Herbs and spices- Mint

This is my first post on herbs and spices. I will try to cover some of those plants which are used for flavoring dishes, have medicinal benefits or are grown as vegetable.

Herbs. The term immediately reminds us of exotic plants used sparingly for their flavor and/ or medicinal qualities, to be grown with great care and patience if one is to have good results.
True, herbs require shade and just enough moisture to flourish. They are very particular, I have still not succeeded in growing coriander; many gardeners will raise their eyebrows at this.
However, one advantage that many herbs have over growing other types of plants is that mostly herbs do not require a very large space or container to grow, they are very happy in shallow containers kept on window sills or in a shaded balcony.

One of the simplest herbs to grow and which I always have in my garden is wild mint also called pudina in Hindi. Other names are field mint, corn mint or Japanese peppermint.
Pudina (Mentha arvensis) belongs to the genus Mentha of the family Lamiaceae. There are many types of mint. All are aromatic and they spread out over the ground. Mint if grown unchecked can spread over the ground and is considered invasive in many places.

Pudina ready for harvest

Use scissors to snip off as much as is required






It can be grown from cuttings very easily. What I do is to strip the thickest stems of their leaves, and stick the shorn stems into a pot with soil and water lightly. The stem should have a few leaf nodes. Many times they have some root like structures also. After a few days distinct growth is seen. Do not allow the soil mixture to become very dry or soggy. Do not keep under harsh sun. Mulch lightly and keep harvesting for healthy and vigorous growth. For fertilizer I use NPK 1-1-1 or vermiwash.
Pests which I have noticed are mostly leaf miners, else mint is relatively pest-free.

Pudina is used in the Indian cuisine as chutney, in soups or as a garnish to add flavor and freshness to a preparation.

Though pudina is used in very small quantities to be an effective source of nutrients, it does contain a good amount of calcium, phosphorous and iron as well as some vitamins.

There are many medicinal qualities associated with pudina. It is used for curing digestive disorders, as a mouth freshner and in cough syrups. Remember 'pudin hara' which your mother used to give you for a tummy upset; it is still in the market and will be for generations to come.

Happy Gardening
Chitra

Tomatoes and tomatoes

Tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum - which kitchen gardener can avoid them. One of the easiest and also, very challenging fruit/ vegetable (?) to grow . They have their share of pests; many sites are dedicated to tomato growing problems
You have to be really patient for growing toms; I read on a site that after a flower has bloomed and been pollinated, it takes roughly 1-2 months for harvesting a ripe tomato.
I have generally at least one type of tomato growing in my garden at any time. Right now I have orange cherry tomato and a normal sized hybrid tomato specific for growing in container- Tumbler tomato.
All the plants are in flowering and fruiting stage.
Hopefully the cherry toms will not take that long, they don't have to grow so much ;)
Now for a few pictures of the plants and fruits...

These are the cherry tomato blossoms,and one fruit developing...

Unripe fruits..

And I have 5-6 bunches developing

Yippee, RIPE and you just cannot stop from plucking and eating off the plant.
Contrary to the color, the taste is surprisingly sweet and just a little tart; makes for a good 'pop-in-the-mouth' snack. Incidentally my son is an avid fan of these tomatoes :))))

This is probably the Tumbler tomato. I think I have mixed up the seedlings. I had grown the 'Tumbler tomato' last year and the fruit was definitely different in shape. And they are taking very long to ripen.


I found that some of the fruit is split from the blossom end. It is probably due to a deficiency in the soil which I will have to look into. I don't want to lose my harvest :(.
One action I need to take is to plant beneficial companion plants in my tomato containers for eg mint, garlic and onions. These have been reported to repel pests and also alter the flavor of the harvest. An added advantage will be the fresh herbs that I can use in my cooking.

Hope that my next post will be of red juicy tomatoes

Till then happy gardening
Chitra

Garden Update-fenugreek and mustard

Hi,
I have just got my garden dug up by a local gardener on Sunday (27th nov) and I am raring to start planting... But I will have to wait till the weekend :(
In the meantime I had sowed some fenugreek and mustard seeds on Friday 25th which was an enforced holiday due to a politician being slapped by a youth in Delhi.
I sowed them in tubs and am glad to note that both tubs are showing green. I sprinkled some NPK solution for activating growth.
Looking forward to a green crop...
Methi paratha and sarson ka saag coming up soon :)

Here are some pictures of the little babies...

Fenugreek seedlings 5 days after sowing
I am waiting for the true leaves to appear; I plan to thin some plants for salad...

Mustard seedlings 5 days after sowing
I have never been successful in growing this simple green and plan to take care this time.








Happy gardening
Chitra