Milan Kumar from Dehradun describes himself as an ‘urban gardener’ whose journey began around 10 years ago when he retired at the age of 58.
In this garden, Milan grows seasonal vegetables, as well as tomatoes, okra, brinjal, chillies, mint leaves, spinach and coriander.
Among the variety of vegetables he grows are gourds, as they are versatile and simple to grow.
Here's a step-by-step guide to growing gourds at home:
1. Pick a wide vacant space near a wall or pillar for growing the gourds.
2. Since gourds are climbers, a trellis can be built for them to get support.
3. Dry the seeds of a healthy gourd and scratch them using sandpaper to break the hard outer shell.
4. Make sure they are dry before planting, as they may otherwise rot.
5. Plant the seeds in a grow bag or pot filled with soil, cow dung/compost, and any other organic fertilisers of your choice.
6. Once the plants sprout and reach a height where they can’t stand still, lightly tie or place them towards the rope of trellis arranged near the pot.
7. Water the plants daily and add compost soil or fertiliser every two weeks.
8. Use diluted neem oil as an effective pesticide.
9. The climbers will give fruits within three months.