In a world, where all vegetables are intoxicated with various insecticides and pesticides, we would recommend you to grow your own vegetables at home. This sounds like a cumbersome task but in actual, it’s not. Anyone can grow fresh and juicy vegetables at home with some basic gardening tips. We have a dedicated list of vegetables that you can grow this summer and that includes Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Chilli Peppers, okra(lady finger), eggplant (brinjal), bitter gourd (karela), and bottle gourd (lauki). These vegetables are best suited to grow in summers as these plants survive the scorching heat and maintain retains enough water to maintain moisture. Let’s have a look at the quick guide to grow your vegetables.
Soil Preparation : Take any readily available potting soil which is light weight and porous so that it can ensure proper drainage of excessive water from the pot. To make a perfect Potting Mix, add balanced amount of Vermicompost to the soil, it will provide balanced nutrients essential for Healthy Growth.
Sunlight Requirement : Summer Vegetables require ample sunlight to grow. These vegetable plants should be kept under direct sunlight for 6-7 hours. In case plants receive more sunlight than this, then shade nets can be used to provide some shade.
Watering : Water vegetable plants regularly, especially during hot summer days. These plants should be watered on regular intervals to maintain moisture of soil throughout the day. While watering these plants, avoid wetting the leaves as it will promote fungal diseases.
Fertilization : Vegetable Plants should be fertilized with a balanced NPK fertilizer and vermicompost to ensure overall growth of the plant. A combination of these fertilizers will provide all Macro &Micronutrients to the plant for root & shoot growth.
Tomato: Tomato Plants require phosphorus replenishment from time to time for fruit formation and root development. Feed you tomato plants with Rock Phosphate which is an organic alternative to bone meal fertilizer. Additionally use Seaweed Liquid or Seaweed granules to help in more flowering and bigger size of produce.
Chilli Peppers: Feed you chilli peppers with Potassium to enhance its yield and fruit quality.
Cucumbers: To ensure that your plants have vigorous growth even during summers supplement both macro and micro nutrients. Use a balanced NPK fertilizer for macronutrients and Seaweed fertilizer for secondary nutrients.
Okra (Bhindi): Use Cow Manure which will help in providing essential nutrients as well increase water holding capacity of the soil.
Eggplant (Brinjal): During the flowering phase use Potash fertilizer to increase the flowering in plant which will lead to higher yield.
Bitter Gourd (Karela): Use seaweed fertilizer during flowering season to provide balanced nutrients to the plants and enhance produce production. Seaweed Liquid fertilizer gives immediate nutrient availability to the plant whereas, Seaweed granules is a slow release fertilizer which breaks down over a period of time and improves soil structure as well.
Bottle Gourd (Lauki): Use any balanced NPK and during the flowering phase use Potassium rich fertilizer for increased flowering in plant. Tip: Train both karela and Lauki creeper on a trellis to improve fruit quality and airflow, and mulch to retain soil moisture.
Pest Control : Timely check these plants for pest infestation as it might get attacked by mealy bugs, aphids, cucumber beetles, fruitworms, spider mites, etc. Use Neem oil spray for preventive measure once in 10-15 days. This will help in building the immunity of the plant as well. And in case of infestation – prune the severely infected branch and spray Neem Oil all over the plant including under the leaves.
After getting through this quick guide, I hope you are eager to start growing your own vegetables this summer. Try these gardening hacks and grow on your own.
Happy Gardening!