Can we organically grow vegetables for our daily needs on a terrace and save Rs 3000 per month spent on vegetables from grocery stores? Padma Suresh of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala would emphatically say yes. For the last 11 years, this 48-year-old homemaker has been growing different varieties of vegetables on the terrace of her house at Pappanamcode, spending over an hour a day with the vegetable plants.
From tomatoes to lentils, green chillies, bitter gourd, and snake gourd, Padma has been growing all the vegetables strictly without using any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. “Many ask me whether it’s possible to grow vegetables organically. I can show them how. I have been doing it for many years. If I can do it, anyone can,” Padma told “Open Digest“.
However, Padma has a word of advice for those who want to grow vegetables at home for their own use. She says to grow organic vegetables, one needs to put in work taking care of the plants. “When we do not use pesticides and chemicals, there will be more pest attacks on the plants. We need to prepare an action plan right from soil preparation for growing vegetables organically,” she said.
According to Padma, soil preparation plays an important role in organic vegetable cultivation. “Good soil enables the plant to grow strong and healthy. If the plant is growing healthy, it will have a strong immune system to resist any diseases and pest attacks,” said Padma, who learned the basics of organic vegetable cultivation from noted organic farmer Ulloor R Raveendran.
Padma spends over two hours a day tending to the vegetable plants, checking them for any signs of disease and pest attacks. She also prepares organic fertilizer and pesticide on her own. “I love spending time with the plants as it has a soothing effect,” she added.
To make bio-fertilizer, she puts grass cut from the surrounding fields in a drum and later adds starch water (Kanji vellam) into it. After a few days, jaggery water along with fish amino acid is mixed into it. This compound is applied to the roots of the plants after adding the required quantity of water. She also uses bio-agro plus for pest attacks. “Watering is another important aspect of organic vegetable cultivation. We need to prepare a time chart to ensure that we water the plants at a particular fixed time daily,” she added.
