CHENNAI: On Rahul Dhoka’s terrace in Egmore, a greenhouse full of hydroponic planters welcomes the eye. He grows over 4,500 plants in the 90-feet space. He primarily grows Italian basil, ajwain, mint and other herbs. The 31-year-old designed the planters, which consist of PVC pipes with holes at even spaces.
“Since I was 10-years-old, I’ve had a strong connection with nature. I come from an agriculture background, and my family was originally from Karnataka. Growing up, I used to go on a lot of treks and watch a lot of Animal Planet,” said Rahul, who also founded Acqua Farms, a gardening consultancy business that sells his planter.
He grows most of his household vegetables through hydroponic planting. In 2016, after Rahul extensively researched on hydroponics, a means of planting that is water-based rather than soil-based, he began his company. Hydroponic planting decreases the amount of soil required by 90 per cent, said Rahul, adding that it also helps the plant grow faster by cutting down the growing period by 50 per cent.
“A lot of people these days are staying in apartments. There is almost no space for growing many plants and lack of healthy food. Hydroponic planting is useful for small apartments and offers good quality produce. It is a one-time investment,” said Rahul, explaining that the technique is used in places with less water like Rajasthan due to its water-saving characteristics.
With his background in biotechnology, Rahul wanted to take hydroponic planting to common people who were not aware of the system.Acqua Farms started out as a way to explain the growth of the plant — from seed to flower — to children, and has now expanded to sell planters and offer counselling. According to Rahul, it is very easy to handle a large number of plants through hydroponic planting even for budding gardeners.
His personal garden primarily grows Italian basil, which he also sells to various restaurants in
the city.“We are all big foodies at home. We were unhappy that we couldn’t get fresh ingredients or produce, and so we decided to grow them ourselves. Now if you see, most of what we use are things we have grown ourselves,” said Rahul. He recently began to grow stevia to replace processed sugar at home.
Acqua Farms sells basic planters for `800, eight planters for `3,000, and for those who wish to grow more, Acqua Farms makes customised planters based on the requirements.
For more details, visit their Facebook page Acqua Farms.