Vegetables In Kitchen Garden: Summer is the perfect time to practice kitchen gardening. The longer daylight and the plenty of sunshine in the hotter months help gardening thrive best. Planting fruits and vegetables in the kitchen garden is the right step towards a sustainable and healthier lifestyle. While planning to plant vegetables, choose the ones that can withstand the heat and resist the harshness of the summer sun. Whether you have a small terrace or a huge garden, you can easily enjoy the benefits of organic vegetable plants at your home.
Gardening has several benefits, including reducing stress, encouraging physical activity and giving access to fresh, chemical-free produce right outside the kitchen door. Planting the right vegetables this season will help you to enjoy the harvest with minimal fuss. Moreover, there is nothing more satisfying than adding fresh to a range of curries, sabzis, salads, snacks and much more. Here are six vegetables you can plant in your kitchen garden this summer.
Okra Can Be Grown In Summer (Image Credits: Canva)
Summer-Ready Vegetables To Plant In Your Kitchen
Bhindi
Also known as okra or ladyfinger, bhindi is the summer staple in Indian households. This vegetable is cooked widely during this season. Bhindi can thrive in a hot and humid climate, making the plant summer-friendly. With regular watering and fertilisation, it takes two to three months for the pods to mature and you can use them to make your favourite bhindi masala, bhindi fry and even curries.
Tomato
This is one of the most used vegetables in the Indian kitchen. From salads to gravies, tomato is a must-have. It can be grown in the kitchen with the seeds in the summer season. Just make sure that the soil is well-drained and slightly acidic in nature. Regular fertilisation will help you to get healthy and fresh produce in your kitchen garden.
Baingan
Baingan, also called eggplant or brinjal, is a comforting vegetable that is used to make a lot of sabzis, curries and even snacks. You can sow the seeds of the brinjal indoors and after the seedlings are strong, plant them in a fertilised soil at a sunny spot, which also gets shade in the hottest part of the day.
Eggplant Harvest In Kitchen Garden (Image Credits: Canva)
Green Chilli
These are another essential of Indian cooking. There is hardly any curry, sabzi, or even paratha made that doesn’t have the spicy punch of the green chillies. As green chillies require a hot climate to grow, summer is the perfect time to sow their seeds. Ensure to use well-drained soil and water regularly and within three months, your harvest will be ready.
Lauki
Bottle gourd or lauki is a climbing vine that can grow in the summer season. The unripe version of lauki is used to make curries and the fully ripe version of the vegetable is used in making lauki ki sabzi, lauki ke kofte, bharta, vada and others. Lauki is not only used in savoury dishes, but you can also make desserts like kheer and halwa.
Kheera
Popularly known as cucumber, kheera is a water-rich vegetable that is versatile and can be used to make a salad bowl, slushie, raita, or a filling for a quick sandwich. Its hydrating and cooling properties make it a must-have in the summer season. This vegetable can be grown at a temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius. All you need to do is water regularly, fertilise and keep pruning and you’ll see healthy cucumbers growing within 50 days of planting.
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