Gardener

PROFICIENCY BADGE
Gardener
Syllabus:
(1) Dig a piece of ground not less than 12 sq. metres. Plant and grow successfully six kinds of
vegetables or cities where digging is not possible wooden cases or pots may be used.
(2) Know names of 12 plants pointed out in an ordinary garden: understand what is meant
by pruning, budding, grafting and manuring and demonstrate any one of the following –
pruning, budding, grafting.
(3) Adopt a public park or a neighbour’s courtyard and look after garden/plants for at least
two months. Note : In cities roof garden can be the alternative.
1. How to prepare soil for planting?

The soil is a storehouse for all the elements plants need to grow: nutrients, organic matter,
air, and water. Soil also provides support for plant roots.
Almost all garden soils can be improved by adding organic matter to make soil more
workable.
Some common organic matter that can be added are:

Plant materials: This includes leaves, straw, and grass clippings.
Manure: Use composted manure and incorporate it into the soil well ahead of planting.
Compost: Compost consists of decayed plant materials.
Sawdust: Compost the sawdust before adding it to the garden.
Green manure: Plant rye or oats in the fall and plow or spade it under in the spring.
Do not add more than a 4-inch layer of organic material.
Tilling
The soil should be tilled as deeply as possible, at least 8 to 10 inches. Deep tilling loosens soil
and lets vegetable roots go deeper. Turn each shovelful of soil completely over.
Till soil when it is moist but not wet. Working soil when it is too wet can cause it to become
rough. Spade the soil in the winter to prepare for spring planting. Winter temperatures and
moisture help mellow soil. This is especially important if the soil is being worked for the first
time.
Add organic matter each year during soil preparation to build and maintain the soil. Be sure
all plant material is turned under the soil. If organic material is added before planting a fall
garden, it should be well-rotted, such as compost.
Before planting, rake the soil clean and level it. Remove all sticks, rocks and other material.
Row preparation
Vegetables should be planted on raised beds, Raised beds allow water to drain away from
plant roots, provide furrows for irrigation, allow air to enter soil and help plants through
periods of high rainfall.
If the garden is large enough, make rows 36 inches apart. Where space is a problem, some
vegetables can be planted in rows closer than this, but they will require more care during
the growing season.
Use a shovel or rake to pull the soil up into beds 8 to 10 inches high. Pack beds or allow
them to settle before planting. Also level the tops of the beds and widen them to about 6 to
8 inches before planting. Plant on top of the beds.
2. Planting and taking care of various plant saplings
Chilli
This important ingredient of Indian cuisine is extremely easy to grow. You can procure the
seeds for the same from dried red chillies in your kitchen.
 Mix equal amounts of cocopeat, compost and perlite (or tiny pieces of thermocol).
 Put the potting mix in a small pot and soak it in ample water overnight.
 Next day, press each of the chilli seeds gently into the soft soil and cover it with
mulch/hay.
 Water daily till the seeds germinate into tiny saplings.
 As soon as the leaves appear, transfer each sapling to a bigger pot with a height of at
least 20 inches.
 Water daily till the plant flowers. Reduce the frequency of watering after flowering
happens. Harvest fresh chillies when fruited.
Tomato
From a bowl of garden salad to tasty gravy, tomato is indispensable in almost every cuisine.
Here’s how you can easily grow your own tomatoes at home.
 Prepare the potting mix by mixing sand, red soil, compost, cocopeat and neem cake
in the ratio 30:20:20:20:10.
 Sow the tomato seeds in the potting mix, equidistant from one another. Sprinkle
with water after sowing.
 Mulch the seeds with hay/dried leaves and cover partially to create a semi-
greenhouse effect.
 Continue spraying water every 2-3 days till the seeds sprout. After four sets of true
leaves appear, transplant the sapling into a big pot and stake it with sticks on all 4
sides.
 Add a handful of compost to the tomato plant once in a week till it flowers.
 Since the tomato plant is vulnerable to attacks by mealybugs and leaf miners, spray
diluted neem oil in dish-wash solution once in 15 days.
Brinjal
Craving for that fragrant baingan ka bharta or a regal plate of kathirikai kulambu? Now you
can handpick the brinjals straight from your home garden. Here’s how:
 Soak brinjal seeds overnight and sow them in well-drained soil.

 Prepare a potting mix with 30 per cent soil, 20 per cent compost, 20 per cent
cocopeat, 20 per cent sand and 10 per cent neem cake powder.
 Once the saplings reach a height of 5-6 inches, transplant them into the new potting
mix. You can accompany them with companion plants like tomato, cabbage, broccoli,
etc.
 After the planst has started flowering, control the amount of water given daily.
 Fold the flowers and gently rub them to induce pollination.
 For nutrition, add a handful of compost/banana
peels/Jeevamrutham/eggshells/Panchagavya alternatively to the plant once every
week.
Coriander
Who doesn’t love fragrant and fresh coriander on a steaming bowl of gravy or on a tropical
salad? These tiny leaves are bound to add a beautiful aroma every dish they are added to.
And it’s extremely easy to grow them on your own.
 Mix sand, red soil, cocopeat, neem cake and compost in equal quantities to make the
potting mix.
 Drain this potting mix well and scrape lines through it to sow the seeds.
 Spread the seeds evenly along the scraped lines. Cover the seeds lightly with soil and
dry leaves. Sprinkle with a little water.
 After the seeds have sprouted, spray with diluted buttermilk or Panchagavya once
every 15 days. Do not overwater the plants.
 Harvest the Coriander once it’s ready.
Cucumber
 High in potassium and Vitamin K, cucumber is another indispensable element in

almost all world cuisines. Consumed raw, this crunchy goodness is better when it
comes fresh from your garden.
 Use a good quality potting mix with one part each of soil, compost, perlite and
cocopeat.
 Using thumb, make 5 mm depressions in the soil to sow the cucumber seeds. Cover
with loose soil and water gently so as not to expose the seeds. The soil should be
kept moist at all times.
 After the seeds germinate and at least four true leaves appear, transfer the saplings
into bigger pots.
 Expose the plant to direct sunlight at least 6-8 hours in a day.
 Manual pollination by hand might be required to ensure fruiting. Harvest the fruits
when ready.
Plants growing in my kitchen garden.

Chilli
Tomato
Brinjal
Coriander
Cucumber
Adopting a neighbour’s garden and look after it for two months.

I looked after the plants in the my neighbour’s garden for two months.

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PROFICIENCY BADGE

1. How to prepare soil for planting?

Some common organic matter that can be added are:

2. Planting and taking care of various plant saplings

 Soak brinjal seeds overnight and sow them in well-drained soil.

 High in potassium and Vitamin K, cucumber is another indispensable element in

Plants growing in my kitchen garden.

Adopting a neighbour’s garden and look after it for two months.

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