Green roofs are becoming popular these days, with more households and corporations getting more environmentally conscious. They’re covered in soil and plants, helping reduce heating and cooling costs. However, a typical green roof isn’t built like a garden where people can hang out. Hence, some homes and commercial premises opt for a roof garden instead, which adds more function and beauty to their property.
There are plenty of great reasons to convert your plain rooftop into a beautiful garden. In addition to the environmental benefits, you can use that spot as an outdoor living and dining space. Hanging out on a roof garden is healthy.
Maintaining a roof garden, however, can be tricky. Waterproofing tools will be needed to ensure that water won’t seep through your property’s interior walls. The drainage system should be well thought out, too; an expert might recommend installing high-quality Atlantis drainage cells or ones from other esteemed brands. A drainage cell optimizes water flow while retaining the right amount of moisture to keep your plants healthy.
Considerations Before Creating a Roof Garden
If you’re building a roof garden on a commercial property, check with your landlord first. The building code might not allow it, so ascertain that you won’t be breaking any rule.
Consult a structural engineer. A garden will increase the weight of your property’s roof, especially if they’re watered. The last thing you need is your entire roof collapsing on you!
Determine how you’re going to get the supplies onto your roof. A service elevator can be handy since some regular elevators don’t allow passengers to carry construction tools.
In a home or any private property, a roof garden might need some sort of privacy, like hedges, canopies, or trellis walls. Decide if you’re installing lights, too, because that will require an electrical system, adding to the costs and maintenance duties.
Most importantly, consider your budget. You won’t spend a lot if you’ll only put potted plants and a few furniture, but if you want to go all out, expect to shell out a lot, particularly for hardscaping and structural work.
Maintenance Methods
Assuming you proceeded with your roof garden, watering the plants would be your first assignment. Since the soil is shallower, the nutrients are limited, so use a slow-release fertilizer to feed the soil and the plants. You can rely on precipitations for water, but during dry seasons, hand water your plants or use an overhead spray.
Monitor your garden closely during its early stages. Remove the weeds at once. Trimming won’t be needed as frequently because the thin soil encourages the plants to grow horizontally rather than vertically. Just regularly check for overgrown branches so that you can prune them immediately.
Check for pests often as well. If the leaves appear chewed on, call in pest control experts to address and fix the problem; ask them to use no-kill traps.
Dried plants can be a fire hazard, so install a drip irrigation system and hook it up to your fire alarm. Stock up on fire-resistant succulents since they don’t dry out even in a heatwave. A growing medium that contains inorganic material reduces fire hazards, too, and pebbles and gravels can be used as fire breaks.
Maintaining a roof garden can be demanding, but the perks they provide make all the effort worth it. You can even encourage others to make a roof garden, and soon you’ll have a greener community.