Kitchen gardening - which vegetables to grow in summer

Here are some of the vegetables which are grown in summer in lahore, karachi, peshawar and other similar climates. The best time to plant these vegetables is from February 15 to March 31. But you can plant/sow them any time between March and May depending upon the type of vegetable.

For seeds, mix old manure or leaf compost & soil in 1:4 and for seedling transplant or mature plants in 2:5.Prepare a soil mix which is loose, doesn't compact and drains well for example if you water them in large volume it should drain completely in 1 minute.. if the water is standing then add small quantity of sand in it. Mix well with well rotted manure which has no smell..

• Okra (ladyfinger) - Bhindi بھنڈی  Suitable for pots as well. Sown in February for April crop and then again in June/July for September crop. For successfully growing okra (bhindi) check this link http://www.lahoregardening.com/2012/04/kitchen-gardening-how-to-grow-okra.html
• Bitter gourd (karela)    کریلہ
• Mint (pudina) پودینہ Suitable for pots as well.
• Aubergine/ Egg plant (brinjal) Baingan بینگن. Suitable for pots as well.Does well with well manured soil, but be careful not to over-water or over-feed. 
• Bottle gourd (lauki) کدو, ridge gourd (tori) توری and green gourd (tinda) ٹینڈا Sown in March and April for End May crop. Then again in June/July for September crop
•  Tomato ٹماٹر Suitable for pots as well . For successful tomato growing, check this link http://www.lahoregardening.com/2012/03/kitchen-gardening-tips-for-growing.html
• Spinach پالک
• Capsicum Suitable for pots as well
• Cucumber کھیرا That includes hari mirch and shimla mirch. They love heat. Sown in February and March for crop in April
• Sweet Peppers شملہ مرچ Suitable for pots as well
• Radish مولی
• Cabbage بند گوبھی

 

Kitchen gardening - Tips for growing tomatoes

Tomato is the easiest vegetable to grow. When i came to vegetables growing (and i was growing flowers for many years) i was told "If you can not grow tomato, you can not grow any vegetable. Heck! you can not grow anything". I experimented tomato as my first vegetable and i was amazed to see the results. They are easy to grow indeed.

There are types of tomatoes growth and yield wise, the determinate and indeterminate. Determinate varieties stop growth at a certain height and then produce all the fruit at once in one go. Indeterminate varieties keep growing and growing and produce fruits at regular intervals. They are mostly vines or tall plants, need stalking.

Tomatoes in lahore can be grown almost year round except in winter months as tomato is a warm weather vegetable. It needs warmth to form fruits. Almost all tomatoes (except cherry tomatoes) affect from humidity and extreme heat and other adverse conditions. So cherry tomatoes are good for beginners though in cherry tomatoes the fruit size is not as large as in some of the other variates. Beef steak varieties have some of the largest fruits big size giant tomatoes. But they also need more care and effort than cherry ones. Remember, tomatoes can be easily grown in containers!!!!!

Here are some of the tips for successful tomato growing.
1- When transplanting, always bury the whole stem, except first top set of leaves. The stem buried will grow roots as well.
2- Never allow your young plants to go on flowering. If they go to fruiting, the yield will not be good as plant still not has established its root system extensively. I always pinch the buds of my cherry tomatoes, until they get thick stems and many branches. For vine types, side shooting will do the job.
3- High potash in when flowering commences. I feed with NPK 5-15-45 liquid fertilizer. I never damaged any tomato plant with high fertilization. They are always hungry (I grow in pots).
4- Full direct sun in winter and spring. In hot months, i give 5 hours direct morning sun only.
5- There are many beefsteak varieties which yield heavy. Remember cherry ones have more resistance to adverse conditions, pests,heat and humidity.
6- Staking or support is a must for a healthy plant..Tthe distance should be greater than 8-9 inches between every plant in soil bed..
7- You can easily multiply your favorite plant by tip cuttings, they root so easily..
8- Fruits should be checked frequently for any hole and if found, the whole fruit should be plucked immediately as the grubs inside release a pheromone which lure the other pests to lay their eggs on that plant.. 9- In the open pollinated varieties every plant is different so don't expect same yield from every individual plant.. select the better ones and discard others.. multiply the better ones through cuttings..

The most common tomato include Fantastic, Roma VF, T-10, Summer Giant, Bountry, Marglobe, Marmande, Money maker etc but cherry tomatoes are also becoming popular with the passage of time. My favorite varieties include kentucky beef steak, benary cherry tomato, sun gold and gardener's delight etc. There are many varieties of tomatoes suitable for hot and humid climates such as lahore. Tomatoes are also successfully grown in tunnel farming.

Kitchen gardening - How to grow Okra (Bhindi)

After tomatoes, Okra (bhindi) is the most easiest vegetable to grow. It loves the heat and humidity. It is delicious and contains many valuable nutrients. Here are some of the tips to grow it successfully.

Soil
Okra can grow almost any soil although it does not like heavy soil. Loam(meera) and sandy loam soil is best for yield. Incorporate plenty of organic matter into soil and also place a mulch to retain moisture. Okra likes a PH of over 6.

Sowing
Okra is mostly grown from seed as it produces crop fairly quickly after sowing the seeds (45 - 55 days). Soak the seeds in water for few hours for better germination. Sow seeds about 2 inches apart and 1 inch deep. Rows should be at least 3 feet apart if you want to walk in between rows. Seedlings will emerge in 1-2 weeks. You can also direct sow the okra seeds.

It is Sown in February for April crop and then again in June/July for September crop. It can also be propagated from cuttings.

Growing
Maintain regular watering. Do not let the plant wilt at all. It loves watering specially in summer heat. At the same time, soil must be well drained. Fertilize every 3-4 weeks.

Harvesting
As part of Hibiscus and cotton family, the flowers are large and beautiful. It will be ready to harvest few days after the flowers fall off. Pick it when it is immature and not more than 1/2 inch thick. Length should not be more than 3-4 inches long. Keeping removing the pods (okra) as it will promote good crop.

Best Varieties
The most famous local variety is "Sabz pari". If you want to try imported variety suitable to our local climate then try "Clemson Spineless" and "Emerald". For dwarf try "baby Bubba" and "sweet Lucy".