Many urban families are no longer waiting for the market for vegetables. Instead, they are growing seasonal vegetables on their rooftops, balconies or small open spaces around the house. This practice is fulfilling household needs and in some cases, even producing enough to share with relatives. Anyone with a roof or a small balcony can start vegetable cultivation with a little planning. Two examples of urban gardeners offer guidance on how to begin.
A Fully Utilised Rooftop Garden
One rooftop in the city’s capital has been transformed into a productive garden with around 43 varieties of vegetables. Winter vegetables such as bottle gourd, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, turnip, mustard greens, tomato, radish, spinach, red amaranth, coriander, carrot, green chilli, capsicum, bell pepper, lettuce, potato, eggplant, mint, onion and garlic are cultivated there.
In the early phase, seedlings were directly purchased from nurseries. Now, most seedlings are grown from seeds at home. Tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, carrot, radish, spinach, red amaranth and coriander are currently being raised from seeds. Seedlings of capsicum, bell pepper, green chilli, bottle gourd, beans, bitter gourd and eggplant are planted directly.
A fixed amount of time is spent daily in gardening. Water is given in the morning. Organic fertilisers are used primarily, with small amounts of DAP and potash if required. Weekends are mostly spent on the rooftop, and additional help is taken twice a week from a hired gardener. Regular monitoring prevents pest infestation. Mild attacks are treated with natural pest control. When the infestation is severe and risks spreading, chemical pesticide is applied in a measured quantity. In such cases, vegetables are kept unused for at least 14 days to neutralise toxicity.
Vegetables That Grow Well in Pots or Bags in Winter
The winter garden includes bottle gourd, pumpkin, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, tomato, eggplant, beet, squash, potato, onion, red amaranth, radish and spinach. Among fruits, jujube, papaya and guava are grown. Seeds are sometimes raised into seedlings at home and sometimes bought from the weekly market.
Suitable vegetables: eggplant, tomato, okra, squash, radish, carrot, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, chilli, capsicum, lettuce, mint, coriander.
- Containers: 12 to 15-inch pots, buckets, grow bags or geo bags.
- Soil mix: equal parts loam, organic fertiliser and sandy soil.
- Sunlight: at least five to six hours of direct sunlight.
- Planting: seedlings can be grown from seeds or purchased from nurseries.
- Care: support sticks for tomato and eggplant. Organic fertiliser every 15 days, especially liquid cow dung or compost fertiliser.
Climbing Vegetables Suitable For Trellis in Winter
- Suitable vegetables: bottle gourd, beans, long beans and cucumber.
- Trellis: bamboo, rope or net.
- Containers: 20-inch pots or large drums. Larger containers give better results.
- Soil mix: nutrient-rich mix of soil, compost and coco peat (ratio 4:2:1).
- Sowing: seeds soaked overnight can be sown directly.
- Sunlight: six to seven hours of sunlight are required.
- Pest control: keep the trellis clean to prevent fungus. Red beetles on beans and long beans can be controlled with neem oil spray.
Winter Flowers For Your Rooftop Garden
Winter is the season when rooftops have the highest abundance of flowers. Popular winter flowers suitable for planting include marigold, cosmos, chrysanthemum, zinnia, dahlia, sunflower, petunia, dianthus, balsam, gerbera, azalea, button flower, aster, hollyhock, salvia and verbena.
- Soil: Prepare the soil by mixing 50 per cent loamy soil, 30 per cent compost and 20 per cent coco peat.
- Planting: Flowers can be grown using seedlings bought from nurseries. If seeds from last year’s winter flowers were preserved, you can use them to raise seedlings again. Dahlia roots, if preserved like sweet potato tubers, can also be planted now.
- Sunlight: At least five hours of sunlight per day is necessary.
- Watering: Water two to three times a week in the morning. It is better to water when the soil in the pot has dried out.
- Fertiliser: Ten days after planting the seedlings, you can apply a small amount of organic fertiliser.
Pest Control and Care
- Neem oil: Spraying once or twice a week helps reduce pest attacks.
- Ash: You can sprinkle ash to prevent rot and fungal diseases.
- Organic fertiliser: Apply vermicomposting or liquid fertiliser every 15 to 20 days.
- Other tips: Avoid watering at night or in the evening during winter to prevent root rot caused by dew. Water in the morning instead.
October is the ideal time for sowing winter seeds on rooftops. Beginners should start small instead of planting too many varieties. Leafy greens such as red amaranth, spinach and water spinach are good for starters. Among potted vegetables, eggplant and tomato are suitable. For vines, bottle gourd, beans and long beans can be selected.
Organic fertilisers should always be prioritised to keep both soil and crops healthy. Roof safety must be ensured at all times, and waterlogging must be prevented to protect the structure.
