Since we moved into our new house this year, I was waiting for this time of the year. Why? This is the time when you can start sowing seeds for your summer plants and start growing them indoor. By the time it starts getting warm outside(in two months or so), the plants are big enough to transplant in your backyard, so that you can get fresh harvest through out the summer.
This is my first time gardening, so I am excited to try out planting different things and learn what can or can not grow in the Northwest region.:)
So, the first plant I started indoor is Methi (Fenugreek). You can buy methi seeds at any Indian grocery stores. These are the same seeds you use for cooking.
I used some seeds I had at home. I soaked some seeds overnight in water. The next day, I drained all the water out and put the seeds in a damp paper towel. I wrapped the paper towel around the seeds and put them in a warm location (on my fridge). For the next two days, I kept the seeds from drying out by spraying some water on the paper towel twice a day.
After 3 days, the seeds had sprouted!! I put the seeds in a peat pot to start my little methi plants (Put 4-5 seeds per pot). I think these peat pots are nothing but potting soil packed in a thin net. Once the plants grow, you can dig a hole in your backyard and directly put peat pots in the hole. There is no need of removing the plants from the pots.
Here is a picture of the sprouts growing in the peat pots, 2-3 days after planting.
Make sure you keep your plants moist but not wet. Also monitor the plant's growth for the first few days after putting them in the peat pots. Some sprouts will be very small in size compared to some which might be growing quick.
At this point, you need to thin your plants. Thinning means getting rid of the slower growing plants from each pot, so that the quicker growing plants can get more nutrients. I removed one or two slower growing plants from each pot, leaving 2-3 plants per pot.
I think that methi grows very fast. After 12 days of planting, my plants are about 4 inches tall. Here is a picture of my current plants.
As you go near the pot, you can smell fresh methi. It smells very good.
This was my first time, so I started with very few seeds. Next time, I will sprout more seeds to get more methi plants.
I can't wait to see my methi plants in full bloom. I will update this blog again after a week or so with some new pictures of my methi plants.
Here is a list of the plants I am planning to grow this summer. I don't know if I will be successful in growing them all, but I will still try:)
Okra
Spinach (already started with methi...will post the pictures soon)
Chilli Pepper
I have saved some seeds of 'Karela' (Bitter gourd), so I will try to grow them too.
I have bought the following seeds which I will saw directly in my backyard as soon as it starts to warm up here.
Egg plant
Cucumber
Peas
Green Beans
So, what are you planning to plant this summer?
Helpful Links
:
This is my first time gardening, so I am excited to try out planting different things and learn what can or can not grow in the Northwest region.:)
So, the first plant I started indoor is Methi (Fenugreek). You can buy methi seeds at any Indian grocery stores. These are the same seeds you use for cooking.
I used some seeds I had at home. I soaked some seeds overnight in water. The next day, I drained all the water out and put the seeds in a damp paper towel. I wrapped the paper towel around the seeds and put them in a warm location (on my fridge). For the next two days, I kept the seeds from drying out by spraying some water on the paper towel twice a day.
After 3 days, the seeds had sprouted!! I put the seeds in a peat pot to start my little methi plants (Put 4-5 seeds per pot). I think these peat pots are nothing but potting soil packed in a thin net. Once the plants grow, you can dig a hole in your backyard and directly put peat pots in the hole. There is no need of removing the plants from the pots.
Here is a picture of the sprouts growing in the peat pots, 2-3 days after planting.
At this point, you need to thin your plants. Thinning means getting rid of the slower growing plants from each pot, so that the quicker growing plants can get more nutrients. I removed one or two slower growing plants from each pot, leaving 2-3 plants per pot.
I think that methi grows very fast. After 12 days of planting, my plants are about 4 inches tall. Here is a picture of my current plants.
This was my first time, so I started with very few seeds. Next time, I will sprout more seeds to get more methi plants.
I can't wait to see my methi plants in full bloom. I will update this blog again after a week or so with some new pictures of my methi plants.
Here is a list of the plants I am planning to grow this summer. I don't know if I will be successful in growing them all, but I will still try:)
Okra
Spinach (already started with methi...will post the pictures soon)
Chilli Pepper
I have saved some seeds of 'Karela' (Bitter gourd), so I will try to grow them too.
I have bought the following seeds which I will saw directly in my backyard as soon as it starts to warm up here.
Egg plant
Cucumber
Peas
Green Beans
So, what are you planning to plant this summer?
Helpful Links
:
16 comments:
I tried this method with Amanda. We used some soybeans, soaked a paper towel and kept the beans in between the papers. I kept it warm by hanging near to the furnace. They were sprouting for a while but now, I guess they stopped :)
I am planning to plant eye's bird chilies, tomatoes, lavender, cilantro, parsley and basil leaves in April.
I had planted parsley, marjoram(Oregano), and Basil last year. I used Chia's planting kit. Suprisingly all plants are still surviving:)
Just curious how they grow methi leaves which are available in the Indian Stores? They are over size large, tall and the leaves are also BBIIIGGGG!!!!!
I have total success in growing methi leaves all my life but never like the ones available in the Indian grocery stores.
If I keep it longer with out harvesting the plants curl and bend out of the pot and become yellow. If they are in the yard they just fall on to the ground. Sometimes if they survive they start flowering, as it is natural!
I actually enjoyed reading through this posting.Many thanks.
Growing Plants
Thank you Sonica.
@ anonymous, Unfortunatley I don't have any answer to your question. But I do agree with you, my methi leaves are also always very small in size compared to the store bought ones.
@anonymous: The large ones are farm gone with fertizers and other minerals... Thats the reason they turn out to me larger than home grown.
Interesting post... 1st time here.
I used these steps to grow a plant for our science Assignment and i got 20 out of 20! Thank you again! Thanx a lot!!!
Good to know that you got 20/20:). Thanks for the comment.
Hi
I've been trying to grow methi in pots. While, it sprouts very nicely, after about gaining 4-5 inches, the shoots fall off and whither. I'd like to correct myself for any procdural deficiencies.
Tks
Radha
radsabs@yahoo.com
hey nehal i really like your blog yar...I am also very fond of gardening but unfortunately dont get that much time in the day, but i do try it on weekends. I have planted methi seeds last week and some methi has already grown!!
but its very small in size may be 2 inches..hope that it grows...intitial 2-3 days it growed very fast and now it seems its nt growing but its still green!!
Hi Nikki,
Glad that you liked to blog:)
Methi does take some time to grow. Also, I have noticed that the methi I grow at home doesn't grow as big as the store bought ones.
www.watersmartpot.com
Check this...might be helpful... :)
Hi, Thanks for all your comments and information provided. However, I have never succeeded in growing methi successfully. They grow to a size shown in the picture of the pot and start dying by falling limp. Any tips? Neha
Hi Neha,
Not exactly sure whats going on, but here are the two things I can think of
1. You plant them too early. The temperature might not be warm enough for the plants to grow.
2. You don't transplat them to a big pot. If you are using peat pots to sprout your seeds, you shoud transplant your seedlings as soon as they are 2 inches or so tall. This way, they get enough nutrition from the soil in bigger pots, and also the roots get some space to spread and grow.
Hope this helps.
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