Rainproof greenhouse and pesticide-free farming.
THE joy of watching his organic vegetables grow at night in his mini hydroponic farm on the porch of his house is most relaxing and de-stressing for a former professional photographer.
“They grow very fast at night – it’s a great joy to watch,” businessman Shukri Mortadza told The Borneo Post at his home in KampungTelaga Air.
He admitted building the mini hydroponic farm was not cheap but said he is confident of the returns from the investment.
“This 20-feet by 30-feet setup cost me RM40,000 to build,” he revealed.
Sitihazar (right) shows a friend her vegetables planted on NFT hydroponic system.
Shukri said the idea came to him after a visit to his friend’s farm in Kampung Sungai Lumut, Santubong a few months ago.
“My friend is running a real farm with about 10,000 pods whereas mine is only about 1,000 pods – 960 to be exact,” he said.
Shukri plants his vegetables on special rock wools imported from Holland.
“The veggies are placed on the seeding table for two weeks, and then transferred to a growing table for another two weeks,” he said, adding that the greens take four weeks to grow from seeding to harvesting.
His mini farm has three tables with 320 pods on each. His produce is totally organic. If faced with pest problems, Shukri will use organic pesticides to solve them.
According to Shukri, the rock wool he uses is made of volcanic larva, and reputed to be the best in the market.
“It’s sold in slabs measuring three feet long, five inches wide and two inches thick. Each can be used for 1,200 pods,” he said.
He added that he learned hydroponic at a seminar in Dengkil, Selangor a few years back and found the farming technology very user-friendly.
“We’re using an ordinary aquarium water pump for the reticulation system. Water is stored inside a 100-litre container under the table and the piping system was installed by my friend.”
On the fertiliser, he said he uses A & B nutrients which he bought from a friend at RM25 per 1.2-litre bottle.
“Just 10ml of the nutrients are diluted for every litre of water. With one bottle, I can grow 40 pods over three months,” he explained.
On his greenhouse, Shukri said it was constructed by his friend using a special net and UV canvas for the roof, with a five-year warranty.
Sitihazar (right) demonstrates to a friend how the vegetables can be eaten raw.
“Many people asked me where I got my materials from and I told them the UV canvas is imported from Japan.”
Apart from organic vegetables in the greenhouse, Shukri’s wife Sitihazar Junaidi also plants some vegetables using hydroponic Nutrient Film Technique (NFT).
“You can taste the vegetables yourself. Since they are planted fully organic, there is no need to wash. Just pluck and eat raw if you like,” Sitihazar said, tearing a small leaf and chewing it.
She said her daughter used to dislike vegetables like most other children, but is now enjoying their organic vegetables while watching television.
“The taste is different. Our vegetables taste slightly sweet,” she added.
The NFT system is where a very shallow stream of water, containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth, is re-circulated past the bare roots in a watertight gully, also known as channels.
The couple put the NFT setting at the front of their house together with their flower vases, turning the green vegetables into decorations.
“Now, we’re planting local veggies like ‘sam hong’, ‘pak choi’ and spinach, as well as imported lettuce like red coral, green coral and butterhead, and also rocket,” Shukri said.
Nutrients, kept in 100-litre storage tanks, are distributed with a simple piping system.
To market their vegetables and promote their other products such as stingless bee honey, dried biscuits and traditional cakes, the couple normally organises ‘Open Days’ for the public, and especially family and friends, to pluck their vegetables of choice.
“We’re selling local veggies at RM1 per pod on Open Days while each pod of lettuce is RM2,” Shukri said.
Shukri can be reached at [email protected]
Shukri and Sitihazar (right) pluck some vegetables for a friend.
Healthy-growing green vegetables.
Specially imported Holland-made rock wools.