Going Organic - Part 6

Since last year we have tried focussing on growing the basics - potatoes, onions and tomatoes. This post recounts our experiences with each of these.

Potatoes

The first time we tried growing these in a large, deep pot. The plants were healthy and there were flowers too. But the plants started withering right after. So we were hopeful that the crop may be developing. But when we dug in, there was nothing.

This year we decided to plant directly in soil in our kitchen garden patch. And after a point, we kind of forgot about the plants. In fact, we didn't even see any flowers this time. Till they all dried up and the husband went to uproot them and clear out the patch. And wonder of wonders, a lovely crop of baby potatoes was harvested!

Surely the best Mother's Day gift came from the father. 

Onions

Planted an onion directly in soil in early winter, and throughout the season it gave healthy greens. I used the greens to make parathas and vegetables. Towards the end of the season, a couple of florets were formed and again, once they started withering I dug up the soil but no onions there. 

Probably we made the same mistake with both potatoes and onions - losing patience and digging up too soon.

Tomatoes

Last winter the husband ordered and planted a whole packet of tomato seeds. Lots of plants showed up, but it was difficult to maintain their scraggly growth. Tomatoes need to be tied firmly or else placed within a support structure. Mealy bugs were the other problem area, and required careful monitoring and frequent spraying with a mixture of neem oil, detergent and water.

Our efforts finally paid off and we did get to harvest some tomatoes. Though the regular-sized ones threw more tantrums and gave lesser output, while the cherry tomatoes came in bunches and were delicious. So a rewarding experience on the whole!