The Rooftop Growing Guide

December 15, 2015
Increasingly, roof space is becoming valuable green space used to grow everything from a few patio plants' worth of tomatoes to year-round mini-farms yielding beans, squash, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and more. Assessing your rooftop (climate and microclimate, building codes) and your budget and personal goals is the first step in the transformation process, writes Novak, cofounder of the nation's first commercial green roof farm, in this smoothly flowing, easily understood how-to. She covers the basics of container systems (raised beds and pots), greenhouses (large-scale and small cold frames), and direct roof plantings in instructions accompanied by informative line drawings. Sections on growing media, maintenance, and seeds (and how to start them) lead to discussions of flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees and their pest problems. Featuring black-and-white photos, drawings, tables, work sheets, a bibliography, index, resources list, and tips to Grow with the Pros, Novak's guide will be in demand, given the increasing number of urban food growers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)