You can grow any kind of vegetable, fruit or flowering plant in your home with six to seven hours of sunlight every day and adequate supply of water,” said Manoj and Smitha Varghese, the couple who own Growbites plant centre at Chimbai. Both Smitha and Manoj have started a terrace garden in their home since last five year where they grow over 25 different types of plants like chikoo, mango, fig, banana, grapes, dragon fruit, turmeric, curry leaves, pomegranate, pineapple, papaya and more.
In a suburban place like Bandra, the Varghese couple says, “We grow our vegetables and fruits.” Smitha adds, “When we grow our vegetables, we know exactly how they are grown and what content we feed them to grow. We do not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides so our plants are pure. We can just pluck and eat without any harm and the taste is natural.”
Anyone can grow plants provided you know how to maintain and take good care
Manoj breaks several myths prevalent among people by explaining, “Plants do not necessarily need soil. They just need the nutrients present in the soil and support, to hold roots. We grow some plants in water and provide the nutrients. However, six hours of sunlight and the required supply of water is essential. Also, plants do not lead to mosquitoes, it is only when you allow stagnant water to get collected that mosquitoes start breeding.”
Do not water your plants too much
“Plants are like children, you should not pamper them too much,” opines Manoj revealing that most of the plants die due to overwatering or under-watering. He says, “In any household, all the members of the family try to water the plants even when it is not necessary. Some plants can survive with minimum water while some require a large supply. You got to maintain the perfect level of water supply to avoid any damage.”
Brinjal Fig
Challenges faced in terrace planting
Constructing and maintaining a full waterproof terrace is a challenge but a prerequisite for terrace planting. Manoj says, “In a city like Mumbai, you need to build a waterproof terrace to prevent any kind of leakages. Spending time with plants is important because you need to check whether every leaf is healthy, every plant is getting adequate sunlight and all roots are growing strong. Too much of wind is not good for certain plants so you need to have wind blinds if they are facing the seaside.”
Tips for growing your plants
Do not throw away garbage, be creative and use it for your plants. Manoj says, “We used our broken washing machine as a huge bucket container for growing plants. You can use paint boxes, used water tanks and water buckets for planting. You can mix 5ml of Neem oil and 2ml of liquid soap into 1 litre of normal water and spray it on plants once a week. It is the best natural medicine and your plants will not get any disease. Dry eggshells can be powdered in a mixer and used as a calcium supplement for plants. Similarly, you can add vegetable skin, fruit skin, used tea bags as natural compost for the healthy growth of your plants.”
How did it all begin? What are the benefits?
“It all began with an accident,” chuckle the Varghese couple who are both plant lovers and have a deep passion for growing plants. Manoj reveals, “We started growing plants on our terrace just for our self-happiness. These plants make us feel happy when we go every morning for a walk in our terrace garden.” Smitha who manages the garden says, “We can pluck any fruit or flower and enjoy its natural beauty. Besides, these plants help to purify the air and give out so much oxygen which is beneficial for our health.”
Different forms of Terrace Planting – Aquaponics and Hydroponics
The Varghese couple has started two different forms of planting called Aquaponics and Hydroponics. Manoj explains, “In Aquaponics, we keep fish and the waste of the fish helps to grow plants. In this system soil or any chemical fertilizers cannot be used. The fish waste is ammonia which gets converted into nitrite and then nitrate by two types of bacteria that develops naturally on grow bed which is the basic food for the plants. Water from the fish tank is continuously pumped into the grow bed with a small pump and clean water is returned back to the fish tank.
While in Hydroponics, we do not use fish or soil, but we grow plants in water. We add nutrients to the water and the roots grow in the water. In this way, we avoid using soil and pesticides.”
Growbites Nursery Garden centre
Apart from terrace planting, Smitha runs a full-time nursery where they sell different kinds of plants of a wide variety. Smitha says, “We sell all kinds of plants from succulents to orchid to fruit-bearing. We also sell all types of pots and some natural pesticides/fertilizers. We take orders from clients and can customise accordingly. We love to talk to our customers. We have a lot of demand for plants used for air purification and beautification. The culture of gifting flowers is now shifting towards gifting plants as everybody is environmentally sensitive and eco-friendly.”
