How To Maintain Your Green Roof
Green, living roofs are designed to be very low maintenance, with only a few simple tasks needed throughout the year. Most green roof maintenance focuses on quick seasonal checks to keep the vegetation healthy and looking its best.
What green roof maintenance involves
You should carry out basic green roof maintenance two or three times a year. Key tasks include:
• Removing any weeds that have appeared
• Checking drainage outlets to ensure they are clear
• Inspecting the surface for debris or damage
• Making sure vegetation coverage remains healthy and even
Early stage care
When installing your sedum roof, it is important to use our Sedum Care products during the early stages. These provide essential nutrients to help your sedum plants take root and develop into a strong, thriving living roof. Once established, sedum typically needs very little watering, reducing ongoing green roof maintenance even further.
Seasonal checks
Green roof maintenance is usually carried out in April and September. Sedum plants are hardy and can be walked on briefly while you perform these checks, making maintenance simple and stress free. Compared to traditional roof gardens, the maintenance requirements for sedum roofs and intensive green roofs are minimal.
Ongoing support
For full guidance and practical tips that keep your roof garden in top condition all year round, you can download our complete green roof maintenance instructions.
Roof Inspection
We recommend you inspect your Sedum roof at least twice a year, usually in Spring and Autumn. You’ll be checking for weeds and seeds carried by the wind and removing leaves and moss to ensure gutters and drains are free flowing. To encourage a healthy habitat and to strengthen the natural biodiversity of the roof, we do not recommend the use of chemical pesticides. You may need to inspect your roof and the guttering more regularly if you live in a particularly green and leafy area.
Fertilization
To cultivate healthy, strong plant growth and to ensure an even supply of nutrients you should fertilise your sedum roof twice a year (preferably in late April and early September). We offer a range of mineral and organic fertilisers. To find out more, download our maintenance guide from the link above
Watering
A well-rooted sedum roof generally does not require any additional water, unless experiencing extreme, continuous hot and dry weather conditions.