Growing organic vegetables in an apartment

With increasing food prices and the health problems created by the use of pesticides and chemicals in our food, is it possible to have healthy food? This is made even more difficult with urban living where most of us live in apartments without any available land for planting food. For one who has some initiative, it is not much of a problem.

Mrs K K Tan, 43, started her efforts in planting greens in the balcony of her apartment.

Her endeavour should be an example to others. Mrs Tan’s way is to plant greens in order to cure her tumour growth in her mid-section.

“For a couple of years, I have been going to the doctor to seek a cure for my growth illness, but clearly it did not bear fruit.  Everyday, I was in pain.

“After meeting a friend, I turned my attention to eating greens without insecticide and organic food. I have managed to sustain myself with this diet abstaining from meat and eating organic grains and nuts,” she said.

To be independent, Mrs Tan plants mustard, spinach and other leafy vegetables in pots.

She also grows a type of grass similar to alfalfa which she claims can suppress cancer by drinking its juices.

The vegetables take three months to mature. “At first, when I started planting 10 months ago, the condition of the vegetables was not good and had a yellowish look. This could have been due to no organic fertilizer being added and unsuitable soil conditions.

“Later, when I started to concort my own organic fertilizer, the situation improved, the leaves became green and earth worms which helps its growth.  What was surprising is there is no insect disturbs the growth of the vegetables,” she added.

Asked how she made her own compost, she said it was done mainly with vegetable leaves which have rotted, eggs, bread and other foods mixed with sand. After a three-month wait, compost was ready for use.

Mrs Tan disclosed the methods of planting vegetables and composting in her penthouse came from books and videotapes.

She has a small library in her house with books on planting vegetables in a small area without pesticides organic farming and composting.