Want to do gardening but not having enough space in the backyard? Why not think upwards? If you have a roof top you can definitely use it to grow your favorite plants.
There are some benefits for roof top gardening:
1. You can utilize your long unused space into a vegetable garden.
2. Usually full of sunlight.
3. Visually attractive.
4. It can cool down the top floor of the apartment in the hot summers.
But unlike your backyard, you need to keep some points in mind before starting your roof top garden.
Weight: Weight is very important. First decide whether you want to use containers or you want to make plantation in the raised beds. In case you are planning to use containers try lighter material like plastic or fiber. Click here to know more about different container materials. Calculate the total amount of weight your roof top is going to bear. You need to add the weight of the soil (in wet condition), containers, mature plants along with their fruits, temporary weight such people and snow (in case you live in a place where snow fall is a regular incident). You can reduce the weight of the soil by mixing Coir or Perlite with the soil.
Sunlight: Generally roof tops are full of sunlight (unless your roof top is surrounded by some high buildings). So the chances are good that the plant will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight pretty easily. But over heating is sometimes also detrimental to certain plants. Beside heat from the top, there is a huge amount of heat also reflected back by the floor of the roof. So just keep in mind that in some cases you may need to provide some shading for the plants.
Wind: Your roof top is a place where the speed of the wind is maximum; especially if you live in high altitude. It is always better to provide some structural barrier or fencing to protect the plant in case of excessive wind flow.
Accessibility: This is a major issue. How easily you can access your roof top. Carrying soil, containers, equipments can be a real headache if the accessibility is poor. Please make sure you have lift or proper stairs installed before starting.
Watering: In the hot summer, the watering may required to do everyday. Make sure you have water connectivity in the roof top; otherwise carrying water everyday from downstairs can be a nuisance. Make sure you have proper drainage on the roof. You can also use the rain water if you have rain water harvesting system in place. You can find some idea about rain water harvesting in this article.
Besides these major issues some minor factors you also need to consider. In the likes of availability of electricity at the terrace can be really helpful though it is not essential. Also please take the required permission from your local authority before starting you garden.
Hope you have enjoyed the article; Share your views regarding the article. Use the Comment box below.
There are some benefits for roof top gardening:
1. You can utilize your long unused space into a vegetable garden.
2. Usually full of sunlight.
3. Visually attractive.
4. It can cool down the top floor of the apartment in the hot summers.
Weight: Weight is very important. First decide whether you want to use containers or you want to make plantation in the raised beds. In case you are planning to use containers try lighter material like plastic or fiber. Click here to know more about different container materials. Calculate the total amount of weight your roof top is going to bear. You need to add the weight of the soil (in wet condition), containers, mature plants along with their fruits, temporary weight such people and snow (in case you live in a place where snow fall is a regular incident). You can reduce the weight of the soil by mixing Coir or Perlite with the soil.
Sunlight: Generally roof tops are full of sunlight (unless your roof top is surrounded by some high buildings). So the chances are good that the plant will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight pretty easily. But over heating is sometimes also detrimental to certain plants. Beside heat from the top, there is a huge amount of heat also reflected back by the floor of the roof. So just keep in mind that in some cases you may need to provide some shading for the plants.
Wind: Your roof top is a place where the speed of the wind is maximum; especially if you live in high altitude. It is always better to provide some structural barrier or fencing to protect the plant in case of excessive wind flow.
Accessibility: This is a major issue. How easily you can access your roof top. Carrying soil, containers, equipments can be a real headache if the accessibility is poor. Please make sure you have lift or proper stairs installed before starting.
Watering: In the hot summer, the watering may required to do everyday. Make sure you have water connectivity in the roof top; otherwise carrying water everyday from downstairs can be a nuisance. Make sure you have proper drainage on the roof. You can also use the rain water if you have rain water harvesting system in place. You can find some idea about rain water harvesting in this article.
Besides these major issues some minor factors you also need to consider. In the likes of availability of electricity at the terrace can be really helpful though it is not essential. Also please take the required permission from your local authority before starting you garden.
Hope you have enjoyed the article; Share your views regarding the article. Use the Comment box below.
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