Udaipurites turn terrace into farm, harvest veggies to meet daily needs

UDAIPUR: Many homes in the municipal limits of Udaipur city are converting their terraces into farmlands. People are getting back in touch with nature through their terrace gardens where they are growing

vegetables

to meet their daily culinary needs. Also, they point out the therapeutic benefits of having a farm on the rooftop. Besides, it keeps their homes cool during the hot weather.

The planters are using almost anything from wooden crates to

plastic bottles

, recycled plastic tumblers, fibre planters and even grow bags.

Tomatoes, lady finger,

cucumber

, chillies, bottle gourd, ridge gourd,

spinach

and methi leaves are the most commonly grown vegetables.

Many professionals and homemakers say they started growing vegetables at home fearing the coronavirus since the vegetable markets turned into super spreaders of the disease.

“Excessive use of chemicals and pesticides had always remained a concern, however, the lockdown gave me ample time and reason to set up a terrace garden. I am growing tomatoes, chilly, brinjal, turai, dhaniya, etc., which are used almost daily,” says Deepti Sharma, a lecturer at the University’s Law college.

She has been using discarded plastic cans to grow the plants that have thrived well with homemade manure.

Sudhir Verma, a senior officer of

the agriculture department

, has some 40 pots planted with brinjal, capsicum, pumpkin, bottle gourd and other vegetables.

“We are using not only earthen pots but plastic cans and discarded mineral water bottles too. Cocopeat, cow dung and vegetable peels are being used as manure and the produce is completely organic which we consume fearlessly,” he says.

He even has some yearold brinjal plants from which over 10kg of produce has been harvested.

Gyan Prakash Soni, a retired superintendent engineer, who has been cultivating vegetables for months now says, “Almost all veggies we get in the market have pesticides and the organic varieties are more expensive than the commercially, mass grown ones because of the farming cost involved. I grow almost all the vegetables needed in the household every day and we don’t have any health concerns due to the harmful chemicals,” he said. Soni has occasionally treated his friends and acquaintances to the ‘halwa’ made from the milky lauki grown at his home and gained applaud.

To avoid using pesticides and keep the plants healthy, the residents are using home-made medicines which is a mixture of baking soda, cooking oil and water. It is sprayed on the leaves to avoid fungal infection and maintain plant hygiene. Neem oil is another option for aphids.