Green Roof Media

Green Roof MEDIA

Peat Free, Organic, Recycled for the greener gardener

Green roof media from Vital Earth The practical and environmental benefits of green roofs are well-established. A green roof aids run-off attenuation and reduces flood-risk. It provides UV protection and extended roof life, insulation and reduced energy-use and urban cooling/heat wave alleviation. The biodiversity of a green roof attracts wildlife; it fixes carbon dioxide, reduces air-pollution and offers a unique enrichment of working and living space.

Not surprisingly, legislative authorities – central and local – recognise these significant environmental benefits and are becoming increasingly proactive in encouraging installation of green roofs.

Green roof media from Vital Earth are high quality substrates in a choice of green roof formats including sedum and meadow. They are based on recycled garden waste, locally sourced and processed, meeting all performance and legislative requirements. They are also the most environmentally-friendly options on the market.

Photograpghs supplied by Green Roof Centre, Sheffield

Vital Earth Sedum, Meadow & Lawn Roof Media and Sedum Seed Medium All media are based on specially matured and graded green compost to provide optimal stability and minimal leaching of organic matter and nutrients, plus carefully selected and graded clay aggregate: recycled from clean brick and tile.

Sedum Roof Medium (Extensive)

Based on 5 – 14mm grade brick/tile and 10 – 25mm green compost

Meadow Roof Medium (Intensive)

Based on 2 – 5mm grade brick/tile and 0 – 10mm green compost

Here at Vital Earth, the environment has always been at the heart of what we do. Our high performance, organic, peat-free composts are made by recycling 90,000 tonnes of garden and food waste per year which would otherwise go to landfill, reducing CO2 and methane emissions in the process. Converting locally sourced garden waste into valuable garden care products has to be the ultimate in sustainable growing. The company’s £8 million plant at Ashbourne in Derbyshire was opened in September 2006 and is the largest and most advanced in-vessel composting site in the UK. The primary raw materials – green and kitchen waste from kerbside refuse collections and household waste and recycling centres in Derbyshire and Staffordshire and Shropshire – are brought to Vital Earth by the relevant local authorities. The process, in which technology and nature combine, is in-vessel – as opposed to windrow.

Protected from the elements, the naturally produced heat can be regulated as can the moisture content, to produce a thoroughly consistent, thoroughly sanitised and stable product with no risk of contamination, odour or leaching.

GrEEN ROOF SALES: 01335 300355

For best results, all media should be irrigated to run-off before sowing/immediately after planting.

All provide an air-filled porosity greater than 20% v/v – as advised by the Green Roof Centre, Sheffield – and thus good drainage, robust hardy growth and strong root action.

Research shows that this fast-growing industry prefers green roof media with appropriately green provenance – ie peat-free media derived from sustainable/recycled, UK-sourced materials. Vital Earth is a Gold Member of the Growing Media Initiative: striving to reduce use of peat in UK growing media. Furthermore, Vital Earth only sources bark from FSC-accredited plantations and uses only natural/organic UK-sourced materials. To ensure good performance, Vital Earth compost is produced by composting garden waste in-vessel (sanitisation phase), then in aerated indoor windrows (maturation phase). The process is closely monitored/controlled throughout using cutting-edge instrumentation to produce compost that is consistent, weed and disease-free, high in humus/bound nutrients; low in water-soluble N & P, mature, clean, effective and good value.

Delivery

Vital Earth – where technology combines with nature Whatever the vagaries of the British weather, we know one thing for certain: the market wants to be ‘green’ – to tick the environmental box in their purchases.

Benefits

Lawn Roof Medium (Intensive)

Palletised/wrapped IBC’s or palletised/wrapped 25 litre bags. Bulk delivery (tipper or walking floor trucks) and application by blower truck can be arranged for large projects.

Based on 2 – 5mm brick/tile and 0 – 10mm green compost and sterilized soil

Sedum Seed Medium

Based on 2 – 5mm brick/tile, 0 – 8mm compost, fine bark and sterilized soil, and is designed for raising sedum and similar subjects from seed or cuttings.

GrEEN ROOF SAL ES: 01335 300355

Green roof media from Vital Earth The practical and environmental benefits of green roofs are well-established. A green roof aids run-off attenuation and reduces flood-risk. It provides UV protection and extended roof life, insulation and reduced energy-use and urban cooling/heat wave alleviation. The biodiversity of a green roof attracts wildlife; it fixes carbon dioxide, reduces air-pollution and offers a unique enrichment of working and living space.

Not surprisingly, legislative authorities – central and local – recognise these significant environmental benefits and are becoming increasingly proactive in encouraging installation of green roofs.

Green roof media from Vital Earth are high quality substrates in a choice of green roof formats including sedum and meadow. They are based on recycled garden waste, locally sourced and processed, meeting all performance and legislative requirements. They are also the most environmentally-friendly options on the market.

Photograpghs supplied by Green Roof Centre, Sheffield

Vital Earth Sedum, Meadow & Lawn Roof Media and Sedum Seed Medium All media are based on specially matured and graded green compost to provide optimal stability and minimal leaching of organic matter and nutrients, plus carefully selected and graded clay aggregate: recycled from clean brick and tile.

Sedum Roof Medium (Extensive)

Based on 5 – 14mm grade brick/tile and 10 – 25mm green compost

Meadow Roof Medium (Intensive)

Based on 2 – 5mm grade brick/tile and 0 – 10mm green compost

Here at Vital Earth, the environment has always been at the heart of what we do. Our high performance, organic, peat-free composts are made by recycling 90,000 tonnes of garden and food waste per year which would otherwise go to landfill, reducing CO2 and methane emissions in the process. Converting locally sourced garden waste into valuable garden care products has to be the ultimate in sustainable growing. The company’s £8 million plant at Ashbourne in Derbyshire was opened in September 2006 and is the largest and most advanced in-vessel composting site in the UK. The primary raw materials – green and kitchen waste from kerbside refuse collections and household waste and recycling centres in Derbyshire and Staffordshire and Shropshire – are brought to Vital Earth by the relevant local authorities. The process, in which technology and nature combine, is in-vessel – as opposed to windrow.

Protected from the elements, the naturally produced heat can be regulated as can the moisture content, to produce a thoroughly consistent, thoroughly sanitised and stable product with no risk of contamination, odour or leaching.

GrEEN ROOF SALES: 01335 300355

For best results, all media should be irrigated to run-off before sowing/immediately after planting.

All provide an air-filled porosity greater than 20% v/v – as advised by the Green Roof Centre, Sheffield – and thus good drainage, robust hardy growth and strong root action.

Research shows that this fast-growing industry prefers green roof media with appropriately green provenance – ie peat-free media derived from sustainable/recycled, UK-sourced materials. Vital Earth is a Gold Member of the Growing Media Initiative: striving to reduce use of peat in UK growing media. Furthermore, Vital Earth only sources bark from FSC-accredited plantations and uses only natural/organic UK-sourced materials. To ensure good performance, Vital Earth compost is produced by composting garden waste in-vessel (sanitisation phase), then in aerated indoor windrows (maturation phase). The process is closely monitored/controlled throughout using cutting-edge instrumentation to produce compost that is consistent, weed and disease-free, high in humus/bound nutrients; low in water-soluble N & P, mature, clean, effective and good value.

Delivery

Vital Earth – where technology combines with nature Whatever the vagaries of the British weather, we know one thing for certain: the market wants to be ‘green’ – to tick the environmental box in their purchases.

Benefits

Lawn Roof Medium (Intensive)

Palletised/wrapped IBC’s or palletised/wrapped 25 litre bags. Bulk delivery (tipper or walking floor trucks) and application by blower truck can be arranged for large projects.

Based on 2 – 5mm brick/tile and 0 – 10mm green compost and sterilized soil

Sedum Seed Medium

Based on 2 – 5mm brick/tile, 0 – 8mm compost, fine bark and sterilized soil, and is designed for raising sedum and similar subjects from seed or cuttings.

GrEEN ROOF SAL ES: 01335 300355

Green Roof Media Product Properties Properties

Particle size distribution

Typical Values – Medium

Roof

Roof

Roof

Seed

Laboratory bulk density

Sedum Meadow Lawn

Sedum

Typical Values – Medium

(% air-dry sample passing)

Sedum Meadow Lawn Roof

Roof

Sedum

Roof

Seed

g/l

800

750

740

710

16.0mm

100

100

100

100

Organic matter

%DM

3.1

3.5

11

14

8.0mm

43

100

100

98

(from loss at 450oC)

g/litre

1.8

25

61

79

4.0mm

5

91

85

80

pH1 (1:5 aqueous extract)

µS/cm

8.3

7.7

7.5

7.1

2.0mm

3

7

25

30

Electrical conductivity

mS/m

1100

1500

1400

1500

1.0mm

2

4

10

25

(1:5 aqueous extract)

mg CO2/g

110

150

140

150

OM2

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

Stability

Nutrients

Typical Values – Medium

Sedum Meadow Lawn Roof

Roof

Roof

Sedum Seed

Water-extractable3 Ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N) as N

mg/l

Nitric nitrogen (NO3-N) as N

mg/l

2

NH4+NO3-N as N

mg/l

12

CAT-extractable

10

13

15

25

2

4

15

15

19

40

10cm Tension Air-filled porosity

% v/v

49

48

40

25

Water-holding capacity

% v/v

24

26

30

40

Solids

% v/v

27

27

30

34

Air-filled porosity

% v/v

50

49

45

27

Water-holding capacity

% v/v

23

24

25

38

Solids

% v/v

27

27

30

35

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

50cm Tension

Weeds and foreign matter

This should not be compared with the pH of peat products (the optimal pH of peat products is much lower than for soils and composted materials).

1

3,4

Phosphorus as P

mg/l

6

8

9

9

Potassium as K

mg/l

185

310

312

358

Magnesium as Mg

mg/l

23

53

57

53

Iron as Fe

mg/l

6

19

19

16

Manganese as Mn

mg/l

4

8

13

11

Nitrogen as N

mg/l

780

1200

2100

2140

Phosphorus as P

mg/l

59

474

500

582

Total extractable

2

Organic Matter (as loss on ignition/dry matter basis).

3

Plant-available.

‘CAT’ = aqueous solution of calcium chloride + DTPA (chelating agent) – an extractant originally developed for soils and now specified in UK and European standards for composted materials (eg PAS 100) because it is more appropriate for most nutrients than the water-extraction method originally developed for peat products only.

4

(values for elements such as K, Ca and Mg are not reported because inert forms of these elements in the aggregate would render the data meaningless)

Contact details Vital Earth, Blenheim Road, Airfield Industrial Estate, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1HA Tel: 01335 300355 Fax: 01335 346100 email: info@vitalearth.tv www.thegreenergardener.com

GrEEN ROOF SALES: 01335 300355