Roof Top vegetable gardening

Does it matter much where we grow vegetables? I guess it doesn't.  Not far from our place, people grow vegetables alongside the flood plain of Sungai Kelantan. I heard they have been doing that for hundred of years. They understand the weather so well, that they get in, plough and  grow corns, beans, peanuts, and leafy vegetables immediately after the monsoon. The departure of flood is punctuated by the coming of vegetable growers. Flood and vegetable growing take turns to fill up the flood plain along Sungai Kelantan. I heard the plots are leased out by Irrigation Department.

Highland

Strawberry Cameron Highland (Credit to: kkDei.blogspot.com and  Cheryna 27's phtostream)

We can see acres of vegetables in Kundasang Sabah, which is 1600 meter above sea level. Cameron Highlands on the other hand is a little bit lower, at 1500 meter. Growing vegetables at such level is lucrative adventure as they do intensive farming taking full advantage of  the cool climate.

Roof top

Roof Top Tokyo ~ from cityfarmers info

roof top garden Madison ~ from geteconow.com

Roof Top Gardening Japan ~ businessweek

So, growing vegetables on the roof is no big deal. Some had turned roof top into tennis court and swimming pool . Where land is scarce, I dont think vegetables should mind where to grow. Sow seeds, vegetables will grow irrespective of place; flood plain of Sungai Kelantan, Cameron Highland and Kundasang, vegetable bed, containers, car porch, window sill, or roof top.

A reader who works as an interior designer in Kuala Lumpur, recently seek my opinion through email about garden at roof top.  The concept is having a kitchen, a garden and eating place. People can marvel at the vegetables in pots, and can in fact choose what they want. The whole project  should be fun...., and should educate kids about vegetable growing when they come along...


I don't see much problem. As long as there is regular supply of water, as long as there is an effort to reduce the excessive heat  due to large area of concrete surface, vegetables should grow fine. Automatic irrigation system / fertigation / fertigasi will be the most appropriate option.  Grasshoppers would not know about the existence of vegetables up there.

Roof top - Tanah Merah, Kelantan

A group of entrepreneurs would soon do roof top chili growing - Tanah Merah

Presently, there is already an effort to grow vegetables at roof top here in Tanah Merah.  Some 9000 sq ft of flat concrete top floor will be the home of serious vegetable gardening. The project is yet another entrepreneurship adventure but my contribution is very much a CSR - corporate social responsibility. As long as we make the world greener, the earth will be happy.

Update: 6th of August 2011

Readers may like to run through these posts for a complete view of rooftop gardening adventure

• August 5, 2011 Gardening: an interesting social outlet
• August 2, 2011 Here is Bangchik!
• July 25, 2011 rooftop gardening - harvest festival!

• July 8, 2011 rooftop vegetable gardening: heavy with green chili
• June 27, 2011  ROOFTOP GARDENING : gearing for a big harvest.
• June 15, 2011  rooftop vegetable gardening: chili flowering 
• May 30, 2011  ROOFTOP GARDENING: they get everybody involved. 
• May 18, 2011  rooftop gardening: Condition them for transplanting. 
• April 28, 2011  Rooftop gardening: they rope me in
• April 19, 2011  Roof Top vegetable gardening

Bangchik and kakdah

Tanah Merah, Kelantan