Imagine being able to eat your very own home-grown food, safe in the knowledge that its freshness and origin are guaranteed, and to harvest all that you need in order to feed your family, without even having to leave the house?

It might sound like a dream, but for some people it is becoming reality. One such person is Isabel Germosen, who for the last 12 years has been holding practical courses on home horticulture in Santo Domingo.

To set up your own home-farm you will need a small space which gets some sunlight like a roof, patio or balcony. You also need to have a certain degree of patience to allow nature to follow its course.

You’ll need to spend about 15 minutes a day watering, as well as a short time devoted to transplanting and fertilizing the plants.

What can be grown at home?
Doña Isabel grows almost everything you can think of on her rooftop farm: five types of lettuce, salad tomatoes, chard, two varieties of green pepper, aubergines/eggplant, beans, courgettes/zucchini, cucumber, onions, herbs and other aromatic plants, celery, asparagus, spices, French beans, radishes, beetroot and more.

All these things are planted in plastic gardening tubs, but you can also use empty ice-cream or half gallon containers. The only tool you need is a pair of hands.

The first stage involves preparing the seed trays. You can use seeds from packets, costing between RD$40 and RD$50 depending on the variety, which are guaranteed to work. These seeds should be planted in loose soil or in a substitute recommended by Doña Isabel made of rice husks, coffee grounds and imported peat moss (for sale in plant nurseries). This mixture helps the plants retain moisture for a longer period of time.

The germination process depends on the crop. Lettuce seedlings may appear within 48 hours, while peppers and aubergine can take as much as 10 days. They need a humid environment and temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.

Some plants need transplanting, especially leafy varieties like spinach, chard and lettuce. Others need a second and final transplant before harvesting. When the plants are being transplanted they have to be fertilized.

Everything is recycled in nature. Use all the vegetable waste produced in your kitchen to make organic compost for your home-farm.


Note: The picture illustrating this article was taken of Aunt Clara's very own roof top-farm. We encourage you to try it, what's better than fresh, organic herbs?

By Salome