Look ma, no soil for my plants

Shilpa Shetty Kundra with her hydroponics set-up at home. Pic courtesy/Instagram

What goes into our plate, and where it's sourced from are two factors that have severely affected eating habits, ever since the pandemic compelled us to review our lifestyle. This, in turn, has led to a renewed interest in home gardening, with home-bound citizens trying their hand at sowing the seeds for clean eating. And thus, it's no surprise that hydroponics - a soil-less method of planting - gardens have been in full bloom, with the likes of Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Bhumi Pednekar and Samantha Akkineni, among others, trying to their hands at it. To understand how this unconventional method of farming works, we reached out to Kharghar-based hydroponics expert Vijay Yelmalle, founder, Center for Research in Alternative Farming Technologies and director of Mystiq Garden.

What is hydroponics?

Yelmalle, a former chemical engineer, shares that in simple terms, hydroponics is the process of growing plants in water without any soil. In the absence of soil, certain nutrient-rich solutions, water and sunlight do the trick, yielding a produce that is pesticide-free, and consumes lesser water and space. "Hydroponics has a wide scope; the system can be installed across a few acres of greenhouses, or even as a vertical set-up in your kitchen or backyard," he says.

Hydroponics is a no-fuss way to grow plants in space-starved homes

It's ideal for space-starved homes, as even in a 4 to 6 square-foot area, one can grow almost 48 to 60 plants, without making a mess with soil, he adds. Yelmalle, who also conducts hydroponics workshops, explains, "The technology offers better control on all the inputs and quality of produce, along with ease of production."

Getting started

Yelmalle points out that hydroponics set-ups for home - as small as 1ft x 4ft, offering 48 plants at a time - are available easily on the Internet. One can also build a system with the help of a paint bucket with a lid, hydroponics nutrients that are found online and an aerator (like the kind used for aquariums). "Drill a one-inch hole through the bucket lid, top up the water, add the nutrients, and place the plant in through the slot. The roots will dip in the water, and aeration will provide oxygen to the roots," he elaborates. He, however, suggests that it's important to understand the science and undergo a demo or workshop first.

Vijay Yelmalle

In Mumbai's climate, Yelmalle suggests that local seasonal vegetables are easy to grow through hydroponics, including tomato, cucumber, brinjal, lady finger, etc. "Spinach, mint, basil, coriander and amaranth can be grown throughout the year in ambient temperature. To grow lettuce, kale and other exotic varieties, we need to provide an AC room, where the temperature doesn't exceed 25°C very often," he shares.

Dos and don'ts

. If you don't have sunlight for more than five to six hours, vegetables will grow slowly; so you need ample light for long hours. If it's not there, buy a system with inbuilt grow lights.

. Buy the inputs like the system, nutrients and seeds from trusted sources.

. Never mix and use nutrients used for soil-based farming.

Green advice

Instagram gardeners may make gardening seem like a cakewalk, but being a first-time plant parent can be trying. Author Trisha Bora, in her book How Not to Kill Your Houseplants: A Beginner's Guide to Plant Parenting (Ebury Press) packs in some practical advice. Here's a lowdown:

. Attention and love are key; a plant's appearance speaks volumes.

. Understand the kind of light your plants require, based on their nature and the house's orientation.

. The type of soil and light you provide determines when you need to water your plants and how much, she states.