Rethink Mint!

There is arguably no other herb as versatile as mint: whether it is a savoury dish or a dessert, this aromatic herb adds taste with its amazing range of flavours from soothingly mild to pleasantly sharp. It is the perfect finishing touch to put on just about anything that needs a bit of green garnish and sometimes shines through as a star on its own.

Its distinct flavour has made it popular in every culture. Mint adds mellowness to raitas, enhances curries, lends flavour to barbeques and salads alike, refreshes drinks and creates a mouth-watering fusion of sharp and gentle flavours when added to chocolate desserts. A glass of mint lassi on a hot day will leave you refreshed and mint tea on a cold winter evening is something I always look forward to.

This herb is not only popular in the cooking world but is also a well-known digestive aid. It improves circulation, helps in chills, colds, fevers and congestion. Mint tea is used to ease heartburn and nausea.

Is there any reason not to grow this miracle herb in your garden? Absolutely not! So here is how to get started.

Growing mint in your garden

Mint, most commonly known as pudina in the subcontinent, belongs to the family Lamiaceae. The most popular types of mint species are peppermint and spearmint. Mint is a fast spreading perennial that grows best in moist and nutrient rich soil. It thrives in partial shade and a cool place. Summers bring delicate white flowers to these lush, green plants.

Grow mint in your kitchen garden to make use of its anti-parasitic qualities. Mint helps repel aphids, ants, fleas, rats, mosquitoes and while attracting bees that pollinate your garden. Still, the plant is prone to certain diseases, one of which is mint rust, a fungal attack that makes dusty orange or pale yellow spots appear on its stems. It is best to replace the plants with new ones if you see such symptoms.

Mint has invasive roots, so confine the plant into containers where its roots will not spread horizontally and bother other plants.

Although mint plants produce seeds and can be grown using those seeds, it’s an unreliable practice. There is a much faster way to grow your plants by taking root or stem cuttings.

For stem cuttings, simply select a healthy stem and make a cutting of about 8cm. Pinch off the new growth and plant this new stem into the soil. Water and cover with a plastic bag to retain moisture, so that the new seedlings will not dry out. For root cuttings, water your plant a day ahead. Carefully take out the plant and use a sharp gardener’s knife or a cutter to divide the roots and re-pot each new plant into large containers.

In a few weeks you will have your own new dense mint plants. Simply pick some sprigs to add a little minty surprise to your favourite appetiser, meal, beverage, or dessert.

Go plant some mint and enjoy every bit of this remarkable herb!

Pick your favorite Mint Tea

Nane limon

Nane-limon ( mint-lemon) is a famous Turkish mint tea that is made by squeezing a lemon wedge and infusing a spring of mint into boiling water. It is usually served as a after dinner beverage to benefit from its digestive properties.

Sauf-Pudina

Sauf Pudina ka paani or fennel and mint tincture is famously used as a local remedy to ease discomfort and regain energy during dehydration or diarrhea. To make this refreshing drink, boil a tablespoon of fennel seeds with a bunch of mint leaves. Refrigerate and take a few sips several times a day.

Make you own blend

Mint goes well with most of the herbs such as lavender. You can make ginger mint tincture or add mint to punjabi masala chai. There are endless combinations to try so what are you waiting for ? Go plant some mint and enjoy every bit of this remarkable herb !

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, September 18^th,  2011.

Gardening: Ra-ra-radishes!

A fast-maturing vegetable that can grow in small spaces and is flavourful to boot — sounds like an urban farmer’s dream. Such is the radish or laal mooli, a well-established crop since Roman times, which is still popular among farmers for all these reasons.

The red-skinned and white-fleshed vegetable is a globe with a diameter of around an inch. Both the root and the leaves are used for culinary purposes. Radishes are loved for their bright red colour and sweet, mild flavour. Although there are a variety of different shapes, colours and tastes among radishes, the tiny globes with the blushing red colour are unbeatable!
Try growing each variety as it takes only 20 days for this wonder crop to mature from sowing.
Sowing seeds
Radishes can easily be grown in small or large containers or trays if you do not have a patch to grow your vegetables on.
Randomly scatter the seeds two inches apart and lightly cover them with compost. Plant seeds in small rows after every 10-15 days. Remember that it is better to sow a small amount than have a large amount of radishes ready to harvest at the same time.
As indicated by the Greek name of its genus, Raphanus meaning “quickly appearing”, the seeds sprout within two days. That they grow so fast makes radishes suitable for plant projects children could work on.

Growing radishes in your garden
Radishes would grow best in a well-drained, rich, loamy soil. It is a crop for the cool season. For a winter harvest, plant seeds as soon as you see autumn emerge from summers. Give radish seedlings a minimum of 6-8 hours of sunlight and water them regularly. Irregular watering will blot their skins.
This fast-growing crop can be planted along with slow growing counterparts to avail the unused spaces in the garden: Carrots, onions, marigolds, lettuce, cabbages, beans and tomatoes enjoy the company of these bright red veggies.
Harvesting and beyond
Radishes should be picked as soon as the spheres reach an inch in diameter. Leaving them for a slightly longer time would change the taste from a desirable, pleasant tang to an unwanted spiciness. If picked at the right time, radishes make a variety of dishes tasteful. The flesh and seeds are also edible and add crunchiness to salads.
The greens can be refrigerated for about 2-3 days and the vegetables for about a week. But for a truly scrumptious treat, eat them fresh!
Storing seeds for sowing
Leave a few plants growing beyond maturity to encourage seeding. Left like that, radishes produce flowers that turn into seedpods. These seedpods contain seeds that can produce many more radishes. Simply let seedpods mature and dry on the stalk. Carefully open up each seedpod and collect seeds in a dish. Let the seeds dry for two days in direct sunlight. They would then be ready to store in an airtight container or a sealed bag.
A green idea
Storing seeds is a rewarding practice for any farmer. The quality of seeds produced depends on growing methods adopted and the seeds that the plants were started from. Make sure that the seeds you start off with come from an organic source and are not hybrids. Avoid chemicals on plants and keep them pest and weed free.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, September 4^th, 2011.

Outstanding Okra!

Since time immemorial, South Asia farmers have cherished Okra or Bhindi — a vegetable that originated in Africa. These dark green, tender seed pods were a favourite of Cleopatra of Egypt. Today, after travelling from Ethiopia to North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, Arabia and India, they have found their way to the fields of urban farmers in Pakistan.

However, this is not where their journey ends; you can start your own kitchen garden by simply planting some Okra seeds in containers where ever you find a sunny spot in your house or apartment.
Sowing Seeds
Sow the seeds 1 inch deep and 12 inches apart, directly into well-worked soil. If you are using containers, use a 14 inch container for each seed. If you wish to plant the seeds in your vegetable patch, make rows which are 36 inches apart.
For fast germination, soak the seeds for a few hours before you plant them. For best results, use 30% organic compost and 70% soil.
Growing Okra in your garden
Okra seedlings sprout within 2-3 weeks and after a passage of 4 weeks you can harvest your first Okra pods. The plant grows up to 40 inches tall and spreads around 30 inches in width.
Your plants will love regular watering patterns. Water 1 ½ inch each week and do not let the soil dry out or become too wet. The Okra plant also loves a treat of organic fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.
Peppers, tomatoes, basil, onions and garlic are the best companion plants for Okra. They help repel pests, and if grown together in same soil they will help each other grow better.
To avoid pest build up, plant okra on a different patch in your garden each season.
Harvesting and beyond
Okras first blossom as stunning yellow flowers with a crimson center and then quickly turn into tender pods.
Watch closely! Do not let the pods become hard. Harvest Okra as soon as the pods reach 3-4 inches — freshly picked Okra tastes
For harvesting, cut the pods from the stem just above the cap.
Farmers around the country plant Okra from February to September. Unlike seasonal vegetables, Okra can become perennial in some conditions, which means you can enjoy harvesting vegetables the next season too.
You can get an extra winter crop by pruning your plants to 2 inches after its yield in summer. Soon the plant will produce new shoots and more vegetables.
best.
Store Seeds for the next season
Okra is a seedpod itself. Imagine how many seeds your plants produce each season? Why not save some to plant again or share some with fellow gardeners?
You simply need to scoop out all the seeds and put them in a glass filled with water. Let them soak for some time. Some seeds will sink to the bottom and some will remain afloat. Dispose off the water along with the seeds that are floating. Sun dry the seeds that are left and store them in an air tight container.
Be an Organic farmer
There is nothing like growing your own organic food — the feeling of picking your first home grown vegetables is unmatched.  Make a resolution to yourself — Whatever you grow, you will grow it organically. Allow nature to do all the work for you.
To take a step in this direction, start your own exotic kitchen garden by planting Okra this season!


Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, August 21^st,  2011.

Mend pot-holes on Independence Day

ہم اس بار جشن آزادی اپنے شہر کراچی کی سڑکوں کی مرمت کر کے منا رہے ہیں ...آئیے ہمارا ساتھ دیجئے !

We are celebrating The Independence Day by mending pot-holes in our city Karachi.

Greener Karachi Trust will provide mixture of used oil and sand for this purpose. We will simply dump this into the holes and level it.
...
Planning meeting and demonstration was held on12th August, 2011. Activity is planned for 14th August,2011 4 pm sharp.

Help us identify more streets which need pot-hole mending. We will arrange for the mixture. Spread the word.

Lets make our streets better!

Media is invited on 14th.

Directions to the farm:

Sohana Farm is in Gulshan e Iqbal Block-1. Directions from Gulshan Chowrangi:
* From Gulshan Chowrangi go on road towards Rab Medical / Samdani hospital
* Turn Right on 2nd Traffic Light (ie No Turn on 1st Traffic Light)
* Go to end of Road, where you take Left
* Go all the way until you see "Laraib Gardens"
* Take a right into narrow lane just before "Laraib Gardens"
* Sohana Farm gate is on the Left at the end of this lane, next to construction site.

Email: crops.in.pots@gmail.com
contact: Yasir Husain 0333 214 954 3
Sohana Farm :021 349 704 78

DIY: Make Bombs!

Its dark and silent outside. I have got my bombs ready and I know exactly where to attack.

When I was watching clouds cover the sky yesterday, I knew its going to rain hard soon which means free watering system all over the city. If only I could spread the seeds all around and make those ugly empty plots look greener.

I remembered, I saw a tutorial to make seed bombs at a guerrilla gardening website. I had everything with me so I started making my seed bombs!

From seed bomb!

Make your own seed bomb:
You will need:
Clay soil ( potter’s powder ) – 5 parts
Compost – 1 part
Seeds -1 part
some water to bind

From seed bomb!

‘What to do next?
Simply mix everything together and keep the mixture easy to mold. Make 1 inch balls out of it. Keep it aside and let it dry for a day or two.
Which seeds to use?
I made mine using Spinach seeds. I know they grow fast and add so much color. You can use any easy to grow vegetable or herb seeds or any seasonal flower.

From seed bomb!

Where to attack?
Once you have got the seed bombs ready, simply go out for a walk and place some on the empty plots, barren roundabouts or any place that needs little greenery.

What ever place you chose, make sure you are not intruding into people’s privacy. I live on the 7^th floor. At least 3 empty plots are easy to target from my lobby !

I am not sure what will happen to them when there is no rain to water them. But I hope that during these few weeks of monsoon, people will notice them and start taking care of them. Many people who will pass by can get inspired. Or I can simply water them once a week!

Clouds are getting darker and the silence tells me that its going to rain hard soon. I have got my bombs ready and now I am going to bomb my neighborhood!
So why don’t you join me ! Lets drop our seed bombs onto the barren lands near us and let the rains do the rest!


published on Pakistan Sustainability Network on 11th August, 2011