Say hello to your greens

Amarjeet Batth

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need”

— Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher

A garden enthusiast may have often assisted the ‘mali’ but seldom may have carried the garden operations independently. Now is the time to get to know your greens, especially when the gardener is not around. If the size of the green area in your house is small, take a close look at your plants. Try visiting every part of the garden if the spread is large. Look into the requirement of each plant like water, nutrition, diseases and pests, etc. Address their grievances and they will never let you down. Here’s a look at some basic garden operations that you can take care of in the present situation:

Time to water

To a beginner, watering is all a plant needs. However, many a time we fail the plant by over-watering it. Water requirements vary from plant to plant, and depend on its growth phase as well as climate of the area. Some plants need more moisture compared to others. Others require a dry interval between two successive irrigations. Therefore, it is mandatory to specifically know the water requirements of the plant. Most plants need wet feet and dry ankles.

The thumb rule is to observe the plant early in the morning. If the leaves are drooping, the plant needs watering. Almost all garden plants need well-drained soil and do not tolerate water-logging. Do not over-water drought-loving plants and under-water moisture-loving plants. In a garden, plants should be placed in such a way that water requirement of all in a group are similar. Use a watering can or a mug to water. It will allow you to place water at the base of the plants, which will keep the foliage dry.

Know your soil

It is important to know the type of soil in your garden. Other factors of concern are the location: sunny/shady/partially shady. Check the ground gradient. Is it steep or gradual? How’s the wind flow? All these give a better understanding of water requirements and one must plan the irrigation technique accordingly.

Mist it right

Misting is done to remove fine dust on indoor plant foliage. It also improves their appearance, increases humidity and prevents spider mite infestations. It must be done on both sides of the foliage in the morning hours so that the leaves get dry by evening. Use a misting pump for fine mist, and then wipe it with a clean and dry muslin cloth.

Pull out the weeds

The first thing which gets your attention in a lawn is the weeds. A weed-free flowerbed, pots or lawn enhance the beauty of the garden. Any unwanted growth is a weed as it competes with the plant for space, sunlight, moisture and nutrients. Weeds need to be removed as soon as these are spotted. Thus, no fixed schedule can be made to remove these. 

The most readily available tool is your hand. Simply pull the weeds out. Remove weeds when these are small and the soil is moist. Keep hand-hoes of various blade widths depending on the place of operation, narrow for pots, wide for flowerbeds and specially designed for removing weeds in grass. Weeds can be reduced by mulching.

Remove the spent flowers

Deadheading is one of the most effective techniques, in which you use your fingers as a tool. When the flowers are on the verge of fading, remove the spent flowers. It can help prolonging the bloom or yield another flush. Garden pruners make a clean and clear cut when a stem is to be pruned.

Pruning the plants

Pruning is a continuous and round-the-year activity, which is done to remove the dead and diseased parts, intermingling and weak shoots and removal of suckers. Pruning helps in improving the appearance of the plant. Hard pruning, however, is done in December-January when the plants go under dormancy. That is the time to remove structurally unsound unproductive parts and prepare nursery specimens.

Mistakes we often make

Selecting a wrong spot: Take care when selecting where you are growing your plants and vegetables. Ensure there’s ample sunlight and moisture.

Poor soil: Vegetables flourish in soil enriched with manure and leaf-mould.

Planting beyond need: Grow plants considering the quantity you need.

Inadequate spacing: Don’t ignore the fact that plants grow in size. Leave adequate spacing between the plants.

Planting in one lot: You need a lot of veggies on a regular basis. Rather than planting these in one lot, grow once a fortnightly.

Not harvesting timely: The crop will rot or seed if not harvested in time. It’ll not wait for you. Harvest the crop timely and store in a refrigerator.

If there are seeds in stock, you can sow these:

Summer vegetables

• Okra, capsicum
• Squash-melon, musk, water and long melon
• Bottle and bitter-gourd
• Cucumber, luffa, brinjal, pumpkin, mint, coriander

Summer flowers

• Amaranthus tricolor
• Coreopsis tinctoria
• Cosmos sulphureus
• Gaillardia pulchella
• Gomphrena haaggeana
• Helianthus annus
• Kochia scoparia
• Portulaca grandiflora
• Zinnia elegans