Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Gardening Techniques - Mint ..

Mint is a unique Indian cuisine, which has gotten it's place in most of Indian cuisine - rasam, chutney, raita etc...

Growing mint is a very very easy. Mint likes acidic, shallow, moist, soil - shade is ok with mint. In NW Pacific, they just love the shade grounds under evergreen trees. If you are in Central or other regions of India, make a nice thick composted soil, with peet most, tea residue etc. to make a moisture-retaining soil mix. use a wide open pot to grow it or make a bed . Mint is very invasive and takes over the yard - so be careful.

In the US different flavors of mint are available - but if you are keen on Indian flavored mint, then when you buy mint form the (Indian) store, remove the leaves form the stem carefully and collect the stems.  make sure that you dont damage the stem tip and the nodes on the stem.


prepare a pot as explained earlier and poke those stems in the pot. keep it moist 9dont dampen the pot as the stems will rot if it's too damp). within a week or two new sprouts will come and new plants wills tart growing.


Picture: Pudina stems ready to be planted.

Picture: Pudina leaves form  my garden.


Picture: Stems of mint ready to be planted.

Enjoy home grown mint...

Monday, May 22, 2017

Gardening Techniques - Veggies...

As we always do, we are excited about growing our own veggies. Whether it be local or native or it be tropical do the following:


Ground Prep..





Picture: Bed prepared with some (raspberry plants ) for tomatoes and radish/spinach planting.
  1. Check the zone , where you live to see if your favorite would grow.
  2. Check the pH level of your soil for the type of veggie you are trying to grow.
  3. Prep the soil by adding ph Adjustment - either sweet lime if the soil is acidic or other supplements.
  4. Try to stay organic - by using steer manure, chicken manure, organic mulch etc..
  5. Till the soil well, and then add the manure mixture (of the above mentioned manure(S).
  6. Cover the soil with 1+ inches of bark mulch  or garden soil to avoid dryness during summer.


Seeds / Starters

If you decide to start your garden from seeds, then follow this method:

1.Buy a healthy collection of seeds - whether it be tomatoes, chilies, etc..
2. Alternatively you can take the seeds of dry red peepers when you cook (before you cook) and save them (I prefer atleast 6 months of dormancy for the seeds).
3. When you cut tomatoes, you can collect some seeds from the pulp, dry and save them (in winter) for the following summer/spring).
4. You can smear ashes on the wet seeds to keep them dry _ to avoid insects (age old technique from India)
5. Soak the seeds in water atleast for 24-48 hours.
6. For seeds like okra, beans, etc.. they will start sprouting while in water.
7. Seeds like coriander, tomato/pepper(s) may not sprout so soon (while in water).
8. It's always good to soak the seeds in (Luke warm) water  sot hat once in soil they try to grow (almost) immediately).

1. Seeds Pads could be used (even in winter in-house) or in a greenhouse.
2. Or the seeds could be directly sown in the soil after it's warm (usually after Mothers day in places there's a fear of frost/freeze).
3. Either sow the seeds evenly and cover it with soil ( and them mulch) or poke them into the soil (in ace of beans or okra).
4. For tomatoes / other vines like beans , pumpkins, cucumbers etc.. make arrangements for support.
5. Miracle grow can be used to boost the growth (sparingly)  in addition to natural compost, steer manure etc.. periodically.








Picture: Radish, Fenugreek, Beans/Pumpkin, Cilantro, okra seeds soaked in water for planting in ground.

Cilantro Seed Prep:  take a  bottle or a steel cup. spread the cilantro seeds on a countertop (or hard surface). Gently sractch / grind the cilantro . it should break the seeds into two (but not damage the seeds). each ciantro seed contains 2 seeds so, we need to separate it before soaking to be sown int he ground.



Picture: Cilantro seed prep.

Bug Control

1. Try to place some yellow colored flowers/plants  i the vegetable garden to attract pests away from the vegetables.
2. Get some lady bugs to avoid pests.
3. Good sun-light is always a good thing.
4. Use nets to avoid bad pests.
5. frogs, ducks, chicken etc..a re all good as they eat snails, sliugs, insects etc..
6. thro some (from bbq) ashed on the plants to divert away the pests.


My garden floweers - Wisteria

Aweome , pernnial hardy vines - blooms early summer - beautiful - can be propagted by seeds and cuttings





My garden flowers - Lilac

Hardy trees with very fragrant blossoms in early summer. Absolute one to have in a garden.



My Garden flowers - Clematis

I just love clematis



than myself. And again , there are hard to winter and are wines with beautiful blossoms all across summer. Can be propagated by air-layering. Beautiful flowers.


My Garden Flowers Perennials...

There are perennials for my Zone here in Seattle,WA. Columbines are my big time favorites. Various different colors. Can be grown with seeds but the roots are like tubers and keep coming back every year.




s , single petalled, mulai layered etc.e tc.