An SFG...on the Roof

Currently I have my SFG in the backyard. Our lot is really narrow, just 43', and we are planning a massive remodel of our tiny 700 square foot house and tiny detached garage. We thought we would just be doing the garage with a renovation loan, but the loan officer pitched the idea to me last night to do all of it, house garage and the whole lot, at once. The new garage will have a 2nd story office/studio, and will shade my entire backyard! I complained very loudly about losing my garden space to a garage to my architect, and he came up with 2 4'x10' sections of planting areas to put my garden on top of the garage! So....I will have 2 SFG-able spaces. Since they will be on the roof and enclosed, I plan to do maybe 2x6 construction so the dirt is 6" deep. Is this enough? Should I go with 8"? Or even 10"? It will be on the ground, on a roof constructed for this purpose, so drainage will be well handled. Actually they will probably have plywood bottoms set on gravel. Should I use something other than plywood with drain holes? Seems like that would have to eventually be replaced.

I would love to hear any thoughts anyone has. I'm building my dream house/garage, so crazy ideas welcome!

(How did I do this? Apparently the FHA 203k renovation loan program is still going strong. As long as your property appraises for at least 110% of whatever you need financed, you can do it! I never plan to sell this property, so with the low interest rate being 3.8%, and me currently paying 6.8%, even though my loan balance is increasing my mortgage is not really going up much. Pretty crazy!)

I would like to incorporate SFG into as many spaces as possible. I know I'm doing a 2' x undetermined length around the perimeter of my front yard. All of my landscape plans will either be edible or produce edible things! I want to see how much I can grow on this little lot.

It sounds a very intersting situation. I hope you keep us posted on progress.

Try to contact Boffer on the forum....he makes metal frames covered with hardware cloth....they would last you forever...his is tabletops....he is in Yelm, Washiington and can give you lots of advise....check out his pictures in the Gallery....

I understand Mel has worked with the powers that be in San Diego ...near me.....and the Father Joes Catholic Church...for the homeless to grow veggies on the new Convention Centers rooftop and probably earn themselves some money and supply the homeless kitchen with food.....

Good Luck with the remodel...and the rooftop.....Happy Gardening......Ruth

6" is all you need.

contact this guy.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t12943-rooftop-garden-year-3-update

kay

Just yesterday I was remembering my grandmother's garage roof vegetable garden. She lived on the hills in Berkeley so the garage roof was the same elevation as the kitchen door. A tar roofed protected spot like that is about what is needed to ripen a tomato in the Bay Area. Her beds were about 2'x4'x12" and if memory is correct were made from plywood. I think the dirt was compost she got from some one with a plot at the community garden. She grew herbs and salad stuffs and cherry tomatoes. This is long before Mel wrote SQF. Good memories

Another friend of ours in the Portland area grew everything on his roof in rubbermaid tubs. That way he could move them if needed and rearrange etc. He even had oranges and Kefir limes up there in rubber maid tubs.

You might need to do some experimenting to find out the optimal depth for your situation. Factors might be how often you can water, how hot does the roof surface get, etc. 6" is a base, I hear 8" in desert?