Urban Farming: How to Start Terrace Gardening on Your Own

This article is for all those people who have been giving some thought to this age-old tradition during the lockdown period but haven’t got an idea on how to proceed. Terrace farming or urban terrace farming has gained much appreciation amongst the young in the past year. It’s not just a sustainable solution to a chemical-free harvest of fresh vegetables but also a beneficial trait to learn in these challenging times. Here’s how you can do your terrace farming:

What is Rooftop Farming and Why is It A Good Idea?

Rooftop gardening is slowly becoming a worldwide phenomenon, especially among the younger generation in cities. It is a good way of making sure that one uses the space available with them for something entirely natural and healthy. Apart from that, it is also one way to make sure that one has nutritious produce at all times.

Benefits of Starting Your Own Rooftop/Terrace Gardening

Learn an Eco-friendly Practice:Rooftop gardening can be a good way to learn a new eco-friendly way of growing produce. It’ll also give you the satisfaction of consuming something you grew from nothing within the little space you have. It’ll also have you depend on fewer market-bought items and, therefore, less plastic to dispose of. This can also help one learn the wonders of composting and how that can help with enriching your home terrace garden soil.

Temperature Control of Your Building:Sun exposed rooftops can contribute to the elevation of your building’s temperature, often causing trouble during harsh summer months. By covering that same space with plants and vegetation, bringing down the overall temperature would be an easy job. This would then definitely show up on your electricity bill, helping you save more money.

Be in Control of Your Food:You would always control what you sow and what you eat. This means that your food preferences would take the first seat with you any day. With the urban farming trend on the rise, finding seeds for any plant is easy and affordable.

How To Get Started With Terrace Farming at Home?

Step 1:The key to starting with terrace farming is to begin with easy-to-grow seeds. Leafy greens are a favourite among people during this time. Mint, Basil, Fenugreek, Spinach and Kale. You can place them in planters or in grow bags. They require the bare minimum in terms of care and will boost your confidence in the early stages of this adventure.

Step 2:Once you get the growing part down, practice transferring your plants to good containers or raised grow beds with appropriate space for them to grow and flourish. The ideal soil mixture should be a composition of garden soil, coco-peat, fertiliser, vermicompost and perlite. Take note of every plant’s daylight and shade requirements and place them accordingly on the terrace.

Step 3:Taking care of pests is the last step. Although not necessary, some rooftops might have to face pests like Caterpillars, Cutworms, Grasshoppers and locusts. Keep a constant check on your plants, and you can even spray common pest control concoctions of neem oil or chilli and garlic mixtures to keep them at bay.