Gardening can be an excellent hobby for most people. Nowadays, home gardening is gaining momentum in many major cities of India as many people want to grow their food in their home gardens. In addition, home gardening is constantly rising in the regions of Bihar, such as Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Muzaffarpur.
Below we will learn home gardening in Bihar, the different types of home gardens to set up in Bihar, how to set up a home garden in Bihar, how to set up a backyard home garden in Bihar, how to set up a balcony home garden in Bihar, how to set up a terrace home garden in Bihar, and different vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs to grow in Bihar home gardens.
Home gardening in Bihar
Choose the type of home garden
Backyard home gardening/outdoor gardening
Choose an ideal location in your backyard
To have a thriving backyard garden, you must think carefully about where you put it. Since plants can’t move, it’s essential to consider their current position’s benefits. Plants and flowers benefit greatly from time spent in the sun. Most plants require “full sun,” or “at least six hours of direct sunlight daily,” to thrive in the garden. In most cases, it’s better to have more light available (8 hours). The more sunlight your garden receives, the greater your crop yield.
Be sure there is access to water if you intend on growing plants. Carrying water for thirsty plants during a heat wave is exhausting, even for inexperienced gardeners. Even if you’re feeling particularly lazy one day, the proximity of water to your home will make it more likely that you’ll water your plants. Near walls, fences, and under overhanging trees, the soil is too dry for optimal plant growth. Thus, open space is ideal.
Before deciding on a location, you should check whether it often experiences high winds. As a rule, protecting your plants from the wind is a good idea, but it’s essential for tall, high-yield plants. Home gardens do well on loamy soil. Poor or shallow soil means you’re out of luck until you put in the time and effort to improve it. To rapidly determine the health of your soil, just glance at your lawn if you have one. The density of the plant life can determine soil quality. Well-drained soil allows water to flow away effectively.
To check the drainage in your garden, dig one foot deep, one foot wide, and one foot long. If there’s water below ground, this hole will show it. One additional benefit is that you can see the drainage patterns of the soil. The draining time of a wet hole can be measured by pouring 12 gallons of water into it and watching it over some time. Locations with a gentle slope or a level surface are ideal for planting. When choosing a spot, you should avoid low areas likely to remain wet throughout the spring.
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Soil preparation for your backyard home garden
Good soil is the most critical factor in your success, whether a novice or an experienced gardener. If you take care of your soil, you can increase the yield of your garden. Once the soil’s condition has been established, the soil’s texture and type can be identified. When it comes to building the soil, manure is superior to compost. The soil quality can be gradually improved by adding organic manure to the mixture.
Add organic manure to the soil to boost its humus levels and water retention capacity. Plants are also supplied with the three most essential macronutrients (NPK). Throughout India, cow dung manure is the most frequently available organic fertilizer. Use composted manure in place of fresh animal droppings. Organic manure is rich in texture and has no off-putting smell; it is often dark in color and consistently moist and thick.
Composting the soil in your garden is something you can try. Composting is a word for recycling all types of organic waste. Soil humus is produced as organic components are reduced, water-soluble nutrients are stabilized, and waste is composted. Slow-release fertilizers should be given at a rate of a one-quarter inch every season to maximize water retention and minimize diseases. Worm composting has become a popular method of composting.
Manure, food scraps, and green crop leftovers may all be broken down into forms that plants can use with the help of earthworms. We need you to grow cover crops to improve the soil’s health, fertility, and structure. Plants and soil microbes can immediately benefit from nutrients provided by recently uprooted cover crops. The holes cover crops generated when their roots decompose and let water and oxygen into the soil. Clovers, alfalfa, beans, and peas transform atmospheric nitrogen into forms plants can utilize.
Organic mulch should be spread over the soil. Mulch helps the soil retain moisture and provides insulation from hot and cold temperatures. Beneficial species like microbes and earthworms “nibble” at mulch and excrete their wastes into the soil. In addition, high-carbon mulches outlive soil food web constituents that disintegrate fast, making them weed-suppressing. Mulch should be reapplied periodically throughout the growing season.
Plant your backyard home garden
If you dig a hole large enough to allow the roots to spread out and deep enough to support the plant, the soil level should be at the crown. It’s essential to break up any clumps of soil to prevent the creation of large air pockets that might stunt root growth. To settle the soil around the roots, fill the hole and water it well. Do not press down on the soil with your foot since this might cause harm to the plant’s roots. After filling the hole, build a wide bowl to form a soil mound a few inches high.
This will aid in retaining moisture over the plant’s root system until it can be absorbed. To avoid soil compaction around the roots, it is necessary to repeat the watering operation. Take your time and be precise while uprooting the plant. Wrap your hand around the plant’s base by resting it on top of the soil in the container. To get the plant and soil out of the container, tip the container upside down. Tapping the pot’s edges will likely be necessary to loosen the soil there.
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The outer rim of the root ball has to be loosened. If a plant is left in a pot for too long, its roots will spread out and eventually cover the whole perimeter of the container. These roots can now branch out into the surrounding soil. So, gently pull out the root tips using your fingers, a pencil, or a toothpick. It’s best to put the roots far underground. After the hole is filled, loosen the soil around the roots, pressing it down to cover any voids. An ideal soil would not be too loosely packed but would yet be able to keep the roots in place.
Water your backyard garden
Remember to water the plants first thing in the morning. Start watering your outside plants early in the morning, when the soil is cold and the water is less prone to evaporate. Plants can survive even the hottest summer days if there is enough water in the ground. In the warmer months, plants might suffer from overwatering. It’s counterproductive to water plants just at the soil’s surface since this only encourages shallow root development.
Instead, adopt a watering schedule that is less frequent but more in-depth. This strategy encourages roots to go deeper into the soil in search of water, even if the top layer seems dry. Plants typically only need about an inch of water each week, which is the standard requirement in Bihar. Plants need water deep below, not just on the surface. You can adequately hydrate your plants’ roots by watering them from the bottom up. To use in your garden, A soaker hose can gently and fully moisten the soil in a backyard garden, encouraging healthy growth.
When the soil dries out, it can be harmful to garden plants. But they don’t enjoy having their “feet wet,” so to speak, and will suffer if their roots are constantly buried in water without oxygen. It’s crucial to do a quick check to avoid overwatering. Verifying soil depth with a wooden dowel is simple, even for those with little gardening experience. If the soil is wet, the dowel will get stuck in it, but if it’s dry, it will slide out easily.
Hot, dry weather calls for weekly waterings of at least an inch for most garden plants, flowers, and shrubs. It’s essential to keep in mind that rain isn’t always a safe bet when it comes to watering your plants. Set up a rain gauge and use it to record the amount of water that falls each week. Suppose rain totals are under an inch; water the garden.
Inexperienced gardeners often overwater their houseplants, thinking they require more water. But that increases the risk of root rot and fungal infection. Overwatering causes drooping stems, withered leaves, and a white coat (fungus) because wet soil is a breeding ground for fungal gnats. The leaves of a houseplant that hasn’t been getting enough water will become brown and crispy at the edges as the plant dries out, and the bottom leaves and other portions of the plant will also get dry and crispy.
Start fertilizing your backyard garden
Fertilizer is used to replenish soil nutrients that have been lost owing to factors including runoff, overplanting, changes in pH, and the loss of leaves. Fertilizer primarily consists of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K), with the proportions of these elements being modified to suit individual requirements. The mixture or supply can include microorganisms and other micronutrients like magnesium, sulfur, and calcium.
In addition, there are stabilizers, fillers, and preservatives that work together to ensure the formula remains unchanged, dissolves slowly in water, and protects against contamination. Your garden bag will list the three main nutrients, N, P, and K, which all play essential roles in various plant processes. Nitrogen acts as a growth stimulant, helping plants expand their leaf and stem areas. Phosphorus encourages root growth.
Thus it’s a common ingredient in fertilizer for new grass and plantings. Potassium aids photosynthesis, boosting plant growth, flowering, and disease resistance. Applying quick-release fertilizers after sowing a new lawn is recommended to aid in developing the grass’s new root system. Slow-release fertilizer is recommended to avoid burning plants and compromising the water supply. Quick-release and slow-release fertilizers are most frequent.
Therefore, a connection can be made between them. However, liquid fertilizer works immediately, whereas granular fertilizer degrades over time. Use only organic fertilizer derived from plants, animals, or minerals to ensure the health of your plants. There is a mysterious three-digit code on fertilizer containers.
What goes into the bag in terms of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is determined by the NPK ratio. Examples of such numbers are 5-5-5, 10-10-10, and 3-0-5. For what reason is there such a dissimilarity? Plants that produce edible leaves, such as those in a vegetable garden, need a notably higher nitrogen concentration.
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When fertilizing established plants, nitrogen and potassium are preferred over phosphorus. Using these general-purpose NPK ratios, you won’t overfeed your lawn or garden. Before you plant, you should use a plant-specific fertilizer on your shrubs, veggies, trees, and flowers. A slow-release soil treatment should be used to prepare nutrient-poor soil for planting. Fertilizer requirements vary significantly across species and seasons.
Balcony gardening/container gardening/indoor gardening
Choose the ideal containers for your balcony home garden
You can use any container for balcony gardening as long as it has enough drainage and is large enough to accommodate your chosen plant(s). One of the most prevalent problems with balcony container gardening is overwatering, which is usually brought on by poor drainage. Waterlogged soil prevents plant roots from drawing oxygen and nutrients from the soil, leading to poor development, lower production, and even death.
One or two drainage holes are sufficient for pots less than 12 inches, but four or more are required for that size or bigger. Balcony containers should be put on a block with properly spaced drainage holes to prevent clogging. Put a coffee filter over the openings to prevent water from leaking out. Water will drain through the soil, but not the other way around. Plastic and fiberglass plant pots are inexpensive and easy to transport. Thin, stiff containers break easily when exposed to cold or time.
The use of wood has been shown to reduce the effects of temperature changes on root systems: select cedar, locust, or pine due to their inherent resistance to decay (treated pine). Molded wooden fiber balcony containers are sturdy and affordable. Concerning pots, a greater volume is preferable; plan and analyze how much the plant will develop. When growing tuber and bulb plants like potatoes, carrots, and onions in balcony containers, it’s essential to consider the pot’s depth and volume carefully.
Select an ideal potting mix
When growing plants in containers, the medium must be able to provide all the water and nutrients the plant needs despite its limited access. When choosing a growth medium, consider four factors: The capacity of the soil to hold nutrients and water is critical. Is there enough drainage and air circulation? Do you know whether there are any pests or weeds in the soil? When you dig down, how deep do you go? A small number of pots can be planted using pre-mixed potting soil.
To save money, it is best to prepare your fertilizer mixture if you intend to grow many plants. Garden or topsoil shouldn’t be used for balcony container gardening. If the soil in the container garden gets too compact and dense, plant growth will be stunted. In addition to weed seeds, disease and pests are more prone to take hold.
Plant your balcony home garden
Carefully push around the root ball’s borders and lift the plant out of the nursery container. Squeezing the plant might be harmful, so try to refrain from doing so. Plants’ root balls shouldn’t protrude more than a few inches over the container’s rim when you put them in the potting mix. This will reduce the amount of watering you’ll need to do later. Add additional potting mix around plants to retain stems at a similar depth as in nursery pots. Press the soil around your plants gently with your hands to reduce the size of any large air pockets.
Water your balcony container garden
Overwatering or underwatering will negatively affect the plant’s health and output in balcony home gardens. The duration between waterings will depend significantly on the kind of container you choose. To prevent the contents from drying, a porous container requires frequent rehydration.
Glazed pots can retain moisture within the container more than their terra cotta counterparts. The duration between waterings also depends on factors including the container’s size, the growth medium, and ambient conditions. Water plants only as required; never allow the soil to dry up. Once every several weeks, thoroughly bathe the plant. Excess water washes away soil salts.
Fertilize your balcony home garden
Similar to a normal garden, the fertilizer you use, how often you use it, and what kinds of crops you grow will all influence how much of each you need. You should increase the ratio of fertilizer to water used to counteract the effects of leaching. If you water once a day, you’ll only need to use a third of the recommended quantity. The choice of fertilizer from several viable options will be heavily impacted by the consumer’s tastes and sound judgment.
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Pre-mixed soils often contain slow-release fertilizer, but they are not designed to sustain vegetable plants over a particularly long growing season. The second round of fertilizer applications is required a few weeks following planting. While a balanced fertilizer is ideal for growing green vegetables, fertilizers with a greater phosphorus content are more beneficial for growing vegetable species that produce flowers and fruit. Fine-particle, water-soluble fertilizers can ensure your plants maintain their health and productivity.
Terrace gardening
Plan your terrace garden
Naturally, one must first decide which plants to add while planning a terrace garden. So, we’ll tell you a little secret: It’s essential to take stock of the available space before deciding on the plants that will flourish there. Terrace gardens are a calm hideaway and a place to raise plants. Make sure your terrace garden has an area for you to sit down or rest.
Consider your terrace capacity
A terrace garden can add a lot of weight to a roof, so if your roof slab can’t handle it, you’ll need to figure out a way to support it. Get the finest results by using a skilled professional in structural analysis and the positioning of terrace gardens. How you arrange your building’s columns and bearing walls will decide this.
Waterproof your terrace
When the terrace is waterproofed, there is no chance of roof leaks. If water is kept out of the ceiling, it won’t seep into the house. If you want to start doing anything on your terrace, check to see if the drain outlet is in good order.
Ensure drainage on your terrace
After watering, you should set up a drainage channel to catch any runoff from the containers or grow bags. Always use a one-inch spacer to keep your containers and grow bags above the ground. Pots and grow bags won’t collect water. The best place to put your containers and grow bags is on top of drain cells.
Using plastic water collection trays under your pots or grow bags is possible if they don’t have drainage holes. Some gardeners construct little platforms, typically 6 inches to a foot, on which to lay their pots. It’s essential to clean up the roof’s drainage channel before planting anything there.
Soil requirements for your terrace home garden
Purchasing high-quality potting soil is in your best interest to feel comfortable with your new gardening skills. Coir peat compost, vermicompost, and regular soil all work well together. True devotees of terrace gardening often make their manure, but you may want to wait a while before diving too deeply into the subject matter.
Water and mulch your terrace garden
It’s not always the case that watering your plant will help them. Extremely dangerous conditions include both overwatering and underwatering. Mulching spreads a thin layer of organic material over a plot of land to improve the soil’s overall quality, boost its fertility and nutrient content, keep the soil wet, and reduce weed growth. Mulching is a cheap and easy approach to maintain a garden. Mulches are varied, from bark to river stones to compost.
Place wind barriers for your terrace home garden
It’s essential to think about wind resistance when planning your landscaping, and a tiered garden is a great way to do it. Protect your terrace garden from the wind with strategically placed windbreaks. Terrace gardens can also benefit from using mesh-based trellises and other mesh-based windbreaks. The purpose of windbreaks is to slow the wind down rather than to block it completely. Solid windbreaks are more vulnerable to damage in severe gusts than porous ones. It’s essential to keep the wind blowing, but you should tone it down a little.
Manage pests and diseases on your terrace home garden
Maintaining a healthy, well-fed plant population is of the highest significance. Often, pests and diseases target plants that seem unwell or are missing. Try making your pest control remedy to keep unwanted visitors out of your home. Mix 2 teaspoons dish soap and 1 cup vegetable oil in a big basin. Each of them should be mixed before the water is added. If you locate any pests in or around your home, spray them with this solution to kill them.
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Best vegetables for Bihar home gardens
Many vegetables, including bitter gourd, potatoes, okra, bottle gourd, tomatoes, beans, eggplants, carrots, chilies, onions, cucumbers, beetroot, and onions, can be grown in Bihar home gardens.
Best fruits for Bihar gardens
Papaya, watermelons, muskmelons, lemons, oranges, custard apples, mango, bananas, pineapples, pomegranates, guava, and sapota are among the many fruits grown in Bihar home gardens.
Best flowers for Bihar home gardens
Gerberas, petunias, zinnias, lilies, marigolds, sunflowers, Roses, hibiscus, and chrysanthemums are among the many flowers that can be grown easily in Bihar home gardens.
Best herbs for Bihar home gardens
Ginger, basil, mint, chives, cilantro, coriander, fennel, and oregano are many herbs that can be grown easily in Bihar home gardens.
Conclusion
Home gardens in Bihar, whether in the backyard, on the balcony, or on the terrace, are the most productive places to grow edible plants. Grow various fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs in your backyard garden to get the most out of it. You can also make your house more appealing to the eye by choosing beautiful plants for your terrace or balcony. It could be done in either the indoor or outdoor space.
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