URBAN EDIBLE GARDEN SOLLUTION:

In the age of aggressive farming do you really know where your vegetables come from? Artificial colours carbide ripening agents you wonder if the vegetables you eat have the nutrition you brought them for.
We in Indian cities have witnessed the drawbacks of urbanisation first hand. Home gardens have been a thing for people with big bungalows and farms If you thought a kitchen garden only works in large houses , you are in for a revelation. Herbs/selected vegetables can also be grown in your very own balconies. They can be grown in pots window boxes or hanging baskets. Growing herbs in pots is not rocket science, although you cannot have the lavishness of a full-fledged kitchen garden, you can grow many things (in smaller amounts) in your little balcony space.

There are many herbs /vegetables that you can grow in your balcony, your options are: vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, chilli, lemon, lemon grass , garlic, ginger and many others. Herb plants come in annuals, perennials, and biennials like other types of plants ex- thyme, sage, curry leaf, rosemary, coriander, oregano, mint black pepper, Pennyroyal etc.

Selecting the pots is a very essential step to have a sustainable Herb /vegetable garden. Herbs will need pots that are between 6 to 10 inches in size. Tomatoes lemons etc need larger pots .Herbs like oregano thyme can be grown in hanging baskets or smaller pots. An interesting way 2 grow garlic and black pepper is to let the plants grow onto a moss sticks.

Generally, a light open soil/compost mix is preferred. Just an ordinary potting compost, with perhaps a little grit or garden soil mixed in - to give it body. The most imp thing here is to keep the soil well drained sand/perlite or even coco peat chips will work well here. You might have to add a little lime to neutralize their acidic contents.

By adding organic fertilizers or manures you improve absorption, biochemical stimulation and growth in plants. Manures also add nutrients to the soil.

Another crucial factor for plant growth is water. However, you cannot water the kitchen garden the way you water your flower pots. These plots need abundant supply of water. Your vegetable garden needs regular irrigation for 10 days after sowing. You can then bring it down to twice or thrice every week. The soil should never be totally dry, it needs constant moisture.
Your lovely little kitchen gardening would need vigilant weeding. Pests and insects can be kept away by natural methods like companion gardening. For example, grow basil and tomatoes close by. Basil attracts bugs that eat the pests which bother tomatoes.
One of the biggest advantages of growing your own plants are you can control the kind of chemicals you use. Many stomach ailments can be directly traced back to the chemicals used as fertilizers by the growers. At home I suggest an easy going natural liquid feed would do the trick. Transplants would need nutrient solutions from the moment you plant them. In case of seeds, the solution dose is required when plants germinate. When you buy seeds or transplants, remember to enquire about the frequency of fertilization and the duration of sunlight each plant should receive.
There are many biological control measures for pests (flat beer works wonders against snails) sadly many times we need to turn to chemical pesticides to get rid of some pests.
We as nurserymen should take an active interest in promoting our clients to start growing their own herbs vegetables etc. we should promote an active participation from garden owners which in turn leads to them enjoying the whole edible garden experience.