A Beginner's Guide to Having a Rooftop Garden | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
News

A Beginner's Guide to Having a Rooftop Garden

A rooftop garden is located on top of a building or other structure to grow food in your backyard at home.

38
A Beginner's Guide to Having a Rooftop Garden

In This Article:

A rooftop garden is located on top of a building or other structure to grow food in your backyard at home. There are many different ways to go about this and many different things to consider when you’re getting started. You might be wondering what kind of supplies you need, how to plant things on your roof, how to ensure a productive garden, and how to make the most of the space you have available.

What You Need

In general, you need the same things to grow a garden on your rooftop as you would need to grow a garden anywhere else. You’ll need soil, seeds, plants, and watering devices. On top of that list are a few considerations that are specific to rooftop gardening:



  1. Access: Rooftop gardens are generally planted outside of the primary living space, and so there needs to be easy access to the garden, whether it’s for planting, harvesting, or other maintenance.

  2. Light: You’ll need to account for sun exposure when you plan your garden. Most plants need at least six hours of sunlight per day to grow and thrive. If you have a lot of shade from nearby structures or trees, then you might want to consider an artificial lighting system.

  3. Watering: Generally, rooftop gardens receive very little rainfall. Most plants require at least an inch or two of rain per week. Fortunately, there are several types of irrigation systems that can be used to supplement precipitation.

  4. Weather: The weather on a roof can be pretty extreme. Strong winds are a common occurrence, not to mention heat and cold. You’ll need to make sure your plants can handle the conditions.

Getting Started

There are two basic ways to build your rooftop garden: you can start with a pre-existing planter structure or build your structure from scratch.



  1. If you’re buying a pre-existing planter, find a structure with multiple tiers, each of which has a planting area. This will give you more growing space.

  2. Building from scratch is typically more expensive and takes more time. If you have 10-feet of vertical space and are willing to tackle it yourself, you could build a raised bed for your garden and construct some planters on top of it. Be sure to leave room for walking around your structure.

Picking Plants

The selection of plants you’ll want to use depends on what you’re going to be using them for. Some rooftop gardens are purely ornamental and meant for aesthetic appeal. Others have an edible component, and their purpose is food production. If you’re planning a garden with food production in mind, you need plants known to be successful in that environment. A good rule of thumb is to find out what plants grow best in your area and stick with those.

Growing Your Garden

Once your plants are in place, you need to care for them. Check on them regularly, whether it’s for watering or removing pests. You may even want to use a drip irrigation system for some degree of automation. Rooftop gardens can be tough to keep up with because of the nature of the space available and the climate conditions that come with them. Be sure you are prepared for this challenge before you get started.

A rooftop garden is a beautiful way to supplement your diet. It can also be a beautiful addition to any home. With the correct information and preparation, you can create a garden that is both practical and pleasing.

.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
school of business
CIS Markets

Coming from someone majoring in business at a school that thrives off of business majors, I know how rough it can be sometimes. Being a business major can be awesome, and awful, simultaneously. We work our tails off to be the best, but sometimes the stress can just tear you apart. Here are some struggles faced by business majors that will sound all too familiar.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

10 Things To Know About The First Semester Of College

10 things that most incoming college freshmen have no idea about.

1306
campus
Pexels

Starting college is pretty scary and fun at the same time. You are free of your parents(in most cases) but this is the first time you have no idea what the heck is going on. Here are 10 things you may want to know going into your first semester.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter

It's not all morning coffees and singing along to the radio.

1863
The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter
morethanwheels

I've been in college for four years now. I spent half my time as a commuter and half as a resident so I've experienced both sides of the housing spectrum. One thing I've learned comparing the two is that my struggles as a commuter far outweigh anything I went through while living on campus. Commuters have to deal with the problems school brings along with a slew of other issues; I've filled up my gas tank in the worst kind of weather conditions and napped in random places in public more times than I'm proud to say of. This is a list of some of the most challenging aspects of being a commuter.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

4472
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

18404
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments