Welcome to MUMBAI FARMER and thanks for stopping by! I’m Mandy, a Mumbai-based entrepreneur and greenie at heart! I started this website in 2013 to connect with like-minded greenies, exchange resources, and grow the organic way of life in Mumbai.
Urban farming is a global trend. As people become aware of the deadly effects of mass-produced, chemicalized food, and with few organic options available, many choose to grow some of their food themselves (See: Why Grow?). MUMBAI FARMER is for those who have some growing space, are open to learning, and believe in co-creating a healthier world with nature. MUMBAI FARMER gives you all the information you need to grow your food – sustainably and organically (See: When to Grow?, What to Grow?, How to Grow?, Growing Organically). This website is the result of years of hands-on research on my Mumbai terrace farm, and another year of dogged documentation. Do check out my Plantopedia that offers in-depth info on 30+ native veggies and herbs. But having mentioned all the hard work, please know that MUMBAI FARMER has also been a fun project, and continues to give me happy outdoor opportunities, with new challenges and joys everyday! Read about these adventures in my posts!
If you’re looking to buy earth products, farm plants, medicinals, ornamentals (all organic) or garden accessories, do check out my Shop. I also offer Consults and Installations of Edible Gardens, Urban Farms, Herb Gardens, Food Forests, Healthy Green Interiors, CHS/Corporate Makeovers, Streetside Greenscapes and Permaculture Farms – all that and more at Mandys Farm India. You can catch the latest of what’s happening on my farm and in my “growing” business on Twitter and Instagram. But if you just want to connect and chill with other greenies, and perhaps share pix of your growing beauties, then Mumbai Farmers on facebook is where you need to to be. Come, join our 5000+ farming tribe! Be part of the positive, green change you wish to see in our big, bad city!
© Mumbai Farmer 2013. Do not copy in part or whole without prior written permission from the author. Infringement of copyright will render you liable for legal action.
Nice to see the vegetables and spinachs grown within the terrace garden …. Impressed
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Thanks Bala, it’s really not that difficult, and gives you options to the pesticide-laden veggies we get in the market. If you’ve not tried it before, and have some space to experiment, it’s worth trying!
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Hi there, I am looking to grow a few vegies and herbs in my terrace too. I want to know where can i get corriander, mint, sweet basil, sage, rosemary, oregano plants here in city. I am new to gardening and have to no clue about how to start, any help will be appreciated.
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I am unaware of garden shops in the western suburbs but know that there are some good ones at Byculla. I think you would get all your seeds there. May I suggest you grow coriander using coriander seeds (not roasted) from the kirana shop itself? You would need to crack open each round seed shell and scatter the smaller seeds inside on damp ground, then sprinkle mud over, place in sunny spot and spray water till they germinate and the stems become sturdy. About the other herbs you have mentioned, seeds are available but I found it simpler to propagate using cuttings. Simply pick up fresh herbs and plant cuttings – use as you would and save the sturdy stalks for cuttings. Snip off weak root ends and excess leaves or branches and plant sturdy green stalks. Generally herbs thrive on well-drained soil with moderate sun – and can tolerate some shade. Oregano, mint and basil will grow very fast (I have not tried sage) and in a couple of months you will have enough to pass around! You can buy your starter fresh herbs at upmarket veggie stores – or at Crawford Market. Good luck with the growing!
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Hi ! Your blog is absolutely awesome. I would like to start composting my kitchen waste would like to know resources/numbers for Vermicomposting/vermiculture.
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Thanks – glad you like the blog, encouragement helps me to produce more 🙂
About vermicomposting – will include info on the resources page pretty soon. In the meantime, do check out facebook groups like ours and Farmer’s Market to connect with like-minded folks with similar questions, and solutions to offer.
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Hi there, I am looking to grow a few veggies and herbs in my terrace too. I want to know where can i get corriander, mint, sweet basil, sage, rosemary, oregano plants here in city around vile-parle andheri. thanks
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hi,
i have good variety of plants & their seeds, if anyone want seeds please email to me:
1) touch-me-not plant
2) Kalmegh plant
3) Aparajita plant (white/purple)
4) pattarchatta plant
5) Hadjod (Winged Treebine) plant
6) sesbania grandiflora plant
7) bhumi alma plant
& more – vegetable (cucumber, snake guord, tomato, ridge gourd,bitter gourd) & herbs seeds –
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mr sunil kumar i am interested in procuring some plants u have mentioned. could u reply on my email? my email id ranjanamehta99@gmail.com. regards ranjana mehta
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Hi,
Any chance that you have an excess of bell tomatoes? I can swap them with you for basil and jalepenos 🙂
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Hi Sujatha,
Unfortunately the bell tomatoes slowly died off and could not withstand the heavy downpour of our monsoon this year. I am going to try a winter/summer crop again and will surely get in touch with you if I succeed in growing them hardier 🙂 I’ve got basil but would certainly be interested in jalapenos. Could we swap jalapenos for thyme instead?!
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Hi, Impressed to read. Could u name the shops in Byculla who have seedlings of veggies. I know Ratanshi n the Jijamata udyan. i run a school n am encouraging teachers n children to grow veggies. we have successfully grown n consumed some veggies but i want children to grow it commercially n sell to parents so that they get life’s lessons not just some pottering around. Ideas might help. thanks
Sushma
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Hi Sushma – good to know you like the blog. It’s commendable that you are teaching your school kids these skills! I will be starting workshops for school kids soon so do let me know if we could do something green and productive together!
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Hello again Sushma…I thought I’d let you know that I now organize workshops on urban farming. They’ve been going on all summer 2016 and the last two of the season are coming up. Do join in! Alternatively, for schoolkids, we can customize our workshops to suit your needs. Please see this link for more info: https://mumbaifarmer.com/httpmumbaigardener-wordpress-com/workshops/
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Ahhh…I have thyme. You wanna swap list of what you have with what I have? Then we can pick n choose? Please do mail me 🙂
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Hello,
I’m quite impressed with your spice garden and was keen to get some basic information – where can I get good organic soil, seeds, the ideal seasons for plants, and even the kind of sunlight and water they need. Is there a way to write to you?
Thanks,
Mansi
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Hi Mansi,
Thanks for writing in – gardening is a hobby for me, and I keep learning new things! Please read my previous post (Getting Started…) for insights I stumbled upon along the way! It is admittedly, difficult to procure certified organic soil. The best thing to do is to visit the garden shops at Byculla, or any other, and order soil (if you need large quantities) or buy bags of soil (if you need smaller quantities). When you do so, also buy gobar, vermicompost, other organic fertilizer (potash, lime and bonemeal mixes are available) to suit different veggies. Besides these things, I also use up my biodegraded kitchen waste in the bottom layer (over the stones). I usually plant what I need to and add wood shavings (you can buy a sackful for Rs 50-100/- at any sawmill) as mulch at the top. Given our tropical climate I keep experimenting with seeds year round. But I’ve learnt that summer seeding of gourds helps as the monsoons work wonders for growing gourds. Also, tomatoes can be seeded in the monsoons or in winter because they need a long hot summer to burst to fullness. Cabbages, broccoli, caulifower and radishes can be seeded after the monsoons as they need a cooler winter climate to grow. Leafy greens grow year round but tend to take a beating in the heavy Mumbai monsoons. Most fruiting veggies need strong sunlight while leafy greens and spices generally tolerate some shade. Karela takes a hot summer’s day to germinate while lettuce and parsley need temps below 18 degrees C (I germinate them in the fridge!!)- only possible in unusually cold Mumbai winters. As for water – they all need it at least once a day – early mornings or evenings are best. Well…this is just a sampling of info, a quick and dirty intro to veggie growing in Mumbai! Hope this helps!
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hi mansi i want to learn organic kitchen gardening how can i learn , at present i have sown potatoes and ginger in pot,i have made manure out of kitchen wastealso. i want to grow tomatoes spinach red &yellow bell peppers
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Neelima please check out my pages on growing tomatoes, spinach and capsicum on my PLANTOPEDIA. You will find a wealth of experience on how to grow each of these.
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Hi I want to contact you . I am trying to have organic terrace garden. I need your help on this. Please give me your contact no. I live in Navi Mumbai
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Will write to you separately Aparna. In the meantime if you have questions of a more specific nature, I’d be glad to respond!
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Hello again Aparna!…I thought I’d let you know that I now organize workshops on urban farming. They’ve been going on all summer 2016 and the last two of the season are coming up. Do join in! Please see this link for more info: https://mumbaifarmer.com/httpmumbaigardener-wordpress-com/workshops/
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Hi,
Really would like to start a small veggie garden but have very little sunshine. Please let me know some plants that could grow in limited sunshine.
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Sheryl, thanks for writing in. Am not sure how much sunshine your place is getting…Ideally veggies need 8-10 hours of sunshine daily. If your veggies would get a minimum of 3-4 hours of direct sunshine you could try shade tolerant veggies like spinach, amaranthus, coriander, parsley, basil, lettuce, mint, dill, oregano, garlic…good for greens and a herb garden basically. Not a bad way to begin a veggie garden at all 🙂
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Thanks for your reply. I tried growing mint….but it was eaten up…..will try again.
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Dear friend., I am very much interested in terrace gardening as well as making vermicompost.., have an open terrace of about 200 sq feet which could be partly covered for some plants., I live in worli near the southern end of worli bandra sea link.(Worli village),would like practical advice about vermiculture and where to obtain earthworms to begin a vermicompost.,kindly reply on my email (VU3kny@hotmail.com). thanks.
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Hi Joseph. Sorry this response has taken so long. For some reason your mail went into another folder and I missed seeing it till just now. About vermiculture or composting, unfortunately I do not conduct any classes but you could try connecting with some of Mumbai’s gardening groups on facebook for hands-on experience in this. Our own group – Mumbai Farmers on facebook has contributors who also regularly post links on earthworm suppliers and composting. That would be a good place to start.
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Hi again Joseph…I thought I’d let you know that we now conduct workshops on urban farming. They’ve been going on all summer 2016 and the last two of the season are coming up. Do join in! You will find info on this link: https://mumbaifarmer.com/httpmumbaigardener-wordpress-com/workshops/
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Hi there, I have recently moved to Mumbai and my new apartment has nice sunny grill cages outside the windows. I stay alone and have been wanting to start gardening for a while now. For starters, I think spinach, basil, coriander, chillies and tomatoes should be good. Can you give me some handy tips on where to start. I am completely new to gardening. Will also be helpful if you can share details of places to buy pots, manure etc in the area.
Is there an email id I can reach you on? Any suggestions for “Gardening for dummies in Mumbai” sort of links?
Thanks!!
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Thanks for writing in n glad to know you are interested in GROWING 🙂
There are good garden shops in Byculla and a few scattered in the suburbs. For window grill gardening I’d recommend plastic pots – bigger is always better provided your grill is well supported. See that your pot is well drained and put in a mix of earth and manure over the stones. Leafy greens and herbs is a good start as they don’t need very deep pots, and mature soon. You’ve chosen good starter veggies/herbs – also consider radish (winter is better), capsicum, brinjal and kadi patta (always useful to have). Tomatoes require deep pots for decent sized fruit, but if you can pull it off, are very satisfying to grow. I’m currently excited about sweet potatoes, after a very rich harvest, so will recommend those too! Wherever possible, start with seedlings instead of seeds (saves time!).
I am going to work on your suggestions, thanks, and put up more info on this blog, including a Gardening for Dummies section! Have been so busy with the garden and other stuff that blogging has taken a backseat!
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Hello again Juhi!…I thought I’d let you know that I now organize workshops on urban farming. They’ve been going on all summer 2016 and the last two of the season are coming up. Do join in! Please see this link for more info: https://mumbaifarmer.com/httpmumbaigardener-wordpress-com/workshops/
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HI, I have been trying to have a kitchen garden since a while but somehow have not been successful so far. Is it possible to visit your garden and get tips and ideas?
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Glad you are planning a kitchen garden! Let’s see if we could coordinate a visit sometime. Will write to you separately. Thanks!
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Excellent blog! I’m planning to start a little balcony garden for herbs and spices as soon as I return from a 3-week trip in May (not sure if anything I plant now will survive that long lack of attention), and this is an extremely helpful resource, I’m sure I’ll keep coming back to it for regular referencing, to avoid reinventing the wheel 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this will all us wannabe gardeners!
PS: Methinks there’s a broken link at the bottom of your “How to Grow” page that’s supposed to point to ‘Growing Organically’ but seems to be going elsewhere / nowhere…
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Thanks for the compliment, and also pointing out the broken link 🙂 Will fix it pronto and yes, do keep checking this blog cos I got more stuff getting ready to roll…!
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Hello again Mihir…I hope all is going well with your farming project! I thought I’d let you know that I now organize workshops on urban farming in Mumbai. They’ve been going on all summer 2016 and the last two of the season are coming up. Do join in! Please see this link for more info: https://mumbaifarmer.com/httpmumbaigardener-wordpress-com/workshops/
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Can you let me know where I can buy seeds in borivali
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Not sure about shops in the western suburbs…Why don’t you join our facebook group and see if someone else in the group could refer you to any shops? In the meantime, start with seeds in your kitchen cabinet! – mustard, saunf, full wheat, dried tomato, bhindi and simla mirch seeds…
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Wow!! Amazing blog and you sure have a green thumb. Lovely to see the way the plants are flourishing. We used to grow a lot of veggies on our terrace garden when we were kids. We recently moved out of Mumbai to a rural life in Karnataka and just learning how to manage a large farm. When we moved I dreamt of home-grow veggies since we have a lot of space. But sadly, I havn’t had much success – the farm work takes up a lot of time and attention and growing veggies on open land probably needs a different approach from pot-growing. I had almost given up, but after seeing your blog, I am all charged up to try it again. Btw have you ever bought seeds online and are they good? The locally available seeds in our village have failed so far… Thanks for sharing your wonderful experiences.
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Thanks for your comment and I did check out your blog – it is wonderful! Lucky you, growing nutmeg, cloves, coconuts etc and with a cowshed too. Now that’s something I’d like to graduate to from my terrace veggie garden 🙂 Glad to read that my blog is inspiring you to grow your veggies – your farm soil looks rich and fertile, and you have a rushing stream within. I wish you luck, and all the happiness that comes from growing your food! About seeds – I use store-bought and/or seeds from my previous harvests, with no major issues. You can get a lot of seeds from your kitchen cabinet itself! I plan to source more seeds from organic seed distributors soon, and broaden the range of veggie seeds I have been sourcing.
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Hey great work there. I have been trying to grow my garden as well in Pune since the beginning of this year. A year of highs and lows and a lot of gardening! Would love if you went on my blog as well and let me know what you think. Chandramoulibhattacharya.wordpress.com
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Thanks CB! I did check out your blog too – very nice indeed! Your plants look happy and I loved the reference to Ed Wardle….Perhaps gardens are therapeutic cos they help us come to terms with the forests of fear out there 🙂
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This awesome ,!!
I want to know for small farm . What fruit and Vegi I an grow for long and short termThrough out the year as we’ll to know how to make soil fertile and pest free .what important procession should be taken before plantation .
Thanks
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Hi Meena,
Please see my blog pages – How to Grow? When to Grow? and What to Grow? They should give you all the basic info you need for growing your own veggies in Mumbai’s climate. There is a section on Growing Organically as well – that details methods for controlling pests organically.
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I thank this is beautiful way to connect to present generation to nature .and understand its value and make own environment beautiful and healthy.and to understand how precious it is to keep ourselves healthy and to get best from nature .
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Please can you suggest how one can grow limes in mumbai in a pot
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Limes will grow very well in a container, no issues about that. Do choose a large container though as the lime bush will need root space and nutrients to grow to its height of about 6-8 feet. You will need a very sunny spot outdoors for flowers to be germinated, and less frequent watering. Remember that it takes at least 3 years for your lime tree to start fruiting. Thanks for this question – I had forgotten to include Limes in my page – What to Grow. Will do so soon 🙂
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I thought moving back to Mumbai predicted the end of my veggie gardening but thanks to your well-informed website, I can start my balcony patch once again. Can you tell me if it is possible to grow lavender in Mumbai and if yes, where do I get the seeds/seedlings?
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Good to know you like the website 🙂 Oh and lavender, my very favorite perfume so I simply had to try growing it… I’ve seen it growing wild and lush and free in Southern Australia and tried to replicate dry, sandy soil here too so it would catch, but sadly did not succeed! I think our humidity levels are too high in Mumbai for this plant – it needs dry soil and dry climate too. Well, I don’t know of anyone selling lavender seeds here since it is not a native species, but if you get your hands on some, I hope you have better luck than me!
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I used to live in Hobart, where it grew abundantly. Never really got a chance to have one big pot of it there, so was hoping to give it a chance here. I have read that in India it grows well in places like Kashmir. But we can always hope. I will definitely try to find a way to make it grow here. 🙂
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Hi Mandy. I am Amin. Though I am not a mumbain but we share the same gardening interest. Coincidentally I came across this link and read. I belong to a small village in Chandrapur district and have a big place for gardening. I love growing veggies. Just now I have sown onion, tomato, aubergine. And throughout the year I keep growing different veggies. I want to grow herbs but don’t have idea about them. After reading this blog, I think now I will get many things. Thanks for creating it.
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Nice to hear from you Amin, and thank you for the kind words of encouragement. Good luck with your growing! They say, and this applies to all of us, “As the garden grows, so does the gardener.” 🙂
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hi all
i have tried to grow herb oregano from seeds but 3 times failed germination the seeds were
purchased on line my location is nasik can anybody guide me my location is nasik
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Hi Dhananjay…for herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, sage and thyme a better idea is to propagate with cuttings. Buy fresh, non-refrigerated herbs and plant sturdy stalks in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. De-leaf and trim stalk before planting. Water daily. This method tends to be more effective than seeding. Good luck!
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thanks mandy
but the problem is where u can get this fresh hebs are they available at mumbai
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You could get fresh herbs at the Trikaya and other outlets at the vegetable section of Crawford Market, Reliance Fresh, Godrej Nature’s Basket and some of the local markets like Colaba & Bandra.
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Nice information on this site. I have planted some methi seeds in my garden. But after growing up to 1 or 2 inches they get wilted. What could be the reason as I m watering it properly. Should I add DAP to it or not?
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Hi Varsha, glad you found the info useful. In the extreme weather conditions we are facing in Mumbai, the only possible reason for wilting could be lack of water. Young greens need water twice daily to cope with the heat of summer. Methi is otherwise quite hardy and will grow enthusiastically through the year, and prefers a shadenet for summer. For more info on Methi – please see the Plantopedia section too…
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Hi i shaikh ibrahim have a place in shilphat Navi Mumbai for Organic farming any one intrested can contact me or guide me for the same.
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hi mandy
failed to grow herb s by seeds around 5 times and as per your advise took fresh herbs thyme ,sweet marjoram,and rosemary from vivian moll thane and planted them quite successful here in nasik otherwise quite successful with sage bacil(genovase),lemmon basil,cellary,parsley,coriander by seed start, thanks again
dhananjay
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Great! Glad to know your cuttings grew well. Your climate in Nashik would be very good for them too….
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hi mandy
i got sweet marjoram in supermarket but oregano was not available generally sweet marjoram is given for oregano where can i get greek oregano please guide
thanks
dhananjay
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Wish I could send you Greek oregano – I have too much! Unfortunately most of our nurseries would not have these herbs. The best bet would be to get cuttings from the fresh grocery section or get cuttings from friends…
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Hi Mandy,
I live in Goregaon, Mumbai. I would love some greek oregano cuttings. I have lemongrass, onions, mint , rose and mogra as of now. I just planted radish..How can I contact you?
My blog is an old one. I had bad experience with chillies, tomatoes, capsicum. They are very prone to disease here. So I gave up. So I decided on herbs now. Will not grow veggies. Too heartbreaking.
Thanks,
Sushma
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Hi Sushma, that’s a nice blog you have there! Keep growing, never give up…as you say. I agree with you that Mumbai’s climate is far from ideal, but we persevere in good spirit 🙂 The easiest veggies to grow are methi, amaranth (leaf), bhindi, beans (fruit) and radish, sweet potato (root). Do try them out….and keep me posted!
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Also, msg me your address and phone number and I will courier you Greek oregano cuttings….tc, M
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Hi
I wrote you a mail few days back, to your ebay shop, asking if you could ship few kg of rock phosphate (also… I would need few kg of wood ash) to me in Almora Uttarakhand. Courier services available here are DTDC, TRACKON, SPEED POST, PROFESSIONAL.
AS I am urgent need of those materials, I would really appreciate if you could kindly give me an answer…
Thanks
Shira
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Thanks for writing in! Yes, we’re happy to dispatch your orders via Professional – pls send us your requirement on the Order Page and Peter will connect by phone with the estimate including delivery charges. Order here: https://mumbaifarmer.com/earth-products/mandys-refill-packs/
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What are the A,AA,AAA Gradings of potting soil?
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Hi there…each grade of potting soil is different as it has varied ingredients and thus is suited for varied purposes. Please see the description under each title for the ingredients and use. You will find it, scrolling down, on https://mumbaifarmer.com/earth-products/mandys-refill-packs/
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Hi Mandy,
Thank you for sending the greek oregano cuttings promptly. I will post the pics soon..I hope it settles down in my small garden.
Thanks a lot,
Sushma
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You’re welcome! Good luck and happy growing 🙂
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hi mandy iwent for exprement with dragon fruit seeds wow now i am having hundreds of seedlings soon i am going to tranplant them in cups when they get first true leaves wish i could distribute them to interested people for free,
n. b how can i upload photo
thanks,dhananjay
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Super! Thanks for the comment and for uploading photos on our facebook group. I’m sure some folks would be glad to try growing these seedlings!
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Absolutely love reading your blog. I planted some chilli seeds a week back and the seedlings are sprouting now. Please could you cover on how to grow microgreens at home. specifically interested in sunflower microgreens and growing baby spinach for salad
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Thanks for the feedback Shipra – and glad you loved the blog! Yes, I will do some posts on microgreens soon. In the meantime, do checkout our upcoming workshop in Bandra for more hands on experience and lots of info. Happy farming!
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Hi! I love reading your blogs. I am planning to plant a coriander plant soon. Please suggest me whether I should use a pot or a tray..
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Glad you liked the blog! You will find detailed info on growing Coriander in the Plantopedia section of my blog. Happy growing….!
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Hi
I failed in growing herbs and vegetables from seeds . My chilli plants grow , flower but do nt turn into chillies. Please guide me thruogh. I have place for a small kitchen garden but i m nt able to grow may be my lack of knowledge.. I want to grow chilli corriander parsely basil baigan etc.
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I read this, and thought of contacting you. I stay in Jogeshwari (W), and have some place to grow plants. Am keen to start small, and grow herbs, which are not too difficult to grow. I would appreciate a response.
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Thanks for writing in – there’s lots of info on this site itself! Alternatively, do join us at one of our city workshops!
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Hi Mandy. I have a nice space to grow veggies in my house, but I’m really new to this space. I would like some help at home for the first few times atleast. Please let me know. Thanks.
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Hi Riddhi…thanks for your interest! We conduct workshops occasionally and offer consultancy services for home farming in Mumbai. Would you like somebody from our team to contact you? If so, pls send in a telephone number, thanks!
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Hi, I live in the deonar area. We have a terrace space but don’t get much sun. Direct sunlight availability depends upon the time of the year. When the sun’s position is right above the head, we get around 1.5 to 2 hours of sunlight. I managed to grow a tomato plant in a large container and a cucumber plant. The only problem is that last year, there were flowers in plenty but no fruits for the tomatoes. Occassionaly I do have bees and some other insects visiting the terrace but not sure what could lead to the pollination process. Could you help?
Also, for cucumbers I have had trouble with leaf miners. I want to try using pe-fu-mi organic one but I’m afraid if that would keep the bees away too?
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Hi Kalpesh! Most veggie plants need 6-8 hours of sunlight for healthy growth. Tomato & cucumber plants are sun worshippers so I’m surprised (and happy for you) that they seem to have grown in less sunlight. The best way to attract bees is to plant brightly flowering plants alongside your veggie plants – like bougainvillea, hibiscus, roses and marigolds. Also, basil, when it flowers, is a bee magnet. If a few bees do visit, that’s a good thing. Give them lots of pollen from flowers to feed off and soon their tribe will increase. Also, the best way to control leaf miners organically would be regular pruning of affected foliage and better soil health (aka healthy plants) through the use of compost and organic amendments. That way, your bee population would not be seriously affected. Good luck!
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Hi, Do you have any workshops in the month of May’17. My son aged 8 and I would like to attend.
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Thanks for your interest in our workshops! I have just announced one today and you will find details on this page: https://mumbaifarmer.com/workshops
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It was nice to read all your post above. Came to know about you from Flipkart. You are doing a good job, keep it up. I too have some plants in my balcony, I am a starter with green thumb and am very fond of plants. I was searching for organic compost/fertilizer for my plants, that’s the time I saw your product potting mix on Flipkart.
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Thanks Frank! Glad to know you like what we do – we’re happy for all the support and positive energy that comes our way! Hope you enjoy your gardening too…as it is said: As the garden grows, so does the gardener. Happy growing 🙂
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which mulch is easily available for indoor gargdening in mumbai for winters ?
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Mulching is not required for indoor gardening in Mumbai as there is less likelihood of your soil drying out due to exposure to heat and sunlight. However, if you wish to reduce insect menace, conserve moisture and add a decorative look, you could use wood chips/shavings procured from any saw mill/carpentry shop in the city. Avoid using wood dust as it gets incorporated in the soil easily and clogs the potting medium.
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Hi Mandy, I am pretty impressed with your blog. Old is gold rightly said organic way is the only way to sustainable, healthy, peaceful future.. I wish had a small garden space to start organic farming .. for time being can you help me get organic lavender seeds or plant i reside in thane ..
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aGlad you liked the blog! I don’t sell seeds but I suggest you look for them on Amazon. Organic lavender seeds may be hard to source here. Besides, Mumbai is most unsuitable for lavender which requires a dry climate and sandy soil. There may be some nurseries selling lavender plants at Pune/Karjat.
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Good to find a blog on this subject which is my passionate subject. Need to know is the actual soil of mumbai good for plants like veggies and some fruits ….we live in borivali near gorai …creek side. still we have many plants ….need your inputs on this ??
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Hi Mithun, thanks for writing in! There is nothing fundamentally wrong with Mumbai’s soil so don’t think twice about growing veggies and fruit trees in it! If you are close to the coast, be sure that the salinity is not too high in your soil, that is all.
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Thanks mandy
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I wanted to know if you sell seeds? And if, then when is your next workshop happening and where will it be? (In Mumbai)
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No, we do not sell seeds unfortunately! We have not yet scheduled our next workshop but when we do, it will be in Mumbai. Thank you for your interest!
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Hai. Yesterday i received wood ash from you. Thanks for your speedy delivery.
My garden soil having PH value 5.5 only. How much quantity of wood ash will be added to soil and mixing method?. i need your valuable suggestion ..
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Hi Selva, thanks for being my customer! Yes, woodash will increase pH levels toward alkalinity so you are on the right track. Quantity to be added however, depends on the volume of potting soil that you are seeking to amend. It is important to retain BALANCE in the soil at all times, to encourage the growth of healthy microorganisms. Too much of any one amendment, or concentrated doses that are delivered in chemical fertilizers, destroys this balance. So, I would not go beyond one-tenth portion of woodash to your original potting soil. And I would add a lot of compost to balance out the new woodash amendment. Hope this helps!
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Am Col R A K’Maneck, stay in jog w
Read your impressive write up. Am keen to grow herbs on my plot. How do I get in touch.
Regards
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Thanks! Glad you like my blog Col K’Maneck! You can reach out during office hours at 84220 0065…also, lots more info on our professional services and online nursery at https://www.mandysfarmindia.com/
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Hi,
I am glad to find this website on internet and the kind of community to that I belong. I have hobby of kitchen gardening and tasty recipes. I like to do kitchen gardening and make tasty recipes of the produce in the free time. I write all these activities in a blog here :
https://farmerinmumbai.blogspot.com
I am always eager to learn new things in this field.
Thanking You
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Hi Akhilesh, glad to know you found this blog useful! I’ll be sure to check out your site too. Good luck with the kitchen gardening and the blogging!
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