Does the idea of growing your vegetables in your kitchen garden excite you? The homegrown organic vegetable can be a true blessing to your health. They are nutrition rich as they are eaten soon after being plucked from the plant. This keeps most of their vitamins and minerals intact. And with the rising vegetable prices, growing your vegetables can be an economical alternative to. In this article, we will focus on ten of the best vegetables suitable for growing in a North Indian kitchen garden.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are packed with nutrients such as iron, magnesium, potassium, niacin and vitamins A, B6, and C. They are one of the best sources of the antioxidant Lycopene and are rich in fiber as well.
Tips to grow tomatoes:
- Choose containers that are about 12 to 18 inches deep and grow only one plant per container.
- Use nutrition rich garden soil and make sure the plant gets plenty of sunlight, air and adequate amount of water.
Beets
Beets are a great source of iron, potassium, and vitamin C. Beet greens are even more nutritious than the beetroot with iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, and C. Both are a great addition to a nutritious salad.
Tips to grow beets:
- Red Ace is an excellent variety for a kitchen garden.
- Use about a 12 inches deep container and plant about three beet seeds.
- It is best to harvest beet when small as they are sweeter and more delicious.
Carrots
Carrots are another great nutrition rich vegetable that you can easily grow in your kitchen garden. They are packed with manganese, potassium, niacin and vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, B6 and C and also rich in fiber. They are a commonly used vegetable for salads and juicing.
Tips to grow carrots:
- Use shorter varieties like Thumbelina, Little Fingers or Short n Sweet for a kitchen garden.
- Put carrot seeds about 2-3 inches apart from each other in 12 inches deep container. The longer the plants you want to grow, the deeper should be the container.
- Water regularly and adequately for a healthier and abundant harvest.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are easy to grow in kitchen garden even for an inexperienced home-gardener. Cucumbers are a great salad vegetable that is very low in calories. Eating plenty of cucumbers in the form of salad or juice in hot summer helps keep your body cool.
Tips to grow cucumbers:
- Shorter varieties like Baby Bush, Pot Luck, Bush Pickle, etc. are best for a kitchen garden.
- Choose larger containers and make sure that the soil is nutrition rich and stays warm and moist.
- Provide 6-8 hours of sunlight adequate amount of water and add fertilizers every week for best results.
Radish
This is one vegetable that you can grow even in small containers. They take less time to grow and are easier to maintain. Radishes, commonly known as mooli in India, are a rich source of iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins A and C along with fiber.
Tips to grow radish:
- Use a 12-inch deep container. Plant seeds about ½ inch deep.
- Use well-decomposed vermicompost for growing organic radishes.
- Provide 6-8 hours sunlight, adequate water according to seasons and add fertilizers every one or two weeks for best results.
Potatoes
Potatoes are another easy to grow vegetable in your kitchen garden that we consume almost regularly in different forms. Potatoes are a major source of carbohydrates, potassium, sodium and also vitamins C and B6.
Tips to grow potatoes:
- Use a container about 12 inches deep and fill it with rich soil.
- Plant 3-4 potatoes per container and water regularly till they grow stems.
- Make sure to keep the stems covered with soil.
Onions
Onions are traditionally used in India in daily diet whether as to spice-up other recipes or in a raw form. The pungent flavor is appetizing. Onions are easy to grow and are a rich source of dietary fiber, folate, potassium, manganese, vitamin C and B6.
Tips to grow onions:
- Green onions are best suited for kitchen gardens.
- 10-12 inch deep containers are adequate.
- Good soil, adequate water, enough sunlight are important for good produce.
Eggplant
Eggplant or baingan is a delicious addition to your kitchen garden. Easy to grow and maintain, eggplants are rich in dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, vitamin C, B, and folate.
Tips to grow eggplant:
- Use a good container about from 5 to 12 inches deep. Clay pots are best.
- The soil should be fast-draining, warm and nutrients rich.
- It is important to offer support to the plant using wooden sticks.
Capsicum
Also known as Simla Mirch, capsicums come in a variety of colors including green, red, yellow and orange. Green capsicum is more commonly consumed in India. They are rich in iron, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A, C, B6, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
Tips to grow capsicum:
- Grow Capsicum in containers with enough room. About 12 inches deep pot is good.
- Provide plenty of sunlight, air, and adequate water.
- Offer support to the tender stem as the plant grows.
Leafy greens
They are of many varieties including methi, spinach, etc. and can be conveniently grown in your kitchen containers. They are all great sources of calcium, iron, potassium, vitamins A, B6 and C, and fibers and are an important part of the traditional Indian diet.
Tips to grow leafy greens:
- Although the size of the container is not as important with these vegetables, 10-12 inches deep pot is adequate for growing most leafy vegetables.
- Keep about 4-5 inches space between each plant to provide enough breathing space.
- Cooler weather conditions are ideal for most leafy greens.
- Enough sunlight and proper watering to keep the soil moist are important.
Growing some of these vegetables in your home is a great way to offer some great health benefits to your family. Follow the above tips, and you will soon be a proud owner of a lush and flourishing kitchen garden.
