vegetables on roof top with Grow Bags using Hydroponic Technique

      Tips for growing vegetables on roof top with Grow Bags using Hydroponic Technique

Select a place where you plenty of sunlight and good drainage. This is very essential. To avoid water seepage on the roof top spread polythene sheet on the floor. Open the white grow bag. Remove the content. Fill the bag half way with water.  Dissolve the buffer material provided in water. Put the coco peat block in the grow bag and turn on the water. It wills consume nearly 8 times the weight of the coco peat block. Once the coco peat has expanded fully, say up to the top of the bag, stop the water supply. Allow it to soak overnight. In the morning put four holes around the grow bag, one inch from the bottom of the grow bag. Allow the water to drain completely. Next day mix perlite, white material thourouly with coco peat.(Perlite is nothing but treated volcanic rock which has lot of porosity and minerals that oxygenates the grow bag).The grow bag is ready for use. Add one liter of hydroponic nutrient and start growing your plant.

Any vegetable can be grown in a GROW BAG as long it is big enough to house the plant’s roots. Most suitable vegetable are vegetables with bushy growth with shallow roots. Recommended vegetables for grow bag culture are leafy greens, brinjals, tomatos, chillies,bush beans,clusterbeans,onions,radishes & bendi.

Coriander,radish,bhendi,bushbeans,leafy greens,clusterbeans can be directly sown to the grow bags. The depth of the seed sowing should be about two and half times the seed size. It can be pressed by finger to the hydroponic medium. Large seeds should be shown vertically and small seed like leafy green seed has to mixed it one spoon of hydroponic medium and sprinkle on top of the growing medium and cover it with cloth or tissue paper. Wet the same with hydroponic nutrient. Remove the cloth /paper once seeds start germinating. 

Plants like, chilies has to been grown in Portrays before shifting to the grow bags. These seeds take 30 to 35 days to be ready for transplantation. So start to grow leafy green first by that time your brinjals, tomatos, chillies will be ready for transplantation. Soak seeds overnight in water or in seaweed solution before sowing for better germination.

Add I liter nutrient solution per bag once in two days. Using dripper system can save water and nutrient.

Staking (small stick) is must for brinjals, tomatos,bushbean, and cluster been to prevent wind snapping the plants.Since sunlight on the roof top is high cove the  growing medium with dried leaves, straw or coconut chips to prevent water evaporation.If plants are attacked by pest use organic pesticide like neem oil.

Arrange the grow bags on polythene sheet with spacing of one feet between each bag. Typically we can grow 20 bags in 13feet x13 feet area.

                                     Selection of plants for small Terrace garden

Type Of Plant	Duration	No Of Bags	No of Plants/Bag	Approx Total Yield( Kg)
Brinjal	6 Month	3	1	4.5
Tomato	5 Month	3	2	6
Chilly	5 Month	6	2	2
Bhendi	5 Month	3	4	15
Cluster Bean	5 Month	2	4	2
Bush Bean	4 Month	2	4	4
Radish	45 Days	2	10	2
Coriander	30 Days	2	2	6 Bundles Per Month