Plant Care Archives - Terrace Gardening the Organic Way

Fani, Aftermath and Way Ahead

A terrace garden being on the terrace is most vulnerable to strong winds. And when the wind speed reaches 200 kmph, disaster strikes; quite literally. And that is what happened to our rooftop food garden when cyclone Fani struck on 3rd April 2019. Our garden was completely destroyed. No Preparation can be Enough Of late we have had the issue of monkeys in our garden. In the last six months or so the gardens raids by monkeys had become frequent and we had lost about 80% of our produce and young plants to them. Hence we decided to extend our shade … Continue reading “Fani, Aftermath and Way Ahead”

Book Now Available in Full Color Print

Before I go into the post here is some good news. Organic Terrace has been selected as one of the top 10 Indian Gardening Blogs by Feedpost. A huge thanks to the panelists and to my readers for this. After I released my book ‘Organic Urban Farming, The Indian Way’ in e-book form I got a lot of requests to do a printed book as a lot of people are either not conversant or comfortable with an e-book. After weighing in a few options I decided to self publish the book. And with friends chipping in with cash and publishing … Continue reading “Book Now Available in Full Color Print”

Guide to Growing Tomatoes in Containers

Tomato is one of the most versatile vegetables which is loved all around the world for its flavor, texture, color, taste and juiciness. But tomato is also a food source with an ambiguity. Though botanically its a fruit, it is eaten as a vegetable. However knowing this fact really does not make any difference to you when you want to grow juicy, colorful and yummy tomatoes in a container in your garden. But going through this post on how to grow tomatoes in containers surely will. So without much ado here we go. Quick Reference Table to Grow Tomatoes in Containers Item … Continue reading “Guide to Growing Tomatoes in Containers”

How Not to and How to Water Plants in Pots

The happy gardener. You see him/her everywhere; on TV, on bill boards in magazines. And its mostly a very happy and content looking person watering plants with a hose or a watering can. And the water falling on the plants in an almost poetic manner with shower like effect. The image conveys the beauty and happiness involved in gardening (and sometimes it is also to sell some gardening equipment). Most gardeners I have met tend to water their plants in this popular way as it feels and looks really nice as per them. Unfortunately this is exactly how you should NOT water … Continue reading “How Not to and How to Water Plants in Pots”

How to Protect your Plants in Summer – Simple and Effective Tips

I recently attended national seminar on climate change where I got to see a lot of data on the changes in temperature and the effects it is having on our environment. Not that I was not aware of it. We all are aware of the change in climate and its effects. But when something is presented in the form of well researched data it does say a lot and has much more impact. Our planet is indeed getting hotter at an alarming rate. Last year Titlagarh in my home state recorded 47.5 degree Celsius and the predictions are that this year … Continue reading “How to Protect your Plants in Summer – Simple and Effective Tips”

What People Are Saying About Us

Susmita PaniFormer Reader in English at Ravenshaw University, Freelance ELT Consultant
Attending the three-week organic urban farming workshop, organized by Paz Farming and Organic Terrace was a revelation. Both Shweta and Prabal are extremely knowledgeable, competent and exude confidence that comes from experience. They are keen, dedicated, helpful and more than willing to share information. The wonderful team created a climate of collegiality among all of us who ranged from 20 to 60 years. It was a genuinely interactive and participatory workshop where we covered a wide gamut of topics through hands on practice. Anyone who has the slightest interest in environment and organic farming must attend this workshop.
Pulak PatnaikNetwork Engineer
Messenger of Greens, that's what I would call Prabal who has shown me the path to terrace gardening. He has gone on from being a friend and a terrific painter to become a guide and showed me the how to grow my own vegetables in my own house. An IT guy and a painter who is now spreading awareness about the need of urban population to go green and grow green is doing a terrific job through this website. Cheers and I hope more people follow this path not just to help nature, but to help themselves.
VanshitaStudent at KIIT International School
Our generation really needs to understand and appreciate the skill of growing one's own food. It is important for each of us to have the knowledge and skill to do so. Urban Farming course with Shweta Di and Prabal sir was of the eye opener experiences of my life. Not only did I understand the actual importance, but also got to know that urban farming is not so tedious if done correctly. I would suggest every student of my age to take up these courses in order to become independent and responsible in life. If we grow what we need it will be a two fold benefit. First there would be minimum or no wastage and second we'll consume minimum chemicals. Being self sufficient has always been a goal in my life and this course has helped me to take a huge step towards my goal. Both Prabal sir and Shweta Di are very helpful and interactive which made the experience and learning interesting and fruitful.
Navneet AroraHome Maker
The summer course on Urban Farming organised by Prabal and Shweta was just what I needed. Though I am an enthusiastic amateur kitchen gardener, I was beginning to feel tired due to poor yield and crops lost to pests as I was against using any chemicals. Learning tried and tested methods from Prabal's and Shweta's own experience as successful organic gardeners filled the gap in my understanding. I feel I now understand the entire process of soil preparation, composting, crop rotation etc much better. I am back into gardening with renewed vigour and am looking forward to a bumper harvest this season.
Shweta NarulaNarula Restaurant, Bhubaneswar
The reliability of and emphasis on organic fertilizers such as compost, green manure as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is the need of the hour. With increasing number of diseases and ill health of people, consumption of organically grown fruits and vegetables will contribute largely towards well being of all. Prabal's workshop on organic urban farming is an ideal platform to learn and utilize the methods of preparing organic materials, residues, nutrients and recycling them. Very interesting and knowledge enhancing workshop. Must do.
Nikky PujariChicago, Illinois
The Organic Terrace blog is well researched, simple to follow and written by someone who is not just passionate about growing organic vegetables but very experienced in all of its facets. I followed instructions on tomato growing and immediately saw results - 13 big, red, sun-ripened organically grown tomatoes on a 10 inch container..wish I could attend the workshop too. Love the blog!
Abhishek JenaEntrepreneur
I recently stepped into organic urban farming in pursuit of having fresh homegrown vegetables. And this was made simple and exciting, thanks to organicterrace.in and its founder Mr Prabal Mallick. The site not only has detailed explanation of growing plants, but also helps in every step of the growing stage, giving you insight on the maintenance process meanwhile familiarizing one with behavior of different plants. So far my experience has been excellent. I started off with eggplants which came out to be really delicious and now I have tomatoes, ginger, lemon, herbs, beans and garlic growing in my terrace garden. Now I am more confident on growing more fruits and vegetables; All thanks to organicterrace.in and the guidance of Prabal Bhai.