Tips and Tricks for Organic

Vegetable Growers

Presented by Miguel Braganza and Green Essentials

Growing summer vegetables in

Goa.(while the summer allows a

narrower range of vegetables to flourish, there’s still a lot to

choose from)

Key growing stages• When/what to plant• Improving/preparing soil and beds• Preparing your garden plan• Sowing/preparing nurseries• Transplanting/spacing in the beds• Encouraging healthy growth• Preparing for harvest

Basic Organic Principles• Prevention is better than cure• No poisons and artificial inputs• Healthy soil leads to healthy

plants• Interventions need to be timely• Observation is critical in organic• Learn to think/feel like your

plants

5 TIPSWhen/what to plant

#1 Last chance to plant your Cole

crops.Cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli need the cold to

form heads. You have a 50-50 chance right now

#2 But you can still plant several

other things.Lettuce should be planted

right now, for better germination in the cooler

weather.

#3 What’s really easy?

Karela

Amaranth

Brinjal

Cucumber

Konkan dudhi

Bamboo Spinach

Snake Gourd

Long Beans

#4 What’s a little difficult?Cherry tomato

Basil

Watermelon

Spinach

Cluster beans

Tomato

#5 Things that have worked

5 TIPS Improving/preparing soil

and beds

#1Don’t skimp on organic manure.It promotes strong plant

growth and builds greater pest resistance. About 5kg

per sq mtr.

#2Root crops like lose

soil, and it helps them grow.

Tall crops like firm soil, and mounds.

#3Young ones will need

a lot of care.That’s why small nurseries may be better to manage your seedlings in the early

stage.

#4Plants get

complacent or lazy too.

Flowering and fruit production is induced by stress – water stress for

mango and citrus?

#5Its all about the

microbes in the soil.Introducing and managing

microbial activity in your soil is your primary task.

5 TIPS Preparing your garden

plan

ROOTCROP(Carrot, radish etc.)

#1 Plant a variety of crops

COLECROP(Knol Kohl,

cabbage etc.)

FRUITCROP

(Tomato, capsicum etc)

BEANCROP(Cluster bean, french bean etc.)

GOURD

CROP(Bottle gourd etc.)

HERBCROP(Celery,

basil etc.)

LEAFCROP

(Spinach, lettuce

etc.)

Different families of crops to be planted in adjacent beds

#2 Companions belong together

Corn and

climbing beans

Tomato and Basil

Cabbage and Radish

Brinjal and

Spinach

Brinjal and

Spinach

Lettuce and

Beetroot

Tomato and

Lettuce

Onions and

Carrots

#3 Plant in succession

1st batch

2nd batch

3rd batch

Planting date

Planting interval

NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY

Planting interval= Period of harvest / 2= 3 weeks / 2= 10 days

Period of harvest

#4 Planning some Herbs?

Herb spiral is elegant and functionalPlants that need more water at the bottom

#5 Sun and shade plants?

TomatoCapsicum

CarrotBeansBhendiBrinjals

Cucumber

LettuceBasil

SpinachCabbageCoriander

BeetsCarrots

RadishRocketHaldi

GingerMintYam

Pineapple

SUNNY SEMI-SHADE POOR LIGHT

5 TIPS Sowing/preparing

nurseries

#1 Seed sowing depth

Lettuce

BroccoliPea

Corn Bean Broad Bean0 cm

1 cm

2 cm

3 cm

4 cm

#2 Temperature and germination

Optimum20ºC

Low25ºC

#3 Choose varieties carefully

#4 Water regularly, not too much

#5 Do a germination test first

5 TIPS Transplanting/spacing in

the beds

#1More space is less

than less spaceCompetition for food can

lead to weak underproductive plants

#2Treat saplings with trichoderma virde

Fungal wilt is a common problem in solenaceous

crops and can be transmitted by wet soils

#3Plant companion plants in spaces

Faster and slower crops work well in combination,

cabbages and leafy greens

#4Prevent transplant shock with water

managementReduce watering in the week

leading to transplant, no water for 48 hours, then just 20 mins

before transplant

#5Shade net in first week prevents shock in warm

conditionsPut this in place when you

transplant and then remove once plants recover

5 TIPS Encouraging healthy

growth

#1Use mulch to

prevent excessive weeds

Add paddy straw or leaf mulch on the beds after transplanting saplings

#2Apply foliar spray of PanchagavyaThis is best done at 2-3

week intervals during the growing phase, especially during flowering and early

fruiting

#3Do not over water

your plantsOverwatering makes plants

susceptible to fungal disease. Look out for moss

on soil

#4Some crops don’t like too much sun

Use 50% shade net to prevent too much sun in the growing phase (especially

for lettuce)

#5Be very observant, look out for pests

Pests can quickly affect your plants in this phase if they are not identified and dealt

with

5 TIPSLearn to think/feel like

your plants

#1Its easier than you

think.Consistent watering, no

overcrowding, planting with friends, room to grow

#2Root crops like lose

soil, and it helps them grow.

Tall crops like firm soil, and mounds.

#3Young ones will need

a lot of care.That’s why small nurseries may be better to manage your seedlings in the early

stage.

#4Plants get

complacent or lazy too.

Flowering and fruit production is induced by stress – water stress for

mango and citrus?

#5Plants get

complacent or lazy too.

Flowering and fruit production is induced by stress – water stress for

mango and citrus?

5 TIPS Organic pest prevention

#1 Common organic inputs• Manure

o Vermicompost or cow dung

• Pest Managemento Vikarsha, Cow urine, Neem oil, Trichogramma

• Disease preventiono Trichoderma virde

• Growth promotero Vermiwash, Panchagavya

#2 Treating seeds and seedlings with Panchagavya• 3% solution of Panchagavya can

be made in watero Germination of seeds can be improved by

soaking the seeds in the 3% solution for 20 minso Can be used to water nurseries 2 days prior to

transplantingo It can be used to treat the seedlings by dipping

just before transplantingo Soaking for 20 minutes is sufficient for most

vegetable seedlings. Rhizomes of ginger turmeric etc can be soaked for 30 mins

#3 Treating seedlings with Trichoderma Virde

• 1tbs Trichoderma in 1ltr watero It can be used to treat the seedlings by dipping

before transplantingo Soaking for 10-20 minutes is sufficient for most

vegetable seedlings. Rhizomes of ginger turmeric etc can be soaked for 30 mins

o DO NOT use for bulbs (onions, lillies) or corms (gladioli, banana, Alu) as it may cause Green Mould disease

#4 Plant trap crops for pests

Trap crops

Regular crops

#5 Pick and flick (or squish)

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