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Amarjeet Singh Batth
The demand for organic fruits and vegetables has increased manifold over the past few years. So much so that in many cities there are separate mandis and shops that sell organic fruits and veggies only. But the cost of these is very high and one can’t be 100 per cent sure about the authenticity of the claim of the growers that no pesticides had been used to grow these commercially. If you have a small home garden or a terrace or a balcony space then you can try to grow some organic veggies on your own. These can be sufficient for a small family. All you need is a sunny location, medium- sized containers, rich potting mixture, quality seeds and most importantly time. Those having a terrace or roof space can optimise vertical space on roof to add more area to grow veggies. In summers lots of veggies like bottle gourd, luffa, squash-melon, bitter-gourd, cucumber etc can be grown in these small home gardens. Using vertical psace for the climbers saves the the roof space for tomatoes, brinjal, capsicum and okra etc. Here’s how you can grow your own organic veggies:
Location: Roof top which gets at least six hours of direct sunlight is an ideal place. Pots can be kept on the edge of the roof periphery if the construction is old.
Mixture: Pot mixture should be one part of garden soil, one part well rotten farm yard manure, one part of leaf mould and half part of sand. Mix the ingredients thoroughly to ensure even pot mixture.
Seeds: F1- Hybrid seeds of the recommended varieties which are suitable for the required time period should be used. Alternatively seedlings are also available in the market.
Growing seedlings: Preferably grow the seeds in plug tray and then plant them in the pots as it’s easy to look after these than those sown directly. It will save your time as well as money.
Care: As the day temperature goes up the vegetable plants get affected. Another added reason is that long days and bright sunlight warms the walls and the roof which raises the roof temperature. As a precaution measure use net 50 per cent and be more vigilant about watering.
Irrigation: Do not allow the pot soil to dry out completely, but do not over water. If the plant leaves droop in the morning, it means they need watering. Drip irrigation with automatic controller is a smart way to take care of irrigation of the plants. In rainy season excess of water may accumulate in the pots, tilt the flooded pots to drain the excess water.
Certain vegetables which are of daily use and are required fresh like mint and coriander can be sown almost round the year and chilies (June- July and Oct- Nov). Commonly used herbs are tulsi, kari patta, aloe vera.
Pests: Use neem khaad and spray neem solution for insect attack.
Right container
Containers to grow vegetables should be shallow not deep as vegetables have a shallow root system. Pot from 12 to 24 inches are perfect to grow these. Pots of various materials like earthen, wooden, plastic or grow bags (which are very popular these days) can be used. However, just ensure that the pot has a drainage hole.