An Urban Plantito’s Journey to Grow Crops on his Balcony

A short story by Jonas Marie Dumdum

Growing up in the province, having plants and crops around me had been a part of my life.

My high school days in Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental were some of the most environmentally-healthy days in our family life. We enjoyed having mangoes and santol dropping from trees in our front yard during summer and some chili plants in our backyard which we enjoyed adding in dipping sauces. Vegetables such as malunggay, alugbate, and upo were also plentiful in our lolo’s house. Thanks to coconut trees that give off breathable fresh air as it covers the city. Planting fruits and vegetables at home could easily be done due to the richness of soil and vast land spaces.

Gardening in the city was a real adjustment.

Moving to Manila in 2014 became a challenge. Shifting from a rural setting to an urban one did not feel right without plants, and I wanted plants that served a good purpose. That was when I convinced my family to consider growing vegetables on the balcony of the family condominium in Makati, more than 20 floors up. In the first year, I wasn’t able to give so much time to planting because I needed to focus on my review for the board exam. However, in 2015 I became fully fledged with it.

It was hard to grow crops when you start from seeds. Plant shops in Makati were usually ornamental or indoor plants that appealed to the condo crowd, so the options were limited in urban farming. In addition, space and condo regulations became a factor, as you can’t have big crops growing in limited space as a balcony. Lastly, considerations on soil quality and fertilizer availability should be considered too.

As I started my ‘plantito’ journey, most people recommended planting tomatoes — they said these were easy to grow. I reused ice cream containers and bottles so they served as pots for the plants I’m growing. I noticed that among the seeds like eggplant, pechay, and ampalaya, tomatoes were the first to grow. Unfortunately, there were batches of tomato plants that died due to high outside temperatures, lack of water, or even too much water. After three attempts though, I managed to grow three cherry-red tomato fruits. It was juicy on the inside and tasted really healthy.

Then, I thought of growing chilies, but this too became a challenge. Chili seedlings took longer to grow compared to tomatoes, and they easily withered due to water and outside heat. Eventually though, two chili seedlings survived and became sturdy and have been flowering now. We may have our first chili pods soon.

Lastly, we experimented with cuttings of kangkong, alugbate, and tanglad. Only the alugbate survived, and it managed to grow well in our urban garden.

The three things I’ve learned.

My experience taught me three things about urban farming:

First, the pots. Personally, container gardening worked really well for my crop plants, but considerations such as soil drainage and watering frequency needed to be considered. Ice cream containers do work well, but holes should be made at the bottom to allow excess water to drip down, reducing the chances of encouraging conditions of decaying organic matter rather than growing plants.

Second, the choice of crops should be considered based on space. Having bigger crops needs a lot of space, and a lot of time for them to grow really well.

Lastly, water. Unlike in a farm where ambient temperatures are not much of a problem, more water is needed in urban environments to offset the heat of high rise buildings. However there is also the risk of having too much water. Achieving a balance is really needed.

Enjoying the plantito life may be tough, but it does have its rewards. It can help our mental health — just seeing the seed I’ve buried start sprouting warms my heart. Watching how adorable they are on the balcony as the sun sets make me overwhelmed. I do look forward to a future where I could enjoy eating more of my own produced vegetables as I continue to embrace my journey in urban agriculture.

Why you must push on if you’re already thinking about it.

Planting or farming on your own, especially if you do not have prior experience on it, is going to be a challenge for you. Diligence and responsibility is required to get the results you’ve been hoping for as you start your journey, and you do not need to start completely clueless. In this episode, you’ll discover the best and proven techniques that you can emulate on your own depending on the types of plants you want to grow, and the scale you are aiming for.

Becoming a plantito and plantita on your own is a therapeutic lifestyle. It gives you a sense of fulfillment just by seeing your plants grow as your efforts and strategies pay off. Plants may not speak, but they give a sense of calm even in times of tempests. If you want to start now, do not hesitate! It might be one of the best — and yet the one of the simplest — lifestyles you will ever adopt in life.