Roof Garden - A Few Questions

[simplicity1987]

Afternoon All,

 

Hopefully this finds you all on the back of a great bank holiday weekend cruising!!! I am a fairly new liveaboard (moved in at the start of the year) and having now seen the first few rays of sunshine coming through I'd like to get a little roof garden started and would appreciate the community's insight. A few questions:

 

1.) Will my roof take the weight? I was hoping to have a couple of large troughs on the roof alongside a few vegetable sacks. I'm already holding my logs and a kayak on the roof, so just wanted to make sure this extra weight would be suitable. My roof (from memory) is 8mm steel.

 

2.) Any general tips/stories from other peoples experiences. Limitations? Strong growers? etc...

 

Thanks in advance, as always for your insight.

 

Happy Boating

 

 

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Good grief, what Sort / Size Boat have you got, and do you intend to move or cruise in it ?.

I only ask as I'm sure you may have the physical space, but thats a lot of weight, very high up, to be a consideration to the stability not so much structural issue.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Ex- Member]

We've just done this but only for herbs. what with the solar panels and other stuff this is about as big as we want.

 

 

The Trough is 1.2m long and 45cm wide with just some basic herbs. Garlic, Chives, Pasrley, Thyme, Apple mint, Curry, Lavender, Rosemary, also some Cherry tomato's and a couple of small shrubs either end. It's been growing really well over the past 3 weeks, we've already cut loads of chives for meals, Parsley's nearly ready to pick also. There's no weight issues with a trough this size.

[Grace and Favour]

Hi,

 

A couple of points: -

1// Unless you are in a Military grade narrowboat, or a submarine, your roof is more likely to be 4 or 5mm steel.

2// I see many boats roofs flourishing with green growing things, without collapsing the roof. However, just be aware that anything on your roof that traps moisture (i.e. - everything on your roof) has the propensity to damage your paintwork (all paint is porous to one degree or another, and trapped moisture increases the risk of moisture migration) - I have seen many boats with prolific rust (some are improved with it!)

 

So - yes you can - but just make sure you keep contact with the paintwork to a minimum, and be aware of the risk. - but the roof should certainly cope with weight if it's a steel boat.

[simplicity1987]

Thanks for the tip with regards to the moisture. At the moment I'm storing my logs on a wooden palette, so would probably do the same with the troughs to minimize this problem. Maybe I'll start with two medium sizes troughs and keep the vegetable sack at the front of the boat.

 

At the moment, I'm growing my herbs in-doors.

 

Keep em coming please

...and judging by the reaction, perhaps I've got the thickness of the roof incorrect.

[mattlad]

8mm? You expecting to get into a gun-fight? 8-O

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Afternoon All,

 

Hopefully this finds you all on the back of a great bank holiday weekend cruising!!! I am a fairly new liveaboard (moved in at the start of the year) and having now seen the first few rays of sunshine coming through I'd like to get a little roof garden started and would appreciate the community's insight. A few questions:

 

1.) Will my roof take the weight? I was hoping to have a couple of large troughs on the roof alongside a few vegetable sacks. I'm already holding my logs and a kayak on the roof, so just wanted to make sure this extra weight would be suitable. My roof (from memory) is 8mm steel...........snip........

 

 

Iwould like to know Sort & size of boat !

All that on a 20ftNB would behave totally different to all that on a 50ft WB !

[Catrin]

We've got a 5mm roof, which makes the boat roll more than usual - so we don't put stuff on the roof. Unless you've got something very heavy as ballast (gold?) I'd be surprised if you've got an 8mm roof.

 

Forum member Water Rat. (with the full stop) has written articles on boat gardening for magazines.

 

Also, if you are on Facebook, 'The Boaty Gardener'.

[bizzard]

Perhaps the boat has turned turtle which has changed its spec to 4-6-8 !

[John V]

There used to be a liveaboard peniche near Paris that had a lawn on deck with a swimming pool in the centre

[simplicity1987]

I have a Liverpool 47ft Steel Narrowboat - I've just checked the papers - it's a 5mm roof

[Catrin]

I have a Liverpool 47ft Steel Narrowboat - I've just checked the papers - it's a 5mm roof

Hmm, you might want to think carefully about any gardening you do then. Chalice certainly rolls more than most boats, not a problem generally, but I wouldn't want to put flower tubs on the roof.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

So.

A Couple of Large Troughs

A Few Vegtable Sacks

A Kayak

A Pallet Full of Logs

A Few Bags of Coal, A Gang Plank, Warps, A Bike (I'm Guessing)

Be honest, What else ?. Come on lets have a picture.I'm intrigued !.

 

I use to grow a bit, Herbs, Cress, Mushrooms. Keep Fresh Snail's in a Tank on Breadcrumbs for 3 Days, Subsidize my chest freezer with Phesent, Pigeon, Duck, Occasionally a Goose, Rabit, eel, Fish, Crab and alike ,Make Boat made Wine with whatever is in season (I call it Headge Row Wine). But not so much now. I go to Aldi.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[jet black cat]

i have up to 10 bags of coal,some logs,a 4ft long solar panel.a wind charger and 6 2ft long plant pots on my roof . sometimes me too.Never had any problems except paint discolouring.Best thing to do is put a thin ply base on the roof-well painted/varnished with 2inch high treated wood all the way around siliconed on(screw it on too) to stop watetr and compost going on the paint.Especially if its sanded!

[tree monkey]

i would suggest using grow bags, low profile and come winter you can scrap them to allow space for the coal

[jet black cat]

ps ..its a liverpool boat.Never heard of them rolling a lot.I had a 200 gallon holding tank until recently -1/3 ton if full.It leaned badly but steered to the pump out ok.Dont worry about rolling over.With a flat bottom the more it leans the steeper V angle it has in the water and could only sinkbif vents or sink outlet goes below watet level.Mine has never been anywhere neer that!

[HappyBunny]

As a single hander I try and keep my roof clutter to the absolute minimum .... so just have a few plants

No ... I can't see a thing

 

 

 

just do it and remember ....

 

 

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Brilliant !

[Jim Batty]

... A few questions:

 

1.) Will my roof take the weight? I was hoping to have a couple of large troughs on the roof alongside a few vegetable sacks. I'm already holding my logs and a kayak on the roof, so just wanted to make sure this extra weight would be suitable. My roof (from memory) is 8mm steel.

 

2.) Any general tips/stories from other peoples experiences. Limitations? Strong growers? etc...

 

1) Surely if your cabin roof can support your walking up and down it for locking purposes, it can handle a few planters (?)

 

2) We bought a bunch of rectangular galvanized steel planters (that happen to match the boat quite nicely!) and each year have a variety of flowers and herbs and the occasional solar light and a wooden dragon in them. I bolted four of those small rubber feet through two thin strips of wood to the bottom of each -- to keep them up off the roof (to prevent rust). The bottom third of each planter is gravel (picked up here and there out of car parks, etc.) which allows for good drainage ... and also adds balast so they don't fall off the roof. One of them has only blown over once in those terrific winds we had back in Jan/Feb (the winds that blew the solar panels off the roofs of a number of boats here in Berkshire). We CC and I use the roof a lot in locking, so these long planters are right at the front of the boat ... where I rarely need to step.

 

What's great is that you can grow anything that likes lots of sun. Given regular watering (every day in peak of summer) what seems to do well are: various oreganos/marjorams, thymes, mints, sages, parsley. Chives seem to be indestructible year in and year out. We're having a go with a rosemary this year down one end of a planter. Flowers we've had good success with are daisies, osteospurmums (cape daisies), marigolds, lavender. Also trying sunflowers in a deck-level pot this year, so will see how that goes and whether it gets in the way.

 

I'm sure there are others here who can suggest more exotic fare.

[b0atman]

mind that bridge ?

[Kae]

We have an extensive roof garden.

 

I bought a number of B&Q's "Decking Squares" when they were offer earlier in the year. These are perfect for keeping the pots and planters off the roof as they sit across the curveature of the roof perfectly. They take up the middle third of the roof, so more than enough room either side for walking along the roofs length for locking etc.

 

Can't beat a bit of roof foliage and fresh herbs, lettuce and strawberries can't be beaten

 

Must almost be a gardeners dream, plenty of sun and no slugs!

mind that bridge ?

 

We're quite a low boat anyway, so have no issues really. A few of our leggier plants scrape under occasionally, but to no real harm.

[John V]

 

Can't beat a bit of roof foliage and fresh herbs, lettuce and strawberries can't be beaten

 

 

half dozen of my strawberry plants are already in flower.......can't wait !

[wandering snail]

 

half dozen of my strawberry plants are already in flower.......can't wait !

So are ours - the label says they are a wild variety so looking forward to seeing. When we had a house, we had white strawbs - never eaten by the birds as they didn't think they were ripe - but a lovely flavour if small as wild ones. Wish I could find them in the nurserys here.