Farming is no longer the concepts of small towns in Punjab. City farming is really picking up the trends. City farming or urban agriculture is food production that occurs within the confines in areas such as backyards, rooftops or even unused public spaces. It puts vacant urban land to productive use and the use of waste items like containers, empty tins, plastic bags etc are used in this farming. It is environment friendly as city farming or urban farming involves use of biodegradable waste.
The soil would be of a greater quality than that available in the market if you put an unwashed milk bag in it, since the bacteria from the milk are essential for soil decomposition. Biodegradable kitchen waste (vegetable peels, etc) are equally good. Our kitchen generates an average of 18-20 kilograms of organic waste, all of which we mostly discard. There are methods to create your own urban garden through these wastes. Try getting the remaining stalks left after juicing from a local vendor who would be happy to get rid of his waste, and soak it in water for 24 hours. And mix with soil and biodegradable waste from her kitchen, and see the difference to the quality of your plants. Since soil is difficult to obtain in the city, make farm without the need for outside soil.
All the kitchen peels can go into creating soil for the garden, saplings can be planted in empty milk plastic bags and even the dust swept off the kitchen floor can be put into the plants since it carries microbes that help in soil degradation.
GROW YOUR FOOD
Following should be kept in mind while you are planning to grow your own food.
CONTAINERS
Clay or cement pots are ideal, but plastic bags or wooden crates lined with black plastic can also be used. Saucers may be kept below the pots or they can be elevated on bricks to allow the water to drain freely.
LOCATION
A location that gets up to six hours of sunlight is needed. This makes window sills or balconies ideal locations for your plants.
WHAT TO GROW?
Grow anything you feel like keeping in mind the requirements of the plant like temperature, sunlight etc.
PLANTING
Plant the sapling about 3.5 cm below the surface. Water daily and push a fistful of biodegradable kitchen waste below the surface of the plant.
WHY CITY FARMING?
City farming eases poverty by generating an income while providing food security for urban dwellers. It reduces waste by using excess biodegradable waste. It increases the number of green spaces in the city, thus is instrumental in improving air quality.
The rooftop gardens serve as oases for humans, birds and insects alike, bringing life into our concrete jungle. So take an effort to educate your children about waste management.