Keerai (greens) are the fastest and most rewarding crop for a home garden. Most are ready in a few weeks and many regrow after cutting. Here are easy greens to grow in grow bags or trays, with harvest times from our seed guides. Ready in 3–4 weeks Mulai keerai: tender young amaranth, cut or pull from about 20–30 days Siru keerai: small-leaved amaranth for poriyal and kootu Arai keerai: cut the tops and it sprouts again for more harvests Venthaya keerai (methi): soak seeds 6–8 hours, cut at 20–30 days...
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Starting a terrace garden in Chennai is easier than it looks. You need five things: containers, a good potting mix, seeds or seedlings, a way to water, and a little protection for your terrace. Here's a simple checklist. 1. Pick the right grow bag for each crop Keerai and coriander: wide, shallow trays or grow bags at least 6 inches deep Radish, beetroot and carrot: 10–12 inch deep bags (deeper for long radish and carrot) Chilli, okra and capsicum: 12–15 inch grow bags, one or two plants each Tomato, brinjal...
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Sowing at the right time is the single biggest reason a home garden succeeds. Here is a simple sowing calendar for the Tamil Nadu plains, based on the growing guides on our seed packets. Hill areas are cooler, so cool-season crops do well there for longer. Winter sowing (October – January) The cool, dry months are best for root crops, cole crops and tender greens. Root crops: carrot, beetroot, radish, noolkol (kohlrabi), onion Vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, beans, capsicum, tomato (November sowing) Greens and herbs: palak, coriander, venthaya keerai (fenugreek), lettuce...
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