One of the essentials to creating a thriving terrace or kitchen garden is using the right potting mixture.

To make gardening easier and avoid lifting heavy soil, Thodupuzha-born farmer S K Hari created a lightweight potting mix that nourishes your plants.

A former government employee and bookseller, the Kerala resident took up farming full-time in 2015.

His product ‘Eco Thrive’ is a boon for indoor farmers and gardeners. “The potting mix is not only lightweight, it is organic and helps in better growth and health of the plant,” says Hari.

He left his desk job after the strain of working 12 to 15 hours in front of a computer began to affect his health. Seeking a healthier lifestyle, he turned to vegetable farming.

In 2020, he became a dealer for a potting mixture from a local supplier. He began selling the mix to people and nurseries in his area. That’s when he learnt about its demand in the market.

While the business boomed initially, he was soon inundated with complaints from customers that the plants were dying.

Realising that it was an unauthorised product and not good for plants, he decided to formulate a potting mixture himself.

Hari approached the Coir Board for the same. “They helped me by sharing the technology for making the perfect potting mixture. Through their training, I learned the technique to make compost, coco peat, which forms the major component in the potting mixture,” he shares.

“I formulated the rest using my own experiences and observations,” he adds. In early 2021, after several attempts through trial and error, he came up with a formulation for the right organic lightweight potting mixture.

According to Hari, the mixture includes more than just cocopeat. It’s enriched with cow dung compost, eggshells, neem cake, clamshell powder, and other organic ingredients, making it highly beneficial for plants.

“It is rich in essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) that aid proper growth and development in plants. The PH level of the mixture is between 6.5 to 7, which is ideal for plant growth,” he explains.

The 60-year-old’s product is licensed by the Kerala Agriculture Department and sold under the company name Ecoknow Agro Products Pvt Ltd.

Hari says that the mixture is perfect for planting garden plants and vegetables, and that it should be used without mixing it with soil.

For more information and enquiries, you can WhatsApp him at 9400313266.