Home gardeners grow own food

Microgreens and herbs to oats and millets, people are utilising the space they have to become self-sufficient and eat better

The concept of grow-your-own-food has been popular in Bengaluru for a few years now. The uncertainties of the pandemic as well as the gift of the time that the lockdown bestowed upon many has led to this trend gaining traction over the past few months. From the quest for self-sufficiency and the joy of gardening to simply being conscious about what they are consuming, home gardeners have many reasons for growing their food.

Meenakshi Arun, a resident of North Bengaluru, was inspired by her grandmother and mother who had a green thumb, and started her kitchen garden in 2002.

“There was a little farm near our home, which gave us access to fresh food. We had to go early to get produce and once, we saw that the guy was growing things next to the sewage. It triggered the question of what we are putting into our bodies in my head,” she says. Her success with herbs, flowers and greens motivated her to try more. At the moment 80 per cent of her family’s food comes from their garden.

Meenakshi says the fear of food shortage or stepping out was not the motivating factor for most to start gardening. “People began to question what they were eating, and wanted to focus on building immunity. How do you get safe food? Many products are labelled ‘organic’ but not only are they high priced, there is no way to check its authenticity,” she says. She conducted over 25 sessions to respond to the many queries around home gardening.

Vinayak Garg, founder of Lazy Gardener, works towards encouraging home gardening. “There are three reasons to have plants — aesthetics, biology in its purpose as food and to purify air, and lastly, companionship,” he says. The lockdown has made many move towards a more functional outlook on life, causing them to move away from the mere aesthetics of gardening and choosing to grow their own food.

While vegetables and especially greens are the easiest to grow, there are many who are now growing oats and millets in pots.

Those with a terrace can stimulate a paddy field and grow rice or even grow pulses. However, these might take a lot more time and investment. It is not uncommon nowadays to grow mangoes in a pot. Banana, Papaya and Jamun can be grown on the terrace provided you have sunlight, a large container and time.

Lockdown motivation

Haseena T only has a small balcony, and uses vertical stands and hanging planters."/>

Haseena T, resident of RR Nagar always had an interest in gardening, but the lockdown gave her the time to make it happen.

“I work, so time was always an issue. With the lockdown I found the time to learn, observe and interact with
nature. I will continue even if I have to return to office because now I have an idea of what to do and what it takes, unlike if I had to start from scratch,” she says.

Learning curve

Sindhu Murthy started growing vegetables during the lockdown. She is waiting for her first harvest."/>

Sindhu Murthy, resident at BTM Layout, too, began growing her own vegetables during the lockdown. Apart from using this as a way to redirect her energy while being stuck at home, she wanted to use the opportunity to start her journey towards a sustainable lifestyle.

It took a few failed efforts for her to figure out the right methods and conditions. While she has an in-ground and a balcony garden, she relies on the latter more as it allows for better sunlight and protects the plants from rain.

“When you are growing your food, you become very careful about what goes in, so you make your own pesticides and fertilisers out of the kitchen. This has also gotten me interested in composting,” she says.

At the moment, she is growing tomatoes, chillies, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, basil, spinach, drumstick and chow chow.

Many Facebook groups such as ‘Organic Terrace Gardening’ share information, success stories and tips. Members of the group have also created Whatsapp groups based on areas to allow for a more communal experience.

Space constraints

Space is a major constraint for most urban dwellers like Haseena. However, this is not one that can’t be overcome. Utilising the vertical space by using planters and pots is the easiest solution. “I live on the 10th floor of an apartment building and have a small balcony.I made a few planters myself using plywood and rely on a lot of hanging planters,” she says. Microgreens, spinach, chillies, turmeric, herbs such as methi, mint and coriander, capsicum and beans are great options for those who don’t have the luxury of space, she says. One can also regrow vegetables such as potatoes, spring onions, ginger, garlic and onions in their kitchen.

Finding alternative methods and planning better is the key to overcoming the problem of space.

“You can plant a creeper near a sturdy plant and it will allow mutual growth,” she says.

Tips for beginners

Start small, says Vinayak Garg, as it takes a while to get the hang of it.

* Choose plants based on your needs and not simply because they are exotic.

* There is no need for a big investment. “Poke a hole in a paper cup, and you have a pot. Put some soil and plant a few seeds, that’s all you need to start,” he says.

* Avoid direct sunlight and keep the seeds moist.

* Loss is imminent, so plant as many seeds as possible. “You plant 10, you will get one healthy plant at least in the end,” he says.

Easy-to-grow vegetables

Cluster Beans, Ginger, Ridge Gourd, Bottle Gourd, Curry Leaves, Groundnuts, Mustard, Tomato, Brinjal, Pomegranate, Star Fruits, Lime and Passion Fruit.