Extensive green roofs require limited but essential maintenance to ensure that the plants last. You are strongly recommended to formalise this maintenance in a contract with a specialist company, as soon as the project is approved. Vegetal i.D. offers maintenance contracts suited to each project, covering both the plants on the roof and the sterile zones. Contact us if you would like more information.
The routine maintenance operations on a green roof
The chief maintenance operations consist of:
- Manually weeding undesirable or unattractive species and removing leaves likely to smother the vegetation
- Checking the devices for draining off rain water: removing vegetation or any rubbish around rain water drains and around the perimeter strip
- Monitoring the planting system and the state of the drainage layer in order to detect any problems (damage caused by birds or rodents, case of disease, etc.).
- Operations to replace vegetation in poor areas
- Supplying correct fertiliser every year
- Watering (if necessary) depending on climatic conditions
- Checking the irrigation system (if there is one): adjusting the watering periods according to the climatic conditions, draining the entire system before the first frosts and reconnecting the water as soon as it becomes warm again, check that the sprinklers or drip feed pipes are working properly annually.
- For pitched roofs: checking the retention systems by sampling
The number of visits to the roof per year depends on the planting system
Maintenance of a green roof with a HYDROPACK® tray
There is no establishment period for the HYDROPACK® pre-planted system as the plants are already installed and rooted in the substrate. The routine maintenance period thus begins right from the first year: 1 to 2 visits to the roof per year are recommended
Maintenance of a green roof with the i.D. MAT planted sedum mat
The establishment period of a green roof with the i.D. MAT planted sedum mat is very brief: 3 to 6 months This is the time the plants require in order to anchor themselves firmly throughout the growing medium. During this period, the most frequent maintenance operations are:
- Remove wind-blown rubbish from the planted surfaces and the vegetation free zones
- Put back the growing medium if it has been displaced by the wind or the rain
- Manually remove undesirable plants (weeds)
- Clean devices for draining rainwater
- Water if necessary (during long periods of drought in hot weather)
The routine maintenance period therefore begins right from the first year: 1 to 2 visits to the roof per year are recommended
Maintenance of a green roof with micro-plugs
Successful planting depends on when this takes place and the care taken when establishing the project. Consequently having the micro-plugs (or pot grown plants) planted correctly and having the roof maintained properly by a specialist company as soon as the project is approved is strongly recommended. The Vegetal i.D. installation team can help you with your green roof project, from installation to the routine maintenance of your plants on the roof. Contact us if you would like more information.
In order to obtain a plant cover level of at least 80%, regular maintenance is essential throughout the phase for establishing the vegetation. During this period, which varies from 12 to 24 months, 3 to 5 visits to the roof per year are required. A water connection on the roof is essential: regular watering over the first few weeks stops the young plants from drying out. Removing weeds can ensure that the vegetation develops properly.
Once the plants have become well rooted in the growing medium, the type of plant cover determines the number of maintenance visits to the roof:
- 1 to 2 visits to the roof per year are sufficient for extensive plant cover (i.D. SEDUM, i.D MIX-FLORE),
- 3 to 4 visits to the roof per year may be needed for semi-intensive plant cover (i.D. CREA-PAYSAGE, BIODIVERS' i.D, i.D. GAZON).
Maintenance of a green roof with sedum cuttings
In order to obtain a level of plant cover at least equal to 80%, very careful maintenance is essential throughout the phase of establishing the vegetation (18 to 36 months depending on the sowing method chosen and the geographical location of the project). 3 to 5 maintenance visits per year are necessary in order to carry out the following operations:
- Regularly water over the first few weeks in order to prevent the young cuttings from drying out and in order to optimise the speed of establishing the plant cover,
- Remove weeds to make sure that the vegetation develops properly.
- Remove wind-borne rubbish from the planted surfaces and the vegetation free zones
- Apply appropriate amounts of fertiliser.
Once the level of plant cover has reached 80% of the roof, 1 to 2 maintenance visits per year will be sufficient