After retirement, Remabhai S (58) from Kollam, Kerala, found solace in cultivating dragon fruits on her terrace using innovative soilless methods. Now, she harvests 500 kg of dragon fruit every month, earning Rs 1 lakh.
After dedicating 36 years of her life to educating young minds as a zoology teacher and later serving as a headmistress in a government school, Remabhai S finally embraced retirement in 2022. Little did she know that her retirement would mark the beginning of a deeply fulfilling journey into the world of dragon fruit farming.
Grieving the loss of her mother, who passed away around the same time, Remabhai found solace and purpose in cultivating exotic fruits as a hobby. “My mother lived with my sister, whose house is adjacent to mine. Whenever I would come home after school in the evening, she would be waiting for me. She would lovingly welcome and hug me,” she says.
“My father died when I was 15. She looked after all of us 13 siblings. She was a very strong lady. After her death, I felt lonely as there was no one left to welcome me in the lonely house,” adds Remabhai, who lives in Kollam, Kerala.
With her husband engaged in work and her son residing far away in Delhi, the 58-year-old turned to her terrace as a sanctuary where she could channel her energy and emotions into nurturing plants.
Driven by her son’s insights on the myriad health benefits of dragon fruit, including its ability to lower cholesterol and improve vision, Remabhai set out on a mission to cultivate this unique fruit.
She now harvests about 500 kg of dragon fruit every month from her terrace. With a bountiful harvest selling out at a lucrative price of Rs 200 per kg, she manages to earn Rs 1 lakh per month, post-retirement.
Growing dragon fruits without soil
Despite being told that dragon fruits could only thrive in soil, Remabhai fearlessly took on the challenge of growing them on her terrace, adopting a soilless planting medium and defying conventional wisdom.
“I do not have enough vacant land. Also, growing dragon fruits on the terrace 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.
Remabhai grows 100 plants of rare exotic fruits, including red and yellow varieties of dragon fruits, in 50 large plastic barrels with compost as the growing medium.
Revealing her technique for making the nutrient-rich combination, she says, “Take a plastic barrel and make a small hole at the bottom for drainage. 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 (say 3 kg). Add 100 grams of bone meal as the last layer. Plant your saplings thereafter. I planted two saplings in each container.”
“This combination provides all the required nutrients and enough aeration for root growth. It has been a convenient way for me to grow plants without soil,” she adds.
Remabhai has also crafted her own organic fertilisers using a blend of dry leaves, vegetable waste, and natural ingredients like fish, prawn skin, and crab shells for accelerated growth and fruiting. Her innovative approach yielded vibrant and healthy dragon fruit plants.
Sharing the secrets of her organic fertiliser, she says, “Take 1 kg of fish, prawns, crab shells, and an equal quantity of jaggery. Mix them with tender papaya peel. Keep it under shade and the fertiliser will be ready for use in about three months. It’s a very good source of calcium and phosphorus. These minerals are very useful for the growth of dragon fruit plant.”
Remabhai meticulously tends to her dragon fruit plants. Through a soilless planting method, she has found a sustainable and effective way to nurture them without the need for vast expanses of land or tedious soil transportation. She takes pride in stating that all her day’s harvest is readily sold out.
From the harvest, she saves some produce to send it to her son Dr Krishna Advait, who revels in the joy of receiving fresh dragon fruits. “One of the ways my mother showers her affection on me is by sending dragon fruits via post. They are my favourite, especially when grown organically at home, they taste better. My biggest flex is that I can go to my backyard at home and pluck fresh fruits whenever I like!”
He admires her resilience and commitment to staying active and engaged in her post-retirement years. “I wished that my parents would stay active even after retirement as once you start a sedentary lifestyle, you are prone to lifestyle diseases. I am happy that she is trying out new experiments with dragon fruit cultivation. She nurtures each plant as her own child,” he adds.
For Remabhai, the journey of exotic fruit farming has healed her loneliness by allowing her to remain engaged all day. She also runs a YouTube channel ‘JC’s World’ to share her expertise in dragon fruit cultivation.
In the twilight of her life, Remabhai exudes a youthful exuberance and zest for life that transcend barriers of age. “I am 58 but I feel I am only 20! Every day, 200 to 300 flowers bloom on my terrace; just looking at my garden makes my day. All my negative feelings and worries fade away,” she remarks.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; All photos: Remabhai.
