I didn't want to build a box and fill it with dirt, on the roof. This way, we can move one container out of the box and a different one in, if we need to. And we have needed to already. Plus we flipped the positions of a couple of containers, something we wouldn't be able to do if every plant was simply in the soil. This is how SFB1 (Square Foot Box #1) looked early on. We planted the box March 8, and I think this picture is from March 28.
One of the ideas of the Square Foot Gardener is to use a minimum number of seeds per plant. So, we tried to use only one seed per pot, but some seeds are so small, it's hard to get only one. Regardless, we have had close to a 100% germination rate, using seeds from Burpee, Ferry-Morse, Park, and Gourmet.
For ten of the 13 containers, we planted seeds. For the other three (the Red Sails lettuce and two tomatoes, a Rutgers and a Better Bush), we moved containers into the SFB1 whose plants were already growing and had a head-start. The two tomato plants we got from Buchanan's Native Plants. Of the four seedlings we bought, only these two survived.
This will be the third year that we have tried some plants on the roof. The first year was very truncated, since we didn't even get the deck installed until May of 2007.
The second year, 2008, we had some better luck but some really disappointing failures. This blog contains numerous posts on the previous attempts.
This third year, 2009, we seem to be doing much better. So far.
This is the first year we have set up an automatic watering system on the roof. Previously, we did it all by hand, and it was often hit-and-miss. First, we bought a small Raindrip Vegetable Kit. We laid out about 22 of the 25 provided drippers. Most of the containers got only one dripper, but the bigger ones, like the tomato pots, got two.
How to secure the dripper line to each container is a rather tricky proposition, and we chose a rather unscientific method: use a twist-tie to fasten the dripper line to a metal stake that we drove into each pot. It is rather inelegant, but it works.
When they say that these drippers will kick out 1/2 GPH (gallon of water per hour), they are pretty accurate. That averages to about 1 oz of water output per minute. I did several test drips, and the result was right where they said it would be. Amazing.
We matched the Raindrip system up with a Vigoro Two Zone Water Timer we got at Lowe's.
For the second zone, we hooked up a typical yard sprinkler (not pictured). Since we were going on vacation in late April, we hooked it all up and ran some tests on it and decided that having the spigots on once per day per zone ought to provide enough water.
So, the dripper comes on once a day for 20 minutes and the sprinkler comes on once a day for 30 minutes. And when we came back from vacation, everything was well-watered and looking great. Success!
Of course, it had also rained a good bit while we were gone, so we decided to simply leave the system in place, even while we're here. This way, we can rely on consistent, steady watering. So far, so good. Here's are some more-recent pics, taken in late April. Here's the entire SFB1.
And some closer shots:
We had originally planted Jewel Mix nasturtium in the first position (lower-left above), but since it doesn't need that much water, we moved it out of the SFB1 and replaced it with some Ya-Ya carrots. The nasturtiums are going quite well regardless. They're very tasty in salads. All of it: leaves, flowers, and stems.
The butterhead lettuce is growing just fine.
The Red Sails lettuce that had a head start is doing great. We've already trimmed quite a lot off of this one for salads.
The Bush Lake 47 green beans are looking healthy.
The Florence fennel, started from seed, looks great.
The Ya-Ya carrots that took the place of nasturtium inside the SFB1 is doing fine. This is easily the best we've done so far with carrots. The last batch were all stunted and split.
The Pearl Hybrid cucumber is looking fine. It's already starting to flower (not shown).
The Inca II Gold Hybrid marigold (also edible) is progressing nicely.
The Mesclun Mix was doing great until a caterpillar ate up a bunch of the leaves. It was clinging to the underside of a leaf, having a good old time.
The tomatoes are going gangbusters.
Today, however, we pulled a green tomato hornworm caterpillar off of one of the young green tomatoes growing on the Rutgers plant. We saw a sizeable hole in one tomato, and the wife snipped it off with scissors.
She then let out a piercing squeal, because she TOUCHED THE CATERPILLAR!!!! It stuck it's head out of the tomato and winked at her! Fat bastard! It was gorged on the green contents.
I should have taken a picture of the fat bastard beast, or made a video of its demise. Alas. The wife is still shuddering over it. I don't really want to resort to chemicals on the plants, but we may go with the Bt. I understand that those hornworms can decimate a whole bush overnight. We think we're almost ready to start SFB2. For that one, we're going to use seeds we recently bought from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Sheesh!! This is work!!
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