Russ on the Roof

   

That's Russ Cheatham of Green Roof Growers tending to his rooftop EarthBox garden. Chicago Magazine featured Russ and his garden in a very informative article about growing food in the city. This is what we need to spread the word about the many benefits of sub-irrigated boxes, beds and buckets whether located on a rooftop, balcony yard or paved driveway.   

From the article: 

Russ Cheatham’s roof is hot. It’s also sunny, dry, and windy—kind of like a desert, in fact. Yet somehow Cheatham has managed to overcome these harsh conditions and raise a crop of food so bountiful that last summer he went for weeks-long stretches without visiting a grocery store.

“We [had] too much food,” Cheatham says of the harvest he shared with his wife, Alyssa. “Even if there was a family of four there’d be too much food.” Last year, he gave away gallon bags full of romaine and red sail lettuce and still, he says, “It was salads every night—salads with chicken, salads with tuna, salad with a sandwich.” Two visiting aunts went home with 20 tomatoes, and this reporter took an enormous bouquet of basil, parsley, rosemary, and thyme, all cut from month-old plants that were already the size of small shrubs. Read more...

If you want to grow your own fresh vegetables, this is the way to do it. You will grow in the range of 50% more vegetables in a given space while saving water, time and energy. 

Russ grows in EarthBoxes. Art and Heidi grow in utility bucket planters and Bruce grows in tote box planters, all sub-irrigated. 

The Chicago rooftop group calls them SIPs or Sub-Irrigated Planters. It’s a clever acronym and may help you remember a good thing. 

It’s clear that the word about SIPs is spreading. There will be many more modern-age box, bed and bucket gardens to blog about by the end of this summer. 

Even without support from our institutions, people are searching on the web and discovering the many benefits of sub-irrigated planters in ever increasing numbers.  

Comments

[GRG]

Thanks, Bob, for the link. Russ is a perfect example of someone who's using his condo roof to great advantage to produce his family's food.

[Russ]

Bob,

Thanks much for the plug. It's amazing what a year makes. It seems EVERYONE is interested in growing vegetables - hopefully the interest will continue. Keep up the good work...

-Russ

[Greenscaper Bob]

Hi Russ, thanks for the positive comment. So when are you going to be in Brooklyn? Please do let me know if you're coming to NYC any time in the future. It would be fun to meet and chat.

[Greenscaper]

It's great that you guys are doing what you're doing and sharing it. Green Roof Growers rock!
http://greenroofgrowers.blogspot.com/