g a r d e n
'TOOT C
Qr
TTDC
UOD
ÜUUDVO
TOOLS
& TIPS
FOR
EVERYONE
WHO
LOVES
TO
DIG
Great
Greens
It’s a toss-up! Our
favourites grow way
beyond lettuce. Planted
now, seeds of leafy crops
will sprout quickly in this
weather. Soon you can
enjoy sweet greens.
S a la d L e a v e s
Add colour to your
salad with picks such
as kale, yellow and
red chard, and the
red-veined sorrel,
shown here, or
any
locally available
salad leaves.
Q & A
When’s the best time to plant
leafy greens in winter?
You can plant these greens
between early and mid-
December and can continue to
plant them until mid-January.
Greens like coriander, mint,
and parsley can be grown
throughout the year.
2
PREPARE THE SOIL
Once the summer plants are
out, turn over garden soil with a
spade. Work in 3-4 inches of compost
to replenish soil nutrients. For
containers, use fresh potting soil.
3
START FROM SEEDS
Follow recommendations on
seed packets for spacing and planting
depth. Keep soil consistently moist
for good germination.
4
KEEP ’EM COOL
Warm weather (early
March) can be brutal on cool-loving
veggies. To save them, shelter crops
with garden fabric. Water often. ■
1
GROW GOURMET
In addition to lettuce
and spinach, try these niche
greens: arugula, kale, beetroot,
leafy chicory, dark cabbage,
green mustard, and black mustard
(kali mohari).
138
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
DECEMBER 2011
PHOTOGRAPH: KRITSADA; ADDITIONAL INPUTS: ARUNA LUDRA
