Experts urge kitchen gardening for vegetables

Growers can use pots, plastic bags, crates, boxes, open spaces or rooftops

FAISALABAD:

Agriculture experts are urging the public to adopt kitchen gardening to boost access to quality vegetables. According to a spokesperson from the Agriculture (Extension) Department, vegetables play a crucial role in meeting food requirements and maintaining good health.

Despite health recommendations of 300-350 grams of daily vegetable consumption, Pakistan averages only 100-150 grams per capita.

Kitchen gardening provides affordable, pesticide-free, and healthy vegetables grown at home using various methods like pots, bags, crates, open spaces, or rooftops for limited spaces.

One notable advantage of kitchen gardening is the absence of pollution, as no chemicals, insecticides, fungicides, or pesticides are used in the cultivation process.

Winter vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, potato, onion, salad, radish, turnip, peas, carrot, spinach, fenugreek, coriander, and garlic can be harvested from September to February-March. Summer vegetables like okra, bitter gourd, cucumber, watermelon, and melon can be sown in winter with tunnels.

Successful kitchen gardening requires at least six hours of daily sunlight for winter vegetables. Shaded areas can grow leafy vegetables like coriander, mint, spinach, and salad. Planning a vegetable diagram is vital.

In addition, the spokesperson advised cultivating vegetables in rows with adequate spacing between plants and rows. For winter vegetable cultivation, aligning the rows north-south ensures maximum sunlight exposure.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2023.