Tips for the ‘shady’ gardener
CHENNAI : Balcony gardening is easy if all you want is lush greenery. Make a one-time investment in pots and pot-mix, plant shade loving plants such as song of India (Dracaena reflexa), dieffenbachia, philodendron, spider plant, peperomia, rubber plant and money plant, and your garden is ready. These are easy to grow and maintain.
Once you have them, they start to grow, and there’s nothing much to be done after. With no flowers and fruits, these plants don’t even attract too many insects. There isn’t much for the gardener to do here but a bit of watering and pruning. But, if you want to feel like a gardener, we need to add a few challenges to gardening. One way is to grow organic vegetables that do well in the shade.
I grew potatoes last year in an old jar. The plant grew westwards trying to find some sunlight, but the potatoes grew nice and healthy. What I had done is this: cubed a potato that I’d ignored for long and which had thus grown green eyes. Planted the cubes in tall containers. The impatient squirrels dug them up and left just one piece. So I watched the one plant growing and added a handful of compost once in two weeks. When the plant dried up, I waited for a week to dig up the soil and harvest the potatoes. With more diligence and some patience, I’m sure one can grow enough potatoes to treat the family to masala dosa.
Root vegetables such as radish and carrot grow well too. Try small red radishes, turnips and knol-khol. The yield would depend on the care that you give to the soil in terms of organic fertilisers. Greens such as palak, lettuce and amaranthus do well in semi-shade. The growth may be slower than when planted in the sun, but the wait is worth it. Turmeric, ginger, onions and garlic and some forms of beans too grow well in the shade too.
What to grow
Root vegetables such as radish and carrot grow well too. Try small red radishes, turnips and knol-khol. The yield would depend on the care that you give to the soil in terms of organic fertilisers. Greens such as palak, lettuce and amaranthus do well in semi-shade. The growth may be slower than when planted in the sun, but the wait is worth it.