Tropical winter food garden planner
Follow these guidelines to plan, schedule and sow your winter garden and enjoy regular harvests through the season!
Introduction
This blog-post is particularly useful if you have bought our Winter special seeds package. If you haven’t yet, you can do it now by clicking the button below.Click here to order your winter special seed package
When you click, you will be taken to our WhatsApp product catalogue for ordering. Come back here to continue reading.
Even otherwise, this blog-post is useful to prepare for winter gardening with your own assortment of winter veggies.
Prepare your garden for the winter
Read our blogpost ” Welcoming winter ” to know how to prepare your garden for winter, particularly in the tropical region.
Planning and Scheduling
That is already taken care for you!
In the ready reckoner table below, you will find all the details you need for each of the vegetables in our winter special package. The Sowing quantities considers a family of 4. Scale up or down depending on the actual number of family members. Also feel free to increase or decrease depending on your actual preferences for each of those vegetables.
Growing Tips
Tips for growing each of the veggies in our winter vegetable seed package are given below to help you get up to speed in the garden quickly!
1. Cherry Tomato:
Sow
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seedling trays.
Transplanting: When seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, transplant them into well-draining soil, spacing them 18-24 inches apart.
Grow
Support: Provide stakes or cages to support plants as they grow.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged.
Fertilization: Use a balanced organic fertilizer every 2-4 weeks.
Pest Management: Monitor for aphids and caterpillars, use neem oil spray weekly as a preventive measure.
Harvest
Harvest: Expect ripe cherry tomatoes in 8-10 weeks. Harvest when they start changing color or when fully ripe.
2. Bell Pepper:
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seedling trays.
Transplanting: Transplant seedlings with 2-3 true leaves into well-draining soil, spacing them 12-18 inches apart.
Support: Use stakes for support.
Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist.
Fertilization: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer every -4 weeks.
Pest Management: Watch for aphids and whiteflies, treat as needed. Use neem oil spray weekly as a preventive measure.
Harvest: Harvest bell peppers in 12-14 weeks.
3. Coriander greens:
Sowing: Sow seeds in rows (1 per inch) or in pockets (2-3 per pocket, 3” spacing between pockets) in well-prepared soil or in containers
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist.Fertilization: Use a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer while sowing. Drench the soil with Jivamruta water once a week.Harvest: Start harvesting leaves in 4-5 weeks.
Fertilization: Use a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer while sowing. Drench the soil with Jivamruta water once a week.
Harvest: Start harvesting leaves in 4-5 weeks.
For detailed guideline, read our blog-post Growing Coriander Step-by-Step
4. Jalapeno Chilli:
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seedling trays.
Transplanting: Transplant seedlings with 2-3 true leaves into well-draining soil, spacing them 12-18 inches apart.
Watering: Maintain even soil moisture.
Fertilization: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer every 2-4 weeks.
Pest Management: Check for aphids and use neem oil if required.
Harvest: Expect ripe green chilies in 10-12 weeks. Harvest when they reach the desired color.
5. Cabbage:
Sow
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seedling trays.
Transplanting: Transplant seedlings with 4-5 leaves into well-prepared soil, spacing them 12-18 inches apart.
Grow
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist.
Fertilization: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer every 3 weeks.
Pest Management: Watch for cabbage worms, use row covers or organic pesticides like SasyaRakshak weekly starting from 6th week. Avoid spraying neem oil as that may stress out the plant.
Harvest
Harvest: Harvest cabbage heads in 12-14 weeks when they are firm and solid.
6. Knol Kohl:
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep directly in the garden bed or in seedling trays.
Transplanting: If started in trays, transplant seedlings with 2-3 leaves into well-prepared soil, spacing them 6-8 inches apart.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist.
Fertilization: Use a balanced organic fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.
Pest Management: Monitor for caterpillars and aphids. Use row covers or organic pesticides like SasyaRakshak weekly starting from 6th week. Avoid spraying neem oil as that may stress out the plant.
Harvest: Harvest knol khol in 8-10 weeks when the bulbs are about 2-3 inches in diameter.
7. Broccoli:
Sowing:Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seedling trays.
Transplanting: Transplant seedlings with 2-3 true leaves into well-prepared soil, spacing them 18-24 inches apart.
Watering: Maintain even soil moisture.
Fertilization: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.
Pest Management: Watch for cabbage worms and aphids. Use row covers or organic pesticides like SasyaRakshak weekly starting from 6th week. Avoid spraying neem oil as that may stress out the plant.
Harvest: Harvest broccoli heads in 10-12 weeks when they are tight and dark green.
8. Cauliflower:
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seedling trays.
Transplanting: Transplant seedlings with 2-3 true leaves into well-prepared soil, spacing them 18-24 inches apart
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist.
Fertilization: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.
Pest Management: Monitor for caterpillars and aphids, use row covers or organic pesticides.
Harvest: Harvest cauliflower heads in 10-12 weeks when they are compact and white.
9. Carrot:
Sowing:Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep directly in rows.
Thinning: Thin seedlings to 2-3 inches apart when they have 2-3 true leaves.
Watering: Water consistently to keep the soil evenly moist.
Fertilization: Use a low-nitrogen organic fertilizer at planting time
Pest Management: Protect from carrot fly with row covers if needed.
Harvest: Harvest carrots in 10-12 weeks when they reach the desired size.
10. Beetroot:
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep directly in rows.
Thinning: Thin seedlings to 2-3 inches apart when they have 2-3 true leaves.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist.
Fertilization: Use a balanced organic fertilizer every 3 weeks.
Pest Management: Monitor for leaf miners and use row covers if needed.
Harvest: Harvest beetroot in 10-12 weeks when they are about 2-3 inches in diameter.
11. Lettuce Red and Green:
Sowing: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep directly in rows. 6-9 inches spacing between seeds
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist.
Fertilization: Use a balanced organic fertilizer every 3 weeks.
Pest Management: Monitor for leaf miners and caterpillars and use row covers if needed.
Harvest: Harvest beetroot in 6-8 weeks every other day until the plant start bolting (flowering).
Further support
Following blog-post links will further help you with insights and knowledge needed to make your winter gardening as pleasurable as it can get!!
This harvesting mistake may cost you all your gardening efforts!
