Tips and advice for beginner rooftop gardener?
It’s my first year gardening on my 4th floor rooftop and what started as two wooden planters in November turned into an array of plants and an obsession.
I dealt with an aphid infestation in one of my wooden planters around March of this year, which caused my cauliflower plants to bolt. I have since replaced them with a zucchini plant.
Any tips or advice to avoid aphids, grubs and other problems? Should I set my large planters on some bricks to elevate them? Do I need more marigolds? Do marigolds work?
So far I have: cabbage plants, sweet potato, beans, tomatoes, strawberries, various herbs, lavender, marigolds, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, kale, komatsuna, and peppers. (Some not pictured above)
**EDIT**
Thank you everyone for your suggestions! To summarize the main suggestions for anyone else in my shoes:
- fill pots and planters up with more soil
- figure out a way to provide shade
- move planters/pots away from wall
- a couple suggestions for pesticides were given
I'm excited to make these improvements and hope to share positive results! Already had a nice harvest of komatsuna, basil, kale, and other herbs and the taste was unmatched.