They need 2 to 3 months of hot weather to develop their luscious sweetness. Soon, his interest to grow other varieties of vegetables expanded, and so did his garden. We at The Better India want to showcase everything that is working in this country. Keeping sharing as his core value, if someone seemed interested in growing adeniums, he would offer a graft of his plant for free. Before starting planting them, he attended workshops organised by other urban gardeners to understand how to grow them the right way. As a pesticide I used neem oil which I purchased during an exhibition,” says Gurudatt. If you live in a warmer climate, such as zone 8 (including parts of Arizona) or zone 9 (including parts of Nevada), you have a lot more growth options at your disposal. Once the plants grew taller, I used neem oil as a pesticide. “I harvest more than ten pomegranates every year. The warmer zones 10 and 11 can also accommodate these crops: Grapefruit comes into season in January, so it’s an excellent fruit to enjoy during those chilly winter months on the West Coast. Temperatures in these climates seldom dip below freezing, and they present the ideal year-round growing conditions, particularly for citrus fruits. Not many fruits and veggies can stand such heat, but there are a select few. Still, there are some mighty fruits that can withstand the cold, and even thrive in it. Contrary to popular belief, there are quite a few fruits and veggies that actually thrive in cold weather. Every year, he harvests more than 2 or 3 kilograms of fruits, which he distributes among his friends and neighbours. Their house had a small balcony so he decided to start a garden which would produce fruits and vegetables for everyday use. Gurudatt Naik is the proud owner of a luscious rooftop garden located in Borda, a bustling suburb in Margao, Goa. The first fruit he planted were pomegranates. In the future, he plans to grow apples, cherries, and figs in 50-litre water drums. Okra. Chris Scalise is a freelance writer, content manager, and SEO specialist with close to 20 years of experience in his field. It’s also the smallest zone, limited primarily to Florida's southern tip and a small section of coastal Los Angeles. It must be prepared and cooked into a very tasty jam. Within a few months, I harvested the produce, and till date, those plants continue to grow in my garden,” he states. Apart from that, I also purchased compost from a local nursery, to add nutrition to the plants. In return, we would love it if you could help us spread the word about our new range of sustainable home cleaners: The Better Home. I have purchased seedlings for the adeniums from dealers across the country. Gurudatt says he never weighs the vegetables that are cultivated because his family uses them based on their necessity. He has converted his small balcony, the adjoining sloping roof, and a portion of the terrace into a food forest with potted fruits and vegetables. While not a tree, some grapes grow well in hot, dry gardens including the ‘Thompson Seedless’, ‘Golden Muscat’ and the ‘Alden’. He claims he would also speak to many farmers at exhibitions to get their advice too. Corn. “It has been four months since I planted the apple graft and cherry seedlings, and they are growing rapidly. If you're planting your first pear tree, try to choose a plot with access to bright and direct sunlight and well-drained soil. Cut the crown off a ripe pineapple, remove the lower leaves, and plant the exposed stalk in a planter. Soon, I hope to purchase grape seedlings, to cultivate some, and make homemade wine,” says Gurudatt. When the summer weather starts to heat up, some plants wither away, while others stand up to the heat, and even thrive in hot conditions, such as these 12 heat tolerant vegetables for the summer garden. Too much water will dilute the sugars, making the melons bland. He grows vegetables of many kinds which are used for his family’s daily consumption. He also hopes to procure grape seedlings, to start a vine on his terrace. If you live in Puerto Rico, try growing these fruits and vegetables: Here’s How, Click here if you want to make a contribution of your choice instead, Join our community of positive ambassadors. I took it upon myself, as a challenge, to grow my plants in various containers. Apart from vegetables, during the exhibitions, Gurudatt also procured a variety of seeds to grow fruits. Though it had been four days since the harvest, the vegetables were intact,” says Sira Bai, a family friend who has known Gurudatt since he was a young boy. Melons originated in Africa and southern Asia. Puerto Rico makes up zones 12 and 13, which can get mighty hot. The other officers agreed, and I purchased seedlings from a local nursery, and carefully planted them around the building. Still, your healthy eating habits and environmental commitments don’t have to hibernate until the weather warms up. Berries are an easy way to try your hand at growing fruit. If you’re looking for some delicious ideas for fruits or berries to grow during the cold months, your options are going to depend on your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. If you live in one of these areas, you have access to cold-weather growth opportunities not available in other parts of the nation. Initially, most of these were growing in my balcony, but the space was too small, so I took permission from my apartment association and moved my plants to the common terrace. “If I have too much of one vegetable, I send the excess to friends and family staying in Goa,” he shares. They are grown in vases and other containers filled with a mix of sand and garden soil, vermicompost, and lined with charcoal or roof tile pieces at the base. He can grow anything! He also grows a variety of adenium plants, alongside all this. But he does not stop at just growing them. If you read us, like us and want this positive news movement to grow, then do consider supporting us via the following buttons: Our teams put in a lot of effort to create the content you love at The Better India. But I suggested that they plant fruit-bearing trees like guava, and mango so that it will benefit us in the future. All the produce was neatly wrapped in newspapers and plastic covers, so there was no damage. Early in 2020, he enrolled in a competition organised by The Botanical Society of Goa and won the first prize under the organic terrace garden category. He also grows a … For instance, the latter zones can get as chilly as 10–20 degrees Fahrenheit, and include such areas as parts of Iowa (zone 5), Ohio (zone 6), and Virginia (zone 7). Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) Today, he grows a variety of fruits such as chikoo, guava, banana, and mango. For this, he converted an adjoining roof from his balcony into a plant-bed and hired professionals to raise a 3 feet high brick enclosure and divided the area into two compartments. At that time, I was unaware of composting or how organic manure can enhance the growth of my plants, so all I did was water my plants regularly. He grows fruits such as chikoo, pomegranate, banana, guava, mango, and vegetables such as brinjal, gourds, celery, sweet potatoes, and more. Check out these great gardening tools that will make growing produce a little easier. After it was filled with potting mix and cocopeat, Gurudatt planted pomegranates and lemons side by side. Photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash, Bloem 2-Gallon Slate Resin Traditional Watering Can, How to Make a Lush Garden on a Modest Budget. The man’s love for growing food-bearing plants started 30 years ago, the day he joined work at the Public Works Department as a Junior Engineer. In 2010, Gurudatt was posted to Margao and moved into an apartment complex with five homes along with his wife and two children. In fact, the average temperature year-round is 85 degrees Fahrenheit. He grows fruits such as chikoo, pomegranate, banana, guava, mango, and vegetables such as brinjal, gourds, celery, sweet potatoes, and more. For example, these super warm climates can accommodate papaya and mango, which are otherwise difficult—if not altogether impossible—to grow in the United States. Zones 5 through 7 can also get incredibly cold but are still warm enough to successfully grow fruit and veggies. “Gurudatt is an enthusiastic gardener who has converted his home into a food forest. “There was space around my office building, and the officers were wondering what kind of flowering plants they could grow there to make the area look more aesthetically pleasing. I decided to recycle milk crates that a local milkman was about to dispose of and grow the plants in them. In fact, the average temperature year-round is 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the pot in a well-lit window and keep the soil moist (but not soggy). Now It Gives Me 17 Kg of Veggies in a Day, I Grew 90% of my Veggies on my Roof During Lockdown. If you’ve only ever had it in a stew or gumbo …