He has close to 100 plants in his garden
A doctor by profession but a gardener at heart would be an ideal way to describe Dr Parag Shah, a general surgeon living in Yogesh Sadan on Hingwala Lane."Three years ago a new building came up facing my apartment and it became a threat to my privacy.
So I had a choice between constructing box grills, changing the interiors and creating a garden," says Dr Parag whose garden houses close to 100 plants.
But it doesn't stop there; he came up with an interesting method to use kitchen waste as organic manure for his plants.
Says Dr Parag, "Initially, I tried vermiculture but I was not satisfied with the result." He then consulted Organic Farming, a book by Dr CP Doshi, noted agricultural scientist.
In the book Dr Doshi talks about how farmers can use vegetation waste as manure. He explains that vermiculture is a process wherein earthworms decompose the organic food waste into manure.
"Using earthworms for indoor plants was not a good idea as the worms would have crawled on to the floor.
Besides, the soil becomes sticky and can be loosened only by constant digging. So I modified the organic farming process to implement it on my house plants," he adds.
Dr Parag says his method is an ideal option for people who have water scarcity problems. "You don't have to water the indoor plants everyday," he says, adding that he has also come up with an innovative way to water the plants, which is a modified version of drip irrigation.
"I use rubber water tubes injected with holes. So whenever I need to water the plants, I turn on the tap and water flows without my having to physically hold the pipes," he says.
According to Dr Parag, the advantages of his form of gardening are multifold. "The dumping grounds are packed to their maximum capacity.
Using my method of recycling, we will cut down on the garbage we generate," he says. "Gardening is also a great stress relieving activity and a good form of exercise," he adds.
rachana@mid-day.com
The process
Get a plastic gunny bag and place it over a big tray or dish. Ideally keep it an open area or under direct sunlight.
Dump half a kilo of old soil in the bag.
Then begin to dump all your daily kitchen waste (fruit skins, vegetable peels, anything biodegradable).
After seven days the dumped matter will shrink in size. At that time, if possible, add some more soil to the pile. Continue the same process till the bag fills up.
Once the bag is filled, cover it to avoid rats or crows from picking up the waste. Leave it to decompose.
After a month, transfer it to a bucket or metal container. Leave it there for another month.
At the end of the month, the manure is ready for use.
