"I started growing vegetables at home to beautify the home and purify the air, and when I get a harvest, that's a BIG BIG bonus!" - Our first featured urban farmer is Anna Chan, who is now growing basil, aloe vera and chilli in her kitchen at home.
Anna has been growing veggies on her window ledge (just 2m x 0.7m in size!) for more than 4 years! She began with potatoes and sweet potatoes and is now growing a wide variety of vegetables and even Chinese herbs.
Here are some tips from Anna for budding urban farmers: (1) Be careful not to over water your crops if they are grown indoors, as the water evaporates much more slowly. (2) I prefer to use water-based fertilizers to minimize the growth of bugs in the soil. (3) Be observant about the changes in the plants to understand their needs, and learn as much as possible about crops suitable for Hong Kong, growing seasons, fertilizer usage, soil types and the needs of different types of plants.
One of our burning questions was: does it take a lot of effort to take care of her veggies? Turns out Anna need only water her plants once a day.
Thank you so much Anna for sharing your insights!
If you have any questions about growing your own veggies at home, feel free to leave us a comment below or send us a private message!