Remabhai S cultivates 100 exotic fruits, including red and yellow varieties of dragon fruits, in 50 large plastic barrels on her home terrace in Kollam, Kerala. Remarkably, she grows these large trees in containers without soil!

Initially, she was told that such fruits could only flourish in soil, but she fearlessly embraced the challenge of growing them using a soilless planting medium.

“Growing dragon fruits on the terrace would have required a lot of soil to be transported. I couldn’t carry soil to the terrace on my own. So, I decided to follow a soilless planting method,” she says.

Revealing her technique for making the nutrient-rich mixture, she says, “Take a plastic barrel and make a small hole at the bottom for drainage.”

The next step, she adds, is to put a thick layer of green leaves, then a layer of sawdust, followed by a layer of rice peel, and a thick layer of compost. Add 100 grams of bone meal as the last layer. “Plant your saplings on top,” she says.

This combination provides a convenient way to grow plants without soil. Now, she harvests 500 kg of dragon fruit every month, earning Rs 1 lakh.

For Remabhai, the journey of exotic fruit farming has also alleviated her loneliness by keeping her engaged throughout the day.

In the twilight of her life, she exudes a youthful exuberance and zest for life that defies her age.

“I am 58, but I feel I am only 20! Every day, 200 to 300 flowers bloom on my terrace; simply looking at my garden brightens my day,” she remarks.