In the chaos of daily life, managing a garden while working a full-time job might seem like a terrifying task. However, with some smart strategies, you can turn your gardening dreams into a reality. In this article, we explore practical tips for managing a garden while juggling the demands of a job.
How to Manage Gardening while Working
1. Choose Low – Maintenance Plants
When time is a precious commodity, opt for plants that require minimal attention.
Hardy and resilient varieties like succulents, snake plants, and pothos can thrive with little care. These plants can endure periods of neglect and still add greenery to your space.
Understand your schedule and set achievable gardening goals.
Don’t overcommit to a garden that requires more time than you can spare.
Start small, and you can gradually expand your green haven.
6. Weekend Warrior Gardening
Use weekends strategically for more time-consuming gardening tasks.
Your week-offs can be devoted to pruning, weeding, and other maintenance activities that require more time.
7. Emphasize Drought-Tolerant plants
Choose plants that adapt to drought conditions because you may go for a vacation or back to your hometown for festivities.
It ensures your plants don not die.
Succulents, cacti, and certain native plants can survive with less frequent watering, making your gardening routine more manageable.
8. Enlist Help
If your schedule is exceptionally tight, consider hiring a gardening service for periodic maintenance.
Many local services offer affordable packages for weeding, watering, and overall garden upkeep.
9. Create a Gardening Calendar
Plan your gardening tasks according to the seasons.
Different plants have various needs throughout the year. A gardening calendar will help you stay organised.
10. Enjoy the Process
Gardening should be enjoyable, not stressful.
Embrace it as a therapeutic activity that allows you to unwind after a busy day.
Nature can significantly contribute to your overall well-being.
Conclusion:
Amid the whirlwind of work, traffic, and daily responsibilities, maintaining a garden might seem challenging, but it’s not impossible.
Adopt these practical tips and adjust them to your unique schedule. Gardening is not just about the result; it’s also about enjoying the journey and finding moments of tranquility amid the chaos.
“Get your hands dirty, and let your garden be a source of joy and relaxation in your bustling life.”
Did you know that you can grow a lush green variety of winter vegetables and beautiful array of flowering plants all from the comfort of your home?
Organic, fresh and pure vegetables can be planted at home such as;
winter vegetables
tomato,
beans,
radish,
cauliflower,
carrot,
peas,
spinach,
coriander,
cabbage and many more.
Furthermore, with the right care, your garden can flourish with vibrant winter flowers like;
winter flowers
roses,
rosemary,
marigold,
petunia,
verbena,
dianthus,
dog flower,
hybrid periwinkle and many more.
This practice of nurturing these plants during the colder months is known as “winter gardening.”
In the context of winter gardening, we will explore both minor and major aspects. Typically, basic preparations for winter gardening, such as getting the right pots and tools, preparing suitable soil mixtureand other necessary processes begin from mid-September (in India).
The planning of a garden depends on a few simple things:
1. First, it is important to know what the is your choice and what you want to grow like, such as favorite plants, fruits, or vegetables.
The planning starts based on the chosen plants because each plant has its own unique needs, and it’s essential to cater to those needs.
2. Second, the size of the gardening area is a crucial factor.
The number of plants you can grow depends on the available space.
The available area determines how you can diversify and choose the different types of plants to grow.
3. Third, the amount of sunlight is essential for plants to grow well.
Before sowing any seeds, it’s important to check how much sunlight the garden area receives.
Based on the sunlight available in your area, you should select the seeds.
If you have a lot of sunlight, you can grow plants like chili, capsicum, and tomatoes that require plenty of sunlight.
If there’s limited sunlight, it’s better to choose plants like coriander, spinach, and other herbs that can thrive with less sunlight.
Requirements for winter Gardening
1. Season and Temperature:
Winter gardening typically begins in mid September or from October and continues until March.
It’s essential to choose a time with pleasant weather for seed sowing because seedlings won’t survive in hot or humid conditions.
“The ideal temperature for sowing seeds is 15-20℃.“
2. Pot size and types
(A) For Vegetables
(i) 10*10 or 12*12 inch grow bags:
suitable for tomatoes, chili, cabbage, cauliflower, and capsicum.
(ii) 12*18 inch grow bag:
good for radish, coriander, carrot, spinach, onion, or garlic.
(iii) 15*15 or 16*16 inch grow bags:
ideal for brinjal, beans, lubia, runner beans, or peas.
(iv) Rectangular boat-shaped pots can also be used for herbs like coriander, spinach, etc.
Note:
It’s a good idea to have 4-5 pots or grow bags for each category because in one pot only 5-6 vegetables would grow out.
(B) For Flowers
(i) 12-inch clay pots:
Permanent plants like rose, marigold, and chrysanthemum do well in these pots.
If they survive for two seasons, they will stay with you without needing to be repotted.
Always choose good-quality clay pots for these flowers.
(ii) 4*4, 6*6, or 8*8 inch pots:
These smaller pots are suitable for growing seasonal flowers like petunia, verbena, dianthus, dog flower, etc.
(iii) Rectangular boat-shaped pots:
rectangular pot
Flowers grow well in this type of pots as they have enough space for their roots and to bloom properly.
3. Soil Mixture
(i) Soil:
Garden area soil
Get the soil from any nursery or reuse the summer plants’ soil by adding organic manure and neem cake powder to make it pest-free.
Make sure to expose the soil to sunlight.
(ii) Add compost to enrich the soil:
kitchen compost
You can add any compost like; kitchen waste compost, vermicompost, cow dung compost, leaf compost, or any suitable compost to enrich the soil.
(iii) Use Sand:
river sand
Use river sand to enhance soil porosity, as many vegetables thrive in sandy soil.
(iv) Coco peat:
coco peat
You can add cocopeat to aid in seed germination, especially when sowing the seeds.
(iv) Add fungicides
Fungicide powder
Use fungicides such as Trichoderma or Cinnamon powder to safeguard against fungus or bacterial attacks.
4. Gardening Box
gardening box
A basic gardening box should contain essential items needed at various stages of planting:
1. Bulbs and Seeds: Enthusiastic gardeners always have a variety of plant seeds and bulbs on hand.
2. Gloves: Wearing gloves is advisable to prevent injuries when using sharp gardening tools, particularly pruners.
3. Fertilizers and Micronutrients: Keep a range of fertilizers and nutrients for different growth stages of plants.
For example, Neem cake powder, Mustard Cake, Epsom Salt, Rose bloom fertilizers, Curry leaf boosters, and Seaweed micronutrients, etc.
4. Insecticides: These are essential to protect your plants from insect attacks.
For example: Actara acts as an insecticide for edible vegetables.
5. Fungicides: Use fungicides to prevent fungal infestations.
6. Ice Cream Sticks: These are useful for labeling seedlings in a seedling tray.
7. Pen/Permanent Marker: Keep one for writing the names of seedlings on the ice cream sticks.
8. Tool Kit: Different gardening tools serve various roles, including digging, mixing, stirring, pruning, and more.
All the above components should be included in any gardening box to facilitate basic gardening tasks.
5. Seedling Trays
Seedling tray
Seeds can either be sown directly into pots or in seedling trays, with the option to transplant them into pots after 20-25 days. Seedling trays offer several advantages:
1. They are useful when the soil mixture isn’t ready yet, but it’s time to sow seeds.
You can place seeds in these trays and later transfer them to pots with the appropriate soil mixture.
seedlings
2. Seedling trays are practical for situations where pots need to be relocated due to weather conditions, protecting them from excessive heat or unexpected rainfall. The trays are easy to transport.
3. Transplanting from a seedling tray to larger pots is simpler compared to moving plants from one pot to another.
It minimizes root disturbance – in a seedling tray, gently press the tray from the bottom, and the seedling will come out effortlessly.
press seedlings to remove from tray
Note:
Seedling trays are readily available in the market and can serve you for multiple seasons once purchased.
seedling trays
6. Spray Bottle
spray bottle
Using spray bottles is recommended for watering or applying neem oil to your plants.
Be sure to clean and thoroughly dry your spray bottle after each use to prevent residue buildup inside the nozzle, which can damage the bottle.
7. Support Sticks
wooden support sticks
Wooden sticks can be utilized to provide support to plants, such as tomatoes, ensuring they stand upright, typically after a month or two of planting.
8. Rainwater Cover
A rainwater cover can be employed to shield the soil mixture during preparation or to protect plants during rainy periods.
All of these mentioned requirements are essential for initiating your winter gardening journey. By following these guidelines and tips, you can nurture a vibrant and healthy garden.
