This is the time to look back on the past year and take stock. Are you growing the plants you need, in the quantity you require? Did you have enough for the family — and some to gift to friends? What would you like to add — or not grow at all in future? Were there some seeds and plants that didn’t work; what went wrong? What thrived in containers and grow bags, and what grew best in the ground. Did the spot you chose for growing beans receive adequate sunlight? How did you treat the plants attacked by aphids or cutworms? Why did the tomato plants mysteriously wither away and die? These are questions that can be answered if you have been keeping a gardening diary, and recording every event, however mundane or seemingly unimportant.
Your kitchen garden notebook
Even seasoned gardeners and farmers make notes — from the dates the seeds were sown, germination, to the precise day the seedlings were transplanted. The progression from seed to seedling to plant, and the appearance of flower and fruit are all important bits of data — this will help you with future garden plans. Some passionate gardeners note weather conditions — how the sun shone brightly till late noon or how a sudden change in weather cast shadows and blocked the sunlight, or how a freak thunderstorm ravaged tiny seedlings.
Take stock of the produce
Weigh and even photograph your produce — and clip it in your notebook along with the statistics. New gardeners may overdo a particular vegetable — this could take away valuable space that can be used for another crop. Perhaps, you could have planted more potatoes or carrots, as you fell short of these kitchen staples. A look at your garden diary will reveal where you could have done better, and help with new plans for the garden.
Planning your crops
Once the initial assessment is done, make a list of the vegetables you will be planting. Plan your crop rotation and companion planting pattern. When you have harvested a crop, it is best to leave the soil fallow for a few months; mulch with leaves, grass cuttings and manure and leave it to regenerate. This does not mean leaving the entire garden fallow — as each crop is harvested, leave that section of the vegetable patch to regenerate.
Maintenance and repair
Tools need to be cleaned and sharpened periodically. Your drip irrigation system may need cleaning and repair — if you do not have one in place, this is the time to invest in one. Look for reliable seed companies that propagate non-GMO seeds.
Illustration for Lathika George's Kitchen Garden column
Problems
Tackle each head on — and don’t shy away from relocating or discarding plants that have an adverse effect on the other plants. If you find herbs like mint (an invasive plant) overgrowing into other spaces, they must be moved to a container, or divided and shared with other gardeners. If your compost heap is not decomposing well and producing rich crumbly compost, you may need to cover the heap and re-start.
Fruit and vegetable trees
Trees supplying seasonal fruits and vegetables need timely care; ensure that mulching, manuring and watering is done at the precise time to ensure a good harvest. Make a note of your crop for the previous year — if the mangos, papaya or drumstick crop were meagre or the fruit sour or small — go back to your diary to check the weather, and maintenance of the previous year. Plan to add a few ‘food trees’ each year — it is best to source them from other gardeners or a nursery in your area.
A gardening community
Farmers everywhere thrive when they are a part of a community — exchanging seeds, and sharing information on new tools and improved farming methods. The kitchen gardener too would benefit from a support group in the area. Sharing stories of failures and how to overcome them — are encouraging when the words come from fellow gardeners. Whether you are a novice just starting his/her first kitchen garden or a seasoned gardener, belonging to a community with common goals — producing fresh food — is the best way to ensure you don’t give up at the first sign of failure.
The writer’s new book Mother Earth, Sister Seed: Travels Through India’s Farmlands , has just been published by Penguin Books.
