Umm….so this is summer in Mumbai and it gets really HOT! Green shade on my terrace can block off a lot of the heat on my top floor apartment. So I planned to cover as much terrace surface area as possible with quick growing veggies, with the emphasis on QUICK. Here’s my top eight quick growing veggie list!
1 & 2) Ambitious leafy greens and reds – spinach and red amaranth
– seed to full growth in a month (they seem too dense, and I realize this later, but for now I’m happy!)
3) Over-the-Top Tomatoes – eight plants are enough for a small family, bragging rights extra!
– these were purchased as six inch saplings in March and took a month to get into full form
4) Overachieving Okra – simply plant it and watch it shoot up!
– from seed to three feet high in two months, still growing and giving forth produce each week
5) Bursting Forth French Beans – quick green cover and great for your soil
– from seed to a foot high in one month, and still growing
6, 7 & 8) Cabbages, Cauliflower and Capsicum – stuff we love!
– from seed to hearty growth in two months, with more to grow
Challenges of Top Ten Lists
Okay, so the reason this was a top eight and not a top ten list is that my dream of quick growing gourds did not quite take off! Despite last year’s easy ride with an ambitious bitter gourd, this year the little creature refused to budge out of its seed, even after four attempts to germinate it. My two snake gourds did grow – prettily, but scantily – and I’m still encouraging these shy guys to make the most of summer!
My shy snake gourd
I am down but not out – and next season, gourds there will be!!!
Others That Wanted to Grow Quick (but were nipped in the bud)….
How could I possibly forget these wannabe veggies? These are serious-looking, quick growing weeds that had taken over my farm last year, when I was just a gullible green farmer 🙂
Serious weeds – one looks like wheat, the other like basil – but I figured them out this season!
Until the next post, goodbye and happy growing!
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Mumbai Farmer 
Hi,
Lots of keen gardeners want to know where to get gardening supplies. Well, I live in Kandivali and buy my stuff from a shop at Borivali. All sizes of plastic pots, coir peat, fertilizer, insecticides, seeds, etc are available in this tiny shop. He does not stock any live plants though but most other stuff required for gardening.
Shaheen
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Hi Shaheen, thanks for the input! I’m working on this site and will add a comprehensive list of resources soon. In the meantime, the first step in the effort at getting basic info out there is ready – please check out my page called Container Gardening Basics 🙂
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Where did you get okra seeds from? Did you dry your own or how?
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Hi there…since you asked, I’ve sourced for okra differently. I’ve grown with store bought seeds from India as well as dried okra seeds from a previous season’s harvest. Okra is one of those veggies that lends itself to easy propagation.
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I loved reading your blog – chanced upon it by accident when looking to buy Epsom Salts from Amazon.in and I had to know more about Mandy’s farm. I too am a garden enthusiast in Hyderabad and have faced similar problems. I too have watered this basil imposter till they were really big so I found it really funny and heartening to know I have company. All the best to you and your garden. Will let you know how I enjoyed the Epsom salt soak 🙂
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Pooja, great to hear from you! Glad you liked the blog and yes, I hope you enjoy your Mandy’s Farm Epsom salt soaks too 🙂 Have a nice day….!
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Hey..
wanted to know where did you source the tomato plants from ?
I’ve sown my cherry tomato seeds 2 weeks back in a seeding tray but they haven’t emerged out as yet 😦
Any suggestions on how to go about this ?
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For tomatoes it’s simplest to start with saplings. If not available, then sow seeds from packets sold at garden shops. It is more difficult to process seeds from the fruit directly. I’m not sure which method you adopted but you will find details info on the process on my page https://mumbaifarmer.com/what-to-grow/growing-tomatoes-in-mumbai/
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