Vegetable gardens can be divided based on production and use of the product. According to Thomson and Kelly vegetable gardens are:-

1. Kitchen Garden/ Home Garden/ Nutritional Garden

As per the need of the family, vegetables grow in the vacant area around the house are called the home garden. The main objective of the home garden is to grow fresh vegetables as per the daily requirement of the family to get the necessary nutrients and energy for the family members. In the home garden, different vegetables are grown, according to different seasons. From which the family continues to get vegetables throughout the year. The home garden is also a good means of recreation and exercise for the members of the house. It also reduces household expenses and improves the living standards of the family.

Table 1. Kitchen Garden cropping pattern

Plot No.	Vegetables and period	Vegetables and period	Vegetables and period
1	Cabbage (October-February)	Cowpea (March- June)	Fenugreek (August- September)
2	Okra (September–December)	French bean (January -March)	Carrot (June –July)
3	Chilli (June-May)	Garlic (June-December)	Radish (June-July)
4	Peas (September –November)	Tomato (December –March)	Okra (April –June)
5	Carrot (September –November)	French bean (December -April)	Cucumber (May –July)
6	Capsicum (September –December)	French bean (January -April)	Cucumber (May-August)
7	Beetroot (September –December)	Cabbage (December –March)	Cluster bean (April –July)
8	Potato (November- February)	Amaranthus (November –April)	Cowpea (May –April)
9	Sweet potato (August –September)	Brinjal (January -February)	Carrot (June –July)
10	Palak (September –November)	Capsicum (January – February)	Radish (June –August)

Types of Home Garden:-

a) Fruit and vegetable garden

b) Garden having only vegetables

c) Roof/ Terrace garden:- There is a shortage of space in cities and towns where vegetables are grown on roofs and terraces in large pots, containers, and drums. This type of garden is known as a terrace garden.

A home garden can be large, medium, and small by place

Benefits of kitchen garden:-

1. It is a good means of family recreation and exercise.
2. Reduces household expenses.
3. The family meets fresh, nutritious, and insect-free vegetables throughout the year.
4. Best utilization of waste resources like the land around the house, kitchen waste, water. These resources can be used properly.
5. Vegetables can be grown as per the interest of family members.

Planning and Management of Kitchen Garden

Land:-

The place for the home garden depends on family members, at least 250 square meters of space requirements to fulfill the daily requirement of vegetables for 5 members of the family.

Location:-

The place should be close to the kitchen as possible. Loam, sandy loam soil having good drainage and rich in organic matter good for the kitchen garden. 

Cropping System:-

Perennial and fruit plants should be planted on one side or at the end of the garden, which does not disturb the cultural activities in the garden. Creeper-type vegetables should be planted near to the fence. Quick growing / annual vegetables should be planted in the beds or in the center of the garden.

Manure & Fertilizers

Dung manure or compost is suitable for the home garden, yet the plant’s growth is good by giving chemical fertilizers with kitchen waste compost.

Inter culture

As soon as the need weeding, earthing up, training and support should be given to the crops. 

Irrigation

Vegetable crops should be irrigated regularly.

Plant protection

Pests and diseases should be controlled from time to time with timely control of that provide healthy vegetables.

Harvesting

Generally, harvesting is done at the right stage in order to get quality products according to requirements.

2. Commercial vegetable garden:-

To sell vegetables in the market, growing in a large area is called commercial vegetable garden which is as follows:-

I. Market Garden

II. Truck Garden

III. Vegetable Forcing

IV. Vegetable growing for Processing

• Canning
• Freezing
• Sukhna (Dehydration)
• Pickling and Fermentation

V. Vegetable Seed Production Garden

I. Market Garden

The main objective of the market garden is to grow vegetables for the nearest Mandi/ market. At present, there is good transportation and it has become easier to take vegetables away to the markets. Which makes the farmer attractive and good profit. It is one of the most intensive types of vegetable gardening. Today, vegetables are transported by truck to market. Timely irrigation, good quality seeds, year-long cheap labour, and good transport facilities are essential for market gardening.

Being close to the city, the land of the market garden is more costly, which is why it becomes necessary to take more production and earn more money. In the market garden will like to grow early varieties to catch the early market. Crops suitable for market gardening are peas, cauliflower, cucumber, tomato, chilli, onion, etc.

II. Truck Garden

In this garden type, certain vegetables are cultivated for the distant markets in a very large/wide area. Currently, the word ‘truck‘ used for this type of gardening does not mean a motor truck, but it is taken from a French word ‘troquer‘ meaning ‘to barter‘ (exchange). Truck gardens generally follow the more extensive and less intensive methods of vegetable cultivation. The main points of truck gardening are:

• Such gardens are located remotely from the market which is connected by rail or highway.
• The value of land and labour remains low
• Only a few vegetables are grown, which are not spoiled quickly such as onions, potatoes, green chillies, garlic, etc.
• The cost of transportation is high.
• Mechanical cultivation/ mechanization is carried out which keeps the production cost low.

III. Vegetable Forcing

Unseasonal or off-season growing of vegetables is called vegetable forcing. Vegetables are grown in the greenhouse, net house, glasshouse, cold frames, and hotbeds. Vegetable forcing is not very suitable in Indian conditions as most people cannot buy expensive vegetables and another reason is Indian climatic conditions which are favorable in other places when in one place is unfavorable. The main points of vegetable forcing are as follows:-

• The cost of production is higher than the other methods.
• Vegetable forcing requires a greenhouse, a net house, a glasshouse, or any other structure.
• Vegetable cultivation is very intensive.
• Technical knowledge is required to grow off-season vegetables.
• The artificial controlled atmosphere of crops in structure.
• This type of cultivation is demand-oriented, vegetables like tomato, cucumber, peas, asparagus, etc. are grown.

IV. Vegetable growing for Processing

The main purpose of such gardens is to grow vegetables for factories to provide raw material, which is located near to farm. and In India, this type of vegetable garden is very less due to the lack of these types of processing factories. But the time to come is best for such gardens:

• There is no intensive cultivation due to the low cost of production.
• With their pre-defined customers, there are no problems in marketing.
• These are the pre-contract basis vegetable garden.
• In these types of vegetable gardens, only selective varieties of vegetables are grown.

Vegetables are suitable for various methods of preservation:-

1. Canning:- Tomatoes, peas, beans, okra, pointed gourd, sweet corn, asparagus.
2. Freezing:- peas, sweet corn, lima beans, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach.
3. Dehydration:- Onions, potatoes, cauliflower, peas, etc.
4. Pickling and fermentation: Turnip, Cucumbers, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrot, Chilli, and Radish.

V. Vegetable Seed Production Garden

Seeds are produced on a very large scale of vegetables under the inspection of an organization. Soil, climate, disease-free condition is very important for such gardens. The farmer should know the habit of crop, harvesting, type of pollination, isolation distance, rouging time. The farmer should be aware of and knowledgeable of curing, threshing, cleaning, grading, packing, and store of a particular crop. Nucleus/ breeder’s seed is produced by the breeder. Foundation seeds are developed by a research center or seed corporation but certified seeds are grown on the farmer’s farm under the supervision of seed certified agency.

• Vegetables are grown only for seed production under the supervision of a specialist.
• Vegetables are grown on contract in a suitable climate.
• Isolation distance and rouging are carried out from time to time to increase the quality of the seed.
• Requires skilled workers

• High investment for control of pests and diseases.

VI. Floating Garden

In this type of gardening, the vegetables are grown in water on a floating base like a boat. These gardens are seen in Dale Lake of  Kashmir. In areas where land is limited or land is always covered with water, where vegetables are grown in these types of gardens.

The base is made from typha grass grown in areas. That is on the water, then the mixture of leaf manure and soil are incorporated on it and vegetable seedlings are planted. After planting the gardens are taken to the middle of the lake and tied up with some pole or object. all agricultural practices are carried with the help of boats like weeding, hoeing, harvesting, irrigation, etc.