After arranging containers, growing media and necessary garden tools, a grower can start raising seedlings of chosen Brassica leafy greens. Brassica leafy greens are propagated by seeds. Seeds may be sown directly in containers or seedlings may be raised in a nursery bed. In most of the cases, favourable temperature for seed germination is 15–30°C.

Nursery beds should be prepared in a well-shaded area. Seeds are either broadcasted or sown in rows in nursery beds. Germination process is slow and it may take up to 2 weeks for the seeds to germinate. Regular light watering is necessary to keep the nursery bed moist always. Moist soil facilitates quick germination of the seeds and seedlings will become ready for transplanting when they reach up to 3-5 weeks old. As a general rule, transplanting of seedlings is done when they attain a height of 10-15cm. Hardened seedlings are transplanted in the containers.

For growing in containers, transplanting of seedlings can be done at any time. While transplanting, a single healthy seedling may be transplanted in each container. Sometimes two or more seedlings may be transplanted if necessary. Remember that plants in pots and containers need a lot of care and attention. So it is essential to water frequently depending on the season, kind of crop and size of the plant and container. Plants need extra water in dry summer season, so watering should be done twice a day (morning and evening). Too much watering can be as harmful in winter as too little in summer. In the rainy season, proper water drainage is essential if plants are placed in the open areas. If there is heavy rain, containers should be tilted slightly to drain out the excess water from the top.

Topdressing with nitrogenous fertilizers improves plant growth and leaf yield. This can be done by foliar application of liquid nitrogen, urea or ammonium sulphate in small quantities. Alternatively, urea granules@ 5–10g/container may be applied in moist soil once a week or 10 days, starting from 2 weeks after transplanting seedlings. High dose of fertilizer is very harmful since it can kill the plants.

If urea or ammonium sulphate is applied in dry soil, the plants must be watered immediately. Young plants may require staking. Hand-hoeing and weeding with the help of a small shovel should be done periodically to remove weeds. Weeds should also be uprooted gently by hand.

For container-grown plants, water requirement may be determined by weighing pots, feeling growing medium and by using indicator plants that readily show water stress. Watering should be done in early morning to minimize evaporation loss. Applying water in two or more applications conserves water.

Major insects found in container-grown plants are, aphids and jassids, and leaf borers. Aphids and jassids are small-sucking insects, injuring the plants especially in early stage of their growth. Leaf borers damage young leaves and make them unfit for consumption. Use of organic insecticides such pyrethrum-based sprays or tobacco emulsions, or neem oil based solutions effectively controls these insects. Use of mechanical traps (colour traps, light traps etc) and manual picking of insects may also be tried for insect control. After spraying with insecticides, leaves should not be harvested for 7 days for consumption as chemical residues may be present in them. Fungal diseases (damping off and wilt) and viral diseases affect the plants kept in the open areas, particularly in the rainy season. Fungal diseases can be controlled by drenching the soil with an appropriate fungicide. Virus affected plants should be removed and destroyed. It takes about only one or two months for the transplanted seedlings to start producing edible leaves. Leaves may be harvested by using a garden knife.

Root pruning is essential to remove root circling when root systems become too long for their containers. Root circling can be prevented by air root pruning or by using bottomless containers and copper compounds. Pruning may be necessary to induce new root growth.

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