Gardening In the Rain

It is that time of the year when after a searing summer heat, the mercury has already come down and plans to dip even further in coming days as the monsoon clouds looms over our head. While rains evoke different moods for different people, it is also when it is raining that you get to tend to those beautiful plants in your garden, and watch plants grow faster and bloom in the glory of the rains.


Monsoons can be very tricky for Gardeners. With nature favouring the task, the plantation work turns easy. Introducing new plants into the garden, starting a new home garden, planning a terrace garden seems like the most obvious things to do. Crotons and flowering plants are the best to grow in monsoon and add a colourful tint to the lush green foliage.

Also, this is the time of the year when small errors in care or maintenance or neglect occurs and many times it gets overlooked by the green components of the garden. Since saplings and plants have needed water provided by the rains, they do not cry out of thirst even if you forget to water them for a day or two.

But just like scarcity of water is a problem for plants, excess of water can also be a big worry. In water logged conditions, the plants express this by wilting. Most of plants hate water logging and they need good soil drainage to survive and prosper. Some plants do enjoy water logged conditions but their numbers is small. Due to excess water algae get collected on top soil, and in absence of proper actions plants rot. Weeds, insects, Worms also flourish during this season. Stagnant water and worms can destroy the whole garden very quickly.


The following are some of the few points which we need to take into consideration for having a enjoyable gardening season in the monsoon:


1.The first and foremost thing is that you have to make sure you have a proper drainage system. If water got stagnant it will make the plants rot.

2.      To prevent the risk of fertile top soil erosion in the garden due to heavy rains use perforated sheets. It will allow the rain water to reach the plant as sprinkler. So the plants not get deprived of their natural nutrients available in the top soil

3.      In case of planting new saplings, plant only those plants that can adjust to the moisture of the monsoon season. The young plants in the garden and those plants which are too fragile should be sheltered adequately to protect them from the rains

4.      Avoid chemical fertilizers as far as you can, instead try natures own compost. Earthworms are a gardener’s friend. They not only aerate the soil by tunnelling down, they also fertilize it.

5.      Avoid pesticides altogether. As it will get mixed and transferred with rain and will cause huge damage to the garden. Instead try to use biological controller such as Toads and Frogs. They are voracious insect eaters and can be a very good friend to the gardener.

6.      Mix a good proportion of soil and compost manure for new plants.

7.      It is the right time to try your hand at indoor gardening. Also bring those plants outside so they can get the feel of the moisture in the air.

Perfect Solution for Rain

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Gardening in Shade Some useful information

Gardening does not always means that you need to grow plants in full sun. Shade in the garden is like a nightmare for many gardeners. Though most of the vegetables like Tomatoes, or cucumbers require full sun for their development, many plants can grow wonderfully well in shade. Here in this article we will try to give you some idea on how you can do gardening in shady condition.

When people talk about shade they can mean a variety of condition. So at times it can be confusing to what actually a shade gardening refers to. First of all let us make a distinction between different types of shades.

Gardening in partial shade

1.    Partial shade: This kind of shading refers to a condition where the place receives direct sunlight for less than 4 hours.
2.    Full shade: This is a condition where there is no direct sunlight through out the whole year. There are some plants (like Euphorbia) which can grow well in areas like this.
3.    Dry shade: If you are planting under some big tree the chances are that apart from being shaded, the place will be very dry. As the water content of the soil is mostly sucked in by the big trees. There are few plants which can survive in these conditions also.
4.    Moist shade: In case the planting is near any big water source such as ponds or rivers the soil remains very wet through the season. In this condition plants are never short of water.

It is the partial shade that we will discuss in this article. As we have already discussed in out earlier article Sun or no Sun, if you want to grow fully grown fruits in a plant, you need to provide them more than 6 hours of sunlight. Having said that, crops such as Spinach and other leafy vegetables, Peas, Cauliflower can grow pretty on partial shade.

Some tips on growing vegetables in shade:
Most of the plants which grow in the shade generally have larger leaves to absorb more light. Do not crowd shade tolerant plants. It will help to absorb most of the light available. Less crowding will also increase the air flow through the plant and will reduce many diseases.
Paint the walls of your buildings surrounding the shady area with lighter paint. It will increase the light reflection and provide light support to the dark shady areas. You can also use mirror tiles or metallic surfaces for this purpose.

Benefits of Shade gardening:
There are some benefits also if you are doing gardening in shade. If you remember, while discussing growing tips about Cauliflower and several others we have informed you about the effect of heat on bolting. In case your gardening is in the shade the impact of bolting can be reduced. The leafy vegetables such as Spinach lettuce grown in partial shade will look much fresher and you can enjoy them for a longer period of time. This is due to the fact that the more they are in the sun the larger will be the amount of water loss.

Talking about water, you also need to water the plants less regularly than when in the direct sun. By knowing ideal plants for shade, you can very easily optimize your total garden space. Plant the plants which prefer the direct sunlight in the sunny place whereas as in rest of the partial shaded spaces you can easily cultivated rest of the plants. It will help you to double your total vegetable output.

You can get some vivid idea about sun and its impact on vegetables growing in this article.



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ABC of Gardening

I come up with an idea to write this blog about the basics of gardening. Gardening is not a very complex matter, though many of us might think that way. In our childhood probably most of us have tried gardening by putting some seeds in the soil and later watched it grow. But creating a garden which produces fresh fruits and flower all season may require much more professional approach. After reading this blog you might have a clearer view on this.

1.       First you need to prepare the bed where you want to sow the seeds. For this you require soil(or go soil-less) with at least 12 inches of depth. Add ½ inch thick compost. Try checking for weeds. Remove if you found any weed in the soil as it will hamper the growth of the plant.

2.       It is important to moist the bed before planting the seeds rather than after sowing it. Watering after planting the seed can result in being swamped or washed up and out of the soil.

3.      Sow the seeds as per the instructions printed on the packed of the seed(i.e, how far apart to plant, how deep to bury etc.)

Keep the seed bed moist by sprinkling water till seeds germinate. In case you have your own plant and nod seeds do transplanting.

More on these on my later posts.

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Urban Gardening

A little while ago someone said to me that there was no such thing as Urban Gardening and that gardening was gardening full stop. And to a certain degree they were correct in that gardening knowledge and the hows and whys are the same where ever you are. Good soil, water, light and food are vital where ever you garden but, for me, Urban Gardening is not only a thing, but also something I am passionate about.

Imagine living on the 33rd floor of a block of flats. No balcony. No outside space.

Imagine living in a tiny maisonette. No garden. No outside space.

Imagine sharing rented accomodation. No garden access as all paved for easy maintenance by landlord. No outside space.

Imagine all these scenarios and more..........

Gardening in the Urban Landscape just isnt as simple as opening your back door and going outside to your space.

Add into any of the above scenarios children, jobs, time poverty, financial poverty, isolation......

Suddenly it seems impossible to interact with the outdoors let alone actually go outside and grow something.

And this is where the term Urban Gardening arrives. Urban Gardening gives all the people affected by the above, the ability to get out and garden. To interact with the earth and take control of their health by growing food, growing flowers for their inner city spaces, and teaching their children about the seasons and the earth.

I wrote this blog post mainly so I could post this video, but also because this is my real gardening passion. Good knowledge, great teaching and the love of the outdoors ought to be available to all and I for one will always support the need for the Urban Garden.

Because "Gardening makes Communities"

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Which Container To Use In Container Gardening

Container gardening these days is very common. Gone are those days when a strip of land was necessary for practicing the wonderful habit called Gardening. Now anybody can start their own garden if he/she has the interest to start. When we talk about container gardening, the most important word is container. Many people have asked me in the past about the containers. What material is good for the plants? is it necessary to plant in earthy pots only? Can we plant in metal containers? So I have decided to write an article on the very basics: About the various containers which you can use for planting.

Following are some of the various materials used for making the containers which we use in container gardening.

Terra cotta: These are good value for money. Usually in reddish orange in color, these can be in found in many color and texture. Their earthy looks make them suitable for almost any garden. The porosity of the material helps the excess moisture to evaporate and allow plant roots to breathe.  To make their water retention capacity better, the unglazed side of the pots is sometime fired with glass like coating. These are waterproof and can hold moisture better than the normal unglazed one.

Plastic pots:Plastic pots are very common these days. They can be found in many shapes and sizes. You can also use your old bottles to plant. They are clean and non-porous and easy to move from one place to another.

Wooden pots: Pots made up from rot resistant red wood or cedar can be useful for planting. They provide very good insulation from weather outside. To prevent the pots form rotting you can also add some sand (at least an inch deep) at the bottom of the container and then put the soil.

Fabric pots: These are ultimate portable containers. These are made up of fabric these are rot proof as they are usually made up of polypropylene. They look much more like terra cotta or wooden containers.

Concrete pots:  You can prepare concrete pots of your own or you can buy it from outside. These are weather resistant and durable. On the other side, these can be heavier than the other pots.

Metal pots:  Pots made up of brass, copper iron etc can look aesthetically very superior.  Many planters use them to enhance the beauty of their gardens. If you are using metal containers it is advisable to keep your containers far from the direct sun light. These containers can get very hot in the sun and can harm the plant. It is also not easy to make drainage hole in the metal containers.

Biodegradable pots: these pots are made up from bio degradable materials like peat moss or coconut coir.  These biodegradable pots are very useful for sensitive plants like Lupins. These pots are designed as such that you can put them into a larger pot. The roots grow through the material and after some time the pot decomposes and thus it minimize the root disturbance.

If you are doing container planting it is a good idea to use self watering containers. We have discussed the basics of seal watering container in our last article. You can find it here. 

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Indoor Gardening Part I

All most all of the topics we have discussed earlier is on Outdoor gardening. This is our first initiative towards indoor gardening.  We are hopeful that you will like this as well. If you have any suggestions please put them in the comment box.

Now a day’s most of us live in apartments where there is no extra space or even balconies to practice gardening outdoor. So the only choice we are left with to do it indoor. Even if you have outdoor gardens, adding some plants indoor will definitely add a sense of life to your house. Though it is true you can not grow all the plants indoor, but there are so many of them which you can try your hands on.

But before planting indoors, you really need to understand the light condition in your room. Most of the plants requires direct sunlight (check out our earlier article about sunlight and its impact on plantation: SUN OR NO SUN) but the amount of can vary tremendously from plant to plant. Some plants even can thrive in absence of direct sunlight. But how much light is the least requirement for growing a plant? There is a saying that if you cannot read a book due to darkness the place is also not suitable for growing a plant.

So before start planting indoors, you need to first understand about some geography. If your room is south facing; you will receive the maximum amount of direct sunlight. Whereas if your room is north facing you will receive bright light but the chances are that there will be lack of direct sunlight. East and west facing rooms receives morning and evening sunlight respectively. Now according to your room position choose the plant which is best for the location.

You also need to select the variety of the plant carefully, unlike outdoor gardening; the growing space inside a house can be limited. Some plants can be toxic if ingested. So in case you have pets or toddlers it is sensible to avoid those plants. Some plants have sharp edged leaves which can hurt so if you have already decide to plant those pick a spot where there will be very less traffic.

Use the soil mix which can drain easily. Watering your indoor plants can be very tricky. As there are lack of direct sunlight in most of the cases the last thing you can do is to drown them in water. There is no hard and fast rule for this. But the plants which stay in direct sunlight will require frequent watering than those which are not. You have to experiment a bit to find a proper watering schedule.

Some indoor plants require much more humidity than others; these plants are a good choice to place in the bathrooms.

One of the important parts of practicing good indoor gardening is to prune regularly to keep it in proper shape. We have discussed a bit of pruning in our article about Bonsai. If you want to know more click hereto check the article.

We will discuss more in our following articles about indoor gardening and other gardening related activities. Please let us know what you think about this article. Your constant feedback keeps us going.

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A Positive Revolution

There has been much talk recently of the gardening world becoming stagnant, dreary and dull. Of the need for a call to arms, a messiah, as discussed by Lucy Masters in her thinkinGardens piece http://thinkingardens.co.uk/articles/gardening-in-the-wilderness-do-we-need-a-revolution-in-the-garden-by-lucy-masters/. There is fear that garden writing in book form is struggling with Mr Hessayon announcing his probable retirement at the Garden Media Guild Awards, claiming that the internet would be the end of the garden D.I.Y book, and there is the constant fear that with so few young people coming into the horticultural industry as a serious career choice, that soon we will have no trained plantsmen or scientists to carry on the tradition that is horticulture in the U.K.
All this got me thinking. Thinking very seriously about the world that I am immensely proud to be a part of. An industry that is full of people who work ridiculously hard, in all weathers, to keep the British tradition of horticulture alive. These people are all full of passion and excitement for what they do, excited by new plants they have bred, new nutrient sources they are working on or new gardens they are designing and creating, and it is that passion that keeps them forging forwards in times of hardship.
It is very interesting when talking to people about gardening, just what an emotive subject it is, and why it is that emotive. For many, professional or amateur(and I use amateur very loosely as there are some incredible gardens out there that are not made by professionals but are just as great, if not better than a garden designed by a professional)gardening is their reason for being. Watching the progression of the seasons, planting a seed and watching it grow, creating a wonderful space grow, bloom and die back again in readiness for the following season, brings an awareness of time and seasonality that many struggle to see in their busy 21st century lives. Growing food, allotments and the whole Growing Your Own movement, pulls people back and slows them down. Planting a seed in February and waiting until Christmas for a harvest, as with sprouts, is a real shock for an new allotment holder who is used to just going out and buying what he wants, but it is also a huge learning experience that can be quite humbling. People garden, work with plants, grow or whatever term you want to use, because it is a basic need for them, rather than a choice, and we in the industry are just lucky enough to call our passion our job!
So is there a crisis in gardening? Yes of course there is. D.I.Y stores bringing stock in cheaply from abroad are forcing our nurserymen and women to really struggle and there is a lack of horticultural training available to younsters entering the industry. There is not a single straight botany course left in a U.K university and Garden History courses have all gone too, despite the huge wealth that British planthunters have brought to the table since the 18th century. Our industry has no subsidies unlike some European countries and the Garden Centre chains are all about profit rather than about plants.
But, instead of looking for the negative, lets concentrate on the positive. The age of the D.I.Y gardening book may be over but embrace the knowledge that is available on the internet. There are inspirational blogs out there as well as great videos and films on You Tube and gardening apps that mean with a smart phone you have a huge wealth of knowledge in your pocket, for whenever you need it. There is an amazing Twitter community of gardeners, constantly talking about what is going right and wrong for them and learning from each other, as well as some incredible Facebook groups where people are constantly posting about their achievements as well as the occassional failure.
But also, people are out there, doing it, every day, come rain or shine. Community gardens are popping up all over our cities driven by their communitys need to garden, guerilla gardening is seen as a real positive and groups such as Incredible Edible Todmorden are spreading and reaching a neighbourhood near you! Schools are starting to see the need for gardening and it will soon, if it isnt already, be a part of the national curriculum. The RHS Britain in Bloom and similar campaigns, continue to inspire people to look after and care for the green spaces in their areas and although they are scorned by some, they give people the power to garden and grow. Gardening professionals continue to be busy and the small nurseries continue with their struggle to survive by creating mail order options and ensuring their plants are of such great quality who could refuse them garden space?
So heres a thought. If there is to be a call to arms, let it be from all of us, from anyone who gardens and for whatever reason, to be positive, upbeat and excited about what we do. Lets offer true inspiration, share knowledge, give advice but  most of all get out there and do it and shout out loud about it. Lets make 2014 the year the Gardening Community shouted with one voice and made itself be heard.

Winter colour at RHS Wisley

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Gardening as a Hobby

A
s  per Wikipedia “A hobby is a regularly undertaken activity that is done for pleasure, typically during ones leisure time”. Its primary focus is to gain some recreation and not that much of earning money. It gives delight and helps in passing the leisure time.

Most of us follow some hobby or the other. Hobbies differ form person to person. There can be  as many hobbies as there are men and women in the world. Tastes differ and so do hobbies. Stamp collecting, coins collecting, photography, swimming, Gardening, kite-flying, etc., are a few of the common hobbies. Everyone should have some hobby. It not only enriches us but also provides vital energy boost to propel in our professional life as well.

Gardening is my hobby. It brings me in touch with the green plants and flowers and filled my lungs with pure Oxygen. We can derive great pleasure from Gardening, growing flowers and some vegetables of the season.

It is useful in many ways. Through this blog I made an attempt to create an awareness about the various benefits of having gardening as a hobby, not only in terms of recreations but also as an everlasting benefit.

1. Gardening is an incredible activity to do with kids. Children can learn to count, as well as learn the names of colors, fruits and vegetables by planting and harvesting. And, of course, knowing how to grow food is a skill that will assist them through their entire life.

2. Gardening allows kids to spend time in nature, being up close and personal with butterflies, ladybugs, worms, ants and spiders. Gardening allows children to get comfortable with soil, while learning that food comes from the earth and not a drive-through.

3.  Gardening is a great way to teach your children, ownership and responsibility. Its a good idea to get them their own tools, and allow them to be in charge of their little patch of earth, which will require their attention on watering, weeding and harvesting.

4. Gardening teaches children not only how to sustain themselves and their environment, but also that resources are not infinite, and need to be cultivated.

5. Though you can get Organic vegetables outside in the market, you never really know exactly how it is grown UNLESS you do it yourself. When you grow your own garden, you decide what goes in the soil and to the plant and more importantly WHAT DOESNT.

6. Produce is at its peak nutritional value when ripe. Fruits and vegetables are basically plucked well before the mature and then they have to travel to the supermarket. While it may become ripe by the time you eat it, nutritional value actually decreases with each and every day, after harvest. As the nutrition comes from the stem of the living plant, when you have your own garden you get the  vegetable as nutritious as it can get.

7. Gardening provides all three types of exercise: endurance, flexibility, and strength. It burns enough calories, which also keeps you fit.

8. According to author Joel Salatin, getting in the dirt can actually help boost your immune system! “A little dirt dont hurt!”

9. The average family with a vegetable garden can save a lot of money in terms of saving the money from getting vegetables from outside.

10. Imagine I situation where you might have forgotten to take cilantro while buying your vegetables and in the midst of cooking you are in dire need for some of them. You can always fetch it from your Kitchen garden. Having fresh ingredients in your backyard beats a trip to the store every time!

11. Homegrown vegetables taste SIGNIFICANTLY better than store bought ones.

12. At the grocery store and even at many farmers markets there are maybe two or three varieties of every type of fruit/veggie. But when you grow your own you can choose seeds from an endless list. Do you know how many varieties of tomatoes you can grow in your kitchen garden?

Dont let precious real-estate go to waste. Plant some vegetables which will also decorate your unused, weed infiltrated area and produce a bountiful harvest for you to enjoy.

Here are some very useful information you can use to start your own Things You Need To Start Your Very Own Garden 

Need more motivation? Check out 10 amazing quotes on Gardening

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Roof Top Gardening Some Important Points

Want to do gardening but not having enough space in the backyard? Why not think upwards? If you have a roof top you can definitely use it to grow your favorite plants.

There are some benefits for roof top gardening:
1.    You can utilize your long unused space into a vegetable garden.
2.    Usually full of sunlight.
3.    Visually attractive.
4.    It can cool down the top floor of the apartment in the hot summers.

But unlike your backyard, you need to keep some points in mind before starting your roof top garden.

Weight: Weight is very important. First decide whether you want to use containers or you want to make plantation in the raised beds. In case you are planning to use containers try lighter material like plastic or fiber. Click here to know more about different container materials. Calculate the total amount of weight your roof top is going to bear. You need to add the weight of the soil (in wet condition), containers, mature plants along with their fruits, temporary weight such people and snow (in case you live in a place where snow fall is a regular incident). You can reduce the weight of the soil by mixing Coir or Perlite with the soil.

Sunlight: Generally roof tops are full of sunlight (unless your roof top is surrounded by some high buildings). So the chances are good that the plant will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight pretty easily. But over heating is sometimes also detrimental to certain plants. Beside heat from the top, there is a huge amount of heat also reflected back by the floor of the roof. So just keep in mind that in some cases you may need to provide some shading for the plants.

Wind: Your roof top is a place where the speed of the wind is maximum; especially if you live in high altitude. It is always better to provide some structural barrier or fencing to protect the plant in case of excessive wind flow.

Accessibility: This is a major issue. How easily you can access your roof top. Carrying soil, containers, equipments can be a real headache if the accessibility is poor. Please make sure you have lift or proper stairs installed before starting.

Watering: In the hot summer, the watering may required to do everyday. Make sure you have water connectivity in the roof top; otherwise carrying water everyday from downstairs can be a nuisance. Make sure you have proper drainage on the roof. You can also use the rain water if you have rain water harvesting system in place. You can find some idea about rain water harvesting in this article.

Besides these major issues some minor factors you also need to consider. In the likes of availability of electricity at the terrace can be really helpful though it is not essential. Also please take the required permission from your local authority before starting you garden.


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Heavy Rain Strong Wind

Two days ago, after 4 days without rain, an abnormally windy storm hit my area 4 am in the morning. I couldnt do anything to protect my plants since my soul had been completely sucked by Diablo III that day...

In the morning, I saw this:

Looks like the screen protector was pushed down by the heavy rain...

No casualties it seems... The screen wasnt damaged...

As for the plants:

Most plants were bent over by the rain and strong winds...

Okra with a 90 degrees bent... The flower buds were undamaged

Kangkong and mint were flatten down by the rain... They were standing straight before...

Whole growbed shot...

The okra flower buds take so long to bloom. Im wondering if this is normal...
The older leaves of the mint plant are dying. It looks like the large okra leaves are blocking out most of the sunlight thus slowing the mints growth rate.
I really need to build a greenhouse to cover my entire system soon. The surface of my growbed is covered with tiny fruits from the tree above... and now the tropical storm...

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Water The Most Important but Negelected Factor in your Gardening

Water or H2O is one of the factors in absence of which your gardening dream will never fulfill. Though every gardener knows the importance of water, not every one of us are aware of the different techniques which if followed, can maximize the impact of water to your gardening. This blog focuses on some of those points.

The quantity of water in the soil is very important to the plants. Too little or too much watering both can be detrimental. As for the beginners, plants prepare food by using water, sunlight and Carbon Di-oxide(CO2) with the help of Chlorophyll(which is present in huge quantity in the leaves). This process is called Photosynthesis. Now with out water the plant can not complete the process and thus dies out. In case you put too much water the over wet soil can damage the roots, and can also become prone the many diseases and growth of many fungi.

So now the most important question: How much and how often should I water? Well, the best answer is its depends on your judgement. 

Just do a soil test. Pick up a little amount of soil and try to make a ball out of it. If it crumbles in your hand that means it needs water quickly. If you are able to form a ball with the soil, without making you fingers stained,then that means the soil has the perfect amount of moisture. In case your are able to form a ball, but your fingers become wet that means the water content in the soil is high and no need of further watering. 

How often you need to water the plants depends on the climate your plants are in. If the climate is warm and the plants are in direct sunlight you might have to water them very frequently. Likewise in rainy seasons(check out my blog on gardening in the Rain for more details) the watering needs are very less. Type of soil is also an important factor in watering. Soil less media such as Peat moss and Coconut Coir does not require that much water which is required in normal soil. Last but not the least watering also depends hugely on the type of plant. If the plant is fruit bearing one, or have shallow root system you need to water much more frequently than the rest of the plants in your garden.

Morning is the best time for watering your plants. It allows the plant to take up the water and get ready for the heat or the dampness of the day. It also helps the plants to fully utilize the water for their food preparation. The next best option is in the evenings, just make sure you put the water to the roots only. If the stem and the leaves stays wet during night can invite many diseases such as mildew and molds. Try to avoid watering in mid-days as it can be wasteful. Due to the increased heat, moisture evaporates from the soil before the roots can absorb it. But never stop giving water to the plant in the mid-day even after seeing the soil is dry, just because it is not the optimal time for watering.

While watering make sure you water thoroughly once a week making your soil well moistened rather than a brief sprinkle every day. Always give water to the roots i.e, at the base of the plant rather than giving the whole plant a shower(Dont take the picture above too seriously).

People spend lots of time and money on landscaping, and other garden related activities but rarely spend much time on watering which at times results in death of so many plants in the garden. If we take a little effort and apply common sense, 75% of the plant’s death in the garden due to lack  of proper watering system, can be prevented. 

Enjoy Gardening. 

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