A Complete Guide of Vegetable Gardening

By Upendra Datt Saklani

There is no available information at this time. Author will provide once available.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris NZ
• Release date: Feb 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781543497564

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by Upendra Datt Saklani.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/07/2022

Xlibris

NZ TFN: 0800 008 756 (Toll Free inside the NZ)

NZ Local: 9-801 1905 ([phone] from outside New Zealand)

www.Xlibris.co.nz

830789

CONTENTS

CHAPTER-1: Vegetable Gardening and it’s Concepts

1. Factors for Selection of Vegetable Gardening

a. Sunlight

b. Soil Conditions

c. Other Factors

2. Protection against Stray Animals

3. Alternatives for small houses and flats

CHAPTER-2: Plant Nutrients and Soil Improvements

1. Plant Nutrients

a. Nitrogen

b. Phosphorus

c. Potassium

d. Micronutrients (Trac Elements)

2. Soil Importance

3. Soil pH and it’s Role

4. Amendment of Soil pH in Crops Favor

5. Soil Improvement in Garden

6. Composting and its Fundamentals

7. Compost Bins and Composting

8. Vermicompost and its Preparation

9. Nutrient Management

a. Soil Testing

b. Plant Tissue Analysis

10. Fertilizers and their Forms

11. Fertilizer Mixtures

12. List of some NPK Fertilizers available in the Market

CHAPTER-3: Vegetables and their Role in our Food

1. Classification of Vegetables

2. Some important Vegetables and their Botanical Names

3. Aromatic Plants for Kitchens

4. Selection of Vegetables

5. World’s Seasonal changes for Vegetable Selection

6. Distribution of Vegetables in different Seasons

CHAPTER-4: Gardening Tools and Layout

1. Important Garden Tools

a. Spade

b. Hoe

c. Garden Rake

d. Trowel

e. Water Can

f. Sprayer

g. Duster

h. Irrigation Pipes

2. Layout Design or Layout Plan

3. Location of Perennial Plants in the Garden

4. Water Harvesting

5. Preparation of Beds and Methods

6. Solarization of Soil

7. Types of Beds

a. Raised Beds

b. Flat Beds

c. Vertical Gardening

d. Pot Gardening

8. Direct Sown Vegetables

9. Transplanted Vegetables

10. Other Method of Planting

11. Perennial Vegetables

CHAPTER-5: Nursery Raising

1. Raising Vegetables seedlings in Nursery

2. Sowing and Transplanting

3. Distances of Rows and Plants as recommended

CHAPTER-6: Crop Rotations and its Concepts

1. Some Season-Wise probable rotations

2. Companion Cropping

3. Some possible companion combinations

4. Inter Cropping

5. Relay Cropping

CHAPTER-7: Field Management

1. Weed Management

a. Manual Weeding

b. Hoeing Method

c. Mulching

d. Herbicides Application

e. Top Dressing

f. Foliar Spray of Plant Nutrients

g. Irrigation

h. Staking for Weak Stem Plants

2. Structure for Creepers and Climbers

3. Frost Protection

4. Flowering and pre-Harvesting Management

5. Hand Pollination

6. Picking and Harvesting Management

7. Keep your own Seeds

8. Seed Viability

CHAPTER-8: Organic Vegetables

1. Quality of Organic Vegetables

2. Why Organic Vegetables are better?

3. Requirements of Organic Vegetable Cultivation

4. Regulation for Organic Vegetables Farming

5. Grow your own Organic Vegetables

CHAPTER-9: Integrated Disease and Pest Management (IPM)

1. Disease and Pest Management in Standing Crops

2. Disease and Pest Management in Soil

3. Disease and Pest Management in Nursery Area

a. Some useful common Pesticides available

b. Some useful Chemicals for Disease control

c. Some useful Spray Mixtures

4. Calibration for Liquid Chemicals

5. Type of Nozzle Cones

6. Some common Vegetable Pests

7. Some common Vegetables Diseases

8. Biological Control of Pest

a. Nature’s Role

b. Role of Predators (Beneficial Insects)

c. Some Beneficial Pathogens

d. Insect Attractants

e. Use of Pheromones

CHAPTER-10: Few Special Vegetables in your Kitchen Garden and Vegetable Forcing

1. Special Crops

A. Baby Corn

a. What is baby corn?

b. Seed Selection

c. Growing Seasons

d. Spacing

e. Field preparation

f. De-Tasseling

g. Disease and Pest Management

h. Harvesting

i. Post harvesting process of baby corns

B. Asparagus

a. Selection of site

b. Bed preparation

c. Planting material and planting

d. Interculture Operations

e. Disease and Pest Management

f. Harvesting

g. Post Harvesting Management

C. Pointed Gourd

a. Plant’s nature and habits

b. Climate and Soil

c. Planting material and planting

d. Cultural Management

e. Disease ad Pest Management

f. Harvesting

g. Training and Pruning

h. Replanting

2. Vegetable Forcing

CHAPTER-11: Calendar of Yearly Sowing and Planting

Preface

In 2006, at the age of sixty-five, I immigrated to Auckland, fifteen years ago. This was my first experience in Southern Hemisphere, and it felt like a new planet to me. I was amazed to see the whole new experience of sun movement; season change and vegetables growing in reverse order.

New Zealand opened a whole lot of new experience to me through working for welfare of immigrant assisting people like me to become smart Kiwis. I feel it really helped me to understand the new country better.

My experience in horticulture in India came handy when I could give support to my fellow senior friends and families who were interested in kitchen gardening but raised many questions around how to grow few native Indian vegetables. I was able to work around their confusion of picking up correct planting, time, months, and seasons because I could understand the transition from northern to southern hemisphere. So, I wrote a tiny booklet "Vegetable gardening- to clear doubts of migrant friends and families to know the contrasts of seasons and selection of vegetables in New Zealand.

Within a year my interest in kitchen gardening increased more and I became a part of Migrant Support Services which was working for Asian immigrants. I started a project, financed by Auckland Regional Council for migrants. The whole idea of the project was to understand seasons of New Zealand keeping in mind its global location in the Southern Hemisphere and try out using kitchen green and brown wastes for composting to minimize the volume of landfills in New Zealand.

My journey to write this book is just a simple way to clear few doubts in people to grow vegetables in small areas and in season between two hemispheres. I have also highlighted the modern vegetable growing technology to small vegetable growers to harvest quality vegetables in bulk that too in less space in this book. I have also covered few topics in the book which, growers may follow and practice as routine to get best result such as good soil condition, well laid out beds, use of ample compost and fertilizers in every season before new vegetables to plant and many more. It also touches upon an integrated approach to save crops against disease and pests to give growers high dividend is the selection of right stage of picking and harvesting which vary from vegetable to vegetable.

I have tried explaining all this in my book with photograph, charts, graphic image, and tables. I have also included few chapters on Integrated disease and pest management. Vegetable growers may also know that all insects are not harmful, sometimes they act as predators to kill harmful insects. Hope it will be helpful to those who loves kitchen gardening. My book also includes details on yearly sowing and planting of northern and southern Hemisphere in the form of a chart.

I want my readers to be aware of opposite seasons and cropping pattern in both the hemispheres. Well, it does not mean that all information given in the chart are exact. It is just a way of explaining broadly the whole seasons and timing differences in two hemispheres.

My book ends with a summary tip to all growers to note important points for successful vegetable gardening.

Since I have had limited knowledge in computer, I would like to give high compliments and thanks to Vinayak Verma, who is a young Computer science student. I adore his patience to help me in compiling my work in computer without which the book remains unfinished. I further thanks to my son in law, Manoj in formatting the book and my daughter Tulika who have extended their help time to time in preparation of manuscript.

Finally, I would no longer be able to complete the book without cooperation of my best half Lalita, therefore best thanks also go to her.

Dr Saklani.

CHAPTER-1

Vegetable Gardening and it’s Concepts

Vegetable Gardening is a cultivation of vegetable and herbs by family members as amateur vegetable growers on the premises of house on vacant land using their leisure time. The concept mainly is the source of pleasure involving with heart and soul for growing vegetable, rather than other motives. The production in form of vegetables is only by-product out of growth and development of plants during the cultivation which vegetable gardeners achieve. It, however, certainly acquires an additional significance in cutting down family expenses besides having privilege of using fresh vegetables in the family daily diets.

There are persons involve in vegetable gardening without considering space problem, but they do find space may be little or more or no space. They ought to make space to satisfy their hobby where they live, no matter whether in flats or bungalows with limited or unlimited space but they do