crazy idea: growing on the roof?

Al-from-Chile

Al-from-Chile

Hi folks,
 
as you can see, our house has quite an extensive roof (about 53 x 30 ft) with very little inclination. 
 
 
2491B01F-orig_zpsfd190d8c.jpg

 
 
So, the other day I was thinking about why not using this space for something productive ... an ebb-and-flood system with dutch buckets ...
 
just you can imagine what I am talking about... here is a "borrowed" pic from member JeffH
 
IMAG0267.jpg

 
 
the slight inclination will help returning the solution to the container (white tube here)....
 
I hope to get 15 x 2 plants per (double)row and container/pump up there - and take it from there...
 
 
 
I tried to come up with a "pro and con" list for the project.
 
PRO:
- use unused space
- very low probability of running into pests in 15ft alt. (without soil)
- good growing conditions (no shadow), somewhat more of a breeze
 
CON:
- tedious access to roof (ladder)
- somewhat more complicated handling of water, wastewater, etc... (gardenhose will reach roof)
 
 
 
what do you all think?
 
cheers, Al
 
I don't know much about hydro, but I think its an awesome idea!
 
I also will admit I don't know much about your climate, but here in the states "green" roofs are catching on as a way to cut down on energy use. Saves on cooling in the summer.
 
Watering would be the biggest issue in my opinion.
 
ok, the climate in Santiago is very moderate ... "summer" (from sept-april) highs average 75-85f, its dry, no rain, there is hardly any winds or thunderstorms ...
 
neither watering nor energy should be complicated (on the roof or on ground) ... as in ebb-and-flow systems, you pump the nute-solution 3-4 times a day from a reservoir towards the top into the buckets (pump running only 5-10 mins) ... and the water collects in the bottom of the bucket and then drains by gravity back to the reservoir (check the thick white tube with inclination towards the reservoir in the above pic to get the idea).
 
The reservoir needs to be flushed about 2x a month ...
 
 
for those not sure about dutch buckets, look at this vid ... one of the best channels on YT 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXy32Dr4Z4A
 
cheers, Al
 
Threehundredc said:
i have a large back porch that had a hard flat roof all white nice n bright  im scared someones gunna think i have a non pepper grow op
Click to expand...
 
yep, that Idea crossed my mind, also  ... cr@ppy times we are living ... secondguessing a good thing b/c those "authorities" us might think otherwise .... :rolleyes:  :confused:
 
I seem to recall a few different news lately where heavily armed SWAT teams were locking down hard tomatoe and pepper operations  ;)
 
Al
 
Ummm well, I tried it once a long time ago...with a non-pepper crop.  :scared:
 
It didn't work out at all for me and I had to abandon the project after about a week.  It gets hotter than you would think up there.  At the time I was living in a part of SoCal that had very hot summers and with all the heat radiating off the roof my plants didn't have a chance.
 
If your summers aren't too hot it may work though.  Maybe you should try a couple of plants and see before moving them all up there.
 
Good luck and keep us posted!
 
Bill 
 
You guys are right... Excess heat might be an issue, birds (in my case) not so much...

Birdwise, I have free range chicken so the roof might help here, too

Cheers, Al
 
Id go for it if I were you.  A few years back someone did it with great results on a black asphalt shingle roof with temps higher than you get.  Having plants up there will probably also cool the house down inside a bit because of shade, once the plants get big enough anyway.
 
The roof looks like it has a high albedo, so probably not going to get much benefit on cooling the house. It does look like a nice spot for growing, assuming a mild climate. 
 
millworkman said:
Id go for it if I were you.  A few years back someone did it with great results on a black asphalt shingle roof with temps higher than you get.  
Click to expand...
Sounds encouraging - my highly reflective zinc roof will Def. Be easier on the plans than black shingles

Bye
 
Dude, my aim is to have a rooftop chilli garden!

In Tokyo there's a lot of buildings to shadow allotment space. I want a roof garden so bad. I'm currently growing pots hooked onto the storm shutters on my apartment, so I'm aspiring to a roof.
Just check if the roof can take the weight is my only concern
 
I can think of a lot more pros and cons.
 
PRO:
 
-  If setup properly you don't have to (manually) water every day.
-  Animals, kids, and random thieves can't easily access the plants
-  Easier to pick out your home on Google Satellite View
 
CON:
 
-  Climbing up and down a ladder for access will become annoying quickly
-  It may get too hot up there.  On the ground they can simply be moved to a shadier area but on the roof it isn't as simple to provide shade.
-  Significant increase in cost and time for initial setup and monitoring
-   Odds are high that wind will knock them over if you don't build a support framework around the pots
-   Birds and insects will likely find your plants regardless of them being 15' off the ground.  The reason there aren't any there now is because there is nothing for them to eat there now.
-  Additional weight on the roof.
 
 
Overall I think it's a novel thing to do but ultimately not worth the cons unless you absolutely do not have space anywhere else to grow them.
 
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