Prepare seedlings of vining vegetables in nursery – The months of January and February are considered very special for planting climbing vegetables. Good production can be achieved for transplanting this month. These vine vegetables include bottle gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber, tinda, bitter gourd, watermelon, melon, petha etc. By planting these in the month of January or February, good yield can be obtained in the summer season from March to June.
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These vining vegetables can be cultivated by sowing seeds directly in the field or by preparing seedlings in the nursery and planting them in the field.
For proper growth of plants in the months of January and February, a nursery of climbing vegetables can be prepared by using plastic tray, plastic low tunnel or polybag technology.
By this method, saplings are also prepared in low tunnel from plastic sheets. In this, seedlings are prepared by sowing seeds. After this the prepared sapling is planted in the field. With this method, if plants die after planting lianaceous vegetables, loss can be avoided by planting other plants in their place.
1) Prepare nursery for these vegetable plants
If an early nursery is prepared for the plants of vining vegetables to be sown from January to March, then due to the early arrival of the produce in the market, the price is good and the yield can also be obtained for a long period.
At this time, among the vine vegetables selected for sowing, varieties like bottle gourd, bitter gourd, cucumber, pumpkin, tinda, melon, watermelon, ridge gourd are prominent.
2) Prepare saplings like this
For the cultivation of vining vegetables in the winter season, many methods are used to prepare plants in the nursery, in which mainly it is more suitable to prepare the plants in plastic trays, plastic low tunnel or polypack.
3) Prepare plastic low tunnel like this
Make adequate arrangements for irrigation to prepare vegetable seedlings in plastic low tunnel. For this, drip irrigation is more suitable.
To make plastic low tunnel, raised beds from the ground should be made in the north to south direction keeping in mind the air drainage. After this, a drip line is laid in the middle of the beds. Above these beds, semicircular iron wires 2 mm thick are bent and set at a distance of 50 to 60 centimeters at both ends and height at 50 to 60 centimeters.
Keep in mind that the distance between the bent wires should be 1.5 to 2 meters. A transparent plastic sheet of 20-30 micron thickness and 2 meter width is mounted on these wires and covered.
4) Preparing seedlings without soil
According to expert Raghavendra Vikram Singh, in this method, soil is not used to prepare seedlings of climbing vegetables, rather in this method, seedlings are prepared by planting seeds in a soilless method.
Farmers who prepare saplings in the nursery using this method can not only produce healthy plants, but also the incidence of pests and diseases is reduced.
To prepare a nursery through soilless method, vegetable seeds are sown in plastic trays instead of in the ground, for which the necessary things include coco-pit, plastic tray, vermicompost, vegetable seeds and 50% soluble powder in fungicide. Bavistein is required.
In this method, before planting the seeds in a plastic tray, the cocopit brick is filled in a plastic or jute sack and the mouth of the sack is tied on top.(1) After this, the sack is soaked in water for 5-6 hours. (2)After this, the sack is taken out of the water and the soaked cockpit is spread in a thin layer on clean plastic foil. (3)After that, water is taken out by pressing the cockpit thoroughly.
When all the water is filtered from this cocopit, the same amount of vermicompost is added to it as is the amount of cocopit, When the mixture of coco-pit and vermicompost is ready, add 2 grams of Bavistin per kilogram of the mixture.
When this mixture is completely ready, fill it in a plastic tray by pressing it. After filling the mixture in the tray, seeds are sown in it and covered with a light layer of cocoanut mixture on top.
The plants in this nursery prepared in trays require light irrigation. It is more appropriate to irrigate it with Hazara.
5) Preparing nursery in polybags
Small polythene bags can also be used to prepare seedlings of climbing vegetables. To grow saplings, a mixture of soil, manure and sand is filled in these bags by mixing them in equal proportions.
Before filling the mixture, make 2 to 3 holes in the bottom of each bag for water to drain. Before planting the seeds in the mixture, they are treated by adding Captan medicine at the rate of 2 grams per kilogram of seeds.
For better germination of seeds, they are taken out after immersing them in water for 6 to 12 hours and then wrapped in a piece of cotton cloth or sack and kept in a warm place.
When the seeds germinate, they are sown in prepared polybags. This improves congestion. For good germination, it is advisable to sow 2 to 3 seeds in each bag. Later they leave one plant and remove others. After planting the seeds, these packets are kept in a low tunnel or polyhouse.
In both the methods, for planting the plants, plastic is kept inside the low tunnel to protect them from extreme cold. If there is a deficiency of nutrients in the plants, then water soluble NPK mixture should be sprayed.
6) Important things related to plant care in nursery
According to Vijendra Bahadur Pal, a progressive farmer of Pachari Kala village in Basti district, while preparing the nursery of climbing vegetables, we have to take care of some special things, the first of which is to maintain adequate moisture in the nursery. After sowing the seeds in the nursery, a solution of 2 milliliter Mancozeb per liter of water should be sprayed on them on the 11th and 21st day, which prevents dampness, rotting and other fungal diseases in the nursery.
Also note that when the seedlings in the nursery become 4 to 5 leafed i.e. 30 to 35 days old, then they should be planted in raised beds or by making pits at a fixed distance.
7) Benefits of transplanting vegetable crops from nursery
In cold weather, it is more convenient to prepare seedlings in a nursery and plant them in the nursery rather than planting vegetables through seeds directly in the field. With this, not only can the seedlings be prepared on time by providing the necessary suitable climate for the plants, but the quantity of seeds is also reduced and healthy plants are also produced.
Farming using this method also increases production costs. Since plants are prepared in low tunnel or polyhouse in nursery, the effect of rain, hail, low or high temperature, insects and diseases is less on the plants. Plants prepared in nurseries grow rapidly, hence the yield starts getting early.
8) Transplanting of prepared plants in the field
Rammurthy Mishra, a progressive farmer who cultivates the plants of climbing vegetables in the nursery, says that when planting the plants of climbing vegetables in the nursery, it is appropriate to first make a drain or basin in the field. The drain is made from east to west. These drains are made 45 centimeters wide and 30 to 40 centimeters deep.
While making drains, keep in mind that the distance between one drain and another should be kept at 2 meters for cucumber, tinda and 4 meters for pumpkin, petha, watermelon, gourd, ridge gourd. Similarly, basins should be made on the northern banks of the drain, in which 0.50 meters should be kept for pumpkin, tinda and cucumber.
Similarly, a distance of one meter is kept for pumpkin, bitter gourd, bottle gourd and watermelon. By planting these plants, higher yields can be obtained at lower costs.
According to farmer Ramamurthy Mishra, start planting of prepared seedlings of climbing vegetables in the nursery in the month of February, because by then the possibility of frost reduces. In such a situation, plants can be saved from damage.
Take out the plants from the nursery along with the soil in a polybag or plastic tray and plant them in the prepared beds in the evening. As soon as the plants are planted in the field, do not forget to lightly irrigate the plants immediately after that.
The crop should be weeded and cleared of weeds 10 to 15 days after planting in the field. Also, after the first weeding, light soil should be applied around the roots. Be sure to irrigate these climbing vegetables planted in the field when they are flowering and bearing fruits.
9) Manure and Fertilizer
According to Dr. Prem Shankar, an expert in crop protection at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Basti, great care should be taken in giving manure and fertilizer to the climbing vegetables prepared from the nursery. Such farmers should make complete preparations for applying fertilizer to the crop before planting.
When the final plowing is done in the field for planting, then 2 liters of Trichoderma should be mixed with 200 to 500 quintals of rotten manure. With this the crop can be protected from fungus spreading through the soil.
To achieve higher production from the crop, 240 kg urea, 500 kg single super phosphate and 125 kg muriate of potash are required per hectare. In this, the entire quantity of single super phosphate and potash and half the quantity of urea is applied in the row while making the drain, while the fourth quantity of urea is applied 20 to 25 days after planting and the soil is mixed. Top dressing is given in fourth quantity after 40 days.
While planting the plants in the pit, 30 to 40 grams of urea, 80 to 100 grams of single super phosphate and 40 to 50 grams of muriate of potash should be mixed in each pit.
10) Pruning and supporting plants
Ahmed Ali, a progressive farmer of Duboulia village of Basti district, who cultivates vegetables on a large scale, says that pruning of plants is beneficial to get more production from the crop of climbing vegetables, hence the plants are cut after 3 to 7 nodes. Secondary branches should be cut. To support the plants, a scaffold is made and wires are tied to the upper ends of the pillars of the scaffold and they are mounted on it.
In this way, by cultivating vine vegetables, good yield can be obtained and more income can also be obtained.
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