Having considered the many lessons of our first season, the Battery Rooftop Garden is now implementing its second season planting plan. Among the main things learned in 2010:
- the richness and depth of our soil allows us to achieve varieties and planting densities not possible with leaner and more conventional green roof soil mixes;
- the real sun-lovers cannot live in the west-most beds, which lose the sun too early in the day;
- celery is difficult;
- potatoes need to start early and be mounded conscientiously;
- zucchini on a roof is prone to mildew, perhaps because of the denseness of the planting.
Our planting plan for 2011 is as follows:
To be grown from seed:
- Arugula
- Bean, Empress
- Bean, Providor
- Bean, Contendor
- Bean, Foremost
- Beet, Chioggia
- Beet, Detroit Red
- Beet, Burpees Golden
- Carrot, Purple Haze
- Carrot, Atomic Red.
- Carrot, St Valery
- Leek, King Richard
- Lettuces: Focea, Cherokee, Panisse, Skyphos, Buttercrunch, Deer Tongue, Australe, Barbados.
- Onions: Forum, Red Zepplin, Candy, Copra.
- Pea, Blue Podded
- Peas, Sugar Snap
- Pea, Alaska
- Scallion, White Spear (heat tolerant).
- Spinach. Bloomsdale Long Standing
- Spinach, Monstrueux-de Viroflay
- Watercress
- Zucchini, Tondo Scuro di Piacenza (“Eight Ball”)
- Zucchini, Costata Romana
To be grown using Greenmarket transplants:
- Broccoli
- Sorrel
- Purple Cauliflower
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Basil
- Spinach
- Malabar spinach
- Kale: Red Russian, Lacinato, Winterbor.
As of April 29, the beets, lettuce, onion sets, peas and spinach are in the ground. Currently ready for harvest: parsley, scallions, lettuce (started in the cold frame and transplanted a couple of weeks ago):
