Getting Off the Ground

Put your roof to work, advises applied ecologist Bill Roley, director of the Southern California Permaculture Institute in Laguna Beach. Here are some tips:

* Don’t crash through the roof, which means you should stick to the edges and corners until you consult an architect or engineer.

* Since wood decomposes, better choices for containers are non-biodegradable plastic pots or trash cans. Plastic toy boxes were one gardener’s idea. Punch holes for drainage.

* Choose a commercial lightweight soil with a large percentage of sand and mulch, supplemented with plastic foam beads or Pearlite.

* Exposed containers dry out quickly on a roof. Cluster them (keeping structural stress in mind) to minimize sun-wind exposure. Remember that light-colored containers absorb less heat. You can make a windbreak out of semi-transparent plastic. Trellises for fruits and vegetables that grow on vines also provide sun and wind protection.

* Early morning watering maximizes plant absorption and helps control disease such as fungus. Divert runoff water if possible into a downspout and collection container. Small drip-irrigation systems with solar-charged batteries are commercially available.

* Shallow-rooted vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, baby carrots, tomatoes, peppers and herbs do best. Containerized dwarf fruit trees could prosper, but avoid anything with an expansive root.

For further information on rooftop and “postage-stamp” gardening, call Permaculture Institute: (714 ) 494-5843.