If you are the owner of your home (congratulations, by the way), you will want the method and the containers that you choose are within the weight limits of the furniture, walls or balconies that you are going to use for your garden. In the case of a roof garden, the safe arrangement of the containers must be the number one priority for you and for those below.
«If it is a high place, like a balcony on the third or fourth floor … it is better that the containers are safe and heavy, instead of something light that can fly or drip,» Jones suggests. For small modifications (such as nailing hooks on a brick wall), investigate those specific materials to maintain their appearance and functionality.
3. Do not skimp on land
«I think that a Urban Garden They should not be cultivated on the ground, because even people who have a little space in the soil could be contaminated with lead paint or some other things that are part of the history of an urban space, «says Brie Gluvna, professional author and horticulturist.
Cutsumpas agrees and points out that a soil analysis carried out by an academic center or a prestigious laboratory can clarify what is hidden behind.
«When there is so much rotation of buildings in urban areas, you start having problems, because your plot can be completely empty, but before there may be three buildings or a chemical plant,» he explains, «and not all those who are dedicated to construction eliminate chemicals and rubble as they should.»
Gluvna suggests looking for «a material from real compost«instead of land for traditional pots because» it retains more nutrients and more water, so it will be of less maintenance in general and has some incorporated natural fertility, so you will not have to fertilize so often. «And you do not have to release a ton of money to obtain a quality product.
4. Know local pests and how to treat them
In cities like Washington, DC, «Rats are almost as common as squirrels,» says Kehmari Norman, specialist in Community gardens of the Parks and Leisure Agency of that city. If you live in a community where rodents abound, consider the possibility of raising plant structures several meters to reduce their accessibility.
«There are also super organic strategies that we recommend and share, such as growing chili peppers and products on the perimeter and the entrances of your landscaped spaces that could deter those pests,» he adds.
Although rats are a problem known in the cities, other villains of the orchards – like the beavers or the marmotes – may not be so obvious to the Urban gardener Rookie: «Marmots will enter and play thieves at night and take tomatoes, eggplants and other products you are growing,» says Norman with a laugh. To obtain a list of possible community pests and organic ways to keep them at bay, consult the local agricultural extension programs.
Article originally published in AD Us.