Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to grow plants… but without much success. I just can’t keep them alive, for some reason. I always forget to water them, give them enough sunlight, the dogs run them over, or much worse, I FORGET I HAVE A PLANT.
I even tried taking care of succulents because they tend to live longer without much water, but they still died a month later. It’s hard to keep them alive if you don’t have a “green thumb” or if you’re just extremely busy.
Because of this, I did some research and found out about Hydroponics. To put it simply, you can grow plants anywhere without any soil. It’s an unusual way of gardening, but it does work for busy people, I must say.
Through hydroponics, you won’t need much effort to grow plants because they’ll grow with the help of water. NO SOIL NEEDED. It also consumes less water than usual because the water simply circulates and gets absorbed by the plants.Â
You can even do it at work (if your boss allows it) since you won’t have trouble finding space for a jar-sized kit on your desk. It will look so cool, too. Most importantly, though, it will save you money on lunch. Imagine munching on freshly-picked salad on petsa de peligro instead!
While Hydroponics does need a bit of preparation and knowledge to be able to start, don’t worry. YouTube is your friend. You can find endless information about it there.
If that doesn’t satisfy you and you still need an extra push, you can join Urban Green’s monthly Hydroponics 101 workshops to jumpstart your journey. They conduct monthly workshops, so you can’t miss them. They will help you understand the different techniques, process, and importance of taking this first step towards a greener city.
This workshop is also perfect for those who are interested in changing to or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We actually met several people there who had lost a lot of weight, some who survived cancer, and one entrepreneur who’s interested in turning their conventional farm into a modern hydroponics one.
Aside from developing your gardening skills, you can also maximize the benefits of starting your Hydroponics journey in an urban jungle like Metro Manila. Here are some of the reasons why we want to spread the word about it:
It’s expensive to buy fresh produce at grocery stores.
Every time I go to the grocery, all I can think about is how much I could save if I just harvested my own food. I mean, we buy expensive, imported produce because they’re organic. We may use it sometimes; but because we’re so busy and the traffic in Metro Manila is the worst, we tend to eat out a lot more than we want to. We might even forget that we bought “fresh and organic” lettuce to begin with until it’s wilted and thrown out. It’s hard to admit, but it’s what’s happening, you know.
If we harvest our own produce at home, we can get it fresh and only consume what we need. It’s cheaper, too! Nothing will go to waste and we can be sure that it’s pesticide-free, as well.
Fun fact: At the workshop, I learned that there is no such thing as “organic” products. I mean, sure, they can have “USDA organic certification”, but they’re not subject to constant inspection and USDA’s regulation clearly states that they “don’t address food safety or nutrition”. They can also deviate from their “organic” practices once they receive their certification.
You can read more about it all over the Internet. It’s mind-boggling, really. This Forbes article is the most convincing one for me.Â
We have more buildings than green spaces.
As long as job opportunities are saturated in Metro Manila, people will keep on moving in and developers will keep on accommodating them by building more vertical living spaces, such as condos and apartments. At this rate, we can expect to not have any green spaces that will supply our oxygen needs in a few years.
We can’t tell people to stop coming in, either, because they’re just trying to make a living. We all do. What we can do is ADAPT TO THESE CHANGES and MAXIMIZE EVERY DAMN SPACE. I’m talking about your kitchen walls, your balcony, your garage, and every empty rooftop there is.
(READ MORE: Want to Grow Food in Your Home? Here’s How to Start.)
Maybe, in time, we can restore some color to our urbanized map.
We can help local farmers.
Imported produce usually costs a lot because of transportation and taxes. Sometimes, we don’t have any choice but to buy them, though, it because that produce isn’t easily accessible to us. By starting your own little hydroponics farm at home, you can be independent of consuming imported produce, thus helping local farmers in the process.
Aside from that, we can also educate our farmers, especially those who don’t own land to farm, about hydroponics. With the help of our experts and the local government, we can teach them how to utilize small spaces and create a hydroponics system.
Our local farmers have to go through a lot to make a profitable living. I have no idea how to help them financially, but if we push for standardized pricing, introduce innovative farming techniques, and give them a platform to sell their products – eliminating the middleman –Â in a farm-to-table setting; it might just work out well for them.
Is this the future of farming in the Philippines? If you wanna learn more about Hydroponics, feel free to contact Urban Greens!
Urban Greens
09993358628 / 09955595640
Website: https://www.eaturbangreens.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EatUrbanGreens
