BENGALURU: Amid rising concretisation in urban areas and lack of clean water to grow vegetables, fruits and any agricultural produce, Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK) is organising an Urban Gardening Training Programme for people across all age groups, especially homemakers, so that gardening is not just a hobby but also a means to grow vegetables organically, without using pesticides or insecticides.
Dr S V Suresha, Vice-Chancellor, GKVK, explained, “Though our clients are farmers, we thought we could expand our client list this time by training homemakers and others in urban gardening. The urban gardening programme mainly focuses on homemakers. Besides, we have come across research studies showing that consuming vegetables and fruits grown using pesticides and water that contains heavy metals has impacted physical and mental health. Therefore, we thought of conducting sessions with experts, resource persons who are already into it and help homemakers cultivate vegetables in small quantities for self-consumption.”
He added, “We conduct these sessions in the nursery, which is available on our campus itself. So far, we have conducted eight sessions, and each session has 30 participants who come from various backgrounds, including retired employees, homemakers and a few youngsters who are curious to know how to make compost, potting and repotting, duration of providing water to plants and more.”
When asked that potting, repotting, and even making compost can be learnt from videos on YouTube, Suresh said, “Many people who come for our sessions have admitted that despite seeing these videos, they weren’t able to grow vegetables and fruits successfully. They might have failed to understand how to prepare compost or have watered the plants too much, which resulted in them dying.
They might have failed to understand the importance of repotting, integrated pest and disease management, ways to grow flower and indoor plants and more. This is where our sessions come in.”
Apart from training, participants are also provided with a kit that has microbes, pots for preparing compost at home, a book ‘Garden Tips’ that has over 100 tips to help urban gardeners deal with issues in urban gardening, and other items.
Suresh suggests, “In case of a lack of space to make their own garden, we have suggested that people develop community gardens on empty sites or make space on terraces in their apartments.”
Success stories in Bengaluru
Rajalakshmi KS (60), a homemaker and insurance agent, has benefitted from this training programme. She said, “I have had a home garden for four years now, but lately the plants I cultivated needed to be nurtured. I looked out to see if there are any training programmes to learn the nuances of urban gardening. I learnt the methods of repotting and its importance. Now, I have started repotting.”
For instance, Rajalakshmi has been growing passion fruit in her garden. “I have been able to grow 100 to 150 passion fruit every year which we consume at home and distribute to friends. Usually, flowering starts in June, and we get a good yield in July. I have also grown okra, malabar spinach (basale soppu), brinjal and colocasia leaves (kesuve), with which we make delicious pathrode. We also get to visit the homes of people who have been successful in urban gardening.”
Meanwhile, Srinivas Murthy, a resident of Indiranagar, has a full-fledged urban garden which he has cultivated on his terrace. Reddy said, “It’s been four years since I began cultivating a garden at home. My wife and I keep trying new methods to grow plants. That is why I attend sessions of urban gardening which can help me learn and unlearn tips. I have cultivated all types of vegetables, including cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, palak, radish, ridge gourd and others.
I have also grown kanakambara flower, which is popularly called ‘firecracker’.” Srinivas said it is disappointing when plants are destroyed by continuous rain. “I feel disheartened to see them die, and I understand the emotions farmers go through when their crops are destroyed due to rain or drought. In case of urban gardening, since we grow plants in pots, they cannot be watered beyond a certain limit. When there is continuous rains in the city, most flowers, fruits and even vegetables die. I make sure to plant them afresh.”