1. Tips and Tricks for
Organic Vegetable
Growers
Presented by Miguel Braganza and
Green Essentials

2. Growing summer
vegetables in Goa.
(while the summer allows a
narrower range of vegetables to
flourish, there’s still a lot to choose
from)

3. 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

4. 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. 5 TIPS
When/what to plant

6. #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

7. #2 But you can still
plant several other
things.
Lettuce should be planted right
now, for better germination in
the cooler weather.

8. #3 What’s really easy?
Karela
Amaranth
Brinjal
Cucumber
Konkan dudhi
Bamboo Spinach
Snake Gourd
Long Beans

9. #4 What’s a little difficult?
Cherry tomato
Basil
Watermelon
Spinach
Cluster beans
Tomato

10. #5 Things that have worked

11. 5 TIPS Improving/preparing
soil and beds

12. #1
Don’t skimp on
organic manure.
It promotes strong plant growth
and builds greater pest
resistance. About 5kg per sq
mtr.

13. #2
Root crops like lose soil,
and it helps them grow.
Tall crops like firm soil, and
mounds.

14. #3
Young ones will need a
lot of care.
That’s why small nurseries may
be better to manage your
seedlings in the early stage.

15. #4
Plants get complacent
or lazy too.
Flowering and fruit production is
induced by stress – water stress
for mango and citrus?

16. #5
Its all about the
microbes in the soil.
Introducing and managing
microbial activity in your soil is
your primary task.

17. 5 TIPS
Preparing your garden plan

18. ROOT
CROP
(Carrot,
radish
etc.)
#1 Plant a variety of crops
COLE
CROP
(Knol
Kohl,
cabbage
etc.)
FRUIT
CROP
(Tomato,
capsicum
etc)
BEAN
CROP
(Cluster
bean,
french
bean etc.)
GOURD
CROP
(Bottle
gourd
etc.)
HERB
CROP
(Celery,
basil etc.)
LEAF
CROP
(Spinach,
lettuce
etc.)
Different families of crops to be planted in adjacent beds

19. #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

20. #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

21. #4 Planning some Herbs?
Herb spiral is elegant
and functional
Plants that need more
water at the bottom

22. #5 Sun and shade plants?
Tomato
Capsicum
Carrot
Beans
Bhendi
Brinjals
Cucumber
Lettuce
Basil
Spinach
Cabbage
Coriander
Beets
Carrots
Radish
Rocket
Haldi
Ginger
Mint
Yam
Pineapple
SUNNY SEMI-SHADE POOR LIGHT

23. 5 TIPS
Sowing/preparing nurseries

24. #1 Seed sowing depth
Lettuce
Broccoli
Pea
Corn Bean Broad Bean
0 cm
1 cm
2 cm
3 cm
4 cm

25. #2 Temperature and
germination
Optimum
20ºC
Low
25ºC

26. #3 Choose varieties carefully

27. #4 Water regularly,
not too much

28. #5 Do a germination test first

29. 5 TIPS
Transplanting/spacing in
the beds

30. #1
More space is less
than less space
Competition for food can lead to
weak underproductive plants

31. #2
Treat saplings with
trichoderma virde
Fungal wilt is a common
problem in solenaceous crops
and can be transmitted by wet
soils

32. #3
Plant companion
plants in spaces
Faster and slower crops work
well in combination, cabbages
and leafy greens

33. #4
Prevent transplant shock
with water management
Reduce watering in the week
leading to transplant, no water for
48 hours, then just 20 mins before
transplant

34. #5
Shade net in first week
prevents shock in warm
conditions
Put this in place when you
transplant and then remove
once plants recover

35. 5 TIPS
Encouraging healthy growth

36. #1
Use mulch to prevent
excessive weeds
Add paddy straw or leaf mulch
on the beds after transplanting
saplings

37. #2
Apply foliar spray of
Panchagavya
This is best done at 2-3 week
intervals during the growing
phase, especially during
flowering and early fruiting

38. #3
Do not over water
your plants
Overwatering makes plants
susceptible to fungal disease.
Look out for moss on soil

39. #4
Some crops don’t like
too much sun
Use 50% shade net to prevent
too much sun in the growing
phase (especially for lettuce)

40. #5
Be very observant,
look out for pests
Pests can quickly affect your
plants in this phase if they are
not identified and dealt with

41. 5 TIPS
Learn to think/feel like your
plants

42. #1
Its easier than you
think.
Consistent watering, no
overcrowding, planting with
friends, room to grow

43. #2
Root crops like lose soil,
and it helps them grow.
Tall crops like firm soil, and
mounds.

44. #3
Young ones will need a
lot of care.
That’s why small nurseries may
be better to manage your
seedlings in the early stage.

45. #4
Plants get complacent
or lazy too.
Flowering and fruit production is
induced by stress – water stress
for mango and citrus?

46. #5
Plants get complacent
or lazy too.
Flowering and fruit production is
induced by stress – water stress
for mango and citrus?

47. 5 TIPS
Organic pest prevention

48. #1 Common organic inputs
• Manure
o Vermicompost or cow dung
• Pest Management
o Vikarsha, Cow urine, Neem oil, Trichogramma
• Disease prevention
o Trichoderma virde
• Growth promoter
o Vermiwash, Panchagavya

49. #2 Treating seeds and
seedlings with Panchagavya
• 3% solution of Panchagavya can be
made in water
o Germination of seeds can be improved by soaking the
seeds in the 3% solution for 20 mins
o Can be used to water nurseries 2 days prior to
transplanting
o It can be used to treat the seedlings by dipping just
before transplanting
o Soaking for 20 minutes is sufficient for most vegetable
seedlings. Rhizomes of ginger turmeric etc can be
soaked for 30 mins

50. #3 Treating seedlings with
Trichoderma Virde
• 1tbs Trichoderma in 1ltr water
o It can be used to treat the seedlings by dipping before
transplanting
o 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

51. #4 Plant trap crops for pests
Trap crops
Regular crops

52. #5 Pick and flick (or squish)

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