Rooftop Gardening in Bangladesh| Tips For Beginners

Introduction 

Dhaka is the largest and fastest growing city of Bangladesh. People migrating from other cities to Dhaka have created severe pressure on the land. Lands are acquired by housing development companies to build new buildings. The greenery of Dhaka is also reducing day by day for this reason.


Roof gardening can be an effective method for ensuring  supply of  oxygen, fresh vegetable and fruits and satisfying nutritional needs of the inhabitants (Helen Keller International and Institute of Public Health Nutrition 1985

Starting the Journey as a Roof Gardener:

Gardening is a passion for me. From my childhood I am a resident of Dhaka city. In the year 1986 after appearing my class two final exam, one day my maternal uncle brought few winter flower plants (Cosmos,Dahlia,Marigold) for our house. He also bought other necessary items like pots and soil from a nursery which was in front of Dhaka College. 

That day I was in one kind of festive mood because I had a chance to play with soil, me and my uncle prepared the soil with fertilizer (Dry cow dung), planted the flower trees in the pots. We put them in the veranda ensuring that the plants get sufficient sun light and air. He gave me the responsibility of watering the plants. Within few days the flowers bloomed. Everybody in my house praised me, which inspired me to continue gardening hobby.

The numbers of plants were increasing day by day and there was no more space left for new plants. At that time I requested our landowner to permit me to shift the plants to the roof, and with some restrictions he allowed me to do so. That was the beginning of my roof garden.
In the year 1996 my family shifted to our own house. During that time my elder brother advised me to think about commercial perspective of gardening; he also inspired me to start gardening as a business.

In the beginning it’s better to start in small scale. Because it will help you to get practical knowledge about plants and give you courage to expand it in future.

Benefits of Roof Gardening:

1. We can get fresh vegetable and fruits free from pesticide.
2. It could be a good source of earning extra money and pass leisure time. 
3. Self employment.
4. Our children can have recreation in the greenery on the roof.
5. Helping the environment by reducing pollution.
6. Ensure biodiversity.
7. Help us from green house effect.
8. Keeps the roof safe from getting over heated during summer season.

I would like to share my past experience and hope that you will get some useful tips on 

“How to Start a Rooftop Garden”

There are a few considerations to take into account before starting a roof garden and they are important ones.

Matters to be considered:

1. The roof should have proper drainage system for draining excess water.
2. There should be a permanent water supply available for watering the plants.
3. You can start with vegetable or fruits or flower, plants for your garden which can be grown
        in small containers or drums.
4. If you think long term basis you can built a permanent structure a bit higher above 
         the roof where you can put the soil in large amount without causing any harm to the roof. 
5. Keep the plants containers near Beams and posts to support additional weight.
6. Waterproofing the roof with drainage layer ensure proper drainage
7. There should be some space between the rows to use as walkways 2 ft. (60 cm) wide
         which will allow safe movement and access the beds.
8. Choose lightweight  soil reduces the load on the roof structure
9. Must have guardrails around  the perimeter of the roof
10. Keep some flower plants with sweet smell to attract bees to boost pollination.
11. We can use homemade compost and biological pesticide to produce organic product 
        for ensuring safe and fresh food for good health.

Load on the Roof

The first step is to evaluate your roof’s loading capacity. This is the amount of weight your roof structure can support and includes everything: planter boxes, soil (when wet), possible water storage, weight of crops at maturity, equipment etc.

Sun and Wind Exposure

Consider sun and wind exposure. Edible plants require a minimum of six hours, with heliophilous plants such as tomatoes need at least ten. Study your patterns and hours of sunlight and note adjacent buildings that may create additional shadows. Wind is often stronger at rooftop heights than on ground level and can cause serious damage to plants. Structural windbreakers may need to be designed in conjunction with the building frame and they must be able to withstand wind loads.

Additional Considerations

Depending on how elaborate you want to go, additional considerations may be:

1. Storage or areas for composting
2. Rainwater collection system—possibly from adjacent roofs with storage on garden roof.

Types of Plants suitable for Roof Garden:

Many diversified plants including fruits, vegetables, spices and medicinal can be planted on rooftop. 
Propagated (Grafted and Layered) fast growing fruit plants are suitable and useful to get quick fruit production for roof garden.

Fruit Plants: 

Kagoji lemon, Alachi lemon, Malta, Orange, Pamelo Lemon(Jambura), Guava, Star fruit, Grape, Olive, Hog palm, grafted Mango, layered Litchi, Safota(Safeda), Papaya, Small Berry, Straw Berry, Golap Jam, Pomegranates, Bullock Heart(Ata), Castard Apple (Sharifa), Apple Jujube, Sweet Jujube, Karamcha, Billimbi,  Local and Thai Java Apple (Jamrul) and other short canopy fruits etc. also can be planted.

Vegetable plants: 

Seasonal vegetables can be grown on the roof top garden. Chili, Onion leaf, Coriander, Bilati Dhonia Pata, Parsheli and Mint spices can be grown under the fruit plants.Other spice plants like Bay leaf, Clove and Cinnamon can be grown in the dram or plastic pot.

Herbal medicine plants: 

Basil (Tulshi), Mint, Thankuni, Aloe vera, Pathar Kuchi, Halencha and Maloncho can also be cultivated under the fruit plants or semi shade place. 

Seasonal flower plants:

 Many seasonal flower plants can be grown to increase the beauty of the roof garden.

How plant a tree in Roof Garden:

1. You buy a half drum from the market and make 5/6 1 inch dia meter holes in the bottom 
        of it for water drainage.
2. Put small pieces of  old pot to cover the holes,
3. Put small pieces of bricks upto 1 inch high and cover it with sand.
4. Fill 2/3 portion with equal amount of soil and dry cow dung. Than mix 50-100 gram 
        mixed fertilizer with soil and fill up the whole drum with soil. 
5. After 15 days you make a small hole and put the plant in it than cover it with soil.
6. Be careful so that the ball of soil with the plant doesn’t break.
7. Tie up the planted tree with a stick so that it can stand straight.
8. Put water at the root of the plant so that the soil gets enough water.
9. Water the plants time to time, put natural fertilizer on the upper part of the soil, 
        have to take necessary steps to stop disease.
10. Cut down infected branches and put bordo pest in that place.
11. Put mixed fertilizer two times according to growth of the plants. 

Prevent different types of disease:

It is better to use natural pesticide like Ash, Neembisidin, Bica,Tut to prevent plants disease. Use chemical pesticide only in emergency situation.


 Roof gardening, although is being practiced in the city in many form for years in the past, there have been hardly any concerted effort on part of the Government, community organizations and as well the general citizens to integrate it to urban agriculture. Proper understanding of the problems and prospects associated with the adoption of policies will contribute a great extent to increased food supply in the city.