Winter is round the corner and we can’t wait to hold a hot cup of tea or coffee and enjoy winter morning sitting in our kitchen garden. Isn’t it amazing? Winter is the best season of the year to do so many things including growing your kitchen garden and harvesting vegetables that your kitchen needs.
Indian winter is the best time to grow a variety of vegetables in your kitchen garden. This growing season is also known as the Rabi season. In fact, some vegetables in India are only grown as Rabi crops.
Let’s get some idea about winter vegetables and pick some of the best veggies that can be grown during this season in India.
Vegetables to Grow in Winter:
1. Cauliflower:
It is one of the most important winter vegetables in India which has a European origin. Its scientific name is Brassica oleracea var botrytis and plays an important role in the human diet due to its attractive appearance, good taste, and Its nutritive rich value.
Cauliflower cultivated on any good soil from clay to loamy, but the fairly deep loamy soil is most desirable. Soils with high moisture- holding capacity are preferred in late season/summer since water stress adversely affects curd development.
It’s one of the healthiest vegetables for your food plate. You can even think about Broccoli as well which comes under the family of cauliflower.
2. Spinach
Popularly known as ‘Palak’, this vegetable is very popular and healthy. It does well in a cool climate, full sunlight as well as partial shade (3-4 hours). The seeds are sown directly in raised beds. Harvesting of greens can be done within 30 days of seed sowing. Only 3 gm seeds are required per 100 sq. ft. area.
3. Capsicum (Bell Pepper):
It is another great vegetable that many of us like. No doubt, bell paper makes our food tastier. It is most popularly known as ‘Shimla Mirch’in India. Plants are transplanted on raised beds four weeks after seed sowing in seedling trays. Plants require full sunlight; however, production is much higher when grown under green shade net house or poly-house. Plants are delicate and susceptible to diseases. Harvesting can begin 70-80 days after seed sowing.
4. Onion:
Onion is the most important ingredient of our kitchen which is now in controversy for its ‘sky-high’ prices. Without onion, we can’t even imagine our kitchen. It requires warm and dry conditions as plants mature & start forming onion bulbs underground. Seeds are sown in seedbeds & one-month-old seedlings are transplanted in raised beds. Plants require full sun & frequent water. Onions are ready to harvest in 80-100 days after transplanting depending on the variety.
5. Green Peas:
It does not only look beautiful in Salad but it makes your meal healthier. But while sowing you need to keep in mind that pea plants are delicate as they can’t survive in hot & humid climate and thrive better in cold & dry weather. Harvesting of pods can begin 80-90 days after passed sowing. As per specialist, about 50 gm seeds are needed per 100 sq. ft. area.
6. Carrot:
Carrot is known as ‘the salad vegetable’. It comes in several varieties which are different in color, texture, shape & length of a carrot. Edible roots can be harvested in 80-100 days of seed sowing depending on variety. Soil should be loosened about one-and-a-half times the expected length of the carrot. Break the soil fine to avoid any obstruction to root.
