Two years ago, Asadullah Parker (@asadullahparker) posted an innovative idea on TikTok and gained thousands of followers.
The idea? To repurpose your Woolies shopping bag to grow food.
His video, posted on 12 July 2022, garnered more than 30 000 views and attracted various responses, from funny comments to impressed:
“Plants that went to private school ?.”
“Now this video needs a @woolworths_sa sponsor definitely a true influencer.”
“DUUUUUDE, you’re a genius!! ?????????”
“? impressed”
“I want be like you when I grow up.”
“You sir, need an award for innovation.”
“Bro, that was the most technical plant talk I have ever heard. Well done.”
He made the video in response to another creator’s (@robkieser) video depicting the point of view of constantly buying Woolworths bags and letting them accumulate in your house and recently reshared it to look back on his journey.
@rob_kieser Have a small fortune in stashed away in the kitchen at this point. #woolworths #bags #groceries #shoppong #humorous #funny ♬ original sound – Rob
In his video, Asadullah notes how using bags instead of plastic pots is better as plants can become root-bound:
@asadullahparker @robkieser ???funny vid. Try using your #woolworths bags as #growbags and start a #garden. #gardentok #planttok #growyourownfood #paradisenursery #fyp ♬ original sound – Asadullah ??
Asadullah grows a variety of plants in his Woolies bags, from fruit trees to herbs. “Grow bags help aerate the root zone and help prevent overwatering,” he says in one video. “If you’re on a tight budget, try using a fabric grocery bag to grow.”
This is how easy it is to set up:
@asadullahparker Fabric grocery bags can be used as grow bags ?Grow bags help aerate the root zone and help prevent overwatering. If you’re on a tight budget, try using a fabric grocery bag to grow.#growbags #smartpot #gardensoftiktok #pottedgarden #backyardgardening #lovegardening #gardeningismytherapy #veggiegarden #mygarden #containergardening #gardentips #gardenlife ♬ Mood (feat. iann dior) – 24kGoldn
Asadullah graduated with a BCom financial accounting degree from the University of the Western Cape in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, he was unable to get a job and thus started gardening at his home in Grassy Park.
“I always gravitated towards gardening. I have an early childhood memory of growing chilli plants,” he told Food For Mzanzi.
Later that same year, he launched Paradise Nursery and sold seedlings, full-grown plants and vegetables – all grown in his mother’s backyard.
“Nurseries want to sell you a product, but they don’t really teach you how to take care of that plant once you purchase it. They don’t teach you how to make your own compost or fertilisers, and they don’t teach you how to make your own, which you can,” he adds.
He started selling chilli plants via Facebook Marketplace. ‘From how quickly the chillies sold out and from where the people came, I realized two things: firstly there is a demand in my area and there is a demand for a nursery that can deliver.’
Today, Asadullah has nearly 70 000 followers on TikTok and regularly shares gardening tips. He also works for a non-profit that teaches people how to grow their own food.
Compiled by: Ilze-Mari Van Zyl
First published by: Cape Town etc
