If you are looking for growing or cultivating vegetables in your kitchen garden or at your rooftop garden, then spring season is the most ideal season for you. The complete sunlight and long and warm sunlit days are favorable for many vegetables to grow in your garden in summer, healthy.
You will also have some mild showers at intervals, which will help the vegetables to thrive well in the Indian summer climate. And then, the rainy season approaches and you can easily continue with your vegetable garden, with some measures taken.
Here’s a list of the best vegetables to grow in your garden in summer. But, before you start, make sure to select your choice according to the time you can have to care for these. All plants and vegetables need some attention and care to grow healthy.
Basic Growing Needs for Summer Vegetables
If you are certain about growing vegetables in your kitchen garden or at your rooftop garden, you have to make sure you maintain the favorable conditions required for your vegetables to grow and thrive well.
Here’s a few advice for you that can help your vegetables to grow in your garden in summer:
1. Sunlight: Every summer vegetables like direct sunlight to grow healthy. Make sure that most of your vegetables get 6-8 hours of sunlight. This will help them in their photosynthesis process. Helping them with the absorption of nutrients, making them study, and with vibrant foliage.
Though, most vegetables require whole-day sunlight, still some of the leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, mint, and coriander require less direct sunlight (2-3 hours) and rest in partial shade.
So, make sure to place your vegetables in a favorable position according to the sunlight requirement. It can be on your terrace, or your balcony.
2. A Perfect Growing Pot: Do you want to grow healthy vegetables? Then the right selection of pots is very much essential. As, it will maintain the temperature within, and also help in root development.
You have to select the pot size according to the size of the plants. Use grow bags of good quality (now available online on many websites), or you can also use fruit crates. The ideal sizes are:
- 8 x 8 inches, 10 x 10 inches, 12 x 12 inches earthen pots or grow bags – perfect to grow your vegetables like chilis and tomatoes.
- 14 x 14 inches, 16 x 16 inches earthen pots or grow bags – perfect to grow the vegetable plants like brinjal.
- Round-shaped tub – best to grow your leafy vegetables, as they want more surface area.
- Fruit crates – normally the sizes are 24 inches x 15 inches. Very good to plant the seeds or seedlings of the vegetables, and grow them directly.
You can also use the nylon tubs available in the market or more than 15 liters. But make sure, the drainage holes are proper at the bottom.
3. Potting Mix or Soil: The most essential of all components you need to grow vegetables in your kitchen garden or roof garden during the summer season is the soil. The ideal soil pH for most summer vegetables is between 6.0 and 7.0. You need to ensure that the soil you prepare, should be rich in nutrients and well drained to help your vegetables grow well.
Here’s some combination you can use to make the perfect soil mix:
- Garden Soil: Take 50% plain garden soil.
- Organic Compost: Take 30% good quality vermicompost or cow dung compost (must be at least one year old)
- Cocopeat – Take 10% cocopeat – it will help in making the soil light and aerated.
- Sand – Take 10% construction sand. It will help to maintain good drainage in the soil.
Mix them well and prepare the perfect soil for growing vegetables.
4. Watering: Watering regularly is very important to grow healthy vegetables. But, before watering, check whether the soil looks wet or not. If it looks like having moisture, just sprinkle water on the plants.
- Water every day in the morning or late evening.
- Do not water the vegetables during the day, when the temperature is very high and the soil is heated up.
- Learn the technique of watering according to the necessity of the plant. Overwatering may kill your plants due to root rot.
Always keep in mind, that the soil must hold some moisture all the time. It will help them to grow rapidly and healthy.
5. Fertilizers: Using fertilizers helps the vegetables to grow healthy. As the vegetables are grown to be eaten, so using organic fertilizers is best.
Organic Fertilizers are best to grow vegetables in your summer garden
- After 1-2 days of plantation of the vegetables, use humic acid. Dose – 1 gm per liter. It will help the roots to be developed.
- Use liquid fertilizers like mustard cake or groundnut cake liquid (composted for 4 days). But, as it’s summertime, make sure you dilute it in the ratio 1:15 before applying. Apply this once every 20 days.
- Use compost tea liquid fertilizer once every 20 days.
- Use vermi compost once every 30 days and apply it on the op soil as mulching.
- Use half a teaspoon of neem cake powder in the soil every 35-40 days.
Apply all these methodically, and enjoy seeing your vegetables growing healthy. But, make sure that you apply each and every one in ma easured amount. Over-fertilizing can hamper the growth of your veggies.
6. Pest and Disease Control: Vegetables may require certain care to keep them safe from pests.
- Always keep an eye out, as vegetables may get attached by some common pests like whiteflies, aphids, and caterpillars.
- First use natural remedies like spraying neem oil. If your vegetables are attacked by the pests too much, you can use organic pesticides like Kaka.
- Apply neem oil every 15 days to keep your vegetables out of pests.
7. Support and spacing: Many do not focus on this, but providing proper support and providing proper space, will help your vegetables to grow well.
- Provide proper spacing between each vegetable. This will allow them to have good air circulation and prevent overcrowding, helping them to grow healthy.
- Provide support like stakes, and cages for the vining types of vegetable plants. Plants like cucumber needs trellises, and tomatoes need support.
Best Vegetables to Grow in the Summer Season
1. Lady’s Finger (Okra)
Gow Lady’s finger easily in your garden during summer
Lady’s finger or Okra or Bhindi – as you may know it, thrives well in hot and humid conditions. It’s a perfect vegetable to grow in your kitchen garden or rooftop garden.
- Requires full sunlight.
- The soil must be well-drained, and water must not stay inside.
- Water regularly, but do not overwater it.
- Pinching from the top helps the plant to grow rapidly.
2. Tomato (Tamatar)
Harvest tamatar easily in your summer garden
Tomato or Tamatar is a very good vegetable to grow in summer as it loves warm temperate and sunlight.
- Tomatoes love warm and humid climates and grow well at 25-35°C.
- Provide support like cages or stakes. It will help them to grow easily.
- Use big-size grow bags or drums to grow tamatar.
- Water regularly as tomatoes like the moist type of soil. It helps them to provide juicy tomatoes. But, be careful not to overwater them.
3. Cucumber (Kheera)
Grow Cucumber as a vegetable in your garden
Cucumbers are also perfect to grow in summer and also be enjoyed as a good refreshing salad.
- Cucumber requires moist soil, so water them regularly. It will help them to grow rapidly and give healthy and juicy fruits.
- Apply trellises to provide support. It will help the plant to grow and improve air circulation. It also helps to save space in your rooftop garden.
Eggplant (Baingan or Brinjal)
If you are a new gardener or an old one, you will always love to grow brinjal in your kitchen or rooftop garden during the summer season.
- Eggplant loves the hot weather and needs direct sunlight to grow.
- Prepare a perfect soil that can hold the moisture but should have a draining facility for the excess water.
- Water moderately and avoid waterlogging.
- Fertilize the brinjal plant with the organic fertilizers.
- Use organic pesticides like KAKA or PGR like Super Sonata once in 15-20 days intervals.
5. Bitter Gourd (Karela)
Bitter gourd commonly known as karela, is bitter in taste. But an excellent vegetable to grow in your garden during the summer season. Karela also has several health benefits as it contains several nutrient values.
- Prepare a loamy soil that can drain out excess water easily.
- As karela plants are a creeper variety, they will grow easily and healthily if you provide a trellis or support structure.
- Full-day sunlight is needed to grow karela.
- Fertilize the soil using organic fertilizers like onion peel liquid fertilizer, and vermicompost.
- Use organic pesticides like Kaka & Super Sonata.
6. Ridge Gourd (Turai)
Turai is a popular vegetable in Indian cuisine and one of the better choices for your summer gardening vegetable list.
- Turai loves the hot and humid weather to grow.
- As it is a climber, provide it a trellis or support to grow properly.
- Apply water regularly and use fertilizer in a 15-day gap.
7. Green Chilli (Mirchi)
You will love to grow mirchi or chili plants in your garden during summer.
- Chili plants love hot and humid weather. Place them at a place that gets full-day sunlight.
- Prepare well-drained soil and water them regularly to maintain the moisture in the soil.
- You can grow mirchi plants in a pot a grow bag or your garden bed.
- Use organic pesticides a regular intervals of 15 – 20 days.
- You can also grow chili from the seed.
8. Bottle Gourd (Lauki)
Bottle gourd commonly called lauki is very easy to grow in your garden during the summer season.
- The easiest vegetable to grow in summer, as lauki loves warm weather to grow.
- As it is a vine, provide a trellis or a support. It grows well and fast on these.
- Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Prepare well-drained soil for bottle gourd.
- As it grows fast, plant it on a big grow bag or bedding.
9. Spinach (Palak)
Spinach is a common herb in Indian cuisine and grows well during the summer and winter seasons.
- Spinach or palak is a fast-growing leafy vegetable, and it requires a wider pot to grow easily. Provide them at least 8-10 inches of surface area of a pot, which can be less in depth.
- Make soil preparation high with organic matter like vermicompost, cow dung compost, or leaf compost.
- Palak likes moist types of soil, so do not overwater the soil.
- Provide partial shade during excessive heat temperature.
10. Amaranth (Chaulai)
Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, amaranth is a highly nutritious leafy vegetable that can be grown easily in your summer garden.
- Loves hot and warm temperatures to grow.
- Provide partial shade during excessive heat.
- Prepare proper well-drained soil, rich with organic compost.
- Water every day to keep the soil moist. Do not overwater it.
Conclusion:
If you want to start with vegetables to grow in your garden in summer, follow the list of 10 best vegetables. These are easy to grow and perfect for Indian summer. The feeling or the joy of harvesting vegetables in your garden is incomparable.
Happy Gardening.