A dietician by profession who cared to give her profession an edge by not just prescribing what food is good for one’s health but also to show them how to grow their own food.
Ms. Usha has beem working as a consultant dietician, the first of her kind, across Vishakapatanam, for the last 27 years.
“Initially I started catering to the needs of the diabetic children in and around Vishakapatnam in terms of raising funds and providing insulin, etc. for the lower socio economic belt. After that, I have moved on to providing proper food at our house for families by growing vegetables.”
Usha began growing leafy vegetables and gradually moved on to others as well. Today, she even has fruits on her farm. Later on, a public demand began stirring in asking her for tips to build terrace gardens.
“I have associated myself with a software company and as part of their CSR program, I conduct a lot of workshops in and around Vishakapatnam about composting, urban gardening, segregation of waste etc. I have had Greater Vishakapatanam Municipal Corporation approaching me to do videos on composting, etc. These videos are distributed widely across Vishakapatanam as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign.”
Besides all this, Ms Usha, along with a bunch of like-minded friends opened a venture called Rythu Mithra Foundation to help people establish their own kitchen/balcony/terrace gardens.
“We train people by conducting workshops etc. and teach them how to go about it and give them saplings, seeds, etc.”
What types of plants do people usually grow?
Most women are more into floral plants, bonsai, etc. With these constant workshops and with the rising concept of grow your own food, more people are adding leafy and other vegetables to their cultivation list.
Do people usually grow vegetables for themselves or is there a tendency to cultivate and sell the produce as well?
The weather at Vishakapatanam is quite tricky and it is tough to manage individual gardens itself. The humidity is really high during summer. Even for me, I have noticed that from July to Feb-March, we get good produce from our terrace garden. During other times, April - June it is scorching heat and so it is tough for your garden to flourish. Few people manage it by using shade nets. I don't like using shade nets because it stops the flow of birds that come into my garden.
What would the approximate cost be for setting up an approximate 800 sq feet terrace garden?
I follow a low-cost model. I try to get people to replicate my model because most of us are always cost-sensitive when we try doing things for the first time. I use a lot of reusable plastic containers which are usually thrown into dump yards. We can make best use of it - saves the environment and our money. I procure material, for instance 20 litre water cans, from different sources. After a few months of use, these cans cannot be reused for water storage. 10 litre is a good size for tomatoes, brinjal etc. I make good use of anything that can hold soil to grow something in it.
I have only employed structures for the creeper plants. Those are outline structure of iron rods which can be placed all around the terrace for creepers. But I use only reusable containers.
So, for this iron set up it had cost me Rs 20,000/-.
Also, gardens are best started slowly with few plants and then it should be gradually expanded. You can expand as and when you have the confidence. Initially if you do not have the experience of growing vegetables, it would be hard to face certain realities. Last Sept - Oct we had heavy rains due to which harvest was very poor.
So, it is best to start small with around 5-10 pots - understand plants, boost your confidence level and work upwards. Right now I have around 200 pots on my terrace.
Again, investment is a personal choices. If people plan to start the garden only to complete their own household needs, then their investment will be a few 1000s. It will be slightly lower if they choose to use reusable containers. If they are planning to do it on a large scale, then sky is the limit. It purely depends on the capacity of the investor/planter.
What do you do for soil enrichment?
I add compost which I make at home - like vermi-composting and aerobic composting. I also sometimes source cow dung manure from elsewhere. Also, you should have the right potting soil that needs to be mixed into your pot. It should be one portion of soil, one portion of compost and one portion of cocoa peat. Sometimes we may have to increase the cocoa peat content or add little river soil to grow root vegetables.
Do you keep changing the soil time and again?
My soil has been the same since 15 years. I keep adding the manure, compost and cocoa peat; i.e. every time I do re potting the same soil is used but we nourish it.
How do you go about aiding someone, who approaches you, to build a terrace garden of their own?
I always advise to start with leafy vegetables, for which I supply them with seeds and maybe a small pot of pudina if they want. So, the idea is that they start enjoying the process, relish in small successes and then venture forward.
What are the difficulties that you have overcome in the process of all these ventures?
I started with florals initially, wherein I encountered a lot of pest issues like bugs on the hibiscus etc. At that time, I used to employ some pesticides. But once I moved to the vegetable space, I completely eliminated the use of pesticides. Now, I grow everything naturally, Honestly, I don't interfere much except for regular watering and other amendments like liquid nutrition that the plants may require like Jeevamrutham or compost etc. I see natural sources like ladybirds etc that help me in pest management.
But, I know that first timers are bound to face a lot of pest issues mainly because their soil may not be ready. If the nutritional level of the soil is good, the crops are bound to take care of itself.
What type of soil is best suited for terrace garden cultivation?
In Vishakapatanam, we get red soil which is suitable for most plants. I believe that red soil is the best as much I know. I have experienced black soil at my native place as well. I find red soil at Vishakapatanam perfect for growing vegetables, fruits and any other crop for that matter. Black soil tends to get very soggy and gets compact. That is my observation about the soil that I have had since childhood.
I can't vouch much for other places.
Do you sell your produce as well?
No, I don't get enough produce to sell. I have enough to feed my household. Now, for instance some plants like tomatoes i harvest in surplus, at times. In those instance, I distribute it to the neighbours, watchman etc.
Do you have plans to expand?
I began terrace gardening out of passion. But besides that I love promoting terrace gardening itself. Ultimately we are what we eat. So, the buying part needs to stop and as a race we should look ahead to being self sustainable. We promote lot of urban gardening. We urge people to start with 4 pots and 4 leafy vegetables and feel the difference. Even while cooking you feel the difference when you have them literally garden fresh and devoid of pesticides. It is all about making a start. All of us can do it.
How effective a garden can people with balconies without much sunshine achieve?
Leafy vegetables can be grown under such conditions as well. But brinjal, tomatoes, gourds etc.requires at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. For effective balcony gardening you should have a garden that welcomes a lot of sunlight.
Did you undergo any training before you started with your terrace gardening?
No, my terrace garden is a result of absolute trial and error.I spend at least 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening approximately on my terrace garden.
What do you suggest to people who are new to terrace gardening?
The right tips for starting a terrace garden is to be meticulous with soil-compost-cocoa peat proportions. Also sowing of seeds should be followed with sufficient time for the seeds to germinate. Water the plants regularly as per climatic conditions. Be careful not to over water it. Dip a finger into your soil. If it is dry, the plants requires water. If you are using mulch, which is usually dry leaves for increase in microbial activity, the water and nutrient requirement will be less. The dry leaves gradually decompose and release carbon into the soil. Aids in increasing microbial activity in the soil, boosts plant growth.
Any last piece of advice for our readers?
Terrace/balcony gardening is one answer to a lot of day to day issues like waste management, effective space utilization, nutritious food, and of course low hospital bills.
Regular composting, watering and showering love is all that is required for a beautifully flourishing terrace garden.
Contact
Ms.Usha Pinnamaraju
E-Mail: ushapraju@gmail.com
Ms. Usha has beem working as a consultant dietician, the first of her kind, across Vishakapatanam, for the last 27 years.
“Initially I started catering to the needs of the diabetic children in and around Vishakapatnam in terms of raising funds and providing insulin, etc. for the lower socio economic belt. After that, I have moved on to providing proper food at our house for families by growing vegetables.”
Usha began growing leafy vegetables and gradually moved on to others as well. Today, she even has fruits on her farm. Later on, a public demand began stirring in asking her for tips to build terrace gardens.
“I have associated myself with a software company and as part of their CSR program, I conduct a lot of workshops in and around Vishakapatnam about composting, urban gardening, segregation of waste etc. I have had Greater Vishakapatanam Municipal Corporation approaching me to do videos on composting, etc. These videos are distributed widely across Vishakapatanam as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign.”
Besides all this, Ms Usha, along with a bunch of like-minded friends opened a venture called Rythu Mithra Foundation to help people establish their own kitchen/balcony/terrace gardens.
“We train people by conducting workshops etc. and teach them how to go about it and give them saplings, seeds, etc.”
What types of plants do people usually grow?
Most women are more into floral plants, bonsai, etc. With these constant workshops and with the rising concept of grow your own food, more people are adding leafy and other vegetables to their cultivation list.
Do people usually grow vegetables for themselves or is there a tendency to cultivate and sell the produce as well?
The weather at Vishakapatanam is quite tricky and it is tough to manage individual gardens itself. The humidity is really high during summer. Even for me, I have noticed that from July to Feb-March, we get good produce from our terrace garden. During other times, April - June it is scorching heat and so it is tough for your garden to flourish. Few people manage it by using shade nets. I don't like using shade nets because it stops the flow of birds that come into my garden.
What would the approximate cost be for setting up an approximate 800 sq feet terrace garden?
I follow a low-cost model. I try to get people to replicate my model because most of us are always cost-sensitive when we try doing things for the first time. I use a lot of reusable plastic containers which are usually thrown into dump yards. We can make best use of it - saves the environment and our money. I procure material, for instance 20 litre water cans, from different sources. After a few months of use, these cans cannot be reused for water storage. 10 litre is a good size for tomatoes, brinjal etc. I make good use of anything that can hold soil to grow something in it.
I have only employed structures for the creeper plants. Those are outline structure of iron rods which can be placed all around the terrace for creepers. But I use only reusable containers.
So, for this iron set up it had cost me Rs 20,000/-.
Also, gardens are best started slowly with few plants and then it should be gradually expanded. You can expand as and when you have the confidence. Initially if you do not have the experience of growing vegetables, it would be hard to face certain realities. Last Sept - Oct we had heavy rains due to which harvest was very poor.
So, it is best to start small with around 5-10 pots - understand plants, boost your confidence level and work upwards. Right now I have around 200 pots on my terrace.
Again, investment is a personal choices. If people plan to start the garden only to complete their own household needs, then their investment will be a few 1000s. It will be slightly lower if they choose to use reusable containers. If they are planning to do it on a large scale, then sky is the limit. It purely depends on the capacity of the investor/planter.
What do you do for soil enrichment?
I add compost which I make at home - like vermi-composting and aerobic composting. I also sometimes source cow dung manure from elsewhere. Also, you should have the right potting soil that needs to be mixed into your pot. It should be one portion of soil, one portion of compost and one portion of cocoa peat. Sometimes we may have to increase the cocoa peat content or add little river soil to grow root vegetables.
Do you keep changing the soil time and again?
My soil has been the same since 15 years. I keep adding the manure, compost and cocoa peat; i.e. every time I do re potting the same soil is used but we nourish it.
How do you go about aiding someone, who approaches you, to build a terrace garden of their own?
I always advise to start with leafy vegetables, for which I supply them with seeds and maybe a small pot of pudina if they want. So, the idea is that they start enjoying the process, relish in small successes and then venture forward.
What are the difficulties that you have overcome in the process of all these ventures?
I started with florals initially, wherein I encountered a lot of pest issues like bugs on the hibiscus etc. At that time, I used to employ some pesticides. But once I moved to the vegetable space, I completely eliminated the use of pesticides. Now, I grow everything naturally, Honestly, I don't interfere much except for regular watering and other amendments like liquid nutrition that the plants may require like Jeevamrutham or compost etc. I see natural sources like ladybirds etc that help me in pest management.
But, I know that first timers are bound to face a lot of pest issues mainly because their soil may not be ready. If the nutritional level of the soil is good, the crops are bound to take care of itself.
What type of soil is best suited for terrace garden cultivation?
In Vishakapatanam, we get red soil which is suitable for most plants. I believe that red soil is the best as much I know. I have experienced black soil at my native place as well. I find red soil at Vishakapatanam perfect for growing vegetables, fruits and any other crop for that matter. Black soil tends to get very soggy and gets compact. That is my observation about the soil that I have had since childhood.
I can't vouch much for other places.
Do you sell your produce as well?
No, I don't get enough produce to sell. I have enough to feed my household. Now, for instance some plants like tomatoes i harvest in surplus, at times. In those instance, I distribute it to the neighbours, watchman etc.
Do you have plans to expand?
I began terrace gardening out of passion. But besides that I love promoting terrace gardening itself. Ultimately we are what we eat. So, the buying part needs to stop and as a race we should look ahead to being self sustainable. We promote lot of urban gardening. We urge people to start with 4 pots and 4 leafy vegetables and feel the difference. Even while cooking you feel the difference when you have them literally garden fresh and devoid of pesticides. It is all about making a start. All of us can do it.
How effective a garden can people with balconies without much sunshine achieve?
Leafy vegetables can be grown under such conditions as well. But brinjal, tomatoes, gourds etc.requires at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. For effective balcony gardening you should have a garden that welcomes a lot of sunlight.
Did you undergo any training before you started with your terrace gardening?
No, my terrace garden is a result of absolute trial and error.I spend at least 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening approximately on my terrace garden.
What do you suggest to people who are new to terrace gardening?
The right tips for starting a terrace garden is to be meticulous with soil-compost-cocoa peat proportions. Also sowing of seeds should be followed with sufficient time for the seeds to germinate. Water the plants regularly as per climatic conditions. Be careful not to over water it. Dip a finger into your soil. If it is dry, the plants requires water. If you are using mulch, which is usually dry leaves for increase in microbial activity, the water and nutrient requirement will be less. The dry leaves gradually decompose and release carbon into the soil. Aids in increasing microbial activity in the soil, boosts plant growth.
Any last piece of advice for our readers?
Terrace/balcony gardening is one answer to a lot of day to day issues like waste management, effective space utilization, nutritious food, and of course low hospital bills.
Regular composting, watering and showering love is all that is required for a beautifully flourishing terrace garden.
Contact
Ms.Usha Pinnamaraju
E-Mail: ushapraju@gmail.com