Okra

A sunlit spot with organically rich soil offers ideal conditions for growing okra plants. You can plant okra seeds directly in the garden 8-10 days from the first frost free date for your region. Rid the planting site of weeds and debris and dig the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches. Incorporate good quantities of organic compost and firm up the top soil.

Use a garden hoe to create rows in the soil, at least 3 feet apart. Plant okra seeds in the rows, allowing a gap of 4-6 inches between them. Cover the seeds with a 1 inch layer of soil and water the soil. Okra seeds can take 1-3 weeks to germinate. Once the seedlings are 3-4 inch tall, thin them out, leaving only the healthiest of the lot in the ground.

Okra plants don’t require much maintenance. Established plants need little irrigation but should be watered every 7-10 days during long, dry periods. Mulching okra plants is an effective way of conserving moisture and keeping a check on weed growth. A 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch is enough to keep the soil moist and weed free.

Most varieties of okra start yielding with 2 months of planting. Once okra pods attain a length of 3-4 inches, you can start harvesting. Use a clean, sharp knife to harvest okra pods. Also, make sure not to delay harvesting for the pods tend to grow woody and lose flavor if left on the plant for too long.

Cantaloupe

You can start cantaloupe seeds indoors 25-30 days before the last frost date for your region. Fill the tray with sterile seed starting mix and plant cantaloupe seeds. For information about the right planting depth and spacing, refer the instructions on the seed packet. Water the mix after sowing the seeds and place the tray or pot near a sunlit window. You can also use artificial lighting apparatus to warm the seeds. Continue irrigating the seeds on a daily basis.

Cantaloupe seeds usually take about 6-7 days to germinate. Once the seedlings develop a couple of pairs of leaves, you can start acclimatizing them to the garden conditions. Start hardening off cantaloupe seedlings by placing them at a sheltered spot of your garden for a couple of hours. Over the next 8-10 days, gradually add to the time that the seedlings spend outdoors. Once the day temperature tops 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you can transplant the seedlings.

Prepare the bed by clearing out all weeds and debris and add plenty of organic compost to the soil. Allow a gap of 2-4 feet between the seedlings and a separation of at least 4 feet between the rows. Water thoroughly after you finish planting.

Cantaloupes require a couple of inches of water every week. Applying a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch will help retain soil moisture and is therefore recommended. Fertilize cantaloupes once the vines develop runners. Make sure the fertilizer doesn’t come in direct contact with the plants.

Growing cantaloupes is almost as much fun as eating them. I’d suggest you start right now!

Spinach

• Pick the right site for planting spinach seeds. Spinach plants do well in locations that offer full sun for a major part of the day. Moist, fertile soil, with a ph of 6.0-7.0 is perfect for growing spinach.
• Rid the site of all weeds and debris and incorporate plenty of rotten manure or compost. This will ensure the seeds get all the nutrients that they require for growth.
• You can plant spinach seeds directly in the garden as early as 4-8 weeks from the final frost date for your region. For information regarding the right planting depth and spacing, refer the instructions on the seed packet. If you’ve procured the seeds from a friend or some other source, I’d recommend you sow them at a depth of ½ inch, at least 2 inches apart from one another.
• Once the plants grow 4-5 inches tall, thin them, making sure there’s a separation of at least 6 inches between them. This will provide for good circulation and good yields.
• Irrigate spinach plants regularly, keeping the soil moist throughout the growing season.
• Mulching the plants is one of the simplest ways of repelling weeds and insects. Use straw, chopped leaves and other organic materials to provide a 2-3 inch layer around your plants.
• Spinach can be harvested within a couple of weeks from planting. Remove any diseased leaves that you come across and dispose of. Also, make sure to harvest spinach before the plants begin to flower.

You can plant pumpkin seeds in spring, when the danger of frost is over. While seeds for giant varieties need to be started indoors, seeds for regular sized varieties can be planted directly in the garden. You can grow pumpkins in almost every type of soil. Clear all weeds and stones from the planting site and dispose of. Adding organic manure or compost to the soil is an inexpensive but effective way of enriching the soil. Use a garden hoe to create mounds, 5-6 inches high. For information on the right spacing and planting depth, refer the instructions on the seed package.

Pumpkin seeds germinate within a couple of weeks from planting. Irrigate twice a week, making sure the plants receive all the moisture they need for growth. Once the plants establish, irrigate deeply, whenever the soil appears to dry up. Many varieties of pumpkins are susceptible to fungal diseases. It’s hence essential to avoid wetting the leaves while watering the plants. With a little care, the pumpkins will be ready to be harvested by mid to late fall. But remember to pick the pumpkins before the frosts begin.

Growing pumpkins is just as much fun as carving them! Give it a try.

Pick a sunlit site with rich, well draining site for growing carrots. They’ll make great neighbors to tomatoes, cucumbers and peas. Also, with their fern like foliage, they’re a great option for the garden border. You can plant carrot seeds any time the ground is thawed. The simplest way of planting carrot seeds is by creating rows. Use your hands or a garden hoe to make the rows, leaving a gap of 1-2 feet between them. Next step- Make the seeds easy to handle. There are a couple of ways you can go about it. You can either mix the seeds with a few spoon fulls of fresh coffee grounds or with a handful of sand. I’d also recommend adding a few radish seeds to the mix. Radish seeds sprout earlier than carrot seeds and will make it easy to identify the location of carrot seeds. Walk along the rows, scattering the mix as you proceed. Cover the seeds with soil. Using plastic sheets to cover the rows is a nice way of making sure the soil around the seeds stays moist. But remember to remove the sheet before irrigating. Carrot seeds will take about 2-3 weeks to germinate.

Irrigate regularly in order to keep the soil damp, especially during the dry periods. Depending on the variety of carrots that you’re growing, they’ll be ready to be picked between 2-4 months.

Pretty simple, isn’t it? One reason why I love to grow carrots is because it’s very exciting! You can easily involve the kids in the act and have a blast all the way from sowing carrot seeds to harvesting carrots from your garden. Just make sure the kids wash them well before they take a bite!