Rooftop Gardens
What is a rooftop garden you ask? A rooftop garden is a garden on your roof. Not only is it a beautiful sight with a relaxed feel but it is also used to grow your own food. You can grow your own vegetables. When it is time for lunch or dinner you can head up to your own personal garden and get fresh veggies instead of having to drive to the store. Rooftop gardens are also known as green roofs and living roofs. We will be talking about the sustainability of rooftop gardens and ways to start your own gardens on your roof.
Picture from the article Rooftop Farming in Hong Kong https://ggtemp.home.blog/2014/08/30/rooftop-farming-in-hong-kong/
Sustainability of Rooftop Gardens
CO2 Reduction
Not only are rooftop gardens a great view but they are really helpful to the environment. As we know CO2 is one of the largest contributors to the greenhouse gasses and rooftop gardens can absorb the CO2. According to the article written by Mariah Grimwood the is “A study in Michigan estimated that if every rooftop in Detroit had greenery, these roofs would have the ability to remove the same amount of CO2 produced by 10,000 trucks over the course of two years.” Not all roofs are fitted to have gardens on them but for the ones that are they make a big difference by removing some CO2 from the world. Rooftop gardens also reduce the amount of CO2 going into the air by having fresh veggies in your own garden which means less trips to the store with your car that releases CO2.
Rainwater Runoff Usage
Rooftop gardens also make a use out of rain water. When it rains the rain water is not really used, it just pours and it heads to the drain and sometimes overflows. Fortunately rooftop gardens are able to decrease rainwater runoff by about 50%. The rain water also helps the plant in your garden regulate its temperature and the extra water they collect the plants store it and use it for later.
Fresher Produce
The most obvious benefit from rooftop gardens is that it is part of a sustainable food system. Instead of eating veggies that you have no clue of their farming process or where they came from you can have locally grown food from your roof. Vegetables tend to be more nutritious when they are harvested. By the time some vegetables reach your plate from the store it has already lost about 50% of its nutrients. So when people say you get fresher and more nutritious vegetables from a locally grown food they are not exaggerating.
Want To Build Your Own Rooftop Garden?
If you want to help reduce CO2 emissions, rainwater runoff and want fresher vegetables you should build your own rooftop garden. First you will need to find a good place on your roof to place your pots for planting your vegetables. After that you want to find pots that are not too heavy so they won’t add much weight to your roof or you can use plastic farming containers. For the soil you can also use light planting soil instead of heavy one. You can also use compost with your soil to make it more nutritious and rich. Also figure out how you are going to water your plants. Are you going to water them with a watering can or can you connect a watering hose somewhere near your plants? After figuring that out and placing your pots with soil where you want them you can finally pick your favorite vegetables and grow them. After you plant them you can now water them and care for them until they finally are done growing. Not only will you have a new hobby but you will also have fresher vegetables next time you eat.
This picture is from an article posted by Higher ground farm. http://www.highergroundrooftopfarm.com/
Sources:
Author N/A. “Sweltering Science: Are Rooftop Gardens a Cool Idea?” September 5th 2013. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-rooftop-garden/
Grimwood, Mariah. “Rooftop Gardens: Benefits For Energy Consumption.” October 31st 2019. https://ecavo.com/rooftop-gardens-energy-consumption/
Rhoades, Heather. “Creating Your Own Rooftop Garden.” May 5th, 2020. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/urban/creating-your-own-rooftop-garden.htm
Sukanan, Darunee. “In urban jungles rooftop gardens can make a world of difference.” July 11, 2019. https://www.sustainability-times.com/clean-cities/rooftop-gardens-in-urban-jungles-can-provide-home-to-insects-and-birds/
Blog post by Americus Chavez