In the era of ever-expanding cities and decreasing green cover, we need to contribute our bit to save and retain green space. The concept of a rooftop garden will elevate the aesthetics of your house and also contribute to the environment.
A rooftop garden is a garden on the roof of any building. Roof gardening usually provides food supplies, architectural enhancement, temperature control, habitat for wildlife and recreational opportunities.
We are aware of the fact that there is hardly any green space left, the best way to have some greenery around us is to have a mini garden on the terrace or balcony of your house, office complex or commercial buildings.
The question often arises that how to make a budget-friendly rooftop garden? Let us discuss some tips for a budget-friendly green rooftop.
Table of Contents
Tips for Making Budget-Friendly Rooftop Garden:
1. Understanding regional rules and regulations
Before you consider a rooftop garden, you need to find the local rules. Sometimes according to building code of conduct, a permit is required for a terrace garden. However, there might be a set of rules and regulations of the resident welfare association in your region. Clear all these points before investing in your rooftop gardening idea.
2. Analyse the Structural Reinforcement
Sometimes terrace gardens fail because – water roof leakage issue, roof falls under the burden of soil etc.
To avoid this, you should hire an expert who can fix all these issues and will explain to you all the relevant details about your garden. An expert will advise you how exactly you can moderate issues and will evaluate your roof and waterproofing required to get a rooftop done. This one-time cost will save you a lot in the long term.
3. Choose the best plants for the location
Explore several options before finalising the plants, this will lead you to achieve ideal plant collection for your rooftop nursery. Consider the amount of sun your roof receives and pick plants that can survive in that amount of daylight. For example, consider tomatoes, if you have ample of sunlight as they require a lot of sunshine every single day.
It is usually advised to avoid planting vegetables like carrot and radish as they require deep soil to cultivate. Breeze and humidity play a vital role in choosing certain plant types. However, peas, herbs, beans, spinach, and lettuces tend to do well in any rooftop garden.
If you’re a beginner in gardening and don’t have much idea about it then you should go for indoor plants.
4. Build Your Planter
DIY planting ideas can save much of your cost. There are a few alternatives for this. You can use nearly anything for this from kids pools to old tubs. Wooden beds can, however, make a pleasant flower bed in your rooftop garden.
5. Creating A Caged Garden
Considering a birdcage will add a unique feel to your garden. All you need is an old birdcage and just paint it. Fill the base with soil and plant your favourite plants. This will act as an expansion to the rooftop garden. You can hang a few cages to make it look like a hanging garden.
6. Quality and Quantity of Soil
Soil is an essential element of your green rooftop. Soil needs to be ideal for water penetration and maintenance. Factors like the size of soil grain, supplements, pH level and thickness must be considered. A rooftop garden requires lightweight soil, to decrease the weight on the rooftop structure.
The amount of soil required will depend upon the size of your rooftop. The expense of the soil may vary from area to area.
[Read How to maintain a home garden?]
A rooftop garden will certainly reduce rooftop maintenance cost. It likewise acts as a recreation space. The above-mentioned tips are practical and very effective if used efficiently. Try these in your home.
Happy Planting!