some fresh green every day.
Read about the 6 Edible greens to grow on your balcony garden
Gardening tools
Garden spade,rubber gloves, pail,water hose.
Garden soil,Coco peat,cow dung manure,vermicompist,bone meal,blood meal .
Most important
- Start small
- Celebrate your wins
- Eat a variety of greens
- Remember soil health and avoid over farming.
- Growing what you eat is a win win for all
- Grow native plants ,vegetables and try to save your seeds .
Terrace garden,container garden,roof garden ?
Don’t worry I have got you covered.Both Open roof and terrace have direct sunlight and yiu can grow anything you like eating
For balcony garden things get a little tricky.
But you can still grow spinach,mustard greens,methi greens,lettuce,borboti green chillies ,bitter Gourd,pumpkin greens,cucumber as long as you have atleast 5 to 6 hours of sunlight .Remember greens can grow with less sun but for vegetables to grow, good direct sunlight is crucial.Without sunlight the photon energy cannot be converted to chemical energy in the carbohydrates/starch in the veggies..
Advantages of growing (some of) your own food (even partly)
Less chemicals used. Less time spent traveling from farm to table,zero refrigeration ,zero loss of nutrients together means your body thanks you everyday .What you put inside the body is reflected in what happens to your health.Food is not just calories. They give us energy and are the source of building blocks for growth and repair .
Farm to Table Advantage
- Less chemicals used .
- Less time spent traveling from farm to table.
- Zero refrigeration .
- Zero loss of nutrients .
Related queries
Writing this for the final #CauseAchatter post for Blogchatter