Mamta Patel, Ph.D Schloar 
Department of Agricultural Economics IGKV Raipur
Sneha Pandey, Ph.D Schloar 
Department of Agricultural Economics IGKV Raipur
Parul Sharga, Ph.D Scholar 
Department of Agroforestry Tropical Forest Research Institute Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh
Sumit B. Wasnik, Ph.D Schloar 
Department of Agricultural Economics IGKV Raipur


Kitchen garden is the growing of fruits and vegetables at the backyard of house by using kitchen waste water. Otherwise called as Home garden or Nutrition garden or Kitchen gardening or Vegetable gardening.


Advantages of Kitchen garden
  • Supply fresh fruits and vegetables high in nutritive value.
  • Supply fruits and vegetables free from toxic chemicals.
  • Help to save expenditure on purchase of vegetables.
  • Vegetables harvested from home garden taste better than those purchased from market.
  • Effective utilization of kitchen waste water and kitchen waste materials.
  • Exercise to the body and mind.

Site selection
  • Backyard of house

  • Preferably open areas with plenty of sunlight near the water source


Crops suited for Kitchen garden

Fruits

Vegetables

Spices

Medicinal plant

Flowers

Trees

Mango
Banana
Sapota
Guava
Papaya
Acid lime
Amla
Pomegranate
Anona
Date Pam

Tomato
Brinjal
Chilly
Onion
Big Onion
Bhendi
Bitter gourd
Snake gourd
Ribbed gourd
Bottle gourd
Amaranthus
Lab lab
Beetroot
Radish
Curry leaf
Moringa
Spinach
Cluster bean
Cowpea
Moringa
Tapioca

Turmeric
Coriander
Fenugreek

Aloe
Solanum
Vasambu
Vallarai
Mint
Basil
Thulsi
Omavalli
Karisilanganni
Keelanelli
Pirandai
Thoothuvelai
Ponnanganni
Poduthalai
Manathakali
Vettiver

Rose
Sembaruthi
JasmineNerium

Bottle brush
Pagoda tree
Mandarai


Layout of Kitchen garden
  • Fence – Barbed wire fence or live fence with agathi
  • Perennial crops (Mango, Sapota, Acid lime, Amla, Morniga) should be planted at the peripheral areas of kitchen garden (avoid shading)
  • One or two compost pits may be provided on one corner
  • Fences on all sides should be trained with Cucurbitaceous vegetables (Bottle gourd, Bitter gourd and Snake gourd)
  • Some vegetables are direct sown – (Amaranthus, Bottle gourd, Bitter gourd and Snake gourd)
  • Some vegetables are nursery transplanted (Tomato, Brinjal, Chillies, Onion)
  • Divide the area into equal sized plots for raising annual vegetable crops
  • As intensive and continuous cropping is done in a kitchen garden.
  • Fertility and texture of soil may be maintained by applying adequate quantities of organic manures frequently.
  • Ridges and furrows are formed in each plots.
  • Season of planting: June – July, September – October
  • Bee-hive may be provided for ensuring adequate pollination of crops besides obtaining honey.
  • However, in order to harvest good crop, chemical fertilizers are also essential.
  • Pick and destroy the larvae found on fruits and vegetables and then spray Neem oil @ 4 ml/liter of water or Neem Seed Kernel Extract @ 3 %.
  • Avoid spraying of toxic chemicals.


Method of planting : Spacing for crops

Tomato, Brinjal and Chillies 

:

 60 x 60 cm

Cow pea 

:

 60 x 45 cm

Bitter gourd 

:

 2 x 2 m

Onion 

:

 15 x 10 cm

Tapioca 

:

 60 x 60 cm

Yam

:

 60 x 60 cm

    Initially irrigate the plots and transplant the seedling at the required spacing and irrigate on the third day of planting. Direct planting dibble 2-3 seeds/hill and irrigate sufficiently and also irrigate on the third day of sowing after germination thin 2 seedling.

Maintenance of Kitchen garden
  • Grow the plants on the fence by training.
  • Dump all the kitchen waste in the manure pits and maintain in wet condition.

Irrigation
As and when necessary.

Manures and Fertilizers
  • Apply the decomposed kitchen waste to all the crops.
  • Complex fertilizers @ 5 gram/plant at 30, 60 and 90 day of planting.

Weeding
As and when necessary.

Harvest
When there is a colour change from green to yellow or orange.

Plant Protection
  • Pick and destroy the larvae found on fruits and vegetables and then spray
  • Avoid spraying of toxic chemicals.

Organic method of plant protection
  • Neem oil
  • Neem seed kernel extract
  • Panchakavya

Implements used in kitchen garden
  • Spade
  • Pick Axe
  • Hoe
  • Hand sprayer
  • Rode can
  • Rose
  • Secature