Caring for your Urbanscape® Green Roof during really hot and dry weather is essential – do not forget to irrigate it

How do we take care of a green roof during such a hot summer, when the temperatures hardly drop even during the night? What do we need to pay attention to? Just like other planting in the garden, green roofs also need care and additional watering. Nevertheless, when is the right time for it?

Sedum plants, characterised by thick fleshy leaves, which act as water storage vessels, are incredibly drought tolerant. However, they are not drought-proof. In summer time, when the climate becomes hot and dry, the leaves turn from looking large, plump and green to becoming smaller, red and turgid. Nevertheless, do not worry - the plants are just coping with the weather in their own way.

If the plants are starting to wilt, become pale or ashen looking, they are struggling to cope with drought and they need emergency irrigation.

In regions with hot and dry summers, such as the Mediterranean region, irrigation plays an essential role, as the highest temperatures also occur during the driest period of the year. Mandatory emergency watering is also needed in case of prolonged dry and hot periods, such as this year (in any region of the world), or when plants become drought stressed.

Additional tips & tricks:

• Use any type of watering: sprinklers, drip irrigation system or manual watering.
• During irrigation, check growing substrate moisture levels around the roof and adjust run times to ensure the growing media is fully saturated.
• When watering, apply a consistent amount of water over the entire roof (to the point of runoff).
• Water in the evening as the sun is beginning to set. That way less water will be lost to evaporation.
• As growing media can drain quickly, short, more frequent watering will help avoid irrigation runoff and maximize plant water uptake.
• Supplemental water is not needed during periods of rain or milder temperatures.

In case of any further information about maintenance of your green roof or any additional questions, feel free to contact us via urbanscape@knaufinsulation.com