Abdurazak, after 30 years in Dubai, returned to his hometown in Kerala and turned his passion for nurturing fruit-bearing trees into a successful terrace garden, planting 135 trees in plastic drums.
When Abdurazak, a resident of Tirur, Kerala, returned from Dubai in 2018, he dreamed of planting fruit trees at home. However, realizing that fruit trees typically thrive on land, he faced the challenge of limited space on his terrace.
He knew that, like many other home gardeners, he could grow fruit trees in grow bags, but he wanted a more sustainable and efficient solution for his terrace garden.
However, Abdurazak realized that using grow bags often stunts the growth of trees, making them unproductive in many cases. He knew he needed a more practical and effective solution to make his terrace garden thrive.
The Better Solution
Determine to find a better solution, Abdurazak decided to grow his fruit trees in plastic drums instead. Today, he proudly manages a fruit orchard with 250 trees, 135 of which thrive in drums on his terrace.
But when I planted the trees on the land, they did not grow well due to a lack of sufficient sunlight. So, I decided to try planting them on the terrace, says Abdurazak, who was involved in a wholesale fruit and vegetable business in Dubai.
He claimed that his three decades of experience working with fruits had helped him understand the potential of cultivating various varieties from around the world. The idea of growing them in plastic drums, he said, was inspired by a fruit farm he visited in Thailand.
I had the opportunity to interact with farmers and agencies from over 56 nations while working in the fruit wholesale sector, the 50-year-old Abdurazak said. One of the Thai fruit farms that used to supply us with fruits had adopted the technique of growing fruits in plastic drums. They cultivated fruits in thousands of these drums and achieved high yields.
This method was adopted to reduce labor and minimize fertilizer wastage, Abdurazak explains. When we plant trees in the ground, about 75% of the fertilizer is wasted as it seeps underground with water, leaving only 25% to be absorbed by the tree. By using plastic drums, this technique actually stimulates the growth of the trees, making it more efficient.
Razak wanted to test the waters, so he began by planting a few trees in plastic buckets. I took paint buckets, filled them with soil, and planted trees to see if the method would work in our climate, he explained. It worked, so I bought used plastic drums from scrap shops and started planting trees in them. He added that each drum costs around Rs. 700.
Unused and new plastic drums are twice as expensive, stated Abdurazak. I would recommend this method only if you are passionate about growing fruit trees and not doing it for commercial purposes. If you plant fruit trees in this manner, you could get enough yield for you and your family, he added. He emphasized that it is crucial to choose fruit tree varieties that produce fruit year-round to make the most of the space and effort.
Razak fruit orchard now houses around 250 fruit trees from various regions of India and countries like Thailand, Pakistan, Brazil, and Australia. I mostly buy foreign varieties online. There is a Kolkata-based agency through which I source different varieties of mangoes, he shares. His collection includes around 70 foreign varieties of mangoes, as well as various types of guava and jackfruit trees.
He says that fruit trees grown in drums yield much faster than those planted in the ground. If the trees that grow on land take five years to bear fruit, the ones planted in drums will take just two years. However, despite the faster yield, the number of fruits produced in drums will be fewer, he explains.
If you get 100 mangoes from a tree growing on land, you will only get 25 or 50 from the ones planted in drums, he explains. But with the space a single large mango tree would occupy, you could grow around 10 to 15 trees in drums, and even plant different varieties. Therefore, it is important to choose trees that can yield fruits throughout the year, he adds.
Trees growing on land do not require frequent watering, but those in plastic drums need water at least twice a day, he explains. I have set up a drip irrigation system on the terrace and water them once in the morning and once in the evening. Since they are on the terrace and exposed to the sun, they need more water than those growing on land, which can sustain themselves as their roots can reach down to find water in the soil, he elaborates.
When asked about the fertilizer he uses, he said, I use a bioslurry made out of cow dung, neem cake, bone meal, jaggery, and sheema konna leaves (Gliricidia sepium). I mix this with water and spray it on the trees.
As the trees are kept in drums and on the terrace, Razak emphasizes the importance of pruning them regularly to maintain their size at an optimal level. It is important to keep them at a maximum height of 7 to 8 feet, he adds.
How to Successfully Grow Fruit Trees in Plastic Drums: A Step-by-Step Guide
Edited by Gayathri
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