With the waning age, people want to live their life comfortably. But, today we are going to introduce you to a woman who has prepared an organic garden at home to fulfill her vitamin D deficiency. Yes! We are talking about Jayanthi Vaidyanathan, 65, of Chennai. Jayanthi came to know about his vitamin D deficiency in the year 2013. The doctor told him to eat some medicines, fresh fruits and vegetables and to stay in the sun for half an hour daily. What was it then, Jayanti decided to plant a green garden in her own house. And today, more than 250 fruits, flowers and vegetable plants are installed in his large magnificent garden. Isn’t it interesting! So, let us know in detail the interesting story of this Terrace Gardening Expert from Medavakkam, Chennai.
Jayanthi says, “Apart from the medicines prescribed by the doctor, I wanted to include indigenous and nutritious varieties of spinach in my diet. For which I decided to grow some indigenous varieties of spinach on my terrace. ”
Jayanti grew two native varieties of spinach – mulai kirai (chaulai) and pasalai kirai (spinach) in a grow bag that she had bought from a nursery. Within a few weeks, the plant grew well. In this way, by harvesting her fresh green nutritious leaves, she began to use them in her diet. This success inspired him to grow fruits and vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants of indigenous varieties.
Today there are more than 250 plants in his house. These include 20 types of vegetables and six varieties of indigenous spinach, 10 varieties of gurl, etc. Talking to The Better India, Jayanti explained how she maintains this terraced garden, amidst the buildings surrounded by concrete.
Organic potting mix and old fridge
After the first crop of spinach, he realized that spinach was not growing in a healthy way. Because she was using her patio soil as a potting mix.
She explains, “To overcome this problem, I attended a workshop organized by Terrace Gardner, a veteran from Chennai. In which I learned a lot about making organic potting mixes. He taught us the use of dry leaves and cocoapeat to make potting mixes.
To create an organic potting mix, he watched a number of videos on YouTube, read blogs and even talked to some knowledgeable Gardner through several WhatsApp groups. To grow her plants well, she now uses a nutrient mixture made from dry leaves, compost and kitchen waste.
Jayanthi filled this organic potting mix in some pots of terracotta. Also, they planted seeds of other indigenous spinach varieties, including Mudkatan Kirai (Balloon Vine / Kanfuta) and Ponanganni Kirai (Dwarf Copperleaf / Gudhidisag).
She adds, “By using the new organic potting mix, these varieties are very healthy and are giving good yield. For the last seven years, we have not been buying spinach from the market and using home grown spinach itself. ” In 2014, he bought more gro bags to grow some other types of fruits and vegetables.
Jayanti says, “I started by growing tomatoes, chilies, ladyfingers and lemons. I bought fruit-vegetable seeds from several Gardner’s connected through the WhatsApp group. He also told me the methods of planting them, etc. ”
To grow gourd, moringa and lemon etc., Jayanti recycled old fridges and bathtubs to make beds. They bought these old things from the scrap men for 100 rupees. The doors were removed from the fridge, pierced to leak water.
She explains, “I recycled these by buying 10 single-door fridges and bath tubs from the trash. Next, I spread a layer of dried leaves in them, filled with organic potting mixes. In which I have grown cabbage, maize, sugarcane etc. and trees like moringa and lemon are also growing in these fridges. ” Jayanti further states that she also grows vegetables like carrots and radishes in recycled plastic bottles.
At home in these ways Make Fertilizers and Pesticides
Jayanti spends three hours daily morning and evening in her garden. She uses organic fertilizers in many ways to keep the soil healthy and fertilizers, especially during the summer season at her home. For this, she prepares organic manure from wet waste and leftover food from the kitchen. However, two years ago, he learned about the ‘West Decomposer’ (WDC) solution innovated by the ‘National Center for Organic Farming’ (NCOF).
She says, “Using a West decomposer solution, I prepare an organic fertilizer by mixing two kilos of jaggery and 200 liters of water. In addition, I add five parts water to one part of this mixture and as a nutrition, I add them to all my plants. In the summer months, instead of watering my plants, I fertilize them. These plants are like children for me. ”
In addition, she uses the West decomposer solution to decompose wet waste. She adds, “The wet waste is grinded in a mixer and stored for a week to decompose. I add five parts water to one part of manure. Then I use this fertilizer to nourish the plants. ”
Jayanthi says that she ensures that her produce is always healthy and is not infected with any disease. For which she soaks small onions overnight and puts them in each of her pot.
Jayanti explains, “Due to the pungent odor and other acids emanating from the onions, insect-spiders get away from the plants. Some onions sprout well in pots and also grow. ” She told that to remove pests, she also planted garlic buds.
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