Growing Garlic

Having heard that growing garlic is very easy, I planted three garlic cloves in a pot. That was nearly four months ago. Last month, when their tops began to wither, I stopped watering them as recommended. Thereafter, they appeared ready for  harvest. Apparently, something I did was not quite right. For when I dug up the soil, all I found were three teeny-weeny garlic pods. Each pod was merely a single fat clove.

Garlic Shoots

Withered Garlic Tops

There is, however, a bright side to my failed garlic experiment. Recently, I happened to come across a pile of tiny young garlic in an organic produce & specialty store. They seemed  very  similar to the ones I’d harvested. The owner claimed that these were in demand for their special medicinal benefits.

Baby Garlic

 I like my garlic, fat, with numerous cloves, but now I can console myself with the thought that they are probably more “medicinal”.

Make Your Own Homemade Compost: The Pit-less, Hassle-free Way

Three years ago, when I read about the Kambha in the newspaper, I got curious.  Here was a solution that promised to get rid of most of our garbage without any hassle. It seemed too good to be true. But like the high-frequency mosquito repellent gadget, which doesn’t even work for a day, was the Kambha another fraudulent device? Luckily, curiosity got the better of me. My husband and I went to meet the Kambha distributor at her home in Nungambakkam. What really convinced us in favour of the device was the distributor’s own Kambha. She was kind enough to let us right into her kitchen balcony and show us how her Kambha worked. We were amazed to find that despite holding bucket loads of garbage, it didn’t stink or attract any pests. 

Kambha: For Pit-less Composting

Today, with 3 years of composting experience, I can vouch for the magic of  the Kambha. It's the easiest way to convert truck loads of kitchen and garden waste into precious  compost. We could complain about all the piles of stinky garbage lying around in the city or we could choose to use the Kambha. I assure you I haven’t been paid to write this post. I am endorsing it only because in all earnestness, I find it the neatest composter around.

The traditional way to composting is the compost pit. But the pit could attract rodents and other pests. You also need enough space for a pit.  The Kambha, on the other hand, requires very little space and is rodent-proof.  The fact that it has been designed by a designer of the internationally acclaimed National Institute of Design, shows in many ways. Seemingly simple, the design is  functional, sustainable, affordable and aesthetic, just as Poonam Bir Kasturi, the designer had envisaged.

The Kambha is a 3-tiered terracotta structure. You fill the top-most pot with wet kitchen waste and dry garden leaves and twigs. (If you don’t have a garden, just add shredded newspaper, sawdust or cardboard pieces.) Once 3/4^th full, it is swapped with the middle unit.  After some time when the stuff in the middle unit has further reduced and partially composted, swap it  with the bottom-most unit, where it will mature further. Continue this cycle of filling and swapping for a few months, before you can harvest fully done compost. Doesn’t it sound simple? IT IS SIMPLE. All you need to do is spend a couple of minutes each day putting your waste in the Kambha. On weekends, you could devote a little more time, to make sure that nothing’s amiss.

 What's Inside the Kambha

There are many myths to composting.

Composting is believed to be:

1.      Stinky and messy

2.      Time consuming

3.      Difficult

4.      Needing Space

5.      Attracting Rodents and Pests 

I can assure you that with the Kambha, composting is easy as A,B,C. I’ll leave it to the Daily Dump guys to convince you why the myths are all false. They’ve also a very good section on how to troubleshoot. You could run into trouble, if you don’t have the right mix of wet and dry stuff. The only trouble we ever had was in the Kambha’s first year, when we hardly added any dry garden waste. With only wet kitchen waste, the composter had more moisture than necessary and attracted some maggots. But the maggot infestation wasn’t troublesome and was easily dealt with. 

Final Sieved Compost: Fine as Tea dust

Armed with a little experience and plenty of fine compost, my husband recently convinced his colleagues to go in for a composter, the Manthan, to deal with all the canteen waste at his workplace.

Many of our urban garbage bins are such smelly eyesores. Composting is one easy, yet concrete way for each of us to actually contribute in cleaning up all the mess around us. I hope this post of mine will encourage you to begin composting.

Summer Blooms

Chennai Summer is a mixed bag. It's when we have the humid heat sapping our energy and the power cuts that leave one grouchy. Yet in compensation, we have vacations, delicious summer fruits and summer blossoms.

The apartment complex where I live has a common garden that's teeming with shrubs and trees. Summer is when I get to see them all in bloom. Heralding the season is the Copper Pod Tree. This tree showers beautiful small golden flowers throughout the day, forming a lovely soft carpet for us to walk on. When this tree is done, the Gulmohur takes over. The flamboyant, flaming gulmohur flowers are a favourite with children. A dozen games -- which only a child's brain can conjure up -- can be played with this flower.

Copper Pod Tree

Gulmohur (Flame Tree)

 Apart from all the usual summer flowers, this summer, our garden earned a bonus. The Galangal, a special kind of ginger, offered to bloom. This was the first time in four years that it has flowered. Even the regular ginger flowers are a rarity. Ginger only flowers if you let it grow for a couple of years. So when the galangal blossoms appeared, it was indeed a kodak moment.

Galangal Flower

Galangal Plant - From the Ginger Family

Coriander: From Seed To Seed

Here’s a little riddle -- White lace on a girl’s frilly green dress. What is it?

Answer: A coriander plant in full bloom.

Coriander or Dhania is a pretty, aromatic herb that is quintessential to Indian cuisine. When I was told that the plant is low maintenance, I decided I had to grow it. But there was a catch. Many people I knew, who had tried growing Coriander, had met with failure. They simply couldn’t get to start the plant from seed or had done so with great difficulty. A friend even told me that she believed that the store-bought seeds are probably boiled and so couldn’t be used. In fact she had sourced some seeds all the way from a US nursery, which were in contrast very easy to start. But where was I to get American seeds?

Coriander

When I tried growing coriander, I also had my share of teething troubles. I tried different ways: soaking the seeds, crushing them a bit, but all to no avail. Where was I going wrong? The answer to starting them, I learnt from my maid – who came from a farming family – was to crush the seeds really well before broadcasting them in the soil. In fact, she told me to use the grinding stone to crush the seeds. The idea is not to powder them fine but to properly divide a seed (actually the fruit) into two parts to expose the true inner seed. Once you know this, growing coriander is a breeze.

You'll be able to have a fresh coriander garnish whenever you please. After you are done with harvesting its leaves, the plant will start blooming; you’ll find your plant’s changed into that green frill dress with white lace. Soon, you’ll have seeds that are ready to be harvested. Pluck them and store them in a paper bag. A little toasting before use will bring out its heady aroma.

In Full Bloom

Pretty Coriander Flowers

Young, Green Coriander Seeds

Ready to Pluck

To The Plate

A few tips for the Newbie:

1.       Coriander loves the sun. Though delicate looking, the plant is rather hardy.

2.       To start the plant, dip into your spice jar and take out a tablespoon of coriander seeds. Crush them really well and broadcast them in the final place you want the coriander to grow; it doesn’t take well to transplanting.

3.       It takes a week or two for the seedlings to appear, so keep watering the seeds and you won’t be disheartened.

4.       The plant tends to go to seed very quickly. If you are keen to have more leaves, keep plucking them.

5.       Once the leaves become feathery, it’s a sign that the seeds are on its way.

6.       The seeds mature at different times. You will need to watch out for browned seeds; pick them every day, lest they burst and scatter.

The coriander is so dainty and fragrant, yet so easy to grow. Try it out if you haven’t already done so.

Stirring Up A Hornet's Nest?

When I spotted this winged creature recently in our balcony, it evoked mixed reactions at home. My own reaction was one of apprehension; my little son could get stung and so it ought to be removed. On the other hand, my husband seemed overjoyed. Having tasted fresh veggies from our roof garden, he was now hoping for some fresh honey from the balcony.

Kathandu Forming its Nest

Construction in Progress

The Finished Nest

With honey as the enticement, both of us agreed that we must let the nest grow. The finished nest, however, didn’t resemble anything like the honeycomb we usually see. We also weren’t sure when and how badly we may get stung. We asked around and then turned to the Internet. But on this occasion, Google failed me; it’s million results were absolutely   baffling. I did learn many facts, like there are 100,000 wasp species and 20,000 bee species. But in the end, I still couldn’t determine who our visitor to the balcony was. So when we found the contact details of Mr. N. Swaminathan, a Chennai-based apiologist (one who studies bees), in The Hindu, I dashed off a mail to him. In The Hindu story featuring Mr. Swaminathan, he had claimed that bees can become very friendly and may even be domesticated like pets. So we were hopeful that he won’t tell us to bring down the nest. Yet when he replied, we were taken by surprise. The creature according to him was not a bee; it was a “Kathandu” in Tamil. He told me that its sting could be very “dangerous” and that I’d be wise to remove the nest. Now when an apiologist – one who can domesticate bees – tells you that the kathandu is something not to be messed with, you’d imagine that we would take his advice seriously.

But the nest still remains in our balcony. We no longer dream of fresh honey, but we are yet to gather our wits and figure out how to be rid of the hive. So far its been: live and let live. One day, we shall act. You'll hear about the Eliminate Wasp Mission in another post.

My Lady’s (Sweet) Finger

For most gardeners, growing a solitary lady’s finger plant will not make much sense. Even if it’s prolific, a single plant cannot provide for a decent meal. Yet, if you’re like me, you’ll be happy just to see what it takes to grow lady’s fingers on a small scale. The plant is rather hardy and ideally suited for Chennai’s summer. ­­­At four feet, my plant is shorter than average, but it has yielded the sweetest lady’s fingers I’ve ever tasted. In fact they’re so sweet that they’re attracting ants. If it weren’t for the ants, I’d have had a couple of lady’s fingers every other day.

Lady's Finger Plant

Lady's Fingers: Two of Them

Ants on the Fruit Pods

The lady’s finger belongs to the Hibiscus family, which is why the flowers of both plants are very similar: large, showy with fused stamens in the centre. The flower bud of the lady’s finger is nearly indistinguishable from a young fruit pod. It’s only when a pod grows a little longer that I realize a fruit and not a flower is on its way.

Flower

Though I can’t make a meal of my produce, it still provides for a tasty snack, a snack that can be eaten fried or raw. I wouldn’t dare eat raw lady’s fingers bought at a shop. But when they’re freshly picked from home, they’re altogether different. After a blind taste test of a shop-bought one and a homegrown one, I discovered that the two were poles apart. For one, the homegrown one isn’t as slimy; it’s also markedly sweeter. I can’t blame the ants for wanting to devour the fruit.

My Finger and the Lady's Finger

For now, I need to figure out how to outsmart the ants and claim my rightful share.

Grow Your Own Rooftop Tomatoes: A Guide for the Novice

Now that my tomato plant is withering and very near its end, the time seems ripe for a post on tomatoes. I started growing tomatoes with the hope of picking a couple of fresh tomatoes and at the very most, a dozen. But after my potted plant yielded nearly 50 tomatoes, I think I may have some valuable tips to share.

Freshly Harvested Tomatoes

So here’s a little "Guide for the First-time Tomato Grower", who doesn’t have the luxury of a patch of land.

Tomatoes are fairly easy to grow but they need plenty of sunshine, water, nutrients and TLC. You need to keep a hawk eye for pests and diseases too. If you’re more of a weekend gardener, not diligent about watering your plants, then growing tomatoes in containers may not quite work out for you. For the Rooftop Tomatoes project, you have to jump into it with both feet.

Soil Preparation: Tomatoes need plenty of nutrition from the soil. I can’t emphasize enough, how important this is. Providing rich fertile soil should be top  priority. I was lucky to get rich garden soil from a nursery; the soil was loaded with earthworms and goat manure. On top of that, I used plenty of homemade compost every time I wanted to boost the soil’s fertility. Make sure you plant is in as large a pot as you can acquire. Remember, more soil means more nutrition. I used a 16 inch cement pot but I know a larger one would have worked better.

When to Sow: I am no expert on this, but here are some commonsense suggestions. Since tomatoes need abundant sunshine and water, avoid not only the winter and the rains, but also the peak of harsh summer during its life cycle, which is about 4 months. For more authoritative information on when and how to grow tomatoes visit the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University website. I planted my seeds in January and couldn’t have asked for a better harvest.

What to Sow: If like me, you live in Chennai or a city like it, you have little choice. You can only choose from the hybrid, the local naati or the cherry tomato varieties. Just dip into your grocery bag and get your seeds from a ripe tomato. I chose the hybrid one as it is the most versatile, but if you can pick up cherry tomatoes, do try them. They’re the best bet for a pot with limited resources. With a smaller fruit to make, it’s easier on the plant.

How to Sow: Start your seeds indoors. Scoop out a little tomato pulp with seeds. Soak the seeds in some water for a couple of hours. In the meanwhile, fill up 4 - 6 paper cups with good garden soil. Poke two holes in each cup and place a seed in each of the holes, lightly covering them with soil. Water them every day. Within a week, you will find tomato seedlings sprouting in all the cups. When your seedlings are about 4 inches tall, pick the healthiest one and transplant it carefully into a well prepared pot with good drainage. An easy way to transplant the seedling without disturbing its roots, is to tear out the paper cup as you plant the seeding along with the soil into a little depression in the pot. Please plant one plant per pot. (That’s a clever tongue twister I just made up!) Don’t ever be tempted to grow more than one tomato plant in a single pot. If you do, you’ll have lots of green foliage but no red tomatoes. Steel yourself and leave the remaining seedlings to die, if you can’t find them pots. Once transplanted, move your plant outdoors into a sunny spot where it can receive at least 7-8 hours of direct sunshine.

Tomato Seeds Soaking in Water

Staking: Once planted, stake the plant straight away. Without a stake, a tomato plant will bend over once it begins fruiting. The reason, why I recommend that you stake it right away is that very soon the roots will branch out all through the pot and you will be sure to damage them when you stake the plant later. I used a thick, foot long cane stick that was lying around. A stake can be metal, wooden, or even PVC.  To stake, push in your stake 1-2 inches away from the main stem. Once the plant needs support, loosely tie the main stem to the stake with a shoelace or a soft thick cord that will not cut into the stem over time.

Tomato Stake (Click to Enlarge)

Watering:  If you can’t water every day, your plant will probably fail. You have to religiously water every single day and on hot days, twice a day. If you’ve missed watering and your plant has suffered, you really can’t compensate by watering it later. And just as you shouldn’t underwater, don’t overwater. Excess water may drain out, but along with it, precious nutrients will be lost.  Your tomatoes may also turn out to be more watery. Judge how damp your soil is by poking and feeling it before you water your plant.

Pruning: Again, don’t let your heart rule your head.  Prevent your plant from spreading out by nipping the suckers. Suckers are shoots that rise between two preexisting main stems (leaders). If your plant is allowed to branch out extensively, it will be frittering away its energy in producing more foliage and less fruit. The plant’s energy must be conserved for producing maximum fruit. In fact after 2-3 months of rapid growth, when I noticed my plant was shooting up, I nipped off the main stem at its tip, as I knew the pot just couldn’t provide for a larger plant.

Pruning the Suckers (Click to Enlarge)

Mulching: A layer of mulch on your soil is highly recommended. With mulch, not only will the soil retain its moisture better, weeds will be deterred too. Mulch can be dry leaves, twigs, grass or even shredded newspaper. 

Fertilize: When you notice that your plant is rapidly growing or flowering, add a little compost to the soil. As a general rule, you could add a little compost (rich in egg shells), every 2-3 weeks.

Diseases and Other Concerns:

Pests: Look out for insects and other unwanted bugs on your plant, especially the under surface of the leaves. Manually remove any harmful looking bugs. But leave the spiders, lady birds and wasps alone. These are the good bugs to have around.

Leaf Curl: Very often the leaves of a tomato plant may curl. This is usually a sign of plant stress. In spite of it, you may still get healthy tomatoes. If you can remove the cause of the stress, the leaf curl will disappear. However, if the plant gets further stressed, it could succumb and die. So when you see leaf curl, try and ascertain the cause. And if you can’t, just keep your fingers crossed. I got a bountiful harvest despite leaf curl.

Leaf Curl: A Sign of Plant Stress

Blossom End Rot: A few of my tomatoes began rotting at the bottom end. After a little googling, I learnt that there are many possible causes to this blossom end rot (BER): incorrect watering, calcium deficiency or some other nutrient inadequacy. I gathered that my plant may be calcium deficient. To fix it would mean to add some calcium in the soil that will immediately be available to it. Calcium from egg shells wouldn’t work as it would take a long time to reach the plant. Now when I began gardening, I had decided to go the organic route. Here, I was confronted with the issue of fixing my BER with a chemical or remaining organic and harvesting rotten tomatoes. With pangs of guilt, I chose the former, all the while consoling myself that a single calcium tablet, containing just 500 mg of calcium carbonate isn’t as evil as the regular chemical farming that we know of. So I went ahead and powdered a calcium tablet (Magnical) that I had with me, dissolved it in water and poured it into my pot. It seemed to have worked as there were no more tomatoes with BER thereafter.

Blossom End Rot: In an Unripe Tomato

Blossom End Rot: In a Ripe One

Ripening Tomatoes: Tomatoes appeared on my plant within 45 days of planting. It can take longer. Once a tomato is ready, it will colour from green to yellow to red, in a matter of a few days.  Red ripe tomatoes on a green vine – a sight to feast on – will attract everyone, including predators like squirrels and crows. A few of my tomatoes were targeted by human predators. So if you find your tomatoes being stolen or damaged, you can pick them before they fully ripen. They may be plucked the moment they turn a slight yellow and ripened indoors, preferably near a sunny windowsill. They will ripen a tad slower, but the taste is indistinguishable from the vine ripened ones. Never refrigerate your tomatoes – green or red. They lose their flavor in the fridge.

Tomato Blossoms

Tomatoes Ripening on the Vine

Green Tomatoes: At the end of the season, you will be left with a few green tomatoes. That’s natural and don’t despair. There are plenty of recipes calling for green tomatoes. You could also try plucking the green tomatoes and leaving it to ripen. Some of my green tomatoes that showed no sign of ripening on the plant, actually ripened after they were plucked.

End of Season: Green Tomatoes and Brown Leaves

Bottom Line: A tomato seed will germinate with ease, but for the seedling to grow into a fine fruit bearing plant in a pot, a little care is needed. Yet, when you are blessed with red ripe tomatoes on your vine, it seems worth all the effort. A  fully laden tomato plant will make many heads turn. Those who rarely notice a spectacular plant or flower, will still stop to stare at the red tomatoes. Finally, the intense flavor of a homegrown red ripe tomato is the sweetest reward.

Laden with Fruit

Various Hues: Tomatoes in Various Stages