BENGALURU: Each plant has its own unique life cycle, much like each of us have our own. They grow leaves, produce flowers and fruit and die within their life cycle. Knowing when plants grow the most fruits and flowers can help us plan our garden in such a way that we get continuous yield all through the year. Vegetables are classified into four different categories -- short, medium, long term crops and perennials. A vegetable's season is between 4 to 6 months and most of them complete their lifespan within six months’ time.
Short term vegetables
(30 days to 180 days)
Green leafy vegetables have the shortest lifespan. They are ready to harvest within 30 – 180 days. Greens like methi, coriander, harive (Amaranthus spinosus) yield within 30 days. Spinach, Dantu (Amaranthus sspinosus) gives its first yield in 45 – 55 days from the day of sowing. Spinach starts giving yield by 45th day of sowing and it gives 3 to 4 yields at 25 to 30 day intervals. Drumstick and Sesbania or Agase are perennials and they yield throughout the year.
Medium term vegetables
(60 days to 180 days)
Okra, carrot, radish, beetroot are medium term vegetables which start producing yields from the 60th day of sowing. Radish, Carrot and beetroot are ready to harvest by 2 months. And, these roots remain in a healthy condition in the soil for two more months. They could be harvested anytime between the 2nd and the 4th month.
Long term vegetables (120 to 180 days)
Tomato, chillies, capsicum and brinjals are some of the long term vegetables. They start giving yield by the 60th day of planting, and they continue yielding up to 180 days. For example, tomato starts flowering by 45th day, and the first yield would be around the 55th to 60th day, after which they give continuous yield at weekly intervals for the next 4 months.
Perennial crops
Vegetables like little gourd, drum stick and herbs like mint, lemon grass are the perennials which can be grown in containers in a terrace garden. They live for many years and give yield throughout their life.
For more information on urban farming and related queries, contact the author at nalini@artyplantz.com