How to Start Home Gardening From Scratch in Maharashtra: For Indoors, Outdoors, Terrace, and Apartment Balcony

For many Indian city dwellers, urban home gardening is a viable option for growing flowers and vegetables. Many big cities, even metropolitan ones, are seeing an increase in the popularity of home gardening. Maharashtra is one state home to many huge cities, such as Mumbai/Bombay, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur, Amravati, Nanded, Jalgaon, Solapur, Chandrapur, Shirdi, Latur, Ahmednagar, Panvel, Thane, Akola, Jalna, Parbhani, Navi Mumbai, Satara, Bhusawal, Ichalkaranji, Wardha, Gondia, Achalpur, Ulhasnagar, Yavatmal, Vasai-Virar, Hinganghat, Beed, Osmanabad, Bhiwandi, Udgir, Barshi, Mira Bhayandar, Badlapur, Ambernath, Sangli Miraj Kupwad, Ratnagiri, and Kalyan).

A little potted garden can be as basic as a window box or as complex as a whole backyard. Gardening is also excellent for your health and the environment and is enjoyable. If you have a garden at home, it’s well worth the effort and expense. Grow your food and don’t need to depend on getting it from the store or farmers’ market. Time and money are saved by not going out to dine. Grow your food and save money on groceries and more.

Below we will learn about home gardening in Maharashtra, how to set up a home garden, how to start a backyard home garden, how to start a terrace home garden, how to create a balcony home garden, and different vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs to grow in Maharashtra home gardens, and a complete guide on how to start a home garden in Maharashtra.

How to start home gardening from scratch in Maharashtra

Choose the type of home garden

Backyard garden/outdoor garden

Choose the ideal spot for your backyard garden

A garden’s location should be prioritized above all other factors based on its sunlight. The more sunshine a plant receives, the more fruit or vegetables it will produce. During the year’s hottest months, your garden needs at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Assume that a place gets less than 6 hours of direct sunshine daily throughout the growing season. In such a situation, shade-tolerant perennials are preferable to vegetables.

Summertime is when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, so keep this in mind. This means that the number of shadows produced by things that generate a substantial amount of shade in March may not be seen for the next month or two. A successful food garden needs a slope that is both level and gradual. Terrain with a steep slope must be terraced to protect it from erosion and make it more manageable for farmers. Consistent watering is essential to the health of your vegetable garden crops.

If you have a lot of locations, think about how much work each one takes. The initial site clean-up may prove to be a challenge, or you may be able to reuse a place that is overgrown or abandoned. Make a plan and make sure you have all the tools you’ll need before you start clearing a site. This will help the work party go smoothly and efficiently.

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Soil preparation for your backyard garden

Taking a soil test, determining the type and texture of the soil, and then implementing the following actions will help enhance soil fertility: Manure has a more significant impact on soil aggregation than compost. Therefore, it is possible to progressively improve the soil quality by mixing organic manure with potting soil. In addition, organic manures should be used to improve the soil’s humus content and water-storage capacity.

In addition, it provides plants with the optimum amount of macronutrients needed to thrive (NPK). In India, only cow dung manure is available as an alternative. Whenever feasible, choose well-decomposed manure over fresh animal excrement. To be perfect, organic manure must be dark, moist, uniform, and rich in texture. Leguminous “green manures” can be used to produce nitrogen-rich manure.

Composting may be considered a kind of recycling since it can be used for almost any type of organic waste. Composting reduces the size of organic materials, stabilizes their soluble nutrients, and creates soil humus. When you add a quarter-inch of compost to your soil each season, you’re helping it retain moisture and resist disease. In recent years, vermicomposting has become a popular method of composting.

To make nutrient-rich materials like manure, food waste, and the by-products of green crop production available to plants, earthworms are used in this process. There are also pre-made products available. Mulch protects the soil. Mulch keeps soil wet and blocks heat. Microbes, earthworms, and other beneficial organisms may eat the mulch, ultimately becoming part of the soil’s top layer. If you’re trying to control weeds, high-carbon mulches are better than those that disintegrate fast since they persist longer.

Essential and recommended: reapplying mulch throughout the growing season. Keeping foot traffic to a minimum and growing plants in big, permanent beds is the most excellent way to preserve soil structure. Closely spaced planting creates a shadow over the soil’s surface, which benefits soil life and plants by preserving moisture and regulating temperature. By moving your feet, mash on walks may also be used to grind straw and leaves into fine powder. To make it easier to decompose, spread this finely shredded material over the beds.

Start planting in your backyard garden.

A garden can be started from seeds or transplants. Transplants have significant benefits over seeds in most situations. For example, a six-inch tomato seedling is around six weeks old, whereas an eight-week-old pepper transplant is the same age. The sudden temperature increase will prevent seeds from growing and bearing fruit.

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Unless you grow seeds indoors at least six to eight weeks before transplanting, you will have fewer options when transplanting. On the other hand, some plant species cannot simply be moved. When you’re ready to plant, think about how much seed you’ll need. Water and fertilizers are in short supply due to congestion. It’s possible that underplanting might lead to lower yields, deterioration of quality due to poor size control, and a waste of precious garden space.

Overseeding is usually preferred. Remove overgrown plants as soon as possible, rather than replanting and wasting space. Check the seed packing, how many seeds to plant, and how deep to plant them. Seeds should be buried three times deeper than their width unless otherwise indicated. Root and green crops tend to be harvested at a similar size because of the spacing between seeds. One inch in diameter is the diameter of radishes.

The seeds should be spaced about an inch apart when planted. The mature head of lettuce can range in diameter from 6 to 8 inches. Thus, it’s best to space seeds at least 6 to 8 inches apart when planting them. One of the following procedures should be used to assess seed spacing: After the seed has been dispersed uniformly throughout the beds, you should rake them again, the second time in the opposite direction of the initial raking.

Fill a jar halfway with seed and sand, then toss it on the ground. If possible, discard any seedlings that do not need to be kept after germination. Maintain the plants you want on the soil surface by placing your fingers near them. Choose plants with robust root systems free of pests or diseases when looking for transplants.

Avoid plants that have yellowed or damaged leaves or blossoms since these indicate disease or insect damage. Consider the color of the roots; they should be white, have a lot of root hairs, and be able to penetrate the soil. A starter solution, a water-and-soluble-fertilizer mixture, is used to assist newly transplanted plants in growing.

Water your backyard garden

You can choose to water your garden by hand using a watering can or hose, automatically using sprinklers or watering systems, or using any combination of these three techniques. Plants don’t care what you select, just how convenient and affordable it is. It’s possible to get by quite fine with a bucket of water or going about with the hose in a modest garden or with a few plants. A timer-controlled sprinkler system or drip irrigation may conserve water in a large garden.

Watering can temperature should be considered. Cold showers and baths aren’t only uncomfortable for plants. Instead of ice-cold water, use moderate or tepid water to water seedlings and young plants. Young plants are more sensitive to temperature shock than seedlings. Avoid using boiling water. A watering can or hose left in the sun for a long time can do this. Run the hose over concrete for best effects until chilled water flows out.

Before using, refill heated watering cans. When watering from above, avoid soaking plant leaves. Starting early and drying before nightfall helps deter foliar infections. Due to their drought resilience, succulents require less water. Plants collect moisture from the earth and release it into the air. When it’s hot, sunny, and windy, water evaporates quickly. A water shortage from roots to leaves and stems might kill your plants. Keep freshly planted plants wet but not soggy to prevent withering and drowning.

Watering down the issue won’t work. Water the roots well. Instead of watering the soil with a sprinkler or hose, add water softly and with little pressure. Overwatering creates puddles and runoff. Slowly add water by stepping away for 5 to 10 minutes. The soil will have more time to absorb water. Overwatering is possible, too. However, if they deteriorate due to an overdose of moisture, your plants are usually dead. Luckily, most wilting plants can be revived by feeding them with water again. Compost helps drainage. Too much soil water might drown roots.

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Containers for Home Garden — Image Source

Fertilize your backyard garden

The three figures displayed on the bottle label contain the fertilizer analysis. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium are the fertilizer’s three main components arranged in that order. This list’s numbers are always listed in the same order, from oldest to newest. At the absolute least, soil testing should be done every two years for home growers. This is important for inexperienced gardeners to know.

In addition to providing information on how much of each nutrient is needed in your soil, a soil test can also provide information on the amount that needs to be removed. For example, avoid fertilizing your yard excessively. This has the potential to harm or destroy plants. Two cups of fertilizer generally weigh a pound.

Fertilizer users should reduce the quantity of nitrogen they use. For example, using two pounds of fertilizer with a nitrogen ratio of 5-10-5, one pound of fertilizer with a ratio of 10-20-20 provides the same amount of nitrogen. Before adding organic fertilizer to your plants, distribute it evenly and thoroughly mix it into the soil.

Balcony gardening/indoor gardening

Choose the proper containers for your balcony

Growing plants in practically any container you can think of on a balcony is possible. Various containers, such as bushel baskets, drums, 5-gallon buckets, and wooden boxes, might be used to illustrate your point. The size of the container depends on crop and space. 5-gallon containers are the best size for most vegetable crops like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Chard and miniature tomato types may be grown in 1- to 2-gallon containers.

Smaller pots can produce herbs, lettuce, and radishes, which are easy to care for. Their ease of use and enough capacity for root development make them an excellent choice for landscaping. Both porous and nonporous materials are used in containers. Nonporous containers include those that have been glazed, whether they are plastic, metal, or glass. Drainage is essential no matter how large the container is. Filling the container with 1 inch of gritty gravel improves drainage. The drain holes work best when located 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the base.

Choose the right potting mix for your containers

To thrive, plants need water, nutrients, and physical support from their growing medium. Drainage is an essential component of a good growth medium. Synthetic or soilless combinations, such as sawdust, wood chips, peat moss, perlite, or vermiculite, are great for vegetables in balcony containers. Aside from being free of disease and weed seeds, they can also retain water and nutrients while draining correctly.

Silt-free mixes can also be made by mixing vermiculite, peat moss, and limestone with the right volumes of superphosphate and garden fertilizer. Compost and vermiculite should be mixed in equal parts before being fertilized with a 6-12-12 or 5-10-10 fertilizer. 0-20-0 (superphosphate) should be used in a 1:1 ratio with ten tablespoons of limestone and 1 cup of fertilizer.

Add water to minimize dust. Wet the seed mixture well before sowing or transplanting. Sphagnum peat moss or compost, pasteurized soil, vermiculite, or perlite are all used in equal amounts to form soil mixtures. Composting cow dung improves the soil’s physical characteristics and adds nutrients. Soil combinations generally have better water retention than soilless ones.

Water your balcony garden

Most container gardens need just one watering a day to thrive, and that’s all that’s required in most circumstances. A lack of drainage can lead to the death of plants. Due to a lack of oxygen, the plants will die if the mixture becomes overly saturated with water. Plant diseases can be grown by watering plants’ leaves. Every watering, except the weekly leaching, should be done using a nutrient solution instead of plain tap water.

Water-holding gels are getting more and more popular in balcony container gardening. These starch-based gels are referred to as hydrogels. They may absorb 100 times their weight in water before releasing it into the earth. To be effective, they must be worked into the soil before planting. Adding mulch to the soil mix can also help reduce water loss. There are a variety of mulches that may be used to improve the quality of the soil.

Pest and disease management for balcony garden

Vegetables grown in containers are more vulnerable to pests and diseases than their typical garden counterparts. Balcony container gardens can be infected by these pests and diseases, which can spread quickly. Check your plants for pests that eat foliage, fruits, and diseases. Apply quick-acting fungicides and insecticides if diseased plants or pests are discovered.

Terrace garden

Consider the below parameters before starting a terrace garden.

Roof load: Check to see whether the roof can support the weight. Use a competent professional to achieve the best outcomes. As the plants grow, the soil is already much heavier than before, weighing more on the pots.

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Ease of access: What are your intentions for bringing and removing the essential materials and goods? You should check to determine whether you are allowed to use the elevator if you live in an apartment complex. More than one exit, alarms, and lights may be needed by the municipality, depending on the size of the building.

Sunlight: How much of your balcony is obstructed by neighboring buildings or the rooftop terraces?? Even direct sunshine might be a problem for plants resting on concrete in Maharashtra.

Heat: Sun rays hitting the roof in Maharashtra areas create heat reflected off surrounding buildings, street cars, and other metal exhaust structures, as well as utility infrastructure like water pipes. You may want some shade to safeguard both yourself and your plants.

Wind exposure: Urban straight roadways, especially steep climbs, might experience powerful wind gusts. Consider constructing a wall or installing a fence to keep out the intruders. Ensure your construction code is followed to ensure the structure is safe and secure.

Storage: A large quantity of supplementary gardening equipment, such as tools, fertilizer, compost, and buckets, must be kept to get the job done. Having a storage spot hidden on a rooftop is challenging because of the restricted area available. All that is needed are a few shelves. People who cultivate on terraces may utilize tiny closets to store their produce.

Waterproof your terrace garden

The first step in creating a terrace garden is to ensure that your terrace is entirely watertight. If you’re going to handle it yourself, it’s best to tarp the whole patio. A waterproof patio may also be built by a professional. Make certain that the added weight of your pots will not damage your foundation by checking its strength.

Your home shouldn’t be too heavy if experts built it and the proper sand and cement mixture was utilized. Pot saucers are a fantastic option if you don’t like the tarpaulin-free water collecting method. Waterproof your patio if you make these options.

Soil preparation for terrace garden

Inexperienced gardeners often have little interest in the soil, yet it is an essential part of any garden. There is less to do when you have healthy plants and healthy soil. Raised beds and containers allow you to include soil in the growing process. You may buy high-quality potting mixes or build your own by mixing three parts of compost with one-fourth of part peat. Adding a little amount of perlite to each container can improve drainage. Soil for containers must be replaced each spring. You can repot or replant the plant or add extra soil.

Water your terrace garden

Make sure to water your plants daily to maximize their potential and ensure their survival. The fact that plants need constant hydration throughout the day puts them in a good position to consume large amounts of water when it comes. The soil absorbs water best before 10 a.m. Many sun-loving vegetables and flowers that flourish in Maharashtra’s spring and summer months, especially April and May, need twice-daily watering during the hotter months.

Another option to think about is the use of self-watering pots. It’s critical to remember to let moist leaves dry off before night falls since they’re a perfect breeding ground for fungi. Do not water your plants often with little water, and maintain a constant moisture level. Do not over-water your plants; they need just the right amount of water but not too much. There is a risk of diseases when leaves are wet. As a result, it’s vital to keep the leaves in a dry environment.

Water the plant’s surrounding environment in a regular manner every time. Plants can be watered more efficiently by utilizing a drip or sprinkler. Sprinkler systems with moisture sensors can be used on your garden, balcony, or bed. Roots can be damaged by excessive dampness. Consequently, water does not accumulate. Use soil that is rich in sand and clay for the best results. To do this, you can use a wide range of watering equipment.

Fertilizing your terrace garden

Neem oil-based pesticides are among the most potent organic pesticides available today. There have been reports of resistance in more than 200 species of biting and sucking insects. Some of these insects include aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies. It is safe, does not affect the environment, and effectively kills or manages pests. The antifungal properties of this drug are also well-known. As a consequence, powdery mildew may be avoided.

Tobacco is another organic pesticide that is effective in the fight against caterpillars and aphids. Tobacco is found in both cigarettes and cigars. This must be applied to peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants to be effective. Stirring together a cup of tobacco and four liters of water should take at least one day. Place the solution in bright, warm light to get the most out of these components. There will be a subtle tea-like color to the solution. The solution must be well mixed before being applied to the plants.

Best vegetables for Maharashtra home gardens

Tomatoes, lettuce, beans, carrots, radishes, potatoes, chilies, okra, eggplants, cucumber, onion, spinach, peas, bottle, gourd, ivy gourd, and bitter gourd are among many vegetables that can be grown in Maharashtra home gardens.

Best fruits for Maharashtra home gardens

Guava, papaya, mango, custard apple, pomegranate, mulberry, Indian gooseberry, sapota, banana, pineapples, and figs are among the many fruits grown in Maharashtra home gardens.

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Best flowers for Maharashtra home gardens

Jasmines, hibiscus, lilies, chrysanthemums, roses, marigolds, daisies, dahlias, and gerberas are among the many flowers that can be grown in Maharashtra home gardens.

Best herbs for Maharashtra home gardens

Basil, mint, fennel, chives, cilantro, coriander, and oregano are among the many herbs that can be grown in Maharashtra home gardens.

Conclusion

In the areas of Maharashtra, the most effective means of growing edible plants are private gardens of some kind, whether on a terrace, in the backyard, or on a balcony. Try growing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. You can also choose decorative plants in your garden or terrace to make your home seem more aesthetically pleasing.