Gardening

The term 'gardening' automatically conjures up visuals of an enclosed planned space, usually outdoors, where both ornamental and food plants are grown. But with shrinking open spaces in urban areas, people have had to become more creative in order to become more green. Terrace gardens! Not only are these green patches a visual delight but they also help provide city farmers with a healthy, organic food palette, free of pesticides.

An expert on terrace gardens, Dr Vishwanath Kadur has some simple tips to grow food on one's roof in earthen pots. Panchgavya, a concoction made up of cow dung and urine, fermented with a host of other ingredients, is another organic solution that can be prepared conveniently. Vani Murthy explains how a roof garden can be enriched through vermi composting.

A garden is possible no matter where you live. All you need to do is to flex your green thumb! Read our FAQ on terrace gardens and get answers to some basic questions that will have you get started on this exciting venture!

 

Featured Articles
July 9, 2019 Study shows how rainfall and temperature affect variety of plants in major bio-geographic zones of India
Image used for representational purposes only. Image source: India Water Portal on Flickr
July 1, 2019 Study reveals women are central to both food production and preparation, as well as to domestic water provisioning.
A woman from the Ahir tribe at Chapredi village, east of Bhuj with cotton husks. (Image: Meena Kadri, Flickr Commons, CC BY-ND 2.0
June 18, 2018 Ecological sanitation toilets are the best option to deal with mounting sewage burden in India.
Chicu with a pan used in ecosan toilet. (Photo courtesy: Chicu Lokgariwar)
February 17, 2016 Flood affected areas in coastal Odisha have adopted new ways of farming. Called floating gardens, these have the scope to reduce the food insecurities of the landless poor.
Women working on a floating garden (Source: RCDC)
November 22, 2015 Terrace kitchen gardens are slowly making their mark in the tourist hotspot. A couple helps those interested in organic farming either find good farmers or become one themselves!
Karan and Yogita at a workshop on organic container kitchen gardening
April 28, 2015 Policy matters this week
The Nakshatra Garden
Dangers of organic farming: An alternative view from Subhash Palekar
In this video, Subhash Palekar discusses the findings of his research over the last eight years on the quality of soil Posted on 06 Jul, 2012 05:49 PM

In this video, Subhash Palekar discusses the findings of his research over the last eight years on the quality of soil and explains that the soil is naturally full of nutrients for plants, which is why trees grow and produce fruits and flowers in forests under natural surroundings without addition of chemical or even the organic fertilis

Grey water recycling: Reed bed for treating bath, wash basin and washing machine water in Pune
This article narrates the experiences of the author in grey water recycling that she did at her own home Posted on 21 Jun, 2012 06:10 PM

I have made a reed bed for treating bath,wash basin and washing machine water. The aim was to reuse the water for gardening without doing major changes in the plumbing of existing houses. I had posted a query in this regard on IWP and you can view that query/comment thread here : https://www.indiawaterportal.org/ask/12646

After close to two years from the first post here is an update:

Sikkim’s organic farming to feature in Satyamev Jayate, Aamir Khan’s first television project on DD1
Aamir Khan’s first television project Satyamev Jayate will have one full episode on organic farming in Sikkim. Sikkim is on its way to become totally organic and out of the cultivable land of 58,168 hectares, about 8,168 hectares had already been certified as organic by accredited institutions. Posted on 27 Apr, 2012 11:36 AM

Article and Image Courtesy : iSikkim

Precious Kaveri water down the drain; wasted to wash vehicles: Letter to the Chairman, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board
I tried sending a suggestion to Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to tackle the urgent crisis in Karnataka this hot summer but didn't get any reply. Water crisis is a serious issue. When people do not have water to irrigate their lands, to drink for themselves, it pains me in the heart to see people wasting water profusely to wash their vehicles which goes down the drain. Manjunath M P presents the letter he sent to the Chairman, BWSSB. Posted on 23 Apr, 2012 12:47 PM

Dear Chairman BWSSB,

Internal diameters for HDPE pipes
HDPE pipes are used to handle the flow of water, liquid chemicals, underground pipelines etc., These pipes are also used in drip, sprinkler, landscape irrigation systems, lift irrigation etc. Posted on 04 Mar, 2012 09:30 AM

Author : B.Rajeshwar Rao

Internal diameters for HDPE pipes are given here below.

Utilisation of human urine as a source of nutrients for banana and maize cultivation - A compilation of research papers
These papers describe the findings of experiments conducted in the fields in Nagasandra village, Doddaballapura Tq, Bangalore district for one year that studied the usefulness and impact of anthropogenic liquid waste (human urine) as a source of plant nutrient for banana and maize cultivation and evaluated the impact of the use of human urine on crop quality and yield. Posted on 01 Mar, 2012 02:24 PM

Source separated anthropogenic liquid waste (Human urine) - A potential plant nutrient for banana cultivation

"Bottle it up: We can use it" - Scientific studies on human urine - A presentation by Arghyam
This presentation deals with the issue of reuse of human urine in agriculture. Posted on 10 Feb, 2012 11:13 AM

This presentation by Arghyam includes the results of doctoral study done by G Sridevi under the guidance of Prof.

Traditional water bodies of Delhi
Amita Bhaduri reports about the tenth public lecture of the Delhi Heritage City Campaign by the INTACH Delhi Chapter delivered by Sohail Hashmi. Posted on 18 Dec, 2011 01:56 PM

Sohail Hashmi, an author, film-maker, one of the founders of the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) and a true Dilliwala on 5 December 2011 at the India Habitat Center. The presentation woven around photographs of the city's step well

Strengthening rural livelihoods – A report by IDRC
This report looks at the impact of information and communication technologies in Asia. Posted on 13 Dec, 2011 05:17 PM

ICTThis report prepared by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) examines how information related constraints in poor rural areas are being overcome and how information technology is being employed to the benefit of people in South Asia.

Poor people are constrained by limited access to information and poor communications technology. The research looked at the use of ‘information communications technologies’ (ICTs) in providing agricultural extension services, getting timely market price information, finding out about rural wage labour opportunities, helping rural communities to build a sustainable asset base and understanding crop diseases and soil nutrition.

The results of the research bring together rigorously tested practices and methods of applying ICTs for improving rural livelihoods. Each research study has investigated how and to what extent a specific ICT intervention made a difference. Together it shows how ICTs have empowered rural people and transformed livelihoods in agriculture: by filling information gaps, raising awareness, building skills and extending social networks.

The focus was on agricultural communities, as Asia’s poor and middle-income countries have primarily agriculture-based economies. However, a broader ‘livelihoods’ approach has been taken to ensure that we observe the variety of ways ICTs can have an effect on rural communities. The scope of the research took into account the range of on-farm and off-farm productive and reproductive activities that support farming households and communities.

Climate change impact on hill agriculture and farmers adaptive strategies – A case study of Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh
This study by Bhoomika Partap and Tej Partap deals with climate change impact on hill agriculture and farmers adaptive strategies. Posted on 26 Oct, 2011 06:35 PM

It takes apple as an indicator crop to investigate the positive and negative effects of climate change on farm economy. The research is a field study to determine the agricultural and socioeconomic impact of climate change on the farmers apple economy of the Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh, India.

×