Living in the heart of Cebu City, getting fresh greens usually means making a trip down to the crowded alleys of Carbon market. But this season, you can try growing those veggies yourself right at home — even if you live in a concrete apartment.
Start with Simple Plants
One should start with simple fruit-bearing plants like tomatoes or aromatics like onions, lemongrass and garlic, which are incredibly easy to plant. According to Neil Puspus, who visited our home in Cebu, it is entirely possible to grow food in the city. He has been recycling plastic bottles to build his own urban garden, proving that you just need to be creative and maximize whatever space you have available.
All you need is a bunch of soil — which you can find or even buy when you’re living in a concrete jungle with zero soil available — 1.5-liter plastic bottles, a cutter and some nails. “This is very elementary,” he said. “You just need to cut the plastic bottle and poke holes in it and you can try aeroplanting where you’ll hang the plants if spaces are not available.”
When buying fruits, you can always save the seeds and do some deep research about them on the internet. Even when you’re buying lemongrass, chilies, garlic and onions at the grocery store, you can always find ways to plant them.
Best Starter Plants for Your Space
If you are ready to start your own urban garden, here are some of the easiest plants to grow using recycled containers:
Siling Labuyo (Chili Peppers)
Incredibly resilient in the Cebu heat. You can take the seeds straight from a fresh chili, dry them for a day and plant them. They thrive in small containers and love full sunlight.
Lemongrass (Tanglad)
When you buy fresh tanglad from the market, don’t throw away the base. Leave the bottom two inches in a glass of water for a week until roots develop, then transfer it into your recycled bottle.
Green Onions
Save the white root ends of your grocery-bought scallions. Stick them root-down into the soil and they will regrow fresh green stalks in just a matter of days.
Tomatoes (Kamatis)
Slice a ripe tomato, place the slices directly onto moist soil and cover them lightly. They sprout quickly and do exceptionally well in hanging vertical setups.
4 Rules for Concrete Jungle Gardening
To make sure your new vertical garden survives on a tight balcony, window sill or concrete rooftop, keep these urban-specific tips in mind:
Master the Drainage
The holes poked with a nail are non-negotiable. Plastic retains water longer than clay pots and if water pools at the bottom, your plant roots will rot. Use a hot nail to poke at least three to four drainage holes at the very bottom of your plastic bottles.
Chase the Sunlight
Cebu’s tropical sun is great, but high-rise buildings and tight neighborhood walls can block it. Watch your space for a day to see where the light hits. Most fruiting plants like chilies and tomatoes need at least six hours of direct sunlight, while leafy greens can tolerate partial shade.
Choose the Right Soil Mixture
Do not just dig up heavy clay soil from a roadside; it compacts tightly inside plastic bottles and suffocates roots. Since you are in a concrete area, buy a bag of potting mix from a local garden center. Look for mixtures containing loose materials like coco peat or rice hulls (gaba) to keep the texture airy.
Water Wisely in the Heat
Small plastic containers dry out much faster than ground soil, especially during the peak hot months. Get into the habit of watering early in the morning or late in the evening so the moisture doesn’t evaporate instantly under the midday sun.
With a little creativity, a few empty soda bottles and a bit of patience, you can easily transform any small corner of Cebu into your own personal green space.
