Growing Food On Green Roofs

February 08 2019 10 48 am share on facebook.

Growing food on green roofs.

According to tree hugger the popularity of green roofs is growing by 35 in the united states in the past couple of years. But there s no requirement that these spaces provide a means to grow food. However it is possible to grow herbs on extensive green roofs. It is a great space for community gardens volunteer education and event opportunities.

Green roofs absorb rainwater and grow food. In general rooftop farms or gardens sit within the intensive green roof category. In fact there are some urban agriculture rooftops where the food is grown on hydroponic systems on the roof to avoid the need for a growing substrate altogether. The food roof farm is an urban farm in downtown st.

Urban agriculture on roofs and walls can be part of community gardens private residences school farms social enterprises or may have potential to be commercial farms. Cities around the world are making green roofs mandatory in new building construction. Given proper management there is plenty of scope to make better use of rooftops walls and water sensitive urban design assets as sites for growing edible plants. To help with that initiative in the nation s capital a team at the university of the district of columbia has created a rooftop garden on campus with a wide variety of vegetation to help absorb excess rainwater and grow food at the same time.

Green roofs can also help moderate the energy needed to maintain the temperature of a building by keeping the roof. In fact many plants associated with green roofs in continental europe such as marjoram oregano basil are classic extensive green roofs plants. Green roofs are not a new concept but of late one that slowly seems to be attracting more and more interest. Green roofs absorb rainwater grow food.

For instance allium species can thrive on extensive green roofs especially chives. By growing food on green roofs there are also extended environmental benefits to consider. However some roofs can take the required substrate depths for growing food. Among them is food production but do we use green infrastructure for this as much as we could.

Rooftop food growing has a growing interest. Louis located just north of the delmar divide. Green infrastructure has many purposes. For example in toronto ontario 50 to 60 per cent of consumed food is imported.