Homegrown Sabzi

Homegrown Sabzi
Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners

Homegrown Sabzi
by
Edible Routes
www.edibleroutes.com
and
Praxis - Institute for Participatory Practices

www.praxisindia.org
First Print: February 2020
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-

ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Guidelines for citation: Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners; Edible
Routes and Praxis Institute for Participatory Practices; 2020
This document has been created with support from Change Alliance
All visuals in this book are for representation purpose only.
Printed in India
Contents
Introduction 1
How to do farming in an Urban Landscape 1
Why Urban Kitchen Gardening? 2
1. Non-negotiable Principles 4
2. Garden Design Techniques 8
2.1 Spacing and orientation: follow the sun! 8
2.2 Duration of Sunlight 9
2.3 Orientation: learning to track the Sun 9
2.4 Lay-out of your urban farm 10
2.5 Choice of container or raised beds 12
3. The Ground Beneath Our Feet 18
3.1 Understanding your soil 18
3.2 Managing Soils in a Container Garden 20
3.3 The Ground above Our Feet: Raised beds 23
3.4 Mulching - a must for both containers and beds 23
4. The Art of Sowing 25
4.1 To sow or not to sow? 25
4.2 Sowing calendar 27
4.3 Companion planting 32
5. Ongoing Maintenance 37
5.1 Maintenance Tasks 37
5.2 Other ongoing tasks 42
6. Managing Pests 44
6.1 The Philosophic Underpinnings of Effective Pest Management 45
6.2 The fundamental solution: get the basics right 45
6.3 Pest repelling Plants 46
6.4 Brief guide to identify and deal with two of our most common bugs 46
6.5 Pest repelling sprays 47
6.6 Some concoctions of natural pest sprays that you can try 48
6.7 Other easy remedies 50
7. Composting for the Urban Farmer 51
7.1 Waste segregation made easy 52
7.2 Decomposing organic waste 53
7.3. Piling it up 54
7.4 What’s the right container? 55
7.5 Troubleshooting 56
INTRODUCTION
Urban kitchen gardening – around Delhi. We are an organisation

sometimes referred to as ‘urban that empowers people to grow food
farming’ – is the growing of edible and reconnect to nature.
plants in and around the city.
We do this by conducting workshops
Farmers working in and around urban and teaching people; and by designing,
areas, or ‘urban farmers’, usually grow making and maintaining kitchen
vegetables, herbs and sometimes fruit gardens.
trees in their kitchen gardens, whereas
And renting out little plots of land called
crops like rice, wheat and millets are
farmlets for urbanites to experience
not usually grown in these gardens.
the growing process.
Growing food in the city presents a
We always try to find low-cost solutions
unique set of challenges
that are easy to implement, as you’ll see
through the examples in this book.
Lack of
Shortage access to How to farm in an Urban
of space the ground Landscape
What exactly do we do when we practise
Challenges
urban farming?
Lack of
Absence or At a rudimentary level, urban farming
knowledge
shortage of and is the endless cycle of preparing
sunlight community soil, sowing, transplanting, weeding,
support tending, pruning, harvesting, clearing
old plants and starting all over again.
In order to tackle these challenges, urban
farming usually involves a number of But for so called ‘urban farmers’ there’s
creative and jugaad strategies along more to this process, it’s also a way to
with low-cost innovation to create reconnect with nature.
spaces in which kitchen gardens can
thrive despite all the concrete, pollution One of our teachers always says
and hustle-bustle of the city. that gardening is not about growing
This is what we at Edible Routes have plants, it is a mode of observation –
been doing for the last four years in and Observe, Observe, Observe!
1 Introduction
The more attention we pay to the plants Traditionally in rural India, seeds,
around us, the better the relationship grazing land, and knowledge were
we’ll develop with nature and the better considered part of the commons –
the gardeners we’ll become. everyone would share these resources
for free.
We can therefore say that urban
farmers not only grow plants, but also People residing in cities have just started
observe, enjoy and cherish nature more growing vegetables – they neither have
while living in soilless brick-mortar-and- any farming knowledge to share nor a
plastic environments. sense of community.
Looking at the way our cities are built,

Thus, a very large and important
at first it appears almost impossible
part of urban farming is mobilising
to integrate the growing of plants into
friends and other locals to get
these densely built-up concrete spaces.
involved in gardening and related
But if we look more closely, small activities like composting.
unlikely, spaces like balconies and
rooftops, sun-lit walls, backyards and We need to create and re-discover a
sidewalks offer infinite possibilities to tight-knit sense of community through
grow what we eat. our gardens.
Doing so, we might realise that our

domestic help is a farmer and knows all
about the right planting season or that
the senior citizen next door goes back
to his village once a year and can bring
us seeds from his brother’s farm.
In this way, urban farming is also a

way to create a sense of community
and escape our isolated existence
An urban farm with both efficient space utiliziation in the city.
and aesthetic elements
Due to such space constraints, urban Why Urban Kitchen Gardening?

farming attempts to utilise every inch
Many people get into urban farming
available as efficiently as possible.
due to health concerns: given the
Apart from space constraints, people uncontrolled use of harmful chemicals
who want to get into urban farming in growing most of the food we eat, it
often realise that knowledge about provides city-dwellers a way to become
growing vegetables is not very common at least partially independent of
amongst city-folk. synthetically grown vegetables.
Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 2

Additionally, urban farming presents 3. Cost cutting/savings: Conventionally
the following advantages: grown vegetables use expensive
chemical fertilizers and have high
1. Nutrient density: Nutrient density is
transportation costs.
the content of vitamins and minerals
per calorie of food. Urban farming can help cut
transportation as well as chemical input
When a vegetable is harvested it loses
costs since the means of production are
half its nutritional content within the
brought into the city.
first twenty-four hours. Hence, a tomato
plucked yesterday will only be half as 4. Finding community: There seems
nutrient-dense when eaten today. to be a growing sense of alienation
amongst city people.
This means that a tomato plucked
yesterday will still contain as many Sometimes we aren’t even acquainted
calories today, but half its nutrients will with our immediate neighbours.
have perished.
Gardening is a great tool to bring
As a result, most of the vegetables we people together and form a sense of
eat – which usually take 4-5 days to reach community.
us – are simply empty calories, devoid of
beneficial minerals and vitamins. The best part, post-harvest, is to cook
and share the freshly grown produce
Urban farming can provide fresh, together.
nutrient-rich vegetables to growers.
And last but not least, urban gardening
2. Safety/ chemical free: These days is simply fun, will make your home more
we often hear stories of farmers who beautiful and will give you a sense of
maintain a separate chemical-free satisfaction and accomplishment that
patch of land to grow vegetables for self- few things can give you in life.
consumption and sell the chemically
grown produce in the market.
These farmers are disconnected from

the city people who eat this produce.
Most urban dwellers are not aware of

the source of their food: they do not
know where, how and by whom their
food is being grown.
Urban farming can at least partly

provide a medium through which
people in urban spaces can access
safely grown food.
3 Introduction
1 NON -NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLES
We try to work with nature, not

against it, and follow the patterns and
processes observed in forests.
Throughout this book, we will be

using lessons gleaned from forest
ecosystems to design and run earth-
friendly gardens.
We have also learnt a number of lessons

from our work in the ‘urban jungle’.
Forgive us if we repeat these principles

in every chapter, but we are very keen
Before we begin, let’s talk about the you absorb them completely:
underlying principles that guide our
kitchen gardening practice. 1. Value the soil: Any kind of cultivation
depends primarily on the life within the
Conventional agriculture comes at the soil – earthworms, insects, microbes,
price of forest degradation. fungi, etc.
Entire forests are mowed down to This ‘living soil’ is the basis of any kind
create space for human needs, a large of gardening practice.
part of which is for the food we obtain
through agriculture. Unfortunately, a large part of the soil
in our country has been degraded
But ironically, forests are far more due to de-forestation, pollution, and
productive and resilient as ecosystems irresponsible agricultural practices.
than crop fields.
We think of the earth as a ‘resource’ we
They provide shelter and nutrition can extract from ad infinitum, but this
to most species of animals, including needs to change.
human beings.
For this reason, our aim is to learn from As gardeners, our job is to bring life
forest systems in order to make our back to the soil and to protect soil
kitchen gardens more eco-friendly and organisms.
efficient in production.

The forest floor contains within it the secret Mulching is simply placing dry leaves
passageway between life and death back on the soil.
2. Create biodiversity: Forests are Mulching is nature’s way of providing

the most diverse and abundant shelter to the insects, worms and micro-
ecosystems on the planet. Nobody organisms that are crucial to keep soil –
goes hungry in them. and all plants, and animals and human
beings – alive.
They are also rarely monocultural, as in,
lots of different species of plants, trees Mulching is simply placing dry leaves
and animals live together in forests. back on the soil. As straighforward as
this sounds, it is also probably one of
It has been observed that plants grow
the most difficult things to convince
much better in groups or communities.
your maali or Residential Welfare
This produces symbiosis, i.e., mutually Association (RWA) to start doing.
beneficial relationships. We must try
Go ahead, try it, and make sure you
to harness this as much as possible
don’t give up since it’s also one of the
to keep our gardens diverse and free
most important things you can do for
from a monoculture mindset.
the environment.
3. Mulch! Mulch! Mulch!: Observe the
4. Make mistakes (but make sure
forest floor.
you learn from them!): This is a very
You will notice a thick layer of leaves important principle we’ve gleaned from
covering and protecting the soil on our work in the ‘urban jungle’.
every square inch of space.
We are probably some of the first
At any time of the year if you put a human beings in history to try and grow
fistful of this soil next to your nose you vegetables in plastic containers on the
will feel the sweet smell of the rain. balcony of a high-rise apartment.
5 1. Non -negotiable principles

In a case like this, we don’t discourage
them from gardening, but point them
towards more eco-friendly materials.
Our idea is that over time, the client will

themselves shift to a more eco-friendly
container, but what’s important is that
they start gardening in the meantime.
That’s it! These are our primary guiding

principles. In some sense, these
This has not been attempted ever principles draw the lines within which
before; so don’t worry if at first you we make and run gardens.
don’t succeed, make a mistake! But also remember, and this is possibly
But try your best to only make the biggest lesson we’ve learnt from
‘successful’ mistakes. A successful the forest: there are no straight lines
mistake is one that teaches you a in nature.
lesson. Successful mistakes can be Nature is full of curves and circles and
corrected the next season and add to zig-zags and spirals, but no straight lines.
our local knowledge.
Making successful mistakes demands

that we observe very carefully and try
to draw links between our actions and
results.
Only by making lots of ‘good’ mistakes

can we develop a sound local
gardening practice.
5. Be Practical: At heart, we care a

lot about the environment. We wish
to see people and nature living in
harmony once again, but we try not
to be unbending or inflexible in our
environmentalism.
Our primary aim is to transform

people’s mindsets through kitchen
gardening. Sometimes clients insist
on using products that may not be
environment friendly: plastic gamlas,
for example.

So don’t worry if you – or we – bend But, apart from all this, the real reason
or break some of these principles we’d like you to start a kitchen garden
sometimes, as long as this is done is that through this practice you will
within reasonable limits. develop empathy for our mainstream
farmers.
A note on the real reason we are
doing all of this anyway By growing something, even a handful
of spinach, you will understand the
Yes, we’ve said that kitchen gardening difficulty of producing food and
helps us hopefully do something to benefit
Indian farmers and agriculture.
a. To eat tastier, fresher, healthier
food, If we, through this book, and through
b. Reconnect with the rhythms of your gardening, create in you even
nature once again, a little bit of empathy for the Indian
c. Avoid pesticides and rebuild our farmer, we will consider our endeavour
community, a success.
d. To reduce the amount of waste we
send to the landfill every day.
7 1. Non -negotiable principles

2 GARDEN DESIGN TECHNIQUES
Once you’ve decided to become an There are houses in Delhi that receive
urban farmer, you will have to assess very little direct sunlight. Sometimes,
your space and make the right choices we’ve had to inform clients that they
about where to grow your plants and in will be unable to grow certain fruiting
what kinds of beds or containers. vegetables like brinjal or tomato due to
a lack of direct sunlight.
2.1 Spacing and orientation: Most people in Delhi – and other cities –
Follow the sun! live in apartments or small, closely-built
As farmers in the middle of an urban houses that only have balconies or
rooftop spaces to access the outdoors
jungle we face two problems:
and grow plants.
Lack of space
Although both these issues – lack of
Shortage of sunlight space and sunlight – place limitations
on what urban farmers can produce, we
can still manage to grow at least some
edibles if we understand how the sun
behaves and how to design our garden
based on your home’s orientation.

2.2 Duration of sunlight Once you’ve calculated which parts
of your space receive the maximum
One of the harsh truths of urban sunlight, you will be able to deduce
farming is that you will need at least which vegetables you can grow and
3-4 hours of direct sunlight to grow where. The list above can guide you
anything edible. Ambient light will with that.
simply not do. In an ideal world, you’d
receive around 7-8 hours of sunlight 2.3 Orientation: learning to
to grow most of the commonly eaten
vegetables.
track the sun
Summer Now let’s also understand how the arc
solstice of the sun changes with each season. In
Spring &
Autumn
the summer, the sun travels in a semi-
Winter
circular arc almost perpendicularly
solstice above us. It rises in the east, moves
W
ninety degrees by the afternoon to a
S
point almost directly above us and then
moves a further ninety degrees to the
N
western horizon by the evening.
E
On the longest day of the year, the
The Sun’s pathway tilting towards the South in the Winter
The Sun's pathway tilting towards the south summer solstice, which usually
in the winter happens between the twentieth and
twenty-second of June, the sun makes
The following is a list of how much
an arc so large that it results in around
sunlight different kinds of vegetables
fourteen hours of daylight time in India.
and herbs need:
After the summer solstice, the length
Herbs like basil and thyme: 2-4
of each day shortens as the arc of
hours
the sun begins to tilt towards the
Leafy greens like spinach, methi south. Since we live in the northern
(fenugreek) and chaulai (amaranth): hemisphere this is how it is. The sun’s
at least 4 hours path begins to shift south as shown in
Root vegetables like carrots, the diagram.
radishes: 4-6 hours Summer
Sun’s path
Fruiting vegetables like tomatoes Spring &
and brinjal: 6-8 hours Autumn
Winter
The best way to assess how much Sun’s
path W
sunlight you receive is by stepping out
onto your rooftop or balcony several S
times in a day and simply observing N
which areas receive direct sunlight and E

for how long.
9 2. Garden Design Techniques

On the shortest day of the year, the
winter solstice, which occurs between
the twentieth and twenty-third of
December, the sun’s arc becomes so
short that we only receive about ten
hours of sunlight.
Following the winter solstice, the sun’s

path begins to shift back towards
the north and the days become longer A single-reach bed along a railing. Notice its width
is approximately 2 feet.
once again.
What all of this means for us urban It’s very important to first
farmers is that if the orientation of understand how much sunlight
your garden is: your space is receiving.
South-facing: This is ideal. You will Once we understand this, we can

receive enough sunlight through move on to designing the garden.
both winter and summer months.
2.4 Laying out pathways and
If the eastern side of your garden is
growing spaces:
exposed to the sun as well, you will
receive the maximum amount of Understanding orientation and the
sunlight possible through the year. sun’s arc may have felt like rocket
science to some, but don’t worry, this
East-facing: You will receive ample
section is much easier.
sunlight the entire year to grow
vegetables. If the southern side of You now know on which side of your
your garden is blocked there may terrace, which balcony or which corner
be a slight shortage in the winter. of your garden you want to start
West-facing: You will be able to grow gardening. For the next step in your
most plants, although, productivity design, we only have one very strict
may be a little less. Plants, like principle to follow: No stepping on the
humans, don’t like the afternoon veggie growing spaces!
sun and are less efficient since the In other words, we do not place our
sun becomes harsher after midday. feet, hands, heads or buttocks on the
North-facing: You should be able spaces in which we grow vegetables,
to grow some herbs in the summer i.e., the growing spaces or vegetable
but you will not receive any direct beds. In fact, we do not place anything
sunlight in the winter. heavy on the beds.
So make sure you don’t keep any This is to ensure that we avoid
of your edibles in your north-facing compaction (Please refer to Chapter 3.
balconies. The Ground Beneath our feet).

Compaction is the compression, the Given these limitations in our design,
hardening, of soil. Compaction reduces one very efficient design pattern is
the space for water and subsoil the keyhole. Keyholes help minimise
organisms and creates many problems walking paths and maximise your
for plant roots, so we try to avoid it at growing spaces by creating a pattern
all costs. that resembles ‘teeth’, in some sense.
We achieve this by dividing our space

into two different sections:
Growing spaces or beds
Walking paths
We must ensure that every point on a
growing space is easily accessible from
the nearest point on a walking path.
That is to say that every inch of a bed

must easily be within human reach.
This dictates the maximum width of our Utilising rooftop space efficiently using the
growing areas:– comfortable human design principles mentioned above
reach is approximately two feet. So,
every point on a growing space must
be no more than two feet from the
nearest point on a walking path.
In essence, this means that a growing

space can be no more than two feet
wide if it is accessible from only one
side; and no more than four feet wide if
it is accessible from both sides.
Double-reach beds – beds that are accessible

A keyhole design pattern maximises
from both sides – can be approximately 4
space utilisation.
feet wide.

So, the width of a comfortable walking path is approximately 1.5-2 feet.
The width of our growing space should be two feet if it is accessible from only
one side and four feet if it is accessible from both sides.
Once you understand this, you can

take a paper and pencil or use chalk on
your terrace, or visualise in whichever
way works best for you, and start
drawing where you want to have your
growing spaces and where you want
your pathways.
For your garden to be a success in

the long run, also keep in mind a few
additional things:
Ensure you don’t block any water

points or hinder the accessibility to
water tanks.
during the winter, in which case, you
Don’t place your container right
may need to reduce the amount of
next to a plug point, fuse box or
space used for growing vegetables.
other electrical implements.
You or your neighbours might need to
Don’t block any drains with your dry clothes on the rooftop.
pots and containers.
If you are cramped for space, it’s Consult all persons who use the space
okay to reduce your walking path to before executing your design in order
1.5 feet. But walking paths should to avoid conflicts later on.
never be less than this width. If there are very large trees obscuring
Keep some space open for the sun from your space, try to get
recreational activities like get- permission from your local municipal
togethers and to read the newspaper body to do ‘chhataee’ or prune some of
amongst your plants. the branches.
Try to account for how your space
is used by different individuals
2.5 Choice of container or
throughout the year. Usage patterns raised beds: finding the right
may vary in different seasons. home for your plants.
For example, individuals from your Now that you know where you want
family or organisation may spend to create your garden, you will have
more recreational time in this space to make a choice regarding which

containers will be best suited to grow remains porous and maintains an
your plants in. appropriate texture for plant roots and
sub-soil organisms to thrive. Of course,
For this, many options exist depending our previous rule still strictly applies:
on whether you have access to the no stepping on the beds!
ground or not.
The easiest way to make raised beds is
1. For those with access to the to dig 2-3 inches deep into your walking
ground paths and then to put this loosened soil
onto your growing space.
If you’re one of those few urban
farmers who can use the ground for This will automatically give you a raised
your kitchen garden, you’re very lucky. height of approximately 4-6 inches on
your growing space.
You will be able to grow your plants
directly in the earth, giving them much In the monsoon, it’s quite likely that
more root space, a better microclimate these beds will get damaged by the rain.
and access to more nutrients.
This will need repair work. Raised beds
can also be made ‘permanent’, as in
they can be given support with bricks
or tiles or even planks of wood to
prevent any damage from happening
in the monsoon.
Keep in mind, no cement needs to

be used here; the bricks and tiles will
be held up by their weight and a little
support from the soil.
We follow the same principle mentioned

earlier on the ground as well: no
stepping on the growing spaces. To
ensure this happens and to maintain
better soil health, we recommend
raised beds for growing our vegetables.
Raised beds are vegetable beds that

are elevated from the ground level by
about 4-6 inches.
These slightly elevated beds ensure A raised bed system with walking paths on both
that the soil doesn’t get compacted, sides and 4-foot wide beds

IMPORTANT:
Keep in mind that the orientation of
your beds should be from east to west.
This will ensure that regardless of the
season, your plants receive an equal
amount of sunlight.
2. For those without access to the

ground, i.e., those who have to
use containers:
If you don’t have access to the ground, or,
if you’re planning to grow in a balcony or
rooftop, you will need to choose which
containers to grow in.
Here, three main points should be
considered:
Karela and tori growing vigorously in a 4x4 feet
A. Container depth bamboo box with 10-inch depth
B. Container material
inches is minimum and (12 inches
C. Container surface area is ideal)
A. Container depth: Tall fruiting plants like ladyfinger
that have deeper roots: 14 inches is
Container choice depends on what ideal
you’d like to grow, since different plants
Fruiting vegetables like tomato
require different depths:
and brinjal: 10 inches is minimum
Micro-greens: 2-3 inches. (12-14 inches is ideal)
Greens like spinach, methi Climbers like cucumber, kakdi
(fenugreek), chaulai (amaranth), (Armenian cucumber), karela
kulfa (pigweed), sarson (mustard): (bittergourd), lobia (black-eyed pea):
4-6 inches is minimum (8 inches 10 inches is minimum (12-14 inches
is ideal) is ideal)
Short root vegetables like pink Heavy - feeding climbers like tori
radish, orange carrots, beetroot, (ridge gourd): 12-14 inches is
turnip: 4 -6 inches is minimum (8 minimum (18 inches is ideal)
inches is ideal) Sprawling, heavy-feeding creepers
Fruiting vegetables like French like lauki (bottle gourd) and kaddu
beans, chillies, capsicum: 8-10 (pumpkin) : 18-24 inches depth.

Clay and terracotta pots are a good option for
indoor plants and fruiting vegetables like brinjal
and tomato
Brinjal growing in a 10-inch deep bamboo basket
Highly-quality/virgin plastic: This
(Don’t forget that these plants will
material is light and can last up to
require more surface area to crawl
five years, if not longer. This can be
around their containers!)
a good option, although, it may not
Fruit trees should be grown in be aesthetically pleasing.
containers at least 2.5 feet deep
and with a diameter of 2 feet-3 feet. Plastic can also result in problems
of aeration and porosity for the soil,
B. Container material: especially in the monsoon.
Once you’ve decided on the depth of
your containers, you’ll need to decide
which material to use. Each material
has its own pros and cons.
Depending on your specific situation

you can decide what works best for
you:
Clay/ terracotta containers: These

provide good porosity and look
better than plastic but can be heavy
to carry around. Virgin plastic planters are your best option for
light, long-lasting containers
Clay pots can sometimes also
result in aeration issues for the
Cement containers: These
soil. Such containers usually last
containers last longer than terracotta
between 3-5 years, depending on
but are even heavier and do not
the quality purchased.
provide the same porosity as clay.

Don’t use these if you are planning
to shift plants around. Aeration for
the soil can also be a problem in
cement. These containers have the
advantage that they can last up to
ten years and more.
Recycled fruit trays: These trays are
easily available at most kabaadis
(scrap dealers) and are a great option
for your garden. They are good for
aeration and porosity and provide a
large surface area. Methi growing profusely in a 4-inch deep
bamboo basket
Bamboo boxes: Such boxes are a

wonderful choice from an aesthetic
point of view as well as for aeration
and porosity. Lining is required.
Fruit crates are an excellent option to grow greens
The only hiccup with fruit trays is

that they might not be as durable
and need a lining to hold the soil
inside. Please refer to Options for You can grow heavy vines like tori in a bamboo
lining your containers. box due to the large volume of soil it can hold
Bamboo baskets: These are an
C. Container surface area
excellent and aesthetic choice that
provide good aeration as well as Your container’s surface area will
porosity. determine which plants you can grow
efficiently:
The baskets will need to be lined with
a geo-textile fabric to hold the soil in Greens and root vegetables,
place. Each basket can last between anything you plant densely, require
1.5-2 years. large surface areas.

Options for lining your containers: So, generally speaking, circular
gamlas are not your best option to
• UV-treated geo-textile: This is a
grow greens like spinach, methi and
polymer fabric that holds soil in
amaranth. Long planters, boxes and
place and does not disintegrate in
crates are much better for this.
direct sunlight or in water. It lasts up
to ten years or more. Shrubs and herbs are equally happy
• Plastic sheet/tarpaulin pieces: This in gamlas or planters.
can hold soil in place but usually Vines and creepers require depth
results in major problems of but can be planted in containers with
aeration and porosity. Water has a relatively small surface area as well.
difficult time leaving containers lined
with plastic. Plastics also disintegrate You’re almost ready to start planting!
within a few years and you will have Place your containers where you have
to change the lining. decided to put them, make the raised
• Jute and other non-polymer cloth: beds according to your design layout
This is the most eco-friendly option and now get our hands in the mitti!
but usually does not last beyond
two seasons.

THE GROUND BENEATH
3 OUR FEET
Traditionally, our farmers removed is several times higher than the weight
their footwear before walking onto of humans, animals, plants and trees
their fields. above the soil.
Soil was revered and respected, along It’s these sub-soil organisms that first
with countless other deities of nature. decompose dead organic matter and
Indian cities seem to have forgotten this. then re-compose it into nutritional
factors that can be absorbed by plants.
Every urban farmer’s first responsibility
is to nurture and protect soil. Soil is a vast and fascinating subject
whose secrets we’re only now beginning
The reason is simple – soil is the medium
to understand.
in which plants grow; healthy soil will
automatically result in healthy plants. Approximately only around 3.2% of the
Soil is the bridge that enables trees Earth’s surface can support human life.
and plants to re-absorb decomposing And only the top soil – 3 - 4 inches of
organic matter. this small section – has the potential to
give life to plants and animals.
In some sense, soil links death to life.
Dead and decaying plant and animal Nature, by itself, takes approximately
matter fall on the forest floor, come in 250 years to produce one inch of top
contact with the soil, decompose, and soil. Now imagine the urgency with
then get absorbed as nutrition by the which we need to protect and nurture
roots of trees and plants. soil!
You’ll be surprised to know that the

weight of worms, insects and other It’s said that the longevity of a
sub-soil fauna living beneath our feet civilization depends on how well it
nurtures its soils.
3.1 Understanding your soil

We will now talk about two critical
aspects of soil:
1. Soil structure (or tilth) refers to two

things:

The size of soil clumps that stick accessible to plants, while other
together forms are not
The amount of cracks, gaps or A nutrient-rich soil exists usually
tunnels that exist between these where organic content is high. Soil life
soil clumps transforms nutrients into forms that
plant roots can take up.
A healthy soil structure is fluffy and
porous, i.e., water and air easily pass Therefore, a healthy soil structure and
through. healthy nutrition of plants usually go
hand in hand.
This is guaranteed in nature if we have
a high organic content (grass, leaves, 3. PH factor:
compost, mulch, wood, etc.) and a
thriving soil life (earthworms, insects, The PH expresses the acidity or
millipedes, microbial life, etc.). alkalinity of soil. The ideal pH for
growing vegetables is 6.5 - 7.5.
2. Nutrient content
For our purpose as urban farmers, we
Nutrients that plants require will primarily talk about soil structure
are available in soils in different (tilth) and nutrition; pH can become
quantities a little too technical. The ideal soil for
Nutrients also exist in different any plant is porous and nutrient rich.
forms, some of which might be It should be crumbly to the touch. The
technical term for this is ‘friable’.
Did you know that about half the
volume of a healthy soil is just air! Fun fact:
It’s all the space created by worms The human body maintains its pH
and other subsoil organisms to live in. strictly between 7.45 and 7.55.
19 3. The Ground beneath Our Feet

Plant roots require spaces and cavities
between soil particles to spread
between these particles so that plants
can grow.
Soil organisms move through soil

material and create space for roots to
spread. These same organisms also
decompose and then re-compose
organic matter into nutritional factors
that roots can absorb.
Appropriately mulched gobi plants.
Thus, for any successful gardening
practice, it is our responsibility to Remember that in the ground,
protect and nurture organisms in the earthworms, insects and other sub-soil
soil. fauna constantly ‘drill’ and churn the
earth to ensure it remains soft, crumbly
and friable – the ideal environment for
roots to spread and grow.
Plus, in the ground, roots have ample

room to search for nutrients.
What an aquarium is to a fish, a pot

is to a plant. The space for the plant
to thrive is limited. Hence, we need
to take extra care to maintain an
appropriate environment for it.
In containers, we come upon two

Walking paths mulched between the raised beds of a
vegetable patch. Ensure your pathways are mulched major limitations when it comes to
with at least a 3-4 inch thick layer of mulch. soil quality:
a. Compaction: This is when the soil

3.2. Managing Soils in a becomes hard because there are no
Container Garden worms or other sub-soil fauna to
carry out nature’s own form of ‘gudaai’’
Now let’s see how we can apply some
(loosening or fluffing up soil).
of these lessons to our small, urban
kitchen gardens. b. Lack of nutrients: This is simply due
to the lack of space for roots to spread
Sometimes, people get frustrated while
and find nutrients.
trying to grow vegetables in pots of
hard, dry, cracked soil. It’s important to For these two reasons, we need to
understand how this can be avoided. create a potting mix:

Nutrients – to provide nourishment
to plants so that they can flower
and fruit successfully.
Anchorage – to allow the plants to
stand with stability.
Microbes and worms – to do
the crucial work of re-composing
organic waste and manure into
forms that our plants can absorb.
Making potting mix is like cooking.
There are many ingredients that can be
added in a variety of proportions.
Here are some of the ingredients and

their uses:
Cocopeat: Made from powdered

coconut husk, this inert medium has
Leaf mulch in a pot excellent water-holding capacity.
A potting mix is a combination of It is added to your mix so that
natural materials that attempts to moisture is retained.
recreate some of the soil conditions In addition, it is light, which helps keep
that exist naturally in the ground. Our the soil, crumbly and well-aerated. It
objective is to overcome problems of is available either online or in most
compaction and lack of nutrients. nurseries for Rs. 200/- a block.
An ideal potting mix should be light, (Note: Cocopeat will need to be
airy, long-lasting, moisture-retentive soaked in water and expanded
and contain diverse nutrients. before use.)
Here are the characteristics of soil Soil: In a potting mix the role of soil
that we need to pay attention to: is to provide your plants anchorage
– something the roots can hold onto
Drainage – to ensure water passes
and grip.
easily through the mix and doesn’t
clog plant roots. It also contains slow-releasing
Aeration – to make air available to nutrients. Soil should be available
the roots. Roots require oxygen to locally at almost no cost.
carry out their functions effectively. Sand: Adding sand helps with
Water retention – to avoid excessive drainage. It helps water pass
watering and maintain moisture through your mix easily and makes
levels. your potting mix more porous.

Compost: This provides the nutrient Neem khali: ‘Neem khali’ is what
element of the mix. You can use remains after oil has been extracted
either gobar khaad (dried cow- from neem seeds.
dung), vermicompost, home-made
This is an organic fertilizer but at the
compost, leaf compost, or – best
same time it also acts as a fungicide,
of all – use a variety of different
pesticide and protects plants from
composts.
ants and parasitic nematodes. This
Plants, like us, love variety in their costs around Rs. 10-20/- per kilo.
food too. This should cost you
between Rs. 5-15/- a kilo, depending Every ingredient of the potting mix has
on the quality. multiple functions and works together
to make a better growing medium.
Vermiculite: Vermiculite is a
naturally occurring mineral that Now that you have your ingredients,
is mined and processed into let’s try a few recipes. The percentages
lightweight granules with many mentioned below represent the total
layers. Minute cavities in each volume (not weight) of each ingredient.
granule create root space and help
These are basic guiding principles.
hold nutrients. You don’t necessarily
need vermiculite, but it sure does To get your potting mix right you’ll
help. Specialised nurseries stock need to experiment with local soils and
vermiculite or you can order it specific plants to see what works best
online at about Rs. 50-80/- a kilo. in your area.
Different recipes for potting mix

Vermiculite
5%
15% 40% 34%
34% 33%
Neem Khali Compost Compost 33%
Compost Cocopeat
Mixture Mixture Sand
Mixture
40%
33% 33%
Cocopeat
Soil Soil
Premium potting mix High-quality potting mix Budget potting mix
Once you get your potting mix right, you’re well on your way to a successful garden.

3.3 The Ground above Our 3.4 Mulching - a must for
Feet: Raised beds both containers and beds
If you’re one of those lucky urban Let’s focus for a moment on mulching.
farmers who has access to the ground, As mentioned in our introduction,
you need to keep in mind that we mulching is placing a layer of dry
cannot change or alter our soils. We organic matter over the soil, for
can only amend some of its properties. example, dry leaves, wood shavings,
For example, we can improve drainage or wheat husk. This mulch forms a
to some extent by making raised beds protective skin on the soil.
(as explained in the previous chapter 2.
Garden Design Techniques).
The primary property we should try Mulch is what we observe on the

to amend, however, is the amount of forest floor. It helps retain moisture
organic matter available in the soil. and keeps soil life protected from
Organic matter not only improves the direct sunlight.
soil structure, it also attracts soil life. This moisture and darkness creates
Therefore, there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ an ideal environment for soil
soils; soils can only be living or non- organisms to thrive.
living. The soil’s fertility – its ability to This protective layer of leaves is
produce life – is directly proportional to essential for any kind of gardening,
the life within that soil. whether in containers or directly on
Walk into a forest and you will tangibly the ground.
notice life thriving under the forest floor.
Here are some easy tips for you

to improve your soil quality in a low- You can choose either dry mulch
cost way: or green/living mulch. Dry mulch
includes all dry/dead/brown biomass
Insist on using raised beds (see our like leaves, wood shavings, cocopeat,
chapter 2. Garden design techniques) crop residues, etc.
Add organic matter like farmyard
And green or living mulch is a layer
manure or vermicompost
of green-cover planted specifically to
Plant green manure crops like enrich the soil.
dhaincha (Sesbania bispinosa), alfa
alfa and sunhemp as living mulch . For example: alfa alfa, stylo, dhaincha
(Sesbania bispinosa), sunhemp or
Add available leaf litter in the form horse gram.
of mulch to your walking paths and
on your beds. We must always keep our pots and
growing spaces mulched.

Not only will this help with No wonder some of our urban
maintaining a healthier soil, it’ll also farmers sign off their emails with
reduce the amount of water we use “Mulch, mulch, mulch!”
to grow our plants.

4 THE ART OF SOWING
A wise man once asked his son to split floor like lauki (bottle gourd); or grows
open the fig of a banyan tree. The son downward into the soil like carrot
split open the fig and showed his father and radish; or soars into the sky like
that there were seeds inside. a moringa tree – the possibilities are
endless.
Then the wise man asked him to split
open a seed. The son split the seed All we need to do is acquaint ourselves
and said to his father that he’d found with the plants we want to grow. So, go
“nothing”. out, and start observing!
The wise man replied that within this Once we are acquainted with our
“nothingness” lay the potential for a plants, we can easily decide how much
tree, a forest, and for all of life. ‘living room’ they need. On this basis,
we can understand how much space to
Whatever this story means, the real leave between seeds.
questions is:
Picture a tilled plot of land, 1-acre in
4.1 To sow or not to sow? size, and a farmer broadcasting seeds
as he walks in a carefully calculated
New kitchen gardeners often find the pattern.
process of sowing difficult.
How many seeds do I need to plant in After generations of working in

a given space? agriculture, farmers have an intuitive
sense, an estimate, of how many
How do we even begin to answer this seeds to plant for optimal production.
question?
Unfortunately we wannabe farmers
The first answer is to observe the stages don’t have this sense yet.
of a plant’s growth.
While sowing, we need to picture, in

our mind, the fully grown plant. In To begin to develop this sense, we will
order to do so, observe whether a use a simple technique called ‘square-
plant grows into a bush, like brinjal foot gardening’. Luckily for us urban
or chilly;or vines upwards like karela farmers, we have to deal with relatively
(bitter gourd); or sprawls along the smaller spaces.
25 4. The art of sowing

The diagram gives you the figures for some of the most common vegetables.
EdibleRoutes SquareFoot Garden planner
8 Peas Bush beans Pole beans 2 Cucumbers 1 Tomato 1 Pepper 1 Eggplant
orange pink 2 Sweet

6 Beets 16 Raddish 6 Turnips 1 Potato Potatoes 2 Corns
9 Carrots
4 Lettuce 16 Spinach 1 Kale 4 Swiss chard 1 Cabbage 1 Broccoli 1 Cauliflower
4 Basil 4 Parsley 16 Cilantro 16 Dill 1 Mint 1 Celery 1 Rosemary
9 Chives 6 Raddish 9 Onions 4 Garlic 4 Leeks 4 Thyme 1 Oregano
2 Karela 4 Marigold 2 Semphali 2 Lobia 4 Gvarphali 4 Kalmi 2 Poi Saag
Zucchini, Summer Squash Pumpkin, Summer Squash Melons

2 sqf/ plant 2 sqf/ plant 2 sqf/ plant 2 Tinda

Even those small spaces can be further replicate this pattern on the rest of
broken down into one-square-foot your growing area.
grids and planting can be planned
based on how many seeds we’ll need For example, if you have a ten-
to sow per square foot. square-foot bed, you’ll need to plant
around 60 beetroot seeds in total :
Take an example: A brinjal plant 6 seeds/sqft x 10 sqft = 60 seeds:
comfortably occupies enough space to
cover approximately 1-square-foot. In practice, you’ll be able to plant
more than sixty seeds because of
So we plant one brinjal seed per square the additional spaces created by the
foot (What this amounts to is that you'll combined edges of each square foot
need about 1 brinjal plant per standard but this is an easy way to start planting
size gamla (with 12-inch depth)). effectively.
On the other hand, approximately six
beetroots can grow in one square foot. 4.2 Sowing calender
Thus, we’d plant six evenly spaced To find out the best sowing season for
beetroot seeds in one square-foot in a each crop please refer to our sowing
pattern that resembles the six on a dice. calendar on page 28-31.
Once you understand how many More planting tips:

seeds per square-foot to sow, you can a. Planting depth: A simple thumb rule
that an urban farmer needs to follow is
that your seed should be as deep as it
is large.
For example, if your rajma (kidney
beans) seed is an inch long, it should
be planted one-inch-deep. Seeds like
spinach and chaulai (amaranth) should
be covered with just a thin layer of soil
since the seeds themselves are so small.
b. If you’re planting during the middle
of a season, like in June or December
in north India, make sure you plant
more densely than usual because it’s
quite likely that you may not get perfect
germination.
c. Thinning: For root crops and legumes
sow more seeds than needed and
do ‘thinning’ to the required density
Seed planting depth once all the seeds have germinated.

PLANTING CALENDAR FOR KITCHEN GARDEN-LAND (DELHI/NCR)
January Febuary March April May June
Ajwain Ajwain
Bathua Baby Corn Ajwain Leaves Ajwain Leaves
Leaves Leaves
Beet Root Beet Root Arbi Arbi Baby Corn Baby Corn
Celery Bhindi Baby Corn Baby Corn Basil Basil
Chhapan Tinda Bitter Gourd Basil Basil Bhindi Bhindi
Bottle
Chives Bhindi Bhindi Brinjal Brinjal
Gourd*
Bitter
Cilantro Brinjal Bitter Gourd Chilli Chilli
Gourd
Bottle Bottle
Fennel Celery Desi Corn* Desi Corn*
Gourd* Gourd*
Cherry Green
Fenugreek Brinjal Brinjal Green Amaranth
Tomato Amaranth
Chhapan Cherry
Kasuri Methi Chilli Gvar Fali Gvar Fali
Tinda Tomato
Leaf Lettuce Chhapan
Chilli Desi Corn* Haldi Haldi
(Green) Tinda
Leaf Lettuce Green
Chives Chilly Lemon Grass Lemon Grass
(Red) Amaranth
Green
Leek Cilantro Chives Lobia Fali Lobia Fali
Malabar
Lemon Balm Cucumber Cilantro Gvar Fali Purslane Mint
Lemon Red
Marjoram Fenugreek Cucumber Red Amaranth
Grass Amaranth
Orange Carrot French Beans Desi Corn* Lobia Fali Sweet Corn* Sem Fali
Green Green
Oregano Mint Sweet Corn*
Capsicum Amaranth
Green Green
Parsley Peppermint
Zucchini Capsicum
Green
Red Radish Kakri Pumpkin*
Malabar
Leaf Lettuce Green
Rocket Purslane
(Green) Zucchini
Leaf Lettuce Red
Rosemary Gvar Fali
(Red) Amaranth
Red Malabar
Spinach Leek Kakri
Spinach

July August September October November December
Ajwain Leaves Ajwain Leaves Ajwain Leaves Beet Root Bathua Bathua
Baby Corn Baby Corn Baby Corn Broccoli Broccoli Broccoli
Basil Basil Basil Cabbage Cabbage Cabbage
Beet Root Beet Root Beet Root Cauliflower Cauliflower Cauliflower
Bhindi Bhindi Bhindi Celery Celery Celery
Cherry Cherry Cherry

Bitter Gourd Bitter Gourd Brinjal
Tomato Tomato Tomato
Bottle Gourd* Bottle Gourd* Cauliflower Chives Chives Chives
Cherry
Brinjal Brinjal Cilantro Cilantro Cilantro
Tomato
Chilli Chilli Chilli Dill Dill Dill
Desi Corn* Cilantro Chives Fennel Fennel Fennel
Green
Desi Corn* Cilantro Fenugreek Fenugreek Fenugreek
Amaranth
Gvar Fali French Beans Desi Corn* French Beans French Beans Kasuri Methi
Green
Haldi French Beans Garlic Garlic Kohlrabi
Amaranth
Green Green Green Leaf Lettuce
Lemon Grass Gvar Fali
Amaranth Zucchini Zucchini (Green)
Green Leaf Lettuce
Lobia Fali Lemon Grass Kasuri Methi Kasuri Methi
Capsicum (Red)
Green
Mint Lobia Fali Kohlrabi Kohlrabi Leek
Zucchini
Leaf Lettuce Leaf Lettuce
Pumpkin* Mint Leek Lemon Balm
(Green) (Green)
Leaf Lettuce Leaf Lettuce
Red Amaranth Pumpkin* Lemon Grass Marjoram
(Red) (Red)
Mustard
Ridge Gourd Red Amaranth Lobia Fali Leek Leek
Leaves
Sem Fali Ridge Gourd Mint Lemon Balm Lemon Balm Orange Carrot
Red
Snake Gourd Sem Fali Marjoram Marjoram Oregano
Amaranth

PLANTING CALENDAR FOR KITCHEN GARDEN-LAND (DELHI/NCR)
January Febuary March April May June
Spring Garlic Lemon Balm Lemon Balm Ridge Gourd
Spring Onion Lobia Fali Lemon Grass Snake Gourd
Sponge
Sweet Corn* Marjoram Lobia Fali
Gourd
Thyme Mint Mint Sweet Corn*
Orange Orange Water

White Radish
Carrot Carrot Spinach
Oregano Peppermint
Parsley Pumpkin*
Peppermint Purslane
Red
Pumpkin*
Amaranth
Red Malabar
Red Radish
Spinach
Ridge Gourd Ridge Gourd
Rocket Snake Gourd
Rosemary Spinach
Sponge
Snake Gourd
Gourd
Spinach Spring Onion
Sponge
Sweet Corn*
Gourd
Spring Garlic Tinda
Spring Onion Tomato
Water
Sweet Corn*
Melon*
Water
Thyme
Spinach
Yellow
Tinda
Zucchini
Tomato
Water
Melon*
Yellow
Zucchini
* Not Recommended For Rooftop

July August September October November December
Mustard Mustard
Sponge Gourd Snake Gourd Red Radish Pak Choy
Leaves Leaves
Sweet Corn* Spinach Sem Fali Orange Carrot Orange Carrot Parsley
Sweet Potato* Sponge Gourd Spinach Oregano Oregano Parsley
Sweet Corn* Spring Onion Pak Choy Pak Choy Red Carrot
Sweet Potato* Sweet Corn* Parsley Parsley Red Radish
Tomato Parsley Parsley Rocket

Yellow
Peas* Peas* Rosemary
Zucchini
Potato* Potato* Singri
Red Carrot Red Carrot Spinach
Red Radish Red Radish Spring Garlic
Rocket Rocket Spring Onion

Rosemary Rosemary Thyme
Singri Singri Tomato
Spinach Spinach Turnip
Spring Garlic Spring Garlic White Radish
Spring Onion Spring Onion
Thyme Thyme
Tomato Tomato
Turnip Turnip
White Radish White Radish
Yellow Zucchini Yellow Zucchini

For example, put two seeds in each
hole you have made for radish. Some
of these seeds will fail to germinate.
In these cases only one plant will be
visible. Leave this as is.
On the other hand, when both seeds

germinate, wait until their real leaves
emerge. This should take about ten
days.
Choose the weaker looking one of
the two plants – usually the one with
a thinner stem – and gently remove
it with your index finger and thumb.
Make sure you water the plant before
doing this. 4.3 Companion planting
Once you’ve mastered the ability to
plant one kind of veggie in one space,
you can begin attempting to plant
more than a single species in one area.
This results in an even better utilisation
of space. The combination of different
plants in one bed or container is called
companion planting.
Our conventional wisdom dictates that

only a single plant should be grown
in a kyaari (flowerbeds) or gamla
(flowerpots).
Remember, although this may look

neat and symmetrical, monocultures
do not exist in nature.
To get a sense of why companion

You can either eat the removed plant planting works better, we need to
as a micro-green or mulch it in the understand nature’s most productive
same pot. ecosystem – the forest.
d. For brinjal, tomato, chillies and herbs
Teeming with life from floor to canopy,
one needs to plant saplings, instead of
forests provide shelter and food to a
seeds. This will save you time and space
mind-boggling diversity of living things,
in your growing areas.
including humans.

out laterally; some vine upwards if
Each living organism lives in a
given support or sprawl themselves
symbiotic relationship with the other
lazily over the surrounding floor space;
– plants, insects, animals, grasses,
some cover the soil evenly; and some
sub-soil microbes, subterranean
grow downwards, into the ground.
fungi.
So we try to pair plants together that will
When one organism dies, it provides occupy different spaces and minimize
food for another. In both life and the amount they compete for sunlight.
death, forest dwellers co-exist in an b. Time: Different plants also grow at
intricate web of mutually beneficial different speeds. Some sprout and
relationships. burst into shape within a week and
others slug along for about a month
Generally speaking, forests demon-
before growing larger.
strate that plants grow better when
grown together. When combining plants we have to be
careful that we don’t put all slow- and
Different families of plants need fast-growers in the same group.
different nutrients from the soil; they
don’t necessarily compete. Rather, we should use this knowledge
to our advantage, while waiting for
In fact they help each other (and us) slow growing plants to mature, we can
in pest control, pollination, space already harvest a fast-growing one
utilisation, yield, and, some claim, before it gets shaded under the larger
taste too. companion.
But, of course, certain plants do Once we understand the space and
compete with each other to win favour time occupied by different plants, we
in the process of evolution. can combine them more effectively.
But we need to understand one more
Don’t worry, with a basic
concept before making our companion
understanding of the plants’ growth
planting plans: like humans, plants
cycle and characteristics, we can
have families.
effortlessly learn to pair species that
love growing together. But unlike humans, plants are to be
kept away from their family members
Let’s first review how plants occupy to avoid pest attacks and competition
time and space. for the same nutrients.
a. Space: Different plants grow and

The basic thumb rule is that you
occupy the space around them
don’t grow plants from the same
differently. Some grow straight-up;
family together.
some rise vertically and then spread

The Spinach-and-Tomato Story:
Keeping space, time and plant
families in mind, we can, for
example, grow spinach and
tomato together. Spinach is from
the Amaranthaceae family and
Tomato is a nightshade: hence
they won’t compete for nutrients.
Tinda growing profusely in the partial shade of a
crop of corn. They also use different root zones;
spinach is shallow-rooted and
Below is our easy-to-understand list tomato has a relatively deeper root
of different plant families: system. Above the ground, spinach
a. Nightshades: grows shorter and can be more
densely planted while tomatoes
The most common edible plants in grow relatively tall.
this family are Tomato, Brinjal, Chilly,
Capsicum, Potato, and Okra. Once the plants are full grown,
the spinach will enjoy the dappled
b. Gourds: sunlight created by the tomatoes’
Vining summer veggies that love to cover. In about 60-90 days your
sprawl on the ground or climb trellises spinach harvest will almost be
like lauki (bottle gourd), Cucumber, complete and the slow-growing
Tori (ridge gourd), Kakdi (Armenian tomatoes will have just matured
cucumber), Tinda (Indian squash) and and begun to give fruit.
Kaddu (pumpkin).
c. Alliums: cabbage and mustard. They usually

have yellow flowers and a stalk that
Relatives of the onion family like garlic,
shoots out from the plant’s centre.
chives, leeks and of course onions.
Now here are some combinations for
d. Legumes (Beans):
you to give a try: [sf = square foot]
Plants that have edible pods like french
a. Cucumbers and Corn (warm season)
beans, peas, lobia (black-eyed peas) and
sem fali (broad beans). Surprisingly, The cucumbers sprawl over the ground
methi (fenugreek) is also a legume or climb up a trellis while corn grows
although we eat its leaves and plant it vertically straight up. Plant Density:
as green cover. cucumber 1/sf, corn 4/sf.
e. Brassicas: b. Corn and Beans (warm season)
This is what we call the “cabbage family”. The beans attract beneficial insects that
It includes lettuces, cauliflowers, prey on corn pests such as leafhoppers

and leaf beetles. And bean vines climb
up the corn stalks. Plant Density: beans
2/sf, corn 4/sf.
c. Chaulai and Brinjal (warm season)
Chaulai is a fast growing green from the

Amaranthacae family that can be cut
multiple times for its leaves while the
Brinjals mature and start giving fruit.
Plant Density: chaulai 16/sf, brinjal
1 per 2 sf.
d. Turmeric and Corn (warm season)
Methi and beetroot together – in this case you’ll
Turmeric grows underground and need to watch out for the beetroot leaves while
loves the filtered shade created harvesting your methi. Or better yet, harvest and
by the vertically upright corn stalk. eat the beetroot leaves as well.
Plant Density: turmeric 4 tubers/sf,
corn 4/sf.
Traditional multicropping
e. Radishes and Spinach (cool season)
We came across an amazing
Planting radishes on the boundary of traditional planting combination
spinach will draw leafminers (common during a visit to one of the villages
pests) away from the spinach. The in the hills near Dehradun last year.
damage the leafminers do to radish Six Plants: Ginger, Turmeric, Chilly,
leaves doesn't prevent the radishes Pigeon Pea, Arbi, and Corn were
from growing nicely underground. planted together in the same space.
Plant Density: radishes 9/sf, spinach
The plants are not only from different
16/sf.
families and use space very effectively
f. Dhania and Tomato (cool season) but the harvest of the various plants
Dhania is a relatively fast growing is staggered over a few months and
green with a strong fragrance that provides a continuous supply of
aids in protecting the tomato plants produce through the year.
by deterring pests. It also works Ginger, Turmeric and Arbi are slow
complementarily with tomato in terms growing underground tubers while
of its nutrient requirements. Plant Corn, pigeon pea and chilly grow
Density: cilantro 16/sf, tomato 1/sf relatively quickly vertically upwards.
g. Cabbage and Dill (cool season) Each of these is also from a different
family: Chilly is a Nightshade; Corn
Dill is a great companion for cabbage is a type of Grass; and Pigeon Pea is
family plants, such as broccoli and from the Legume family.
brussels sprouts.

The cabbages support the floppy For each bed, always start with a
dill stems, while the dill attracts layer of ground cover. This can be
tiny beneficial wasps that control any easy-to-grow leafy green like
cabbageworms and other cabbage chaulai, palak, methi, sarson or
pests. Plant Density: cabbage 4/sf, kulfa. A ground cover like this will
dill 4/sf also act as a living mulch.
Plant a few saplings of fruiting
4.4 The Advanced Companion vegetables like tomatoes or brinjals
Planting Process: as the main crop.
Once you’ve got the hang of basic Casually disperse seeds of a root
sowing and companion planting, you like mooli or gajar as your boundary
can try some of these tips to make your crop. These will grow happily along
planting even more space-efficient: the side of your bed.
Please note: While carrying out

mixed planting like this, ensure that
you do not clip-off your tomatoes
or beetroot leaves while harvesting
your green cover.
Lettuce, cabbage, beans and methi growing

happily together. Although each plant is growing
well, such a mix will not provide a lot of quantity
from each variety.

5 ONGOING MAINTENANCE
It’s easy to start a garden. Anyone The more attention and love you give to
can do it. The difficult part is to keep your plants, the better they will grow.
it going. The truth is that the ongoing
tasks of maintenance form the crux Thus, as you will realize in this chapter,
of gardening. gardening is not a one-time, one-off
action. It’s not just about planting
a seed.
Ongoing tasks consist primarily of
watering and weeding, with some Once you have successfully sown and
secondary and seasonal tasks as planted your garden, you are now in an
well. But such tasks shouldn’t be ongoing relationship of joy that needs
seen as an additional burden to to be integrated into your everyday
your schedule. routine as firmly as brushing your teeth
or petting your dogs.
Maintenance is your classroom
of learning. While carrying out 5.1 Maintenance Tasks:
maintenance tasks, we will develop
the observation skills required for a. Watering
successful gardening. Watering is one of the most important,
It’s in the heat of maintenance that we and most overlooked, parts of
will build a personal relationship with gardening. It’s the one activity you’ll
our plants. probably do for your plants every single
day – sometimes even twice!
The daily visit to our garden helps in
many ways, from detecting early bug Beginner gardeners are often insecure
infestations to learning about the about how much to water their plants.
specific way each plant grows. Adequate watering requires you to
develop observation skills.
There is a saying that, “A farmer’s Are the leaves of the plant firm, or are
footsteps are the best fertilizer.” they drooping? Is the soil looking dry,
Likewise, an urban gardener’s moist, or wet?
footsteps are what make the
The morning is the best time to water
garden flourish.
your plants. Use a watering can with
37 5. Ongoing Maintenance
a shower head or a shower-head
attachment for your pipe. The pressure
of water must mimic the rain.
Do not pour a single jet of water at

high-pressure onto your planters --
this will only lead to dislodged seeds
and disturbed soil.
A well-watered container should be

moist, throughout the day. Plants
need moisture, not flooding. This way,
the roots will find the right amount of
water needed without being deprived Once water has percolated to the
of oxygen. bottom, you will see it draining out of
the holes at the bottom. This actually
Plants should not droop at any time
should not happen.
because a drooping plant (means
a water-stressed plant). If the sun If you see water draining out the
starts getting more intense and you bottom of your containers you are
see your plants drooping by 4pm or overwatering and leaching nutrients
so, you should start watering twice a out of your potting mix.
day, or make sure you water deeply
in the morning. In case you’re still not sure if you’ve
watered enough, dig a bit into your
Watering deeply means that the water containers with your fingers to ensure
percolates your whole container and that there is moisture at least to 6-8
not just the top 3 inches. To achieve inches depth.
this, it might help to give water either
very slowly, or in two turns. With some practice (and your improving
observation) you will know how to
Wait for the soil to fully absorb the deeply water without wasting litres that
water – then water some more. drain out from the bottom.
Water-stressed plants and irregularly

watered plants – oscillating between
lots of water one day, and no water
on the next – are much more prone
to diseases.
Getting your watering right will not just

ensure the survival of your plant, but
also its health, and therefore, the yield
you get.

Strictly avoid overwatering: water
should never drain out from under
your containers. If this happens the
overflowing water will drain away
your soil’s nutrients as well.
Ensure that your potting soil is
evenly moist throughout your
containers.
Here are some more tips to ensure An easy way to check for moistness
that you’re watering correctly: is to take a handful of soil and make
a ball or clump.
Water your plants either early in the
a. The soil should be moist enough to
morning or in the evening to avoid
form a firm clump that breaks easily
evaporation loss. It’s also a cooler
if pushed with your thumb.
time of day to be working outside.
b. If the clump doesn’t form and
Maintain a thick layer of mulch in all
disintegrates, it’s too dry.
of your containers. This is crucial to
prevent evaporation loss, especially c. If it oozes water and sticks to your
during the summer. hands, then it’s too wet.
In summers, you must install a
shade-net to protect your plants Focus your watering on the root
from extreme heat and to prevent zone instead of the foliage. This will
evaporation losses. Please ensure prevent fungal diseases, burning of
you don’t use a shade net with a leaves, and wastage of water.
higher density than 30%. This will When you first sow seeds, you’ll
block too much light and lead to a need to water more frequently
reduction in productivity. with less quantity of water. This is
Make sure you water with a jharna because the seeds are just on the
or fountain head. The high-pressure surface of the soil.
stream of a water pipe is very Once seeds germinate and your
harmful for your soil. You can either plants take root, you’ll need to
use a fountain head attached to water less frequently but with more
your pipe or a watering can. quantity of water.
Water deeply by providing a gentle
stream which allows soil particles b. Jugaadu self-watering
to slowly absorb the water. Avoid systems:
flooding your containers – this can
cause compaction. Ensuring regular adequate watering
might be a challenge for people who are
Therefore you’ll probably need to place
a matka at every three-and-a-half-feet of
your bed. Keep in mind that this kind of
irrigation will only work on the ground.
Unless your containers are very large,

you will not be able to place a matka
in them.
A row of self-watering planters.

Notice the overflow about 1-inch above the bottom of
the pot. Since these pots don’t have holes at the bottom
they hold a reservoir of water 1-inch high.
frequently on the move. A client who

travels a lot asked us to create a way for
her plants to have access to moisture
even while she’s away. For her, we
designed our first self-watering system.
This system holds a reservoir of water

for the plants to continually utilise for Coconut irrigation implemented for a newly
a given amount of time. Watering is planted tree sapling
reduced to simply filling the reservoir
every few days
The coconut irrigator is another simple
and very low-cost solution. Simply
Two easy cost-effective ways to make take dried green coconut shells, fill
self-watering containers are by using them with water and submerge them
terracotta matkas (round earthen completely into your raised beds.
pots) or dried coconut shells.
Only a thin 1-cm lip of the coconut
should be visible above the soil. This is
A matka simply needs to be submerged to ensure that they don’t get filled with
half-way into your raised beds and filled soil. Fill these with water and cover
with water. Ensure that you place a cover with mulch.
on top to prevent evaporation loss.
You need to place approximately 4-6
Once filled, the matka will allow water coconut shells for each plant. Also,
to slowly percolate to your plants. make sure that your coconuts are dry;
Water will percolate to approximately 3 fresh shells will develop fungus and
feet from the container. attract insects.

c. Weeding propagating only the individuals with
traits beneficial for us.
Along with watering, weeding is also
one of the primary ongoing tasks for As ecological gardeners, we need to
kitchen gardeners. understand the importance of weeds as
resilient ‘pioneer’ plants that germinate
A ‘weed’ can be defined in the following even in the most depleted soils and
ways: can, thus, help create biomass and
An unwanted, uninvited species replenish these soils.
consuming water and sunlight But as pragmatic urban farmers with
meant for our planted species. very limited space, we also need to
A species we have not yet learned ensure weeds do not consume vital
how to use or eat. resources meant for our vegetables,
herbs and fruits.
A species that humans have still
not figured out how to grow in To weed successfully, there is just one
straight lines. skill you need to develop – to recognise
the plants you sowed as early as
All three of these definitions are correct.
possible! Most vegetables first show
Weeds are just un-domesticated plants. leaves that look very different from
We have not yet collected their seeds their real leaves that will come next.
and developed them for traits favorable
Try to recognise these seed leaves
to us – traits like taste, size, etc.
(also called cotyledons) and remember
Most vegetables we plant and eat were them for next time. This will allow you
once ‘weeds’ or at least ‘wild’, until to weed your beds at an earlier stage,
we collected their seeds and began as you won’t have to wait for the real
leaves to show up to be sure you don’t
pluck out your crop.
Here are some tips for weeding:

Remove weeds as early as possible.
As weeds grow larger, removing
them will disturb the root zones
of your plants as well. Never allow
weeds to get larger than what
you’ve planted!
Once you remove a weed:
• Mulch it immediately if it’s very
small, as in, simply place it on
your bed as mulch.
• If it’s large, place it outside Shaitavari: This looks like asparagus;
your container to dry and then has certain uses in Ayurveda; if you
mulch it. aren’t a ‘vaid’, you should probably
remove it.
Weed at least once a week. Twice
or thrice a week in the monsoon. Surface amla: Its leaves look like
In fact, whenever you spot a weed, amla (Indian gooseberry) and have
immediately extricate it! minute balls resembling amla
hanging in rows under each leaf
Never let weeds go to seed. If
stem. Remove and mulch as soon
this happens, they will spread
as you see this.
uncontrollably.
Maintain a thick 2-3 inch layer 5.2 Other ongoing tasks
of mulch. The thickness of your
mulch should block sunlight and Apart from watering and weeding there
weigh down upon any freshly are a number of smaller tasks that are
germinating weed seeds. necessary to maintain a successful
garden :-
In general, it’s vital to understand
that if a weed has grown in a. Gudaee: Provide aeration to the soil
your soil, it has extracted some by doing weekly gudaee lightly turning
nutrients, however small that the soil. Use a khurpi or trowel to lightly
quantity might be. Thus, we must fluff up the soil around your plants but
return these nutrients to the soil don’t get closer than 3 inches to the
by mulching that weed. main sytem.
Common weeds in Delhi and northern While doing gudaee also avoid going
India: deeper than 2 inch so that you don’t
disturb the roots.
You can Google these names to find
images of and recognize these common b. Pruning: To avoid a build-up of
‘weeds’ in north India: diseases, remove yellow leaves, dead
leaves and leaves from the lower parts
Gajar ghaans/Congress grass/ of the stem. This will also improve air
Parthenium: Remove this weed as circulation and distribute sunlight more
soon as you notice it; if it goes to the evenly for the plants.
seed, it will multiply uncontrollably.
c. Clipping of climbers: Help your
Calotropis: Known as ‘aak’ in Hindi. climbers like karela (bitter gourd),
Can be used in home-made pest- lauki (bottle gourd) or tori (ridge
control solutions. gourd) to branch out by clipping off
Sesbania aegyptiaca: This is a the main shoot once it is around
nitrogen fixer; should be ‘weeded’ 6 feet tall.
out and mulched immediately.

d. Adding compost: Once a month, add This practice, called mulching, helps
a handful of vermicompost or any other retain moisture, protects soil from
compost in the root zone of each plant washing out, and provides slow
fruiting plant (like tomato, eggplant nutrients to your plants.
and chilly).
f. Harvesting: Well-timed harvesting
Additionally, if you have these available at the correct stage of leafy or fruit
add 2 tablespoons of bone meal, 2 development is important to ensure
tablespoons of ‘neem khali’ and a pinch continued growth and supply of
of seaweed powder. vegetables.
Water immediately after doing this. Once the lifetime of a crop has finished,
Adding compost after doing gudaee is remove it, and replant with a different
more effective. family.
e. Mulching: Make sure that any open,

exposed soil in your containers is
covered with dry leaves.
6 MANAGING PESTS
You have sown, planted, watered, had recently begun infesting the plant.
weeded and mulched….you have given This is a fine example of biodiversity as
so much love and yet your plants get a solution for pest problems.
affected by pests! So-called ‘pests’ are
Having said this, creating a garden
often quoted as the kitchen gardener’s
that mimics the forest in our small
biggest hassle. They arrive in large
balconies, terraces and back yards is
numbers and infest and infect our
not always possible.
plants, leaving them devoid of life
and fruit. Understanding (and designing) each
No doubt, pests are a challenge every of our small gardens as part of a
kitchen gardener needs to cope with, larger biodiversity network spanning
but, let’s first understand what we can our cities – allowing at least birds
learn from the occurrence of unwanted and insects to move freely among
bugs and insects on our plants. them – can have a positive impact on
our urban ecosystems.
The forest, teems with a multiplicity
of creatures – all suspended in a fine So don’t feel alone in your pest-
balance. An increase in the population related challenges, but recognize how
of one results in an increase in the connected your garden is to the green
population of its predator, ultimately spaces, balconies and forest patches
bringing it back into balance. This around.
balancing act occurs in the biodiversity
of the forest.
If we design our gardens keeping

diversity in mind, pest problems
become an unnatural and uncommon
occurrence.
For example, we once placed a bird

house in our terrace garden. A few
weeks later, a purple sunbird moved
in. One day we observed this sunbird
fluttering around our brinjal plants. The Companion planting at its best: flowers, roots
bird was eating up the caterpillars that and leafy greens all growing

6.1 The Philosophic other pest incidents which are due to a
Underpinnings of Effective lack of diversity in your garden or occur
because you aren’t growing seasonally
Pest Management: – in essence, because the environment
Before we delve into specific methods you have created is inappropriate for
of keeping pests at bay, let’s get our your plants.
facts and theory right. What we need to
This whole manual is designed to
understand is that pests don’t invade
teach you how to avoid this in your
our gardens because they wish to steal
home garden, and we will re-cap some
our food.
important lessons here.
They arrive because they are nature’s
This said, don’t panic if you see insects
way of restoring a balance or correcting
in your garden, only about 2% of
an unseasonal – therefore unnatural – them compete with humans for food.
occurrence. Most bugs are carnivorous and feed on
For example, when the seasons change other bugs.
in March and September a lot of bugs Most insects that you see will therefore
show up in our gardens because this is actually be beneficial, feeding on
nature’s way of signaling the end of a pests, pollinating your plants or just
season and the need to replant for the adding to the biodiversity on your
next season. green patch.
Even we humans need to change our
diet slightly – hence the navratras – to
cope with the slight stress our bodies
endure during the change of season.
But what are pests? One or two Insects

are not the problem; they only become
a problem – a pest – when there's an
overpopulation of a single species.
Apart from eating the leaves of your
plants, pests can be a problem, as they 6.2 The fundamental solution:
might carry plant diseases - aphids or
get the basics right
whiteflies, for example, spread viruses
between plants. The first and most important way of
controlling pests in your garden is to
A rapid increase in the population of
ensure your plants are healthy and
insects can be attributed to various
well taken care of.
factors. While the large migrations of
After all, isn’t prevention better
aphids (yes, they migrate almost like
than cure?
birds!) is out of our control, there are
45 6. Managing pests
The previous chapters have explained whiteflies, squash bugs, and cucumber
you, how to do this in detail. beetles.
When thinking about the required Now place your chosen plants in small
cultural practices for effective pest containers all over your garden. You
management, just remember the can use 4-inch deep pots, or even cut
following points: plastic soft-drink bottles.
Create a friable, nutrient-rich
potting mix Place these strategically around your
kitchen garden to cover your plants in
Ensure your garden receives at least
a soft blanket of aroma.
7-8 hours of direct sunlight
Water appropriately These pleasant smells deter or confuse
Use additional manure with each pests.
new season When placed in the same container
Confuse pests by practising some of these herbs and flowers might
companion planting deprive your plants of nutrients, space
Make sure you only plant according and sunlight – hence the smaller,
to the seasons - don’t try to grow separate containers which can be easily
cauliflower in the summer please. moved around and made to stand
guard wherever you like.
Remember: we must never try to 6.4 Brief guide to identify and

step outside the rhythms of nature.
deal with two of our most
common bugs:
6.3 Pest repelling plants a. Leaf miners:
In addition to these fundamental Insects – including flies, moths and
points, we can actively repel pests with beetles – lay their eggs on the surface
a set of plants with strong aromas: of leaves. When these hatch they feed
pudina (mint), dhania (coriander), by burrowing into the leaves and eating
garlic, onion, dill, basil, sage and the green tissue below.
marjoram. Also certain flowers contain
I’m sure you’ve seen leaf miners. They
properties that either invite beneficial
leave a thin, winding trail of grey or
insects or repel harmful insects.
grey-ish white on affected leaves.
Beneficial insects prey on pests that
cause damage to your garden. If you look a little closer you may also
see insect larvae or even a few blackish-
Marigold is probably the most well- brown pellets of insect dung.
known plant for repelling insects.
It repels whiteflies and nematodes. They eat all kinds of plants including
Nasturtiums planted near tomatoes vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees and
and cucumbers can fight off aphids, shrubs.

They remain stuck on affected plants
and slowly suck sap from them; causing
yellowing and leaf curl and sometimes
even damage to your plant’s tender
new shoots.
They also excrete a sticky, sugary
substance called ‘honeydew’. It has been
observed that this sugary substance
attracts ants. The best way to control
aphids is to physically displace them
with a blast of your garden sprayer
or hose.
They rarely return to plants once
Leaf-miner trails thrown off them. Also, lady bugs love
to feed on aphids.
Damage caused by leaf-miners is rarely
something to worry about. Simply Plant lots of marigold and nasturtium
remove the affected leaves. flowers in your garden. This should
help keep the aphids in control.
To prevent leaf-miners, give your
plants a weekly spray of neem oil with 6.5 Pest repelling sprays
soapy solution.
b. Aphids: One of our gardening gurus always

claims, “Spraying doesn’t exist in
Aphids, or plants lice, are extremely
nature, so there’s no need to create
small bugs that multiply at an amazing
all these bug sprays, even if they’re
speed – apparently a single aphid can
organic!”
produce up to 80 babies within a week.
What he’s trying to say is that
even spraying on leaves isn’t a
natural phenomenon. It’s something
humans have imposed on plants.
Of course, bugs aren’t much of a
problem for him because his garden,
which is designed to resemble a
biodiverse forest, is in rural south
India.
For us, biodiversity-deprived urban

dwellers, following the right cultural
Aphids usually attack leaves in large groups practices and planting pest-repelling
plants may sometimes just not be z Process: Use a half-cup of coffee
enough. brew with 1 tablespoon of liquid
dish wash soap (preferably organic
In this situation, regular application of
soap) and mix with 1 crushed garlic
the concoctions mentioned below is a
whole, 1 tbsp pepper powder or
useful way to control pests.
crushed red chillies. Blend this with
The key thing to remember is that 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
organic pest-management is always
proactive, not reactive. Mix all the ingredients in 500ml
water, give it a good stir, strain
Our natural solutions are designed to with a muslin cloth, and fill up
deter and confuse pests; physically your garden spray bottle. Spray all
displace them; or disable their over the plant foliage, specifically
reproductive capacities. underneath the leaves.
Our solutions are not designed to kill
z Usage: Spray on vegetables and
pests – they need to be proactively
herbs every 4-5 days. Spray daily
applied to your garden on a regular
for heavy infestations. Spray in the
basis whether you see the pests or not.
evening as well in case of a pest-
At the same time, pest repellents, infestation.
like human medicines, can produce
resistance in pests. b. Baking Soda Solution: Stops
yellowing of leaves and viral attacks.
Therefore, you need to balance your
needs for pest management with the z Ingredients: 2-3 spoonfuls of
precaution to not get pests “used” to baking soda, 1 tbsp vegetable oil
any particular spray. (so that the final solution can stick
to the leaves /plants) and 1 tbsp
Early morning is the best time to apply
liquid dish wash soap (soap + water
these sprays since it gives the plants
is always good to spray anytime
time to absorb the liquid and minimizes
you see pests.
evaporation loss.
Add soap to other sprays to make
6.6 Some concoctions of sure the liquid clings to leaves,
natural pest sprays that you especially the undersides).
can try:
z Process: Mix ingredients well in
a. General Purpose Spray: An all- 500ml water
purpose pest repellent and fungicide. z Usage: Spray on the foliage inside-
out but not on the soil
z Ingredients: Half-cup coffee brew,
1 garlic bulb, 1 tbsp pepper powder/ c. Wood Ash: For cabbage grubs,
red chillies, 1 tbsp liquid dish wash white flies and white powdery
soap, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. mildew.

z Ingredients: wood ash, flour, salt. z Usage: Spray on leaves every few
z Process: Use a handful of wood ash, days.
handful of flour and pinch of salt.
f. Buttermilk spray: This spray
z Usage: Sprinkle this on your plants. destroys adult spider mites and their
If you are using just wood ash, then eggs, which get enveloped in the sticky
you can also spread a thick layer of mixture and suffocate.
ash around the plants on the soil.
This will prevent flies and moths z Ingredients: Buttermilk
from laying their eggs near z Process: Mix 1-part buttermilk
the stems. You can also use with 5 parts of water and spray on
phosphorous-rich wood ash as an leaves.
instant fix for flowers falling from z Usage: Spray once a week.
your plants.
g. Lemon water: Used to prevent
d. Chilli-garlic Spray: Controls aphids, aphids.
cabbage white butterfly, bean fly,
caterpillars, mosquitoes, snails and z Ingredients: 5 lemon peels
wireworms. z Process: Throw the peel of about
5 lemons into 300ml of boiling
z Ingredients: 1 cloves garlic, 2-3 hot water and leave to simmer for half
green chillies, 1 onion an hour. Stir and strain through
z Process: Grind and soak ingredients gauze and then spray on the
in water for 24-48 hours, and then affected leaves and stems on your
add 100 ml water with a little bit of plants.
dissolved soap. z Usage: Spray once a week.
Stir and strain through muslin and
store in a glass or plastic container h. Sea weed spray: Aphids and other
(non-metallic container). Dilute 1 types of sap-feeding insects generally
part of this solution in 5 parts of avoid plants treated with seaweed.
Seaweed extracts have been proven
water before spraying.
to accelerate the health and growth of
z Usage: Spray on vegetables every plants.
4-5 days. Seaweed enhances photosynthesis
e. Milk Spray: This easy-to-make via increasing a plant’s chlorophyll
solution checks viruses like tomato levels. It contains natural plant growth
mosaic and kills red spider mites, regulators which control the growth
caterpillars and tomato worms. and structural development of plants.
At the same time it works within the
z Ingredients: Milk
soil to make more nutrients available
z Process: Dilute 1 part milk with 5 to the plant. Seaweed also helps plants
parts of water in improving cold tolerance.
z Process: Use 1 pinch of sea weed b. Pour water with two pinches of lime
powder in 1 litre of water. (choona) on plants that show signs of
z Usage: Spray all plants once a week. calcium deficiency.
i. Neem oil spray: an excellent spray c. Soak fish scales in water for two days
for general pest protection. in a closed container and pour the
water on plants to deal with nitrogen
z Ingredients: 5 ml Neem oil, 1-2 ml deficiency. Or spray this solution once
liquid soap and 1 litre warm water. a week.
z Process: Mix the warm water with
soap. Then slowly add the oil while On a more philosophical note, plants
stirring vigorously. Fill the mix into produce food meant for all living
your sprayer. Keep shaking or creatures, so it is best to keep the
otherwise agitating the mix while natural balance intact by increasing
spraying. Use the mixture within biodiversity. Be innovative.
eight hours.
z Usage: Spray all your plants once Choosing flowers and other plants that
a week. are native to your area will help, as the
beneficial insects will already know what
j. Neem khali: Neem khali is the to look for.
residual neem seed meal obtained as
residue after extracting neem oil. It Overall, there are no 100% perfect
works as a fertilizer and pest repellent. solutions for so called ‘pests’.
When it is mixed into the soil it protects One of our favourite solutions to a
plant roots from nematodes, white client’s ‘squirrel problem’ was to place
ants and other soil insects. Neem khali little bowls full of jowar (sorghum)
also makes the soil more fertile. around her garden.
z Usage: Use 2 teaspoons per plant
The squirrels preferred to eat this
while transplanting.
inexpensive grain instead of her
recently planted seeds. Isn’t this a
6.7 Other easy remedies: wonderful solution?
a. A small pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Everyone who comes to your kitchen
dissolved in 1 litre of water can help in
garden – humans, animals, birds,
better flower formation.
insects, microbes – should leave with
a smile on their face and a feeling of
Every garden has a different growing abundance in their stomach.
climate, soil type and, of course,
pests. You will have to experiment
to find out what works best for your
situation.

COMPOSTING FOR
7 THE URBAN FARMER
Each season our plants provide us has to purchase fresh compost to add
nutrition in the form of green leaves, to their beds before replanting.
roots or fruits. Our soil’s fertility
Composting helps avoid this additional
supplies the nutritional elements to
cost because we produce this compost
our plants.
right here, in our homes. Thus,
As we harvest and eat to fulfill our composting is necessary to make
body’s requirements, these elements urban farming financially viable in the
are removed and the soil’s fertility long term as well.
is depleted.
Composting at home therefore has
As urban farmers, it is mandatory for us several benefits:
to return back to the soil the nutrients
a. Our plants remain well nourished
our plants have provided us.
b. We can save on costs for fertilising
We consume a few parts of the plant,
c. We reduce the amount of waste we
but the rest is considered waste, i.e.,
send to the landfill
peels, seeds, pith, etc.
Despite these benefits, people are
If we do not return these portions
often daunted by composting because
back to the soil, our soil’s fertility will
they think:
rapidly decrease.
1. It smells
The human attempt to recycle
2. It attracts flies and insects
organic wastes back into the soil to
increase and maintain its fertility is 3. It involves handling ‘disgusting’ food
what we define as composting. waste
The first two points are false
Since we need our soil to remain fertile, assumptions. If you do your composting
composting should not be considered work properly, your pile will neither
a separate process but a crucial part of smell nor attract flies, nor will insects
urban farming. creep out into your house.
Moreover, composting at home has The third point is not only factually
important financial implications as well incorrect, it is also philosophically
– anyone who has grown vegetables in problematic.
the city knows that in each season, one
51 7. Composting for the urban farmer

We have this misconception that Let’s start simple: we first need to
someone else, like the government, is separate our organic waste from our
supposed to deal with our waste. inorganic waste.
This is the reason all of our cities are a. Organic waste includes Vegetable
creating huge mountains of rubbish on and fruit peels; egg shells; bones;
their borders. food leftovers; nut shells; milk product
leftovers; paper. Anything that has an
Low-income groups have to first
animal or plant product as its source.
handle our waste by collecting, sorting
and transporting it; other disfavored b. Inorganic waste includes Plastic
groups live with the view, stench and bags and packets; tetrapaks; nappies
health hazards associated with these and menstrual hygiene products; glass;
hills of trash. And the whole city is hard plastic boxes; metals; cardboard
affected by the pollution caused by fires or paper lined with plastic; aluminium
on the landfill as methane is produced foil; electronics etc. Anything that
through the rotting organic waste. contains plastic, glass or metals.
So, as a principle, we believe that anyone Segregation tends to be one of the

associated with kitchen gardening most difficult steps for people since it
must deal with their own kitchen involves handling food waste.
waste, especially because you have a
place to utilize it — right here in your A simple way to overcome this is by
own garden. keeping two dustbins, one for organic
and the other for inorganic waste.
The next sections show you how to do
this without feeling any disgust at all. Or simply keep a large plastic bowl on
your kitchen table for each day’s organic
waste. This can then be put into your
7.1. Waste segregation made
compost pile at the end of each day.
easy
If you feel inhibited to start composting,
As a first step, composting demands
it might be helpful to make yourself
that we segregate our waste the
realise that a vegetable peel or fruit
moment it is produced.
peel is not seen as “disgusting” the
moment we peel.
It is only after lying in the bin, mixed

with other trash and starting to rot,
that the feeling of disgust arises.
The fresher the organic wastes you

bring to your compost pile, the less
disgust you will have to overcome!

7.2. Decomposing organic This results in the action of anaerobic
waste bacteria that produces an ‘eggy’
rancid stench. This stench can easily
Now, how will our organic waste be found at your neighborhood
decompose and turn into wonderful municipal trash collection point (Our
“black gold”? local governments seem to be experts
in anaerobic composting).
The simplified answer is: with the
help of all kinds of creepy crawlies! What you need is aerobic decom-
In order to convert organic waste position. Successful compost piles
into compost, we need to create an must avoid anaerobic decomposition
environment suitable for microbial at all costs. We want aerobic micro-
life to carry out decomposition for us. organisms to decompose our waste,
not anaerobic ones.
As we’ve learnt in an earlier chapter,

the micro- and macro-organisms in the
soil that live in aerobic conditions need
air, darkness and moisture.
Thus, our compost piles must create

the following conditions:
1. Moisture - provided by the fresh

kitchen waste
2. Darkness - the pile must be kept in a
shaded spot
3. Aeration - by mixing dry waste into
the wet waste and stirring
We must keep in mind that there are

also two kinds of decomposition:
a. Aerobic: This happens in the

presence of oxygen. This is the kind of
decomposition we want in our compost
pile. It creates a pleasant smell like
when it’s recently rained.
b. Anaerobic: Also called ‘decay’, this

happens in the absence of oxygen.
Anaerobic decomposition takes places
when piles of kitchen waste become so
tightly compacted that air fails to enter.

7.3. Piling it up Here are options you have:
Before the next step, we need to 1. Dry leaves: You could collect these
understand a distinction within organic from any neighborhood park during
waste: path-jhad season which occurs in
around February/March in north India.
a. Dry waste: As the name suggests, dry Or ask a local maali (gardner) to help
waste is any kind of organic matter that you out.
has lost all its moisture. Dry waste tends
to be brownish in color and brittle to Leaves are by far the best option to mix
the touch. with your wet waste.
Here are some examples of dry waste – They will decompose slowly and result
fallen leaves; wood shavings; cocopeat; in compost that is most similar to
paper; sawdust; peanut shells. humus and fertile forest soil.
b. Wet waste: This is what usually comes Keep in mind, the smaller the leaves,
out of your kitchen. It’s often green, the better.
pliable and contains moisture. This
Crushing large leaves will help speed
includes vegetables and fruit peels; food
up the process as well.
leftovers; green leaves; flowers; fresh
garden cuttings. Most of our kitchen 2. Cocopeat: This is the crushed husk
waste usually consists of wet waste. of coconuts available in compressed
blocks online for about Rs. 200/-. These
need to be expanded with water.
This is a convenient alternative to dry

leaves.
Compost made with cocopeat results in

a ready-to-use potting mix.
3. Saw dust/wood shavings: These

can be used in making compost,
although, they take a very long time to
decompose.
4. Paper: This can be used as dry

material as well, although, some people
do caution that bleach and ink in paper
In farms and rural areas, dry organic can be poisonous.
matter is easily available in the form
of dry leaves that have fallen from Paper should be shredded before being
trees. In the city, the ‘dry’ isn’t as used in the compost pile, otherwise it
easily available. will just stick together in large chunks.

The Key Step to Good Composting: a. Clay and terra cotta containers:
These are easy to use and economical,
Stirring your Pile albeit a bit heavy to carry around. A
To maintain good aeration of our twelve-inch depth is the ideal size. A
compost pile, we must mix our wet combination of 7 containers – one
kitchen waste with an equal amount marked for each day of the week’s
of dry organic matter to ensure that kitchen waste – can be very effective.
gaps remain between the wet-waste Try to get holes made on the sides to
elements. improve aeration. A great option for a
To further improve the circulation of air lid is a bird bath, usually also available
in the compost pile, a small but crucial at nurseries and gamla-walas (places
ongoing task of composting consists of where pots are sold).
mixing dry matter and wet waste. b. Cardboard boxes: These are a good,
This is also referred to as ‘stirring’ your cheap option but not for beginners.
compost pile. It’s the one task you’ll These only last for about two or three
need to carry out every day or every 2-3 compost cycles and can get a bit
days to make compost successfully. daunting for a beginner in case the
boxes start breaking due to moisture.
Each time you add your day’s kitchen
Make sure you line the bottom of the
waste to your pile, you must add about
box with a 2-inch layer of your choice
twice as much dry matter as well and
of dry material – leaves, cocopeat,
stir it up nicely with a garden fork or
sawdust, paper – so that these absorb
your hands in gloves.
any excess moisture and leachate.
7.4 What’s the right c. Fruit crates: These are an excellent
container? option but you must line the sides
and bottom with cardboard to ensure
Now that we’ve covered the basic
mechanics of composting, let’s talk
about how to choose containers. As
discussed above, your container must
keep your compost pile well aerated
and dark. Another important point to
keep in mind is container size. If you’re
a beginner, do not choose containers
that are larger than 2x2x2 feet (length x
width x height). These become difficult
to handle once they fill up.
Within this size limit, we can choose Different options for dry matter: leaves, saw
from the following containers: dust and cocopeat (top to bottom on the left).

darkness is maintained inside and 7.5 Troubleshooting
pieces of your compost don’t fall out.
Once you’ve chosen your container and
You’ll also need to improvise a lid for
started composting, keep these pointers
these, something like a cardboard sheet.
in mind to become a real expert:
d. Plastic buckets, gamlas and recycled
a. Ensure you place your compost
drums: These can also be used but
container in a shaded spot outside
ensure you make plenty of holes on the
your house. It should ideally be near
sides to allow for aeration. You’ll need
your kitchen to make the daily task of
to improvise a lid for these as well.
adding wet waste convenient.
e. Bamboo baskets: These are an
b. You must line the bottom of your
excellent light weight and natural
container with 2 inches of dry material.
option, but again, line the sides and
This is to protect the base from
bottom, and improvise a lid.
moisture and staining, and to collect
f. Khambas: These are a ready-made leachate. Leachate is a nutrient-rich
solution introduced by the company liquid produced during the composting
Daily Dump in Bangalore. They consist process.
of 3 terracotta containers stacked on
Once your compost is ready, your base
top of each other.
material will also be rich with nutrients.
More details can be found at c. Cut your wet waste into smaller
‘www.dailydump.org’. Readymade pieces to speed up the composting
khambas are available with Edible process. This is the principle of surface
Routes in Delhi as well. area, i.e., the more surfaces that
microbes can act upon, the faster they
will decompose the material. So cut
those large watermelon and papaya
peels into smaller pieces before putting
them into your pile.
d. Avoid putting non-vegetarian

waste into your pile. This will attract
rats, cats and other unwanted animals
to your pile.
e. Hard waste materials like egg shells,

seeds and peanut shells take a long
time to decompose. Don’t be surprised
if these remain in your pile for many
cycles. Egg shells can be crushed to
Two urban composting solutions: the ‘khamba’ or speed up their decomposition.
series of tiered pots and recycled fruit crates.

f. Cooked food can be added but this This is all the information you’ll need to
will attract flies unless you evenly start composting.
spread it into your pile.
Here’s what the step-by-step process
g. Large clumps of unused roti flour of composting should look like now:
harden and take a long time to 1. Start segregating kitchen waste.
decompose. Try to break these into
2. Collect dry material.
smaller clumps and then add them.
3. Choose a container (Container 1)
h. Add a fistful of soil from under an and place it in a shaded area near
old banyan or peepal tree to speed the kitchen.
up the composting process. This 4. Line the base of Container 1 with
is called an inoculant, which is the dry material.
introduction of beneficial bacteria to
5. Add kitchen waste + dry waste and
help decomposition.
stir every day.
i If your compost looks too dry, you can 6. Step 5 should go on until Container
add some water to it with a watering 1 is full.
can. At all times your compost must be 7. Leave Container 1 to decompose
moist; neither drenched, nor dusty dry. and prepare a second container
(Container 2).
j. If your pile looks slimy and starts to
smell, you haven’t mixed enough dry 8. Repeat Step 4 once and then carry
waste into it. Add some and mix the out Step 5 for Container 2 until it
pile well fills up.
9. Meanwhile, stir Container 1 every
Your compost should be ready within 3-4 days; add water if it gets too dry
60-90 days, depending on the weather.
10. Once Container 2 is full let it sit.
Decomposition slows down in winter 11. Empty and use the compost from
and speeds up in the warm season; the Container 1; if it isn’t ready yet start
summer heat might require you to water another container (Container 3).
your compost pile a little every day.
You will know your compost is ready
if it is the color of dark chocolate and
smells of the first rain. It will also be
light and crumbly. But there will also Happy
be larger pieces that still haven’t fully
decomposed. You can either directly Composting!
use these in your kitchen garden or
you can sieve your compost and place
the incompletely decomposed pieces
back in one of your piles.

Notes
Notes
Notes
Homegrown Sabzi
Edible Routes is an earth-friendly business Praxis - Institute for Participatory

that provides services in urban farming and Practices is a knowledge organization,
creates products to nurture the earth. specialising in participatory approaches to
sustainable development.
We find ways for people to grow food locally Praxis is committed to the advancement of
and eat seasonally. equity, by enabling the marginalised to be
heard and their views acted upon.
Edible Routes conducts workshops, installs
and maintains kitchen gardens, sells Over last two decades, through participatory
products and rents out little farms called processes, Praxis has been engaging
‘farmlets’. with various farmers (small-holders and
landless farmers) to voice their concerns to
All its activities are centered around growing influence policy initiatives, which could lead
food and strengthening community. to dignified living.
Edible Routes Praxis Institute for Participatory Practice

Jupax Farm,Spring Lane, Off Green Avenue, BB - 5, II Floor, Greater Kailash Enclave II,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi - 110070 New Delhi, Delhi - 110048
www.edibleroutes.com www.praxisindia.org

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Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners

Praxis - Institute for Participatory Practices

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-

All visuals in this book are for representation purpose only.

Urban kitchen gardening – around Delhi. We are an organisation

Looking at the way our cities are built,

Doing so, we might realise that our

In this way, urban farming is also a

Due to such space constraints, urban Why Urban Kitchen Gardening?

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 2

These farmers are disconnected from

Most urban dwellers are not aware of

Urban farming can at least partly

We try to work with nature, not

Throughout this book, we will be

We have also learnt a number of lessons

Forgive us if we repeat these principles

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 4

2. Create biodiversity: Forests are Mulching is nature’s way of providing

5 1. Non -negotiable principles

Our idea is that over time, the client will

That’s it! These are our primary guiding

Making successful mistakes demands

Only by making lots of ‘good’ mistakes

5. Be Practical: At heart, we care a

Our primary aim is to transform

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 6

7 1. Non -negotiable principles

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 8

which areas receive direct sunlight and E

9 2. Garden Design Techniques

Following the winter solstice, the sun’s

 South-facing: This is ideal. You will Once we understand this, we can

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 10

We achieve this by dividing our space

That is to say that every inch of a bed

In essence, this means that a growing

Double-reach beds – beds that are accessible

11 2. Garden Design Techniques

Once you understand this, you can

For your garden to be a success in

 Ensure you don’t block any water

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 12

Keep in mind, no cement needs to

We follow the same principle mentioned

Raised beds are vegetable beds that

13 2. Garden Design Techniques

2. For those without access to the

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 14

Depending on your specific situation

 Clay/ terracotta containers: These

15 2. Garden Design Techniques

 Bamboo boxes: Such boxes are a

Fruit crates are an excellent option to grow greens

The only hiccup with fruit trays is

Homegrown Sabzi: Urban Farming for Absolute Beginners 16

17 2. Garden Design Techniques

You’ll be surprised to know that the

South-facing: This is ideal. You will Once we understand this, we can

Ensure you don’t block any water

Clay/ terracotta containers: These

Bamboo boxes: Such boxes are a

Cocopeat: Made from powdered