Smart Living

Kerala Gardener Grows 135 Fruit Trees In Plastic Drums On Terrace, Shares Tips

When Abdurazak, a resident of Tirur, Kerala, returned from Dubai in 2018, he wished to plant fruit timber at dwelling. But these timber often develop higher on land, and he realised his terrace may not be sufficient.

He knew he might develop them in develop luggage like most dwelling gardeners. “But this actually stunts the growth of the trees, often rendering them fruitless. So, I wanted an alternative to grow bags that are practical and more efficient,” Abdurazak tells The Better India.

So as a substitute, he determined to develop the timber in plastic drums. Today, he maintains a fruit orchard of 250 timber, of which 135 develop in drums.

Finding an alternative choice to develop luggage

After spending round 30 years in Dubai, Abdurazak returned to his hometown in Kerala. He says he had all the time beloved nurturing timber, particularly fruit bearing ones, and would plant many in his home every time he was dwelling from work.

“But when I planted the trees on the land, they didn’t grow well due to the unavailability of enough sunlight. So, I decided to try planting them on the terrace,” says Abdurazak, who was a part of a wholesale fruit and vegetable business in Dubai.

Abdurazak on his terrace

He says his expertise coping with fruits for round three many years helped him perceive the scope of rising completely different varieties the world over. Even the concept of rising them on plastic drums was impressed from a fruit farm in Thailand, he says.

“While working in the fruit wholesale business, I had the opportunity to interact with several farms and agencies from over 56 countries. One of the fruit farms in Thailand, who used to send us fruits, had adapted this technique of growing fruits on plastic drums. They used to grow fruits in thousands of such plastic drums and reap high yields,” explains the 50-year-old.

“This method was adapted to reduce labour and wastage of fertilisers. When we plant these trees on land, around 75% fertiliser is wasted, as it goes underground along with water. This leaves just 25% to be absorbed. So, this method actually stimulates the growth of the trees,” he provides.

Razak wished to check the waters. So he determined to plant a couple of timber in plastic buckets first. “I took paint buckets, filled them with soil, and planted them to check whether the method would work in our climate conditions. It did, so I bought used plastic drums from scrap shops and started growing trees in them,” he says, including every drum prices round Rs 700.

“Unused and new plastic drums are twice as expensive,” Abdu says. “I would suggest this method only if someone is passionate about growing fruit trees and not growing them for commercial purposes. If you grow fruit trees this way, you could get a yield enough for you and your family,” he says, including that it’s subsequently necessary to seek out styles of fruit timber that yield fruits in all seasons.

Razak’s fruit orchard at present homes round 250 fruit timber from completely different elements of India, in addition to from nations reminiscent of Thailand, Pakistan, Brazil and Australia. “I mostly buy foreign varieties online. There is a Kolkata-based agency through which I source different varieties of mangoes,” he provides.

He has round 70 overseas styles of mangoes, completely different styles of guava, and jackfruit timber.

Abdurazak with his produce from his fruit trees on his terrace

He says that fruit timber grown in drums yield a lot sooner than these rising on land. “If the trees that grow on land take five years, the ones planted in drums would just take two years. But even with faster yield, the number of fruits produced will be less in drums.”

“If you get 100 mangoes from a tree growing on land, you will only get 25 or 50 from the ones planted in drums. But you could utilise the space consumed by a big mango tree to grow around 10 to 15 trees in drums, that too of different varieties,” he explains. “Therefore, it is important to plant trees that could yield fruits in all seasons.”

Trees rising on land don’t require frequent watering, however these in plastic drums want it not less than twice a day, he says. “I have set up a drip irrigation system on the terrace and water them once in the morning and once in the evening. Since they are on the terrace and exposed to sun, they need more water than those on land, which are able to sustain even without water, as their roots have the capability to find water from the soil,” he elaborates.

“I use a bioslurry made out of cow dung, neem cake, bone meal, jaggery, and sheema konna leaves (Gliricidia sepium). I mix this with water and spray it on these trees,” he says when requested about what fertiliser he makes use of.

As the timber are saved in drums and on the terrace, Razak says that you will need to prune them once in a while to take care of their measurement to an optimum stage. “It is important to keep them maximum up to 7 to 8 feet,” he provides.

How to develop fruit timber on drums

  • Use plastic drums with capacities of 70 to 130 litres, and select them in keeping with the growth of the fruit tree.
  • Make not less than three holes of 8 mm to 16 mm at a distance of three inches from the underside of the drum. The holes are for the water to flee.
  • Fill a potting combination of soil, bio fertiliser, and coco peat to cover 3/4th of the drum, after which plant the tree.
  • Water them not less than as soon as a day or as soon as in two days.
  • It is recommended to spray fertiliser as soon as a month or as soon as in two months.
  • Prune them once in a while and practice them to develop at an optimum stage.

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