Like_A_Duck_To_Water

Like A Duck To Water

Urban farming in India isn’t a trend as much as a quiet return to instinct. From balconies to backyards, the city is learning to grow again. Hydroponics is here, and it’s going to stay a while.

FEATURING

PINDFRESH, REDDOX AND HYDROLORE

WHAT’S IN

WHAT’S IN THIS NOOK?

Salad leaves from your windowsill

Plants for sunny window sills

Buying plants on a budget

THIS NOOK?

Not a houseplant person? You can still bring green into your life by growing your own food. Ever considered hydroponics?

DIY kits like Pindfresh (with grow lights, on Amazon) or aeroponics towers by Reddox Studio are readily available for you to start with growing vegetables and herbs at home.

The pind pipe, a starter hydroponics kit by pindfresh. Image credit: Pindfresh

If you’re seriously into it consider local businesses like Bengaluru-based Hydrolore, who set up hydroponics farms for families of 4. “Upfront investment? Around 3 to 4 lakhs.” says Kaushik Raju, the founder of Hydrolore, a sister concern of Farmlore, the farm to table restaurant.

“If you’re thinking of payoffs, think of it as reducing on your medical bills by eating healthy, nourishing, pesticide-free food instead of comparing it purely to your current grocery bills.”

From the hydrolore pods at farmlore restaurant. Video Credit: Hydrolore

Want an easy way to try hydroponics without making it a full time project?

Pindfresh is one of those brands that makes getting into hydroponics a lot less intimidating. Based out of Chandigarh, they’ve got ready-to-use DIY kits that come with everything: seeds, nutrients, pumps, even grow lights. So you don’t have to go hunting for bits and pieces.

What’s nice is the range: If you’re just dabbling or want to try it as a hobby, there are compact setups that can sit by your window. And if you feel like going bigger, they’ve got systems that can handle a decent number of plants without eating up your entire balcony.

Tashi Junior by pindfresh, 6 PVC pipes with 54 growspots. Image credit: Pindfresh

Only got space to go vertical?

Reddox Studio makes growing your own fresh veggies fun and fuss-free, even indoors. They’ve got aeroponic towers (think sleek vertical gardens) with 63 and 96 planters and they do help with bigger setups too. Set up more towers, and they’ll even help you grow enough to sell.

Plus, they don’t leave you hanging. Their consultancy covers seeds, planting schedules, harvesting cycles, and ongoing care.

Grows food. Grows income. Why not?

Here’s a simple overview of 6 different types of hydroponics systems and what they are called:

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Illustrations by Nimisha Sonkar

Bright leafy greens, fresh vegetables cut straight from the plant, pesticide free and healthy produce — all this is possible at your own urban city home with hydroponics.

“Wanting to eat healthy, and knowing where the food comes from is the primary reason our customers decide to have a hydroponic setup on their terrace.” says Kaushik Raju. “A pod of this size can cater to a family of 4-6 people. The customer decides what they like from the list of crops we provide and we either sow the seeds directly at the location, or transplant the saplings. Plus, our app lets you monitor the system from humidity to water so everything’s trackable, from your phone.”

*Hydrolore’s operations are reserved within Bengaluru at the moment, but they do plan to expand.