Rooftop Farming in Indian Metro Cities

Rooftop gardening is stepping in with urbanization being no uncommon observable fact in the current Indian society, and as a repercussion to this sprawl, we are losing our agricultural land, especially in Indian cities, every hour since the population is growing by leaps and bounds simultaneously and leaving us very little land to grow food on but having many more mouths to feed we need alternatives, therefore, making us move towards the direction of rooftop farming.

The increasing population and shortage of resources are making many countries adopt sustainable methods of farming. India, with an increasing trend of urban living, is also following rooftop farming because of its several benefits.

How does rooftop gardening work?

Did you know rooftop gardening in India is using the hydroponics method for growing as it does not require any soil? Hydroponics is a successful method for organic farming. However, there are several methods to adopt rooftop gardening, such as container gardening, being one of the most simple and easy ways to start with. On a larger level, container gardening requires the regular inspection of irrigation and drainage setups to avoid any kind of blockade situation. The plan should include proper spacing between a plant with adequate sunlight and rich soil, and getting the system installed by an expert for better yield is advised.

As for its environmental aspect, the plants will keep a check on rising temperatures in your surroundings during the summers and thus also helping reduce pollution. Moreover, the greens on your roof would protect it from the harmful ultraviolet rays preventing damage and rain leakage.

Besides all these uses, it will allow the city residents to have fresh produce without any chemical usage and acts as a social exercise that will make people interact on something good for the present and future too!

Rooftop/Patio Gardens: In case you did not realize, concrete jungles of metro cities and high rise buildings can not afford space for a proper garden; however, even an apartment life, on the other hand, can be managed to include a small and secure place for your leafy companions. Smartly designing the available spaces like rooftops with green roof systems which retain 60-100% of the stormwater they receive and have a longer life-span than regular roofs or patio allows you to convert it into a beautiful and lush area perfect for relaxing with your evening tea taking a break from the monotony. Keep in mind, while transforming an available space that takes care to preserve the realness and to scale up it so that the view is enhanced.

Rooftop Kitchen Gardens

Yes, rooftop gardening is an expensive affair, but why let that come in your way when you use the secret trick by starting small and then expanding your garden? Terrace farms, as well as gardens, are a great idea to grow your own fruits, vegetables and plants, especially if you live in a high-rise building with no yard space and adequate sunshine. Not only are rooftop gardens the best and easy way to grow your own food and but they will also make a lovely space to sit and relax, away from the noise and dust, and they play an inevitable role in city environmental systems and maximize the ongoing deteriorating quality of air and life while offering organic and fertilizer-free produce.

The range of vegetables that can be grown in rooftop gardening is numerous. All the way from any type of plants or vegetables like tomato, ladies finger, brinjal, spinach, raw banana etc., all are depending upon how much space is available on your terrace.

We have a few tips for you to prepare your terrace garden :

First, waterproofs the entire terrace flooring to prevent any leaks and also to reduce the heat level of your plant.

Make sure you use only Hybrid seeds as they are best suited for terrace gardens and are easily available from nurseries near you.

Prepare your own farmers gold, also known as manure, using the wet waste generated at home! Your kitchen waste is so cost-effective in growing healthy plants without spending a penny on maintenance and also a simple way to manage all the waste.

Have many plastic buckets from emptying pain or old bathroom buckets laying around the house or even bags for the greenery. This also has an add on the benefit of taking off some weight from your terrace floor.

Make sure you water the plants twice a day and take care not to overwater your vegetables and fruits.

Vertical Gardens

Having a vertical vegetable garden is an idea people usually think about when it comes to this next project. If you have very little space to offer, like a balcony or a small portion or wall of sit out area, the plants that grow in vertical gardens are mostly creepers and vines, which can give bountiful returns and will be your best friend too.

The greatest advantage of vertical rooftop gardening is that there are fewer pests and weeds to deal with than in a normal garden, and the plants are grown vertically, which can breathe more and rope in the air circulation within the foliage, giving rise to stronger plants and better fruits. For vines and climbers, on the other hand, netting and strung frames like pole frames are helpful to grow faster. You can also use hanging baskets, old recycled bags, spice racks, straight stacked pots etc., and eve racks stacked vertically can accommodate vertically for the challenged plants like herbs and strawberries.

Having known all the various ways in which you bring your gardens to the NEXT LEVEL.

To grow vegetables, the installed farm system should make sure that there's enough space between plants as well as an adequate layer of soil for the vegetation of the plants to flow through in any rooftop gardening area. Therefore, the irrigation setup plus the drainage system on the roof, if inspected and checked regularly, ensure that there are no puddling or pooling conditions as it can damage the plants and the soil layers.

The rise in Eco-conscious and organic-friendly urbanites is increasing the value of sustainable living to sustain in the changing ecological conditions. As a lot of people are moving and migrating around the urban areas too, urban agriculture is starting to be viewed as a classy and sustainable way to produce and competently supply locally-grown fresh crops and vegetables to cities across by just incorporating rooftop gardening.

The possibility of growing the needed food where we live has brought about brilliant positive changes to the lives of us, Indians, too, with urban farming providing food near our homes and eliminating the need for long-distance transportation. You also get the freshest vegetables and fruits are at our disposal, and we can have them seasonal. There are many ways to do urban farming in a town of high-rise buildings, and we have shown you all the possible ways you can incorporate rooftop gardening and start growing your own crops now!