This Man Has Grown 50 kgs of Rice on His Terrace With Little Water – Find out how!
The terrace farm has rice, radish, pomegranate, drumstick, yam and guavas, and turmeric a variety of other fruits and vegetables. Last year, he says eight kgs of turmeric were grown on the terrace!
Despite the limited space, more and more people living in urban areas continue to take to farming. Take Krishnappa Gowda Paddambail for instance.
An employee at the Government College of Teacher Education in Mangaluru, Krishnappa has been cultivating 30-50 kilos of paddy on his 1200 sq ft terrace for over five years, the Hindu reported.
How does he manage a bountiful harvest on a terrace? A combination of hard work and 200 ‘grow bags’.
A growbag is a large plastic bag filled with a growing medium and used for growing plants, usually tomatoes or other salad crops. The growing medium is a soilless organic material such as peat, coir, composted green waste, composted bark or composted wood chips, or a mixture of these.
Growing up, Krishnappa helped his family cultivate their farmland in Sullia. Memories of work on the farm also prompted him to take up the then pet-project.
The terrace farm has rice, radish, pomegranate, drumstick, yam and guavas, and turmeric a variety of other fruits and vegetables. Last year, he says eight kgs of turmeric were grown on the terrace!
Home-made bio-manure kept free the paddy free from fungus and other diseases, and also boosted the growth of the plants.
Krishnappa uses a minimal amount of water and fills the bags with a mixture of sand, cow dung, and soil. Coconut shells, after being de-husked and filled with soil, and hang around the house, serving as hanging planters.
The 120-day paddy cultivation cycle begins in April-May, and he grows only one crop, distributing the harvest among friends and relatives. The produce is not for commercial purposes.
He then uses the same bags to grow radish, a three-month crop. “Last year, I harvested 10 kilos of radish,” Mr Paddambail says to the Hindu.
Like this story? Or have something to share?
Write to us: [email protected]
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Similar Story
Want to Play a Role in Shaping India’s Climate Laws & Policies? Here’s a One-Stop Guide
Civis, a platform that enables citizens to participate in public consultations in the domain of environment and policy has released Climate Voices. This is a handbook and guide for Indians to participate in environmental law-making and play an active role in shaping our climate policies.
Read more >
If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.
Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-
By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let's ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.
Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?
This story made me
-
97 -
121 -
89 -
167
Home
Read
Watch
Contribute
