Inside Urban Green

Simple Sub-irrigation Planter (SIP) From The Rooftop Garden Project

Update: March 1, 2010 - Check out this method of construction using recycled plastics.

Current Version "Ready to Grow Kit" Rooftop Garden Project photo
Current Version "Ready to Grow Kit Rooftop Garden Project photo

Prior version "Ready to Grow Kit" Rooftop Garden Project photo

The world-renowned Rooftop Garden Project in Montreal has long offered a tote box style sub-irrigation planter (SIP). They sell them to the people of Montreal at a “suggested price” of $40. I built a copy and blogged about it. Incidentally, I would now favor making this much simpler version shown here and here.

What got my attention recently were photographs of their newest version of the  “Ready-to-Grow” kit or Prêt-à-pousser. See the top two photos above.

In place of the crosshatch or egg crate design these clever young people have had a one-piece platform made by a low cost molding process. This is so cool. What a simple and functional design.

A forward looking marketing company could easily make an “iPod for food” from this design. I believe we are on the doorstep of bringing local fresh food production to the mainstream market on a very personal level. We just need to connect the dots from consumer to manufacturer.

Another Canadian Rooftop SIP Edible Garden

SP Photo by Richard Marjan, The StarPhoenix

These are sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) producing fresh vegetables on the roof of the Pinnacle  condominium in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada. A group of students from the University of Saskatchewan were inspired by the work of The Rooftop Garden Project and McGill University Edible Campus in Montreal. Rooted is the name of their student urban gardening group.

Why is it that we do not have more rooftop and ground level SIP edible gardens like this here in the U.S.?  It starts with education. We desperately need new educators who have not been indoctrinated by the retrogressive horticulture programs of our land grant institutions. It is a huge bureaucracy whose dogma is not easy to overcome.

Excerpts from the StarPhoenix article...

"It's nice to see people that are interested in this type of thing. I just wish we could get the knowledge out," said resident Les Hodgson. He helped tend the plants and wants the project to continue. "It just takes care and water. Why not use the top of your roof? There's nothing up there," he said.

The Rooted group built the containers and residents did the weeding and watering. Best estimates people could provide at least one-quarter of their produce needs throughout the growing season with rooftop gardens. Much of the produce from this project was donated to the Childhood Hunger and Education Program (CHEP) and Interval House.

"It makes a huge difference just in terms of well-being and the carbon footprint if we're able to grow our own food," Best said. "The food doesn't have to travel anywhere, except maybe downstairs."

The project also created a "hang out" space at the top of the building. With no shortage of volunteers tending the plants, the garden also grew a sense of community among the residents.

"I think it should be on every roof that's safe," Thair said.

"I think what gives life meaning is a sense of connectedness to your community," he said. "From my perspective, the main benefit is people working together."

ITHQ Video Slideshow

This slideshow displays the outstanding work of the Rooftop Garden Project at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ – Quebec Tourism and Hotel Institute).

ITHQ ia a government agency devoted to training and research in the hotel, tourism and food service industries. Thanks to the good work of the Rooftop Garden Project, you will see the potential for much fresh food throughout the building.

The members of the Rooftop Garden Project are world-class leaders in the use of sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) and growing fresh food in the city. What I particularly admire is their educational outreach. They are always involved with both the young and old in Montreal. You will see many young students in these slides.

Incidentally, I could play this over and over just to hear the background song. I have a large collection of music from around the world. I love this song. Sorry for the abrupt ending to the video.

A Guide for a Certificate Program in Urban Greenscaping

Click on the photo to read the guide

We Need an Urban Greenscaping Community College Certificate Program

The Rooftop Garden Project in Montreal produced what many believe is the definitive guide to edible rooftop gardens. It is by no means just a rooftop guide. It is applicable for any urban garden whether rooftop or surface level. Scan through it and you will quickly see that it is a professional document.

This dedicated and focused non-profit group has done an amazing job of advancing urban greenscaping through the use of modern sub-irrigation methods. They are continually testing, modifying and improving their methods. My plan is to use their work as the teaching guide for a community college certificate program in urban greenscaping.

An urban greenscaping certificate program would teach all aspects of greenscaping in the city including edible, decorative and flowering plants. It is much more than just plants however. Urban greenscaping also includes subjects such as rainwater harvesting, composting, recycling, reusing, fabricating and solar power. There are many elements of construction work involved with urban greenscaping.

Rooftop Bucket Garden in Montreal

Rodolphe is a neighbor of and (as I am) a fan of the Rooftop Garden Project in Montreal. He sent this link to an extensive photo series of his rooftop garden. 

The planters are recycled buckets made into sub-irrigated (aka self-watering) planters. He was lucky to find such attractive green pickle buckets. 

Note that he has distributed the planters around the roof to mitigate the weight load. This is a good idea for any roof but a particularly good idea for snowy rooftops in the winter. 

Thanks Rodolphe! 

21st Century Rooftop Victory Garden

Used 55 gallon barrels were modified to be self watering earth boxes. These 55 gallon drums used to contain vegetable oil for my homemade biodiesel.

I believe this photo from the Future Green website is of planters made by the Rooftop Garden Project in Montreal.

Future Green has created a new rooftop garden project in Milwaukee that is evocative of the Rooftop Garden Project in Montreal. It appears that they made some of their sub-irrigated planters based on RTGP designs. That is something more people should do. These planters have proven to work well over many growing seasons. 

From JS Online Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

The owners of Future Green had been researching the possibility of growing vegetables on the roof of their eco-store. An introduction to Lindberg and a trip to his upper-level farm one cold March day solidified the plan, said Lisa Sim, who owns the Bay View store with her husband, Swee.

The Sims found some 50-gallon spice drums, cut them in half and put feet on them. A volunteer bucket brigade carried the drums and some organic mushroom compost to the 1,800-square-foot roof, Lisa Sim said.

Now, the turn of a faucet sends water to all 14containers through PVC pipe with strategically placed holes. The Sims are considering a solar panel to fuel a water pump.

"We're mainly doing this to show we have all these flat roofs we should use, and hopefully we'll get other businesses or residents excited about this," Sim said.

2009 McGill Edible Campus Garden Starts

It was good to see that the McGill University edible campus garden is continuing into 2009. The project is a partnership with the Rooftop Garden Project, also in Montreal. This is my model of what a 21st century community garden should look like. 

They have done an outstanding job of documenting the project with pictures. It is a joy to see the campus and community involvement that includes both the young and old. 

The Rooftop Garden Project is a leader in the use of recycling to make sub-irrigated planters of many configurations. For example, you can see tote boxes and half barrels in the photo above. 

More information about the Rooftop Garden Project. 

Guide to Setting up Your Own Rooftop Garden - Scroll down for free download (PDF)

More about the McGill University edible campus. 

A Rooftop Demonstration Garden is on the Way in Queens

As it is now.

Rendering of how it will look. Photos from SO-IL

The potential for rooftop gardens here in New York City is enormous...as it is across the country. One entrepreneur obviously sees this potential and is building a rooftop demonstration garden in Sunnyside Queens (one of the five boroughs of NYC). It will act as a showroom for the architectural, design and building management communities among others. The designer is SO-IL. 

Being in the flight path of LaGuardia Airport, the garden will be visible from the air. It will also be visible from nearby elevated trains. 

It will be interesting to see if the garden includes sub-irrigation methods as those used in the Rooftop Garden Project in Montreal (video). I'm looking forward to visiting the garden and wish them the best of luck.

Via: Curbed 

McGill Edible Campus Garden

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If you haven't seen it before, this is a slideshow of the sub-irrigated box and bucket edible garden on the campus of McGill University in Montreal. 

It is a most impressive community effort on the part of The Rooftop Garden Project and McGill University students. 

The UQAM Edible Rooftop

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UQAM, the University of Quebec at Montreal (Université du Québec à Montréal) has a beautiful edible rooftop garden. It was created in conjunction with The Rooftop Garden Project. 

This slideshow demonstrates what a community garden looks like when it's no longer anchored in the dirt. The slideshow is far more eloquent in support of rooftop box gardening than any of my words. 

Community gardens like this could be on rooftops all over New York City and in cities all across America. All it will take is a more informed public and the political will. 

It's time for urbanites outside the dirt gardening community to speak up and be heard. 

Before anyone gets defensive that I’m against dirt gardens, I’m not. I’m simply in favor of sub-irrigated box and bucket gardens that extend the benefits of urban food production to all residents rather than a limited few.