2004-9-20
This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Agriculture
Report.
Who says people need land to grow vegetables? All you need is a
roof that is strong enough, and flat enough, to support a garden.
We are going to describe one way to build a rooftop garden that
does not even require soil. The advice is based on a method
developed by the Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, or
Echo, in the early nineteen eighties. Echo is a Christian non-profit
group that has a demonstration farm in Florida. The idea was to help
people living in cities to grow their own vegetables.
Four things are needed to follow this design for a small rooftop
garden. One thing, as we said, is a roof that can support the
weight. Another is grass cuttings. The third thing is a sheet of
plastic on which to spread the cut grass. And the last thing is a
box about eight centimeters deep and made out of four pieces of
wood.
Once you are sure the roof is good, cut and collect some grass.
Then lay down the plastic where the garden box will go. The
four-sided box can be as long and as wide as needed. Place the box
on top of the sheet of plastic. Then fill it with the cut grass.
Next, add water and walk on the cuttings to press them down.
After about three weeks, the rooftop garden is ready for
planting. Put the seeds directly into the wet grass cuttings. This
garden is a good place to grow peas, tomatoes, beans, onions and
lettuce. If the box is deep enough, potatoes and carrots will also
grow.
It is important to keep the grass wet until the plants begin to
grow. When the plants are growing, they will need watering every
day, unless there is rain. And they will need some liquid
fertilizer. If you can get chicken waste, you can make your own
liquid fertilizer. Put the chicken manure in a cloth bag. Then, put
the bag in a big container of water. After about one week, the water
becomes a good liquid fertilizer.
Rooftop gardens need a lot of water. Also, seeds and new plants
must be protected from insects and birds.
Rooftop gardens are increasingly popular, and not just to grow
vegetables. They keep buildings cooler in the sun, so they save
energy. They can also extend the useful life of a roof. Rooftop
gardens also reduce the runoff of stormwater and help clean the air.
Plus they add beauty, and give birds and insects in the city a nice
place to live.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Bob
Bowen. This is Gwen Outen.