OPERATIONAL MANUAL - DO IT YOURSELF KIT

The Horticulture Department, Tamil Nadu Government issues Do it Yourself Kit to general public along with Operational Manual, which is in Tamil & English. Click here to view Operational Manual

New Terrace Gardeners, who do not want all the items in the Kit issued by the department, can purchase the required items mentioned in the manual from the open market and make the grow bags themself as per their requriement.

Happy Gardening!

Tamil Nadu Government Initiative - Update

Referring my post dated 29.9.2012 regarding Government planning to issue Do-It-Yourself Kit to General Public on the basis of specific request through application, I would like to update the news item published in The Hindu today. To read the new item click here.

21-06-2015

TNAU provides one day training on Terrace Gardening.

Fee for the training is ₹400. Lunch is provided foc. You get seeds also here.

For admission please contact 044-2628384

TNAU Information and Training CentreU-30, 10th Street, Anna Nagar
(Behind Jaigopal Garodia School)
Chennai – 600 040

E-mail: chennai@tnau.ac.in

Health benefit of Gardening

I need little motivation to garden because it gives me so much pleasure and health benefits.

This time of year, I daydream about getting out in the garden, pulling weeds, pruning and planting. For me, a life-long gardener, there's nothing better than seeking solace, sun and good moments in my yard.

So, when I found these 10 reasons to garden, I had to share them because they cover every good reason to garden, or at least try it:

1. Gardening provides exercise that seems to be lacking in the Indians, especially
Chennaiities'  lifestyle. This comes from picking up pots, hoeing, raking, and chores related to tending the garden.

2. Gardening creates an opportunity by which vitamin D can be absorbed. It only takes 15 minutes out in the sun without sunscreen to absorb a daily dose of this vitamin.

3. Gardening provides more control over an individual's food supply especially for those who are concern with food security.

4. Gardening gives an individual a reason to be outside.

5. Gardening can create social situations where social interaction can occur. Long-term friendships can develop through a common love of gardening.

6. The process of gardening can improve one's mood and reduce depression. This is believed to happen due to exercise and vitamin D exposure.

7. Gardening is a great hobby that every individual regardless of skill or living environment can do.

8. Gardening is a great way of reducing one's carbon footprint by cutting back on food transportation cost and increasing foliage on the planet that can trap carbon or become a carbon sink.

9. Gardening is a great way to reduce stress. Getting back to nature and combining this with exercise can help reduce the stress at the end of the day.

10. Vegetable gardening can improve your whole family's dietary habits by providing the first fast food, which is fresh vegetables and fruits. It has been found that if kids are involved in the gardening process they are more likely to try new foods and eat more vegetables.

Source: http://gardening.newsonly.org/

Also please read more on health benefit of gardening at http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/08/why.gardening.good/index.html

Inspiration - Garden on Terrace

Pl. see the following link of Garden on Terrace created by Ms. Jamila Mohamed Ahmed published in The Hindu dated 7th Dec. 2012 http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/garden-on-terrace/article4129908.ece.

Tamil Nadu Govt. Initiative

Dear Friends

There was a news item published in Times of India  dated 23-9-13, which is appended below:

The soaring price of vegetables has caused much heartburn, but people in the state may soon get their greens for free.

If the state government has its way, residents could soon be plucking fresh vegetables from their own rooftop gardens. As part of the plan to soften the blow of food inflation, the government will distribute do-it-yourself rooftop garden kits to residents.

Encouraged by a few individuals who have responded to rising prices by growing vegetables on their balconies, the government plans to introduce the scheme in Chennai and Coimbatore to begin with.

"The opportunity to beat rising prices by growing vegetables at home has led to people trying their luck with gardening. The government wants to chip in with support," a horticulture officer said. The horticulture department will roll out the scheme with support from Tamil Nadu Agriculture University.

People interested can apply online and the government will supply them with 20 UV stabilised 200 micron thickness polythene bags, 15kg of coir pith and manure, seeds for vegetables and greens, besides instruments, organic fertiliser and a 20sqm polythene sheet. It will make 20 bags available for each person at a subsidised price. Indian Overseas Bank offers loans to individuals for rooftop gardening.

Vegetables such as brinjals, tomatoes, chillies, cluster beans and amaranthus can be grown in the summer and spinach, radish, beetroot, snake gourd, bitter gourd, ribbed gourd and bush beans in the rainy and cooler months, said A Sadasakthi, professor, TNAU.

A brinjal plant yields an average of 5kg of the vegetable in six months, while two tomato plants yield up to 8kg. The government decided to use coir pith instead of red soil to minimise the weight of the plants.

Constraints of space may be a problem for many people in the city, but not for those who know how to use space effectively. "I found my tiny roof has lot of potential," says A M Malathi, who loves vegetables. The Medavakkam resident has been growing large quantities of pumpkin, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, snake gourd, ladies finger, cluster beans, brinjal, yam, and seasonal vegetables like beetroot and carrot.

She sometimes grows cauliflower, cabbage and capsicum. "I try dal once in a while too," she said.Vegetable gardens have the added advantage of making the house cooler. Exnora founder M B Nirmal said growing vegetables has other benefits as well. "It helps calm the mind and nurtures a love for nature," he said.