Bengaluru resident Durgadevi Panneerselvam, a 65-year-old homemaker was inspired to start a garden of her own in 2013 after attending a kitchen garden meet.
Today her 900 sq ft terrace garden is a testament to how much she enjoys the activity.
Durgadevi procures tomatoes, brinjals, radishes, beans, chillies greens, and fruits such as guavas, mulberries, papaya, and spices like coriander and pudina from the garden.
But among all these is her favourite moringa or the drumstick plant for its many medicinal properties and also its versatility.
As for how to grow moringa in a pot at home, Durgadevi lists some simple steps.
Step 1: Mix vermicompost with cow dung and neem powder or use kitchen leachate.
Step 2: Choose a container with a size of around 18 by 18 inches.
Step 3: Place the pots or containers in an area which receives sunlight for seven to eight hours.
Step 4: When the plant grows to two feet, pinch off the tips to get branches.
Step 5: Supply compost and manure every week as drumstick trees are heavy feeders.
Step 6: Spray neem oil on the plant every week to keep pests away.
Step 7: Prune the plant to about 4 feet after every harvest. Once pruned, it will take three months for the next harvest.
Step 8: Ensure the plants grow to around 6 to 8 feet.
If there is a fruiting problem, the gardener says that spraying one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in one litre of water helps as this increases pollination.