Growing Food On Green Roofs

Growing food locally not only increases food security creates new employment training and creates new green space it reduces food transportation distance.

Growing food on green roofs.

Even on extensive green roofs with a depth of 150mm it would be possible to grow native herbs. However it is possible to grow herbs on extensive green roofs. But there s no requirement that these spaces provide a means to grow food. 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.

In general rooftop farms or gardens sit within the intensive green roof category. Rooftop food growing has a growing interest. The food roof farm is an urban farm in downtown st. Louis located just north of the delmar divide.

However some roofs can take the required substrate depths for growing food. Green roofs are not a new concept but of late one that slowly seems to be attracting more and more interest. Green roofs can also help moderate the energy needed to maintain the temperature of a building by keeping the roof. Green infrastructure has many purposes.

Cities around the world are making green roofs mandatory in new building construction. According to tree hugger the popularity of green roofs is growing by 35 in the united states in the past couple of years. For example in toronto ontario 50 to 60 per cent of consumed food is imported. 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.

By growing food on green roofs there are also extended environmental benefits to consider. Green roofs absorb rainwater grow food. Louis garden is a space for the community to come together. 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.

February 08 2019 10 48 am share on facebook. In fact many plants associated with green roofs in continental europe such as marjoram oregano basil are classic extensive green roofs plants. Among them is food production but do we use green infrastructure for this as much as we could. For instance allium species can thrive on extensive green roofs especially chives.