[govigov]

Originally Posted by airbus

I have been trying hydroponics (Kratky method)

Sounds interesting. Would like to see some photos!

[NPV]

Originally Posted by PGA

Mint, coriander and spinach are not heavy feeders, the root system is quite shallow too. So I wouldn't recommend coco peat in the mixture, normal soil with cow manure and leaf compost in the ratio of 1:1:1 should permit adequate produce for a pretty long period. Normal soil tends to balance out any nutritional toxicities and deficiencies which is not the case with coco peat.

Thanks. Will be trying my first batch of Mint, Coriander and Spinach using the Garden Soil (mixed with cow manure) and Leaf compost in a 1:1 mix, let's see how it goes

Originally Posted by vijayrajthampi

The best experience is to learn on the job. Take safe bets. If your maintenance is good, u can guarantee a 60-70% success. The finer controls on soil, fertilizer, irrigation , pest control and sunlight will take u the rest 30-40%. All the very best.

Thanks. Hoping to learn on the job, failures will be learning experiences and motivation for (later) success.

There are too many YouTube videos on home gardening, many very contrary to each other.

[airbus]

Originally Posted by govigov

Sounds interesting. Would like to see some photos!

Not yet fully ready for photography , but posting few to give an idea what I am doing.

Small plastic glass for Spinach:


Need to keep some space for air so that roots can get oxygen:


Roots:


Spinach in little bigger containers:


Roots:


Soft drink bottles for Tomato:


Tomato seedlings planted few days back:


Chilli, Tomato and Lettuce seedlings planted today:


Double layer experiment for Coriander. There are holes at the bottom of the white container. After germination, I feed low concentration nutrient solution until roots reach nutrient solutions in the bottom container.


Nutrient solutions must not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise algae will grow and solution will be degraded. Hence, I used paper cup or black paint to avoid direct sunlight exposure on nutrient solution. Bigger is the container, lesser is the re-filling requirement and one litre solution should be enough for about a month. I am using Coco Peat to support the plant on top containers. Not yet felt the need to buy Net Cups.

[NPV]

Looking to add a lawn grass patch in the garden that is easy to maintain, the space is below a coconut tree, so looking for a variety/species of lawn grass that is resilient to coconuts and branches falling down on it to some extent at least. Any suggestions on what variety/species of lawn grass to look for and where can I source it in Bangalore (either a soil patch with grass on it or seeds ?).

I remember seeing a packet of seeds somewhere with the name "Kolkata grass" on it, will this do ?

[condor]

Where can i get vegetable seeds of indigenous variety ?

(cross-posted in the Farming thread)

[VaidhiR]

Anybody have any experience with these plants? Growing indoors mainly.

Aloe Vera
Dracaena
Sansevieria Trifasciata

[batish]

Originally Posted by VaidhiR

Anybody have any experience with these plants? Growing indoors mainly.

Aloe Vera
Dracaena
Sansevieria Trifasciata

Yes! Aloe Vera requires sunlight for good growth. Keep it near window which receives good amount of sunlight.

Sansevieria is a hardy plant. Can survive without sunlight too.

Dracaena also performs well indoors.

Just water them carefully, water only when top soil dries up.

[avimal]

Need some help for growing almond tree. I got one sapling free from some shopping. Now it has grown to about 2 feet tall in a big pot. Is it ok to plant it in backyard? Can its root pose risk to foundation later? I heard they grow to very big size.

[condor]

Originally Posted by avimal

Need some help for growing almond tree. I got one sapling free from some shopping. Now it has grown to about 2 feet tall in a big pot. Is it ok to plant it in backyard? Can its root pose risk to foundation later?.

Wiki says the plant can grow upto 33 ft. Do you have sufficient space both for the roots and above ground ?

[avimal]

Originally Posted by condor

Wiki says the plant can grow upto 33 ft. Do you have sufficient space both for the roots and above ground ?

I have space above ground but dobt think it is (5-6 feet) enough to grow roots. It seems it grows shallow and horizontal roots. I will keep it in a pot or donate it to someone later.

[Shubhendra]

Hi All,
Need your suggestions.
I have garden area of around 400sq feet on stilt floor. Gardner appointed by society is does not do anything other than watering plants. As a result almost all plants died.
Now i want to restore entire garden and except two 12 feet trees of Harshringar, rest entire area is devoid of plants. Being on stilt floor, depth of soil would be around 2.5 to 3 feets (except 5 feet depth for area where Harshringars are standing).
Please suggest sturdy plants which can grow upto 8 feets in 3 feets of soil. Also, before plantation, i would like to dig soil for entire area and add organic fertilizers. Any particular fertilizer or any other addition should i make in the soil for long term benefits.

PS: Half of the area dont get direct sunlight throughout the day.

Thank you!

[condor]

Any suggestions for Neem oil as pesticide ? Trying not to use chemicals on the guava plant. Mainly big red ants - the ones that build nests out of leaves.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by condor

Any suggestions for Neem oil as pesticide ? Trying not to use chemicals on the guava plant. Mainly big red ants - the ones that build nests out of leaves.

Are the ant nests hurting the plant growth, or ability to bear fruit? My yeah tree was filled with ants, but they never hurt the plant. For smaller bugs/worms I have had moderate success with diluted anti microbial hand wash soap sprayed with a generic spray bottle. I used couple bottles of neem oil on my peach tree, with no success. They key is to get to it when the bugs are just getting started. Once it has figured out a way to thrive, there would be lots of eggs that would keeping springing back into action.

Originally Posted by VaidhiR

Anybody have any experience with these plants? Growing indoors mainly.
Aloe Vera

I can vouch for AloeVera, super easy, and super hardy. New plants keep cropping up from the sides that can be planted elsewhere. So, it should be easy for you to get such plants from neighbors/friends.

[condor]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Are the ant nests hurting the plant growth, or ability to bear fruit?

To some extent, the fruits and leaves are affected. More affected are we, when we try to pluck the fruits

[avimal]

Neem oil with insecticidal soap is best pesticide in general. Check if there is some other pests on tree. In many cases, some other pest excretes some sweet liquid or so on which ants feed. Or they liked the place to nest. If you spray neem oil regularly (every 2 weeks) they might go away.