UAS-B set to give push to urban gardening in Bengaluru through training and consultation
As part of efforts to increase green spaces in Bengaluru and encourage people to grow their own vegetables in whatever limited spaces they have, the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru (UAS-B) has embarked upon an initiative to promote urban gardening/horticulture.
While the university has launched a paid short-term course in urban gardening, it is also planning to offer consultancy services in the coming days based on availability of space and specific requirement of house owners.
Twofold benefit
'We want to encourage residents to grow their own vegetables. Experts in the university will help them understand how a family of three to four people can ensure regular availability of vegetables. Also, we want residents to convert their wet waste into compost. This will reduce the burden of civic authorities in handling waste and keeping the city clean,' says UAS-B Vice-Chancellor S.V. Suresha.
Pointing out that unmaintained empty plots have become a problem for the neighbourhood owing to the growth of bushes and dumping of garbage, he said: 'With the consent of plot owners, the neighbourhood can use that space for growing vegetables'.
He added: 'We also want children in urban families to get first-hand exposure to growing plants. It is a matter of concern that several urban children have no practical idea about plants or cultivation, but for reading them in lessons.'
The two-day course will provide orientation to participants on general aspects of urban gardening, vertical gardening, indoor plants, composting, pot mixture to be prepared, and handling of plant diseases/pests, he noted.
Kit to be provided
The university would also provide a kit with culture material for composting, red earth and pots to those who undergo short-term course, if they wish to buy them.
He said even those with limited open spaces like apartments could practise urban gardening. There are several varieties of indoor plants that could be cultivated within the house too, he pointed out.
In the course of time, the university wants to design specific models of urban gardening through consultation for people depending upon their space availability. The models would include vertical gardening structures and hydroponics, he explained.
Workshop for architects
However, in several cases, terrace farming would have limitations due to various constraints related to construction as lack of waterproofing measures may lead to seepage, the Vice-Chancellor pointed out. In this context, the university has decided to start holding workshops for architects to provide them orientation on the pre-requirements with respect to construction of the building to facilitate terrace/urban gardening, he said.
Meanwhile, the two-day workshop on urban gardening for which ₹2,000 is being charged per person is being held from Friday for which already the participants have been chosen. The plan is to hold such workshops once in every month.
The annual krishi mela (agricultural fair) of the UAS-B is not just popular among farmers, but also among urban dwellers. As a large number of urban residents too started visiting these melas, the university started introducing urban gardening concepts at the mela and is now trying to promote it further.
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