How You Can Create A Tiny Organic Farm On Your Terrace

A few decades ago, almost all houses  had a garden since plenty of space was available. However, since the IT boom, this space has been shrinking and today, it is almost non-existent. In spite of scarcity of accommodation, many people have come up with novel ways to grow plants even in the little available space. Terrace gardening is one of them.

Man struck upon the idea of starting his garden around three years ago. He was very enthusiastic about gardening but did not have any space outside his house. This was when he decided to start growing plants on his terrace. “I haven’t kept any care taker or ‘maali.’ My wife and I take care of our garden ourselves and it gives us peace and satisfaction,” 

Why terrace gardening?

A terrace garden does not need much maintenance and it is hardly time consuming. Just devoting 10-15 minutes daily to the garden is sufficient for its upkeep. One can indulge in gardening generally in the morning hours before going to work. Most terrace gardeners prefer having their morning tea and newspaper on the terrace too.

Not just small flowering plants, one can also grow vegetables on the garden. Organic and home grown vegetables are a healthy alternative to the pesticide-ridden vegetables available in the market. However, big plants and tress cannot be grown on residential terraces because of their weight. One should water these plants with care so that the soil does not spread out. If the water falls with too much force, it can result in dirt and soil erosion. Any small area on your terrace or balcony which has access to the sun light for at least 4 to 5 hours a day can be converted into a vegetable garden.

One can harvest at least 400 grams of vegetables per week depending on the crops one chooses to plant. There are many valid reasons behind growing plants and vegetables on your terrace, some of them include getting fresh, faster cooking, nutritious & wholesome produce; it is cost effective and one also gets food safety & guarantee; you get a choice of vegetables, in fact, you can get Any Time Veggies (ATV); it is therapeutic, relaxing, educational and eco-friendly; it reduces our dependency and wastage and on the whole, is time well spent.

How do you do it?

Waterproofing your terrace is a must to make a proper terrace garden to ensure that it does not result in seepage or other damage to the building structure. If the terrace is big, it can be divided into two parts – one for garden and the other for seating arrangements or for some household chores. Artificial waterfalls and colorful lights can also be installed, which can enhance the beauty of these gardens at night.

The concept of this mini farming becomes more interesting and also provides you with a sense of satisfaction when you can use your old furniture as planter boxes. The old drawer, old chair, old cupboards and shelves, plastic bottles, tin containers, broken dressing tables and old shoes can be painted with bright and eye-catching colors and made ready to grow many small plants which will enhance the beauty of your terrace space.

The daily leftover food in the home kitchen like fruit and vegetable peels, rotten food items and other wet waste are a rich source of minerals for the plants and can be composted and used as manure, helping us create a 100% waste-free environment.

Man said that regular cleaning is required as dry leaves and flowers also fall with the changing seasons. Regular cleaning and maintenance is a must for a beautiful garden.

How to spread the culture of terrace gardening?

Mr. Kaushik from The Vittal Mallya Scientific Research Foundation (VMSRF), a non-profit research organisation, feels that conducting workshops for kitchen gardening is an excellent idea for the people to bring awareness about organic food consumption in our country.

He says, “Our motto is to teach people to ‘grow your own organic food’. For this, we conduct workshops on kitchen gardening so that people can apply the same if they have open space like a roof top, a balcony, an open ground space, etc.”