Indraprastha Horticulture Society

Tips of the Month: September

• With the Monsoon rains receding, we must prepare our garden for winter season by de-weeding, if any, removing spent plants of past season, pruning the existing overgrowth of remaining plants to allow air and sunlight to penetrate the garden more for better growth and reduce whitefly infestations.
• Next we should prepare a Soil enrichment mix to be added to all garden beds and containers by mixing equal quantities of fully cured Kitchen waste compost. Well decomposed cow dung manure / vermicompost, 10% jamuna sand, 10% Neemkhal, 10% Sarson Khal, 10% Bonemeal, other plant based khal such as those of sesame, groundnut, almond etc along with little qty of natural fungicide turmeric or cinnamon powder.
• Give the garden a good bath on weekly basis with Reetha water followed by citrus Bio-enzyme next day to make it dust and disease free.
• This is an apt time to sow seeds of winter crop simultaneously and transplant any ready seedlings also. Prepare a seedling mix with equal qty of soaked and fluffed cocopeat, leaf mold / kitchen waste compost and little neemkhal.
• Ample sunlight (6-7 hours) receiving garden space can easily grow tomatoes, brassicas, capsicum, French beans, beetroot, turnip, zucchini, corns, onion, salad greens & amp; herbs, strawberries, potato, basil etc.
• Direct sowing of leafy greens palak, mustard, methi, coriander, bathua, garlic, peas, carrots, radishes can be done in staggered manner to get continuous harvest.
• Medium sunlight (3-4 hours) garden can grow leafy greens and salad greens.
• Zero or negligible sunlight can grow micro-greens very well of many of above vegetables and
• Grow seasonal, eat seasonal. Happy gardening in fall.