Best tips for growing spinach at home

Spinach is a cool season leafy vegetable.  Known for lush green foliage spinach is rich in iron, vitamins and anti oxidants.  Spinach crop can be harvested after 6-8 weeks from planting. In warm climate spinach tends to produce seeds rather than growing the foliage. So harvest it at right time. It is called as 'Palak' in Hindi. Spinach can be grown in containers at home, follow below tips for success. 

Propagation

Spinach is propagated from seeds. Prepare soil enriched with garden compost and sow seeds ½ inch deep and 1 inch apart. Water the soil without affecting seeds. Seeds germinate in a week. Then thin out the weakest seedlings and create 3-4 inches of space between two consecutive seedlings. This increases air circulation around the crop and minimizes the chances of any fungal attack. 

Container

Prefer a tray to regular pots or container to propagate spinach, tray being 3-4 feet long provides a large surface area for sowing more number of seeds. Planting tray should have sufficient number of holes at bottom. You can put small pieces of bricks or stones over the holes to help with drainage. 

Soil

Spinach grows in any type of well drained soil. However loamy soil is ideal. Soil should be loose too so that spinach seedlings could establish roots easily and quickly. Add a fine layer of garden compost to the soil. It will provide nutrients to the plants.

Sun/Temperature

Spinach thrives in full direct sunlight. It should get minimum 5 hrs of sunlight. So place your container where it gets that much light like east facing window or balcony. Partial shade is beneficial for spinach.

Watering

Spinach is a humidity loving plant. Mulch the soil using dried leaves, straws etc to retain moisture around the plant. Water spinach regularly. Keep soil moist. 

Fertilizer

Spinach doesn’t have feeding requirements. Good quality compost works well as fertilizer. If you want feed the plant with nitrogen based fertilizer as it promotes foliage growth on the plant.

Harvesting

Start harvesting crop after 6-8 weeks of planting. Cut off outer leaves which are 3-4 inches long. It will encourage more growth on the plant and ultimately results in more foliage to harvest. Remember to harvest the crop completely before plant blots and produces seeds. (Generally when temperature rises the plant tends to flower and fruit due to increased temperature and stops producing more leaves)

Caring

Spinach plant can be attacked by mealy bugs, aphid and slugs. So inspect the crop regularly and treat it on time.

Best tips for propagating Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) from cuttings in water

Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) is very common houseplant. It is assumed to bring luck and fortune in home.  Being not at all demanding, Lucky bamboo can be grown indoors for many years. It is easily propagated from stem cuttings. Steps for that are mentioned below. 

First of all choose a healthy looking at least 4-6 inches long lucky bamboo’s stalk. By healthy looking means, stalk should be green and solid. Avoid any blackened or rotten stalk. The stalk should have minimum one shoot growing from a node / joint on it.

Pluck all leaves off the shoot leaving mature leaves on the top. It helps lucky bamboo to focus all its energy on root formation.

Make a cut on shoot ½ inch above the point where it connects to main stalk.  The cutting should have at least one node from where roots will appear. Or directly cut the shoot in the line with stalk's top.

Put shoot cuttings in 1-2 inches of fresh water filled in a glass jar or ceramic container. Cuttings will root in 2-3 months. Change the water regularly to avoid infection. 

If you want to use stalk then cut it a bit (½ inch) below the joint from where cutting was taken. Cover this part with candle wax to avoid any type of infection on it.  New shoot will emerge in 1-2 months. 

A visit to annual flower show 'Buds N Blooms' at Empress Botanical Garden, Pune (India)

DesignGreenIndia visited an annual flower show  - ‘Buds N Blooms’ at Empress Botanical Garden, Pune. The Empress garden covers a sprawling 39 acres, and is home to many rare species of trees and flowers. Managed by Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India since 1880, Empress garden organizes this annual flower show with aim of bringing gardening lovers together across India. 

Around 1,500 varieties of flowers, including 600 different varieties of roses are on display there for gardening lovers. Petunia, Marigold, Salvia, Zinnia, Coleus, Gazania and Gerebra are main annuals covering most of the ground area at the show.

Different stalls of indoor plants, bonsais, vegetables (seeds), gardening and landscape accessories, flower paining, Japanese ikebana flower arrangements are arranged by nursery owners, vendors and horticulturists coming all over  India from  places like Sikkim, Darjeeling, Gujrat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra. 

Flower competition (Rose) is one of the highlight of the event. Different type of roses (hybrid, floribunda, miniature roses) grown by nursery owners and enthusiast are being showcased in the show.  

Also there are stalls by nursery owners for home gardeners.  Soil mix, fertilizers, seeds, bulbs, compost could be purchased after consulting with experts at these stalls.  

Various flower competition, workshops, street-plays, story-telling sessions and an interaction with experts in the field are other features of the show. Around 25,000 visitors are expected this year.

DesignGreenIndia recommends its viewer a visit to this show. It is being held from 17 to 19^th Jan 2014. The exhibition will open from 9 am to 9 pm.

Best tips for growing Radish / Raphanus sativus

Radish (Raphanus sativus) is a hardy cool season crop known for the pungent flavor it adds to salad and dishes.  Root is its edible part and it belongs to same family as cabbage and cauliflower belong. Radish crop can be harvested within a month of sowing seeds so one can harvest multiple crops by sowing seeds every week. Radish can be used as intercrop along with spinach, coriander etc too but do not plant it with any cole crop like cabbage, cauliflower.It is called as 'mooli' in Hindi.

Propagation

Radish is propagated from seeds. Prepare soil bed by removing weeds, stones and gravels which hamper root’s growth in to the ground. Mix a good quality farm yard manure or garden compost to the soil. Sow seeds ½ inch deep and 1 inch apart. Keep at least 12 inches spacing between two rows to encourage good growth. Water the soil instantly and keep it moist. Seeds sprout within a week.

Container

If you are short of space and want to grow radish in containers then size of container is important as long radish (generally grown in India) can be up to 12 inches / 1 foot long. So use large containers for them. Round red variety radish can be grown in medium sized container.  Put small brick or stone pieces on drainage holes.

Soil

Radish grows in any type of well drained and loose soil. Till the soil to depth of 6-8 inches to make it loose and more suitable for growing radish. Add a layer of farmyard manure or garden compost to enrich it with organic matter. 

Sun/Temperature

Radish grows in full sun. It requires minimum 4-5 hours of direct sun light. Afternoon shade is beneficial for the plant.

Watering

Radish needs regular watering. Keep the soil moist. In dry soil conditions, radish tends to bolt and tastes bitter (too pungent).  But do not over do the watering otherwise root will rot and split. 

Fertilizer

Radish doesn’t have much feeding requirement. A good quality garden compost or farm yard manure like cow dung works well. If you want to use fertilizer then use anything but nitrogen based as it promotes foliage growth not roots.

Harvesting

Harvesting time is important factor in growing radish. If you leave radish in ground for too long then it becomes inedible. Generally crop can be harvested from 3^rd week of sowing seeds.  Mature radish can be identified by large leaves above the ground on 2-3 cm wide top. Pull the mature radish out of the ground and cut off the lush green top. Store the harvested crop in refrigerator and use within a week. In order to save seeds for next season leave the radish in the ground and let it flower and fruit.

Check out tips for growing potato at home.