Do You Want A Farm in Your Balcony
Posted by Unknown in Gardening, Green Chili, Onion, Tomato, Urban Agriculture, Vegetable on Monday, 28 January 2013
You
can use any type of container to grow vegetables and herbs. Plastic
pouches, old strainers, curd boxes, even unused bathtubs come in handy,
writes Vandana Krishnamurthy
Have
you ever felt the joy of harvesting tomatoes, brinjals or ladies finger
from a container growing in your apartment balcony? It’s actually
possible! All you need are a few old containers, some soil, manure and
seeds or a sapling. Many vegetables and herbs can be grown in a very
small space in your balcony or terrace. Even the smallest verandah,
window sill or portico can boast a crop of vegetables or a garden of
flowers in containers.
Planter
boxes, old plastic containers, hanging baskets and large flowerpots are
just some of the containers that can be used. You can grow just about
any vegetable in a container and also save money by growing your own
vegetables. Cities that are fast expanding mean that there is very less
area for green and open spaces. Gardens and natural areas have been
sacrificed to build roads, commercial buildings and apartments.
Green
spaces not only provide us with clean air and recreation, and they also
provide a habitat for a large variety of plants, birds and insects.
Apart from the biodiversity they also protect the city from absorbing
pollutants, preventing soil erosion, absorbing solar radiation, reducing
noise pollution and maintaining the health of the urban ecosystem
overall. However, the city and this concrete jungle are going nowhere.
We need to be innovative to create our own green spaces within our
existing system.
Fun way to raise crops
Container
gardening is a simple and fun way to grow edible crops in just about
any situation. You can use any type of container. Strong plastic
pouches, old strainers, curd boxes, two-litre soft-drink bottles, old
airtight plastic boxes that have lost their lids, old trays, even unused
bathtubs, the list can be endless.
Get
creative! Apart from these recycled containers, you can also have
specific planters and terracotta pots for planting. Any kind of
container that is attracting and appealing to you and has a drainage
hole on its bottom can be an option.
To
start off, you need a container, plant, soil, manure and some water.
Make sure there is enough room for all of these. Provide good drainage
for the container by creating a hole at the bottom of the container. Do
not stack up the soil around the holes, but place some large old clay
pot pieces to allow for easy draining. Be sure to balance the size of
your plant and container. Mix the soil with some manure and make it
moist with a little water.
Fill
it into the container and place the seeds/saplings. Provide ample water
to the plant after planting, without drowning it. Water every day
initially and depending on your plants’ need, you can water accordingly.
Some people say that container gardening is best for those who do not
have the time to attend to their plants.
It
will not take so much of time and effort. There are some creative
containers called earth boxes and self-watering containers that provide
water at all times. Container gardens offer the advantage of changing
your garden with every season.
Almost
any vegetable that will grow in a typical backyard garden will also do
well as a container-grown plant. Vegetables that are ideally suited for
growing in containers include tomatoes, capsicum, brinjal, green onions,
beans, lettuce, gourds, pumpkin, radishes and parsley. Beans and
cucumbers also do well in this type of garden, but they do require
considerably more space because of their vining growth habit. Most herbs
and leafy vegetables do well in small containers. Vegetables require a
little more root space and therefore require larger containers.
The following are some plants that can be grown:
Tomatoes:
Tomatoes need tons of sunlight to grow. It would be best to grow them
in the sunniest part of your balcony. Bury the roots/seed deep into the
soil because they are able to develop roots all along their stem. Autumn
is the best time to sow tomatoes and you can harvest it 80-100 days
from planting. Gather fruits that are just reaching the ripening stage.
Do not leave it till a tiny crack appears at the stalk end, or a
softening of skin indicates complete ripeness.
Beans: Green
beans are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. They don’t take up a
lot of space and require very little maintenance. Pole bean plants need
some sort of support structure - like a pole. If you have limited time
and garden space, bush beans are probably the way to go. Sowing season
is between August and October. Such crops can be harvested in about
45-60 days. During the flowering season, be careful when it comes to
watering and drainage of excessive moisture. Flowers generally stop
falling after the pods have developed. Watering is advised on a very dry
day, because the crop is susceptible to water logging.
Chilies: This
is the most rewarding plant of the vegetable family. The best time to
harvest chilies is before the monsoon, which can be harvested after
about two months. Hot peppers are usually harvested at the red-ripe
stage; but green chilies are also required for many south Indian
recipes. Plastic or rubber gloves are helpful when picking or handling
hot chilies.
Onions:
Onions are one of the most popular vegetables for growing in home
gardens. Onions can be planted from seed or from sets (partly grown
onion bulbs). When the plant is fully grown, bend over each bunch of
foliage to cut off the supply of sap from the leaves to the bulb. After a
week or ten days the crop may be harvested.
These
are just few of the many plants that can be grown in limited balcony
spaces. You can grow your own mini pharmacy of medicinal herbs like
amrutha balli (tinospora cordifolia), curry leaves, basale soppu
(basella alba), garlic, ginger, mint, etc.
Many
people have adopted organic terrace gardening in Bangalore, a movement
pioneered by Vishwanath. He began this initiative in 1992 by providing
training to residents in their own locality and supplying the needed
inputs like seeds, manure, plant protection materials, implements,
containers, etc.
There
are many organisations in Bangalore involved in plants and gardening.
For example, Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine (IAIM) in
Yelahanka, Bangalore has a large nursery with all kinds of medicinal
plants that can be home grown.
Deccan Herald
