basil and parsley the potting mixture should have 20 of leaf mould 40 sand and 40 soil you can add mustard cake and cow dung cake as fertilizers after the seeds are sown one should cover the soil with a layer of fine sand sand makes the soil porous and helps the roots grow avoid direct sunlight dr sl rahmankeeping insects away use neembased organic pesticides or you can take 100 gram of chillies 45 cloves of garlic and a few bulbs of turmeric paste it and mix it in 1 litre of water pour the liquid in a container and simmer it till it is reduced to half refrigerate it and use it whenever necessary all you need to do is take out about 20 ml or the concentrated paste mix it in a litre of water and sprinkle it on the plants however if insects or diseases do strike your plants go for the safest botanical or microbial pesticides dr sl rahman for the proper growth of vegetables flowers the pot size should be between 810 inches make one or more drain holes in the pot place small chips right over them so that they dont clog and excess water can pass through do not pile soil on top of the plant get various seedlings from the nursery carefully remove the plants from its nursery container make sure the stem is completely above the surface leave about an inch between the soil surface and the rim of the pot