Cultivate a green patch
Invest in your health by setting up an organic kitchen garden
You would have heard the adage: You are what you eat. Arizona-based software engineer Umesh Rohilla has taken that wisdom to heart, investing all his nonworking hours in creating a kitchen garden, which today is blossoming with a wide range of vegetables and fruits.
Today his all-organic garden covering an area of 100 square feet is nurtured with homemade manure produced from kitchen waste such as tea leaves, banana and onion peels, fruit waste and dry leaves. He also uses an organic neem oil pesticide. In his daily skype calls with his family, he shows his produce to them—a ripe eggplant, a few blushing red tomatoes, and sometimes even almonds.
Rohilla's passion has rubbed off on his Delhi-based sister, Nidhi, 40, who has started growing herbs and microgreens such as giloy (tinospora Cordifolia), mint, fenugreek, coriander, carom, lemongrass, basil, curry leaves and aloe vera. Says Nidhi: “Herbs are the easiest to grow and hence the best plants to begin with. They can be grown in empty containers, plastic bottle cut-outs, and tins. Many of these seeds are available in Indian kitchens or their stems are available in the neighbourhood.”
Space need not be a constraint
As for what one can grow, the sky is the limit. A lot depends on the space you have, the sunlight it receives, the time you have, and, of course, your zeal and enthusiasm. You could start with fresh greens such as spinach, fenugreek (methi), coriander (dhaniya), lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, carrot, mustard, chilli, eggplants and tomatoes. Says Kapil Mandawewala, founder of Edible Routes, a kitchen garden consultancy that nudges people towards growing their own food: “We believe every space is capable of growing food, whether you have a terrace, a yard, a balcony or a few pots. You can grow vegetables on even a few square feet. Even over 50 square feet, you can grow five vegetables for a family of two.” But the ideal space is about 120-150 square feet if you want an abundance of fresh and seasonal leafy greens, salads and herbs. Only some citruses, vines and trees require a lot of space.
What do plants need?
A plant essentially needs three things — soil, water and sunlight. But each has its own requirements. Says Bella Gupta, secretary, AIKGA (All India Kitchen Garden Association): “While some plants cannot live without sunlight, others are shade-loving. While some may need water once a week, others may need it once a day. Neither under-watering nor over
watering is good.” AIKGA conducts flower shows and kitchen garden competitions and imparts training on best practices in organic gardening.
Lockdown has provided an impetus
The Covid-19 pandemic has spurred interest in gardening. For Seema Jindal Jajodia, who lives in South Delhi’s Westend area, her kitchen garden is a labour of love. She had a few extra seeds of herbs and vegetables and these were lapped up by her friends and neighbours — a pointer to the recent spike in interest in growing one’s own food.
Jajodia, founder of Nourish Organics, a clean-label packaged food company, shifted to organic food when two of her close family members were struck by cancer. That was when she questioned the origin of the food her family was consuming. “The making of a kitchen garden is the start of a big change. You reduce your carbon footprint, teach your children the importance of chemical-free food, and add less salt and sugar and instead start relishing natural tastes. All this has a salutary impact on your family's health and lifestyle.”
How to begin?
The foundation of a kitchen garden is all-important. Says Jajodia: “It’s a little technical. You need to create planter boxes with a good drainage layer. The drainage has to be correct. It can be cumbersome to move it as it is made in-situ.”
The next step is to get the soil mix right. One needs special soil to grow plants in balconies and on terraces. It is different from garden soil, as the earth is so little. In a garden, plant roots have the freedom to explore far and wide in search of nutrients. But in a closed container there is only so much exploration they can do. Hence, one needs to use special nutrientrich potting soils.
The cost of putting up a kitchen garden
The cost can vary from a few thousand rupees to a lakh. It depends on how much you want to grow, build and spend. One can use recycled fruit crates or bamboo baskets which don't cost much, or go with classy bamboo containers, terracotta and brass pots. You can even start with a small section and expand gradually. The cost of maintenance can vary between ~300 and ~10,000 a month, depending on the size of the kitchen garden.
If you decide on planter boxes with good drainage or brick beds, it can be slightly expensive. But all this will be a one-time investment. Says Mandawewala: “Including containers, soil, labour, saplings and seeds, a decentsized garden would cost you around ~20,000-30,000.”
Cultivating what you consume is the beginning of a journey towards a better lifestyle. Many who get started on the organic food journey don’t stop here. In the next stage, they complete the food basket and make organic oils, pickles, sauces, jams, bread and cookies.