Organic veggies on the rooftop
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Organic veggies on the rooftop
Rearing vegetables at home now takes just water and a little time.
| The trick to growing vegetables on the roof, without waterproofing the terrace and without laying it with soil, is to allow the plants to remain rooted in soil and lead them upwards to the terrace through ropes |
Delectable sight:
Imagine growing your own organic vegetables, at the expense of just water and a little of your time. Not possible in city houses, did you say? “It can be done, if you take proper care,” says A.M. Malathi, who has made a neat harvest of several kilograms of country beans, bottle guards, snake guards, brinjals, drumsticks, betel nut leaves, and an incredible 3 kg haul of grapes, all from her terrace in just a single year, and that too without laying her terrace with soil.
Guide the plants up
How does one grow vegetables on the terrace without treating the terrace with water proofing measures and without laying a layer of soil on it? Malathi, whose terrace sports a small but blooming grape yard among other plants, has hit upon a simple and innovative way of achieving it.
The trick is to allow the plants to remain rooted in soil and lead them upwards to the terrace through ropes. “Even a 1.5-foot patch of soil on the ground floor level is sufficient for the purpose,” says Malathi. She adds, “You can also grow these plants from soil in buckets placed on the terrace, but they are more difficult to maintain and care for as you would have to head to the terrace to water them everyday.” Once the plant creeps up to the terrace, you can set up an overhead pandhal in the terrace to help them spread out.
Plants like brinjal can also be grown from clay pots in the terrace. If you are going to root the plant in a pot, make sure to add coconut husk to the soil mixture. “This reduces the weight load and increases moisture retention,” Malathi says. Malathi’s terrace in her Medavakam residence also sports a drumstick tree growing from a pot! “You need to keep trimming off the top of the drumstick tree once it reaches a height of about six feet,” she says.
Managing the plants
Trim the plants (peripheral branches and leaves) periodically for healthy growth and good yield. You can create your own organic manure by depositing fallen leaves, discarded flowers, vegetable peels and other organic waste in a container and adding de-composting innocula available in the market. Organic manure is also available at select stores. The plants are to be manured once while planting them, once after the first yield begins and once after the third yield begins, Malathi advises. You can also use the water you get after washing rice, used tea leaves etc. directly as manure.
“You also need to keep an eye open for worm/insect infestation and remove it,” she warns. Malathi makes her own organic insecticide, which is a fermented concoction of substances including curd and cow dung. It would also do well to preserve the natural ecosystem which has natural pest-control mechanisms in place. “So don’t try to drive away unfamiliar visitors like garden lizards which feed on plant pests,” she says.
After two or three yields have been harvested most vegetable yielding plants tend to wilt and waste away. “Then, you need to remove them from the soil and plant a different type of vegetable plant in the same soil, as crop rotation works best in these conditions,” Malathi says.
‘Cool’ spin off
The idea of home-grown organic vegetables is in itself delectable. Alongside, since these creepers cover the side walls and spread over the terrace to some extent, the temperature of the building comes done substantially. Malathi is willing to share her expertise with those wishing to grow their own organic veggies at home, and can be reached at 93810 52277.
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HEMA VIJAY, CHENNAI
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