Shanker’s Tips on Growing your Methi at Home

Benefits of consuming Methi

There are several benefits.

The two major ones are

1. It enhances lactation, i,e, the output of breast milk in nursing mothers. Infants can get more of Mother's milk for longer durations and this helps in raising a strong child., a strong family, a strong community and a strong nation

2. Fenugreek or Methi is known to be good for diabetics. It will certainly help in restricting and controlling the consumption of allopathic medicines. My dosage of medication for diabetes has not increased for the last several years. Of course, medication proper diet and exercise are all important in managing diabetes, and fenugreek is a great friend

Successful experiments

And there are a lot of delicious recipes possible with methi

Cycle time:

-         From sowing to harvesting: 9 days

-         Day1: Sow Methi (Fenugreek) seeds.   Day 9: Harvest (+ or – one day)

Container ( let's call it pot)

-         Use an earthenware or  plastic 2 liter container or similar to contain the soil. Drill or cut  holes of about 1 cm dia along the rim at 4 points at the bottom of the container to ensure that the excess water drains off. Insert a thick plastic bag with small holes punched at the bottom inside the pot. 

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-         Soil Preparation:

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-         To prepare the soil, take 3 parts of potting mix & 1 part of cow manure.  

-         These are readily available in the market. Sprinkle some water and mix thoroughly into a homogeneous blend. Pour the soil mix into the plastic bag that is inside the pot. Pat the soil gently so that the surface remains pervious to water

-         The soil depth should be about 3 inches minimum to enable the roots go as deep as is possible

Sowing Fenugreek seeds:

-         Use one heaped tablespoon of Methi ( Fenugreek)seeds.  This is approx. 10 grams and adequate for a 2 liter pot ( surface area of the soil being about 8 inches into 4 inches.  If using a larger pot then the quantity of seeds will have to be proportionately more.  Another option is to use multiple pots to get multiple crops. For example, with 3 pots & staggering the sowing by 3 days, we can get a crop every 3 to 4 days.

-          The cycle time from sowing to harvesting is around 9 days, and could go up to 12 days . With experience you will be able to decide when to harvest  and that will enable the number of containers you need to sow in, and the soil quantum thereof.

-         When sowing in larger tubs, take the seeds in a polybag and "tumble" blend so that a coating of soil gets formed around the seeds

-         Spread seeds uniformly on surface of the soil to cover entire area of the exposed soil.  Do not sow the seeds deep under the soil. Just on the surface and cover with a layer of gently sprinkled of soil

-         Spread some fresh soil mix on top of the seeds to cover the seeds. 

-         Sprinkle some water on the soil.  No need for excess watering. Retaining dampness is important. Do not flood with water

-         Place the pot at a place where it will receive adequate sunlight.

Watering:

-         Water only for dampening the soil.  Water twice a day – morning & evening,

depending on the weather. The soil has to remain damp, not necessarily wet

Adding fertilizers:

Every 4 to 5 weeks, spray some Seasol fertiliser mix on soil.  You can use Seaweed concentrate + Powerfeed concentrate diluted as recommended.

Harvesting:

-         Generally cycle time is 9 days from date of sowing to harvesting.  However, check the condition of methi leaves and if necessary allow an extra day or two.

-         Do not water the methi one day prior to harvesting. The soil will be damp enough to sustain the plants and dry enough to fall off easily when shedding from the harvested roots

With plastic bag in 2 liter pot

-         Lift the entire plastic bag from the pot and tap the sides of the bag all around.  This will loosen up the roots from the soil. Place the bag back into the container.

-         Gently pull the methi leaves from the soil in small bunches.  Since the soil has been loosened, the methi leaves along with roots will come off quite easily. As you pull each bunch, shake gently to dislodge loose soil from the roots.

This step is optional, and will need to be done if the soil is wet and does not fall off easily

-         When all the methi leaves have been pulled out from the soil, hold them together in a bunch with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand. Using your garden hose, spray water on the roots and leaves separately. Let the washings drop into a bucket.  The process using the water jet spray ensures that both, leaves and roots are cleaned thoroughly.

-         If a garden hose & spray jet are not available, the pulled out methi leaves along with roots can be cleaned by shaking them in water inside a bucket.  Transfer the leaves into a second bucket containing water for a final cleaning by sedimentation of the dirt

 The roots can now be cut using a pair of scissors.  The cut off roots can be dropped back into the soil – they will act as a soil nutrient.

I would like to share my observations on larger lots of harvested Methi

particularly with regard to washing and storage

Regular production

A large lot could be available for more than one session of conversion to recipes. Storing the methi wet can cause spoilage of methi leaves

Washing with water must be followed by drying else the retained water on the shoots and leaves causes deterioration of the yield. A better option is to follow this sequence

1. A day or two prior to harvesting, depending on the weather, stop watering the plants, but ensure some dampness in the soil

2. Pluck out the bunch of the plant along with the roots and shed off the soil.

3. Cut the roots and retain the plants along with the enmeshed dirt. Store cool and dry

4. Wash well just before use and consumption

This saves a lot of time and water

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-         The methi leaves are now ready for consumption.  If necessary, a final wash can be done in the kitchen by placing the leaves in a bowl of water and allowing the extraneous matter to sediment . Skim the clean and floating Methi from the surface

Once harvesting process is completed, remember to sow Fenugreek seeds into soil for the next crop and cover with a thin layer of fresh soil mix. The bulk soil is good to get at least 6 crops of methi, maybe more

Seeds: They are to be bought. Seeds come from pods on an annular basis, from methi plants grown for this purpose