And to thought it was the most difficult task in the whole world?
There is no greater joy than plucking vegetables right out of your own garden. The joy magnifies if you have grown that vegetable from scratch. While the task of growing your own vegetable in a concrete jungle may seem daunting, there is a set of easy-to-grow vegetables in the backyard or on a balcony. Yes, you heard that right. People living in the urban sector too have adapted to means of growing their own crops. Growing a plant is like nurturing a human. So fret not and read on to find out the easy grow-at-home crops.
The fiery green chili
Green chilies are the natural spicy that sparks any dish. And it is also one of the easiest growing crops at home. Cut up come chilies and collect the seeds. Wash them and let them open to dry. If you wish, use seeds from the dried chilies as well.
In a pot, mix equal measures of cocopeat, compost, and tiny pieces of thermocol. Sprinkle water over the mix, enough water for the whole mix to be soaked in it.
Now take some chili seeds and gently press them into the moist soil. Once done sprinkle some more mixture over it and water it.
Repeat the exercise of watering the pot every day till the time you notice small baby saplings sprouting out. And continue to water, but alternate days keeping in mind to not overwater it.
Once the plant starts to flower, be prepared to harvest fresh organic green chilies.
The juicy tomato
Be it a salad, a vegetable, curry, chicken, anything, tomatoes enhance the taste of food. These too you can easily grow in a pot.
Cut up a tomato, take the pulp and let it dry. Once dry, separate the seeds out making sure the pulp doesn’t remain.
Bring together mixed sand, red soil, compost, and cocopeat in a ratio keeping sand in the larger quantity while the rest remains the same.
Now, sow the tomato seeds in the potting mix. Spread the seeds and not buried in one place. Throw in some more sand mix on top and sprinkle with water.
Continue to spray water every two-three days till the seeds sprout. Once they sprout, add some more compost to the plant once a week till it starts to flower.
Remember, the tomato plant is vulnerable to mealybugs and leaf miners. Dilute neem oil in some dish-wash solution and spray once in 15 days.
Other crops you can easily grow at home are Spinach, Radish, Capsicum, Brinjal, Coriander, Mint, Bitter gourd, Basil, and Cucumber to name a few.
