A low cost, thin profile light weight green roof that provides numerous environmental benefits can be achieved with Urbanscape. see https://evolvement.squarespace.com/greenroofs
New advanced green wall coming on nicely.
I have worked with just about every green wall system in the world over the past 15 years. Now I have found what I would say is the best system for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it will grow great plants, be easy to install, be thin on the wall and reduce maintenance costs. In each case this Sempergreenwall system shines.
Sempergreen greenwall is a robust long life commercial product for indoor or outdoor use.
Call Robert Griffith from Evolvement Pty Ltd on 0468 787 071 for supply with plants ready for your installation. https://evolvement.squarespace.com/products
Why not become an installer of green walls? We can train you in installation, pregrow the walls and supply all irrigation, sensors and green wall modules.
Evolvement trading as Green Look, can also install the system for you.
This demonstration Sempergreenwall provides room for fish at the base and reticulated water to fertilise the plants
What's in a green roof plant species?
Growing native plants for green roofs requires a knowledge of how one species can difffer dependent on it’s natural ecosystem. On inspection, I also notice that a coastal version of the same species has much shorter distances between leaf nodes and branches. In one photo below you will see the plants side by side, on the left leaf nodes are 8-10mm long, on the right leaves are 3-5mm apart. Unsurprisingly the coastal version is a shorter and bushier shrub, surviving extreme winds and salt. The variety growing in Western NSW, I know survives in temperatures in excess of 50C in the shade. Thats why I will be planting this shorter variety on coastal green roofs, and the other variety on hot roofs in Western Sydney.
Call Robert to discuss your Green Roof plants needs on 0468 787 071
THESE PLANTS ARE FOR ONE OF OUR BUSHTUCKER GARDENS, CALL EVOLVEMENT ON 0468 787 071
There is an urgent need for green infrastructure and urban agriculture to improve our health, air, and water.
There is an urgent need for green infrastructure and urban agriculture to improve our health, air, and water.
Do you need a hand designing your property to take advantage of these opportunities?
Could the COVID-19 pandemic be a catalyst for change? We have now demonstrated that rapid change to our society is possible. New opportunities exist in time of change, with innovative products, services and volunteers. Many minds are thinking and scheming solutions. Some will no doubt be profiting, whilst others fail. In scientific circles, failure is an important path to solutions. For humans and the planet a plan to look after our environment, is ever more critical.
In my professional circle, I hear various reasons why we are not taking care of our environment.
Government agencies don’t easily facilitate change. Some Councils have developed green infrastructure plans, then proceed to ignore them. Despite evidence of successful practices in many parts of the world they are not adopted.
Engineers and architects stick to tried and proven designs. Later facilitating green infrastructure is not possible due to little forethought in land planning or building structure.
New policies are often over ridden on the building site, so developers can expediate their profits. Builders are scared to take risks on anything new on their buildings. They too want to build at lower costs.
Contractors are apparently lacking in skills and systems to undertake new and important solutions.
We continually allow poor development options in high density and low density housing with little regard to land use classification. Our good agricultural land close to cities is first neglected then turned into vast expanses of hardscape or dug up for coal. Biodiversity and natural ecosystems are neglected. Some local residents do not accept trees in their streets, often chopping them down reducing our opportunity to reduce the heat island effect in cities. Added to these problems is the damage we do to water quality with the Urban Stream Syndrome, air quality and carbon emmissions.
Poor planning has these expensive results on prime agricultural land.
The green infrastructure industry find it hard to explain a Return on Investement, partially due to the fact that the environment is thought of poorly in monetary terms. However for instance, Green roofs apart from being a great place for growing food, provide stormwater management, biodiversity habitat, insulation, reductions in heat island effect and stress relief.
Yet there are so many great ideas in the world for environmental building, urban planning, ecological restoration and food production.
In my professional life, I have observed Orange trees as street trees in Anatolia, Turkey. Date palms being given a special status in the UAE. Green roof technology being widely adopted in Europe and the USA. Ecological surveys, riparian regeneration, ecological restoration is carried out by experienced practitioners with ever better technology. Caring developers often undertake this work despite difficulties convincing authorities of the benefits. There is a wider appreciation of local providence foods for shops and restaurants which increase customer patronage.
There is a burning desire by many people to create a better world. During this Covid19 shutdown, I have been in communication with many people regarding new ideas and technology. Inspired engineers , are thirsty for green solutions.
In isolation with our families we can cook, create new ideas, garden and grow our own food. These activities provide fun, stress relief and health benefits. Activities like these are standard disease prevention measures, like social distancing and hand-washing. Leading health experts have repeatedly highlighted the importance of good diet and exercise to build physical health and robust immune systems.
Copenhagen already had plans in place to turn street trees into communal fruit trees. Denmark's progressive model of community food-growing brings neighbourhoods together to care for common property, thereby building shared identities while literally harvesting fruits together. Havana's (popular gardens) have been providing these services from 1991. The psychological benefits of community-building through gardening and food-growing can keep anxiety and depression at bay, while fostering societal trust and resilience outlasting the pandemic. The added potential benefit for urban farming innovations can finally be brought to indigenous settlements as one step on the ladder to better long-term living standards, bringing thrivability and livability to the fore of urban development in these communities.
So we need a plan, what can be done?
In the broader context of urban circular economy models, micro-business models can close loops innovatively. This is a powerful tool through which many major urban challenges can be successfully tackled by empowering citizens, thus relieving some burdens from local administrations in genuine and productive public-private partnerships.
The plan to turn half the world into a reserve for nature should not be discounted. Close and unsatisfactory interactions between humans and nature are thought to be the cause of Covid19. It would seem prudent to care for our wild places, if for nothing else a source of genetic diversity and biomimicry.
Indigenous cultures to need special care. It is said they are most vulnerable to diseases. Their health is poor, due to poor diet and food availability. They also hold special knowledge of the land and its care. In Australia for over 60,000 years, they have developed an affinity with nature in which we could all learn from. For instance their ability to control forests with slow burning fires, which if followed could have reduced recent damage to 12 million hectares burnt in 2019 alone.
Food crops, within easy reach of residential areas are needed. Private spaces in suitable locations are also encouraged to be opened up for use. These spaces do not have to be big, but they do need good access to water.
We seek assistance from authorities with regards to permits, and to allow essential food-related activities to take place. Community garden locations, fencing and infrastructure is required. We request help and donations from land owners, municipalities, plant centres, nurseries, local farms, and water supply firms, amongst others - by reaching out to vulnerable communities to help foster food security.
Nutrients: Donations of food waste, in order to produce compost, and to feed nutrients into soil should be sought.
Design: Garden design for productivity involves aspect, sun, soil, water and nutrients. Many systems are available to improve productivity. Permaculture and organic gardening techniques produce clean healthy food.
Technology: A number of systems are improving food production in the urban environment. Wicking beds by Biofilta ™ , vertical food farms and products like Urbanscape® provide excellent media for rooftop gardens. Soon connective technology will monitor soil, nutrient, pests and diseases to improve output. This will be achieved by the Internet of Things (IOT). Of course a lot of this type of work can be very organic and use low cost reused materials. Of course there are a number of solutions for water, air quality and climate change with the introduction of specialised green roofs.
Training: Education and training for locals to manage their own food gardens. People need to be able to take care of their plots for the sake of their long-term community health. On top of technical aspects of food-growing, composting, cooking, processing, etc., training could also be provided to encourage micro-business models to emerge in helping communities develop more robust and optimistic future perspectives.
There is a dire need to improve living conditions and secure basic necessities for the most vulnerable parts of our country. We need to appreciate fresh produce, whilst reducing fresh food being dumped. This is particularly acute in indigenous communities.
Embedding food production into urban- and peri-urban areas is increasingly viewed as an essential part of building more robust cities. Whilst typologies and solutions may differ from city to city and country to country, the message is clear: Healthy food system = Healthy economy, Healthy planet, Healthy population. Perhaps most importantly, urban farming regenerates urban communities. It generates its own economy, providing people with greater holistic value than unethical employment practices. Urban agriculture spreads knowledge and awareness of urban food systems, new economic models, waste reduction, education linked to opportunity, etc. It is a regenerative opportunity - one that begets more opportunities.
I propose the widespread construction of indoor, outdoor and rooftop garden plots, vegetable patches, greenhouses, and poultry runs in shared community spaces, alongside upcycling and food processing facilities to provide opportunities for packaging, storage and to reduce unnecessary food wastage.
Urban agriculture has often been an overlooked area for business development, yet it is a powerful tool with the potential to deliver inclusive, responsible, robust and resilient regeneration right where it is needed most. Let us use this critical opportunity to bring about Food Security everywhere - and build healthy, thriving, local food systems that bring holistic benefits to all.
All the best for your environmental endeavours
Robert Griffith
www.evolvement.squarespace.com
WE SUPPLY DIY OR SUPPLY AND INSTALL ENVIRONMENTAL GARDENS. CALL ROBERT ON 0468 787 071 OR rob@greenlook.com.au.
Thanks for the following contributors to this article.
Samantha Suppiah Founder and Director Urban Doughnut
Maryam Manuel Salie Founder Sandvlei United Community
Chris Jones Founder Feeding Cities
Diana Diaz Castro Founder Just Cities
https://bit.ly/foodsecurityjugaad
Food Security is an open letter calling for the rapid building of community gardens in formal settlements in the Global South - in response to pandemic-induced food insecurity. Our goal is to create a global movement with this letter. Please join me in signing this letter and supporting the initiative.
A vegetable garden at home has lots of benefits, especially for kids!
Experience and research have shown numerous benefits of gardens for a childs development, and it’s fun!
Benefits of having a vegetable garden at home for children
they gain self-confidence and a sense of “capableness” along with new skills and knowledge in food growing — soon-to-be-vital for the 21st century.
the yard is diversified and beautified.
garden-based teaching addresses different learning styles and intelligences; our non-readers can blossom in the garden!
achievement scores improve because learning is more relevant and hands-on.
children become more fit and healthy as they spend more time active in the outdoors and start choosing healthy foods over junk food.
kids learn focus and patience, cooperation, teamwork and social skills.
Call Robert on 0468 787 071 to discuss our easy to install and care, Biofilta Food Cube. DIY or we can install in Sydney, even full of vegetables.
Surprise Australian plant for your green roof
How about a surprise element for your green roof? This Calostemma purpureum might be just the shot. They flower like crazy. The great thing about bulbs is that they have that surprise element, and when they bloom they are spectacular.
Whats better than looking out on a green roof from your bathroom?
Here at Manly a green roof provides a beautiful view from the bathroom and bedrooms. On this project I was limited to an overall depth of 140mm for the green roof buildup. I was also limited to 150kg/M2 for structural reasons. We needed to make a light weight green roof. Plants are growing particularly well with a 20mm layer of mineral wool called Urbanscape, beneath 65mm of growing media. Urbanscape becomes a water source and provides excellant growing conditions for a range of exotic and native species..
Urbanscape arrives in Australia to revolutionise green roof and landscape growing media
Its great to receive a fresh batch of Knauf Urbanscape. Trials have already proved the way we can build light weight green roofs. Now we will be installing Urbanscape in some new and interesting applications.
Australian native plants growing on a thin lightweight Urbanscape green roof
3 pallets of green roof and landscape rolls ready for A 250M/2 job.
Urbanscape more than a product, comes with modelling software to help avoid The Heat Island Effect, Stormwater Management and Water usage.
Urbanscape used to make a green wall
Large green roof for Stormwater management
Urbanscape Green roll massive water holding capacity for plant growth
Send us a request for a demonstration and information session contact Robert at rob@greenlook.com.au , 0468 787 071
Sydney's Green Infrastructure Research Centre
If you want to learn about green roofs, why not come and see me at our evolving green roof research centre in Sydney’s north? Coffee or tea served!
Contact Robert Griffith for an appointment on 0468 787 071 , rob@greenlook.com.au. Rob can talk you through his 35 years experience around the world.
Here are a few photos of what you can see and discuss for your projects.
Urbanscape green walls getting ready for installation and indoor plants
Green infrastructure plant trials and propagation stock
A broad range of green infrastructure materials from major suppliers like Knauf Urbanscape, drainage cells, fabrics, Royal Grass, etc.
Pot based green walls
Succulent green walls
Propagating green infrastructure plants
Indoor lights for great green wall growth
With 35 years experience in a variety of growing medias, Robert can help you specify just the right soil mixes
Landscaping
Even Royal Grass synthetic lawns
Invertebrate home
Carniverous plants
Are sustainable stormwater practices really catching on?
We look forward to providing our green roof stormwater solutions in FAILURE TO THRIVE conference by STORMWATER NSW in Coffs Harbour at 1.10pm Wednesday the 28th of August 2019.
We will be presenting:
Green roof software modelling for stormwater detention.
Green roof installation
New technology for green roof construction
https://gems.eventsair.com/2019-stormwater-nsw-conference/registrationpage/Site/Register
Reducing water requirements for landscaping on Sydney's new Tallawong railways station
At the Tallawong railway station large planters have received a 20% blend of Urbanscape Flocks. This will improve plant growth and reduce water requirements. The project was designed by Place Design Group. Installation was by E-Scaping. A nice use of synthetic grass and softfall too in this heavily trafficked area.
Call Robert for assistance with Knauf Urbanscape on 0468 787 071
Some good news for Australian environment and landscape industry
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and Parks & Leisure Australia held a seminar “Green Infrastructure – focus on streetscapes” it was sponsored by Andreasens Green Nursery on the 2nd of May 2019.
Speakers included:
NSW Government Architect Landscape Architect Barbara Schaffer talked about 2 new documents that are to be released for our open space design. The documents are “Open Space for Recreation”, and “Urban Tree Canopy”. Barbara referred to a new impetus by the NSW Government on public spaces.
Robert Griffith talked on Knauf Urbanscape technology with specific information on providing green infrastructure on buildings. He discussed how green roofs and green walls and will reduce energy consumption by providing canopy. Spaces for tree planting are limited and roofs provide a huge area that in many countries are planted out for cooling, storm water management and biodiversity. http://www.green-urbanscape.com/
Macquarie University talked about their new knowledge base WHICH PLANT WHERE . A unique source of knowledge will be available for suitable plants for all Australian climates. Climate change was included to show what changes are to be expected.
Ben Gooden from City Green showed how to grow excellent trees in our streets to improve canopy.
The commissioner for open space and parklands Fiona Morrison to discussed grants that have been provided for tree planting around Sydney.
Tim Carroll from Andreasens Green nursery gave a great summary of street tree species suitable for various Sydney climates.
Overall it is great to see that our industry is learning from leaders in their field.
Native plants of Broken Hill ?
Hiking in inland Australia provides plenty of interest for horticulturalists. After 10mm of rain, (which is a lot for these parts) the country comes alive with plants. On this hike I saw some incredible plants that grow only in the rocky ground in this desert environment. I saw an interesting plant that I was sure I had seen elsewhere. Over night I thought hard and came to the realisation I had seen in it my desert adventures in the United Arab Emirates.
Rumex vesicarius Family Polygonaceae Common Name Wild Hops as seen in the hills around Broken Hill NSW Australia.
Rumex is not a native of Australia but has become naturalised here. In the 1850’s the new Austalian’s from England wanted to explore the large landmass. (Of course our country was inhabited for some 60,000 years by our First Nations Aborigines, who knew the area well.) The only way the new Australians could to do get across the country was with Camels. So they brought camels with Afgani herdsmen, to help explore the country. These camels had the seeds of Rumex stuck in their fur. That’s how Rumex was spread across Australia. Rumex has evolved to take these dry conditions. Much of its life is lived underground and it only appears after rain, where it soon flowers and sets seed before dying back in the heat. Could be a great plant for green/brown roofs that provide insulation, water management and biodiversity in dry cities.
Rumex on a stamp from the UAE
Succulents growing in the desert around Broken Hill Actinobole uliginosum has the yellow flower the other looks is a Calandrinia sp.
Some Emus and their babies in the grasslands
Artwork from our First Nation Aborigines.
Finding Lizards on the road to Broken Hill, Tiliqua rugosa Shingle Back Lizard check the red soil in inland Australia
Check out the Sculpture Park at sunset, my grandson sitting on a sculpture.
Visit the Pro Hart art gallery
Swainsona fomosa Family Fabaceae Common Name Sturt Desert Pea
ARE GREEN ROOFS AS GOOD AS WE ALL THINK?
SEMINAR 23 MAY 2019 PARRAMATTA 9.00AM - 1.00PM
Speakers
•Oscar Warmerdam CEO Sempergreen USA, Expert on Holistic Vegetative Green Roofs, ROI specialist on green infrastructure
•Jure Sumi Knauf Insulation, Worldwide Urban Green Infrastructure specialist
•Robert Griffith CEO Evolvement Pty Ltd, Green Infrastructure designer and installer Storm Water questions at a talk in Sydney on the 24/5/19.
• Mark Lieberman Director, Principal Engineer, Sustainability Workshop
Who should attend:
Stormwater Engineers, Government, Local Government, Landscape Architects, Architects, Builders, Landscape Contractors
A big sponge detention green roof in New York
If a green roof absorbs 50% of the annual rainfall in your city, why not the other 50%? If the civil engineer likes green roofs, why aren’t they using them as a PRIMARY stormwater management tool? Do you know the true difference between Detention and Retention, and why does this matter? What does a traditional green roof need in order to become a PRIMARY stormwater management tool? Can the green roof industry grow without Policy and Regulations? (the answer is yes)
Benefits of green roofs include reduced Heat Island effect, Biodiversity, Greening our cities.
Benefits of attending
•Learn how Europe and the USA are upgrading green roofs into PRIMARY storm water management tools with a real ROI.
•Fully understand ET (evapotranspiration) when designing YOUR next green roof. See and understand new green roof technology and modelling software as used to calculate green roof design.
•Energy consumption savings can offer many LEED/GREEN STAR opportunities.
•Monitoring how your buildings effect heat island effect and how a green building will reduce outcomes.
•Discover the value of the Knauf Urbanscape / Purple-Roof system and solutions
•Explore new Trends, known Policy shortcomings, new maintenance requirements and other worthwhile topics that are new to Australia.
•Meet experienced practitioners and installers.
Topics
•Performance testing, monitoring green roof effectiveness
•Performance Evaluation software Tool
•Stormwater modelling with growing media, mineral wools and detention layer
•Energy and water conservation and heat island effect
•Available resources; Reports, Cadd, Urbanscape, Purple-Roof, Designers, Installers
•Green roof design, weights, waterproofing, costs, plants, soils, irrigation, leak detection
•Green roof installation and maintenanceExample projects
Discussion on ROI, Govt’t approval processes, MUSIC software
Robert Griffith BEnvSc 0468787071 rgriffi8@gmail.com
Proud Winner Top 50 Rooms House & Garden Oct 2018
This Green roof is a tribute to the team at Evolvement.
Plants grown in 100mm Growing media and large pots. Design by Robert Griffith.
Figure 1. Comparison of a plant with Knauf and without on the 6th of September.
Does Knauf Insulation Urbanscape green building solution reduce water consumption and increase plant life span between watering’s for use on green roofs?
Yes, a 500%! improvement as shown in Figure 3. and here is how I proved it.
On the 25th of July I planted 16 pots with Radish plants in my glasshouse in Sydney, Australia. 8 black pots were planted with a standard green roof growing media. 8 green pots had a 20mm layer of Knauf Green Roll in the bottom of the pot and 10% Knauf cubes mixed into the same growing media. Once plants were mature on 17th of August they were placed in a dry zone, a shaded window sill in my office where they received no further watering.
Plants in Knauf growing media lasted 21 days with no water. Five or 62.5% of Knauf plants lasted this period. Only one plant or 12.5% of plants with no Knauf lasted 19 days. Figure 1 shows a comparison of plants.
What Sydney Environmental Soil Laboratory (SESL) concludes after a 12 month trial that: “The Flocks (Urbanscape Flocks) product provides soil structure with significant reduced slumping over time in comparison to the lightweight media without Flocks (the Control). The Flocks also allows maintained air-filled porosity without significant reduction in oxygen levels. The addition of Flocks at a rate of 20- 30% to the lightweight media blend initially improves the water holding properties of the mineral based blend by around 9%. The water-holding capacity improves with time (5% improvement) as the media settles however not at the expense of the air-filled porosity. The Control showed higher WHC but this was at the expense of the AFP. The toxicity bioassay shows germination to be at an acceptable rate with the 30% contribution of Flocks however the growth rate isn’t as rapid as the 100% lightweight media. SESL recommends a full growth trial is undertaken to measure the effects of drought on non-irrigated blends.”
What does it mean for your green roof?
There will be substantially less watering required for plants growing with Knauf Urbanscape. Plant growth will be substantially better on your green roof. Stormwater runoff from your infrastructure will be greatly reduced. Knauf can be easily installed and saves a lot of money in material handling and water. It’s light weight, means that even more money is saved in structural requirements of your building, retrofitting older buildings now also becomes possible.
Below are photos of my plants on the shown dates.
Robert Griffith BEnvSc, Hort. +61 468 787 071
Figure 2. New plantings placed in the dry zone on 17th August 2018.
Figure 3. Green pots with Knauf vs Black pots with no Knauf on the 5th of September showing 5 Knauf pots doing well as compared to only 1 without. A 500% improvement.
Evolvement Light weight Green Roof
This is a light weight green roof our Green Look team are installing in Sydney. With Knauf Green Roll and customised growing media we are using the latest technology to reduces peak stormwater discharge and maximises plant growth. Waterproofing will guarantee the project will never leak and on top of that we have added a leak detection system. Plants have been selected to perform and provide a beautiful image and view from the residence. Habitat and native plants provide unique biodiversity in the city.
Knauf Insulation Green Roll a wonderful growing media for green roofs
Here are some of the latest photos from our green roof trials at Andreasens Green Nursery Sydney Australia.
The growing media is 100% natural, inorganic so lasts the life of your building and holds 85% water, controlling stormwater and providing excellent growing conditions on a very light weight green roof.
Evolvement has just completed further landscape trials and will soon complete the first Green Roof with Knauf Green Roll in Australia. I look forward to sharing the project with you shortly.
Robert Griffith 0568 787 071
Bush tucker for roofs
Evolvement are working on a number of australian wild food plant species that can be grown on roofs. In our builtup environment, green spaces are hard to come by, roofs provide a perfect solution. Following our succesful implementation of a food garden on a concrete slab at Cockatoo Island (shown below) we are most interested to work on green roof design for food and pleasure.
We think we have some exciting possibilities, call us for more information on 0468 787 071.
Evolvement / Greenlook have just completed a Popup restaurant (Don Tapa) on Cockatoo Island in Sydney. Gardens are planted with Australian bushtucker plants, many species of plants that sustained the indigenous people for the past 60,000 years. Bushtucker species list below.
We have planted food crops in Boifilta self watering planters, here a rich variety of herbs and vegetables are grown for the kitchen. Lots of chillies too for the South American cuisine. Royal Grass synthetic grass is used for play and real grass beds for looking at the sky. large trees were planted to give the restaurant a great green look. All aspects of the restaurant are transportable, including the landscaping.
The Bush Tucker plant list grown by Greenlook's own nursery are:
Bulbine Lily - Bulbine bulbosa
Murnong, Yam daisy - Microseris lanceolata
Chocolate Lilly – Dichopogon fimbriatus
Lemon Aspen – Acronychia oblongifolia
Midjinberry – Austromyrtus tenuifolium
Mountain Pepper – Tasmannia lanceolata
Rubus rosifolius – Native Raspberry
Native Finger Lime – Microcitrus australasica
Native Ginger – Alpina caerulea
Sandpaper Fig – Ficus coronata
Small leaved Fig – Ficus obliqua
Native Lemon Grass- Cymbopogon ambiguus
Native Guava- Eupomatia laurina
Lemon Myrtle – Backhousia citriodora
Sea Fig - Coastal Pigface - Carpobrotus glaucescens
Bunya Pines
Illawarra pines
Black Apple
Cabbage Palm
See www.greenlook.com.au for more details.
Many thanks to our client Anatoly and Irene from FutureCities. http://www.futurecities.com.au/
Biofilta for their unique vegetable wicking bed technology. www.biofilta.com.au
Australian Native Landscapes for generous landscape supplies. www.anlscape.com.au
Green roof trials using Knauf Rockwool
Searching to make my thin lightweight green roofs plants flourish with less watering, I have found a great solution.
Searching to make my thin lightweight green roofs plants flourish with less watering, I have found a great solution. The quantity of the water that the growing media can store, influences the sustainment of the plants. With high temperatures in Sydney wilting point represents that level of soil after which plants are not able to extract water from the soil. "The main limiting factor and the one which will determine the way in which vegetation develops will be the water supply." (FLL Guidlines 2002).
The additional of organic matter or clay to garden or farm situation improves water holding capacity. However neither of these materials is suitable for green roofs as the first would block drainage systems and the second will not last the test of time.
Solution
I want to maximise plant health on my roofs, so I added Flox to the growing media at different percentages. Flox is a unique mineral wool product produced by Knauf. Flox has an abundance of fine particles that are hydrophilic, it is lightweight, safe to install, holds water until plants extract it, has no additives and is stable for the long term.
http://www.green-urbanscape.com/en/solutions/green-roof-purple-roof-concept
I found that with the addition to 5-15% Flox in the mixture I was able to increase water holding capacity for a number of days at higher rates. Soil without Flox after 48hrs held around 10% water volume, with around 7% being permanent wilting point. With 10% Flox I increased this by 100%.
Taking the water holding capacity measurements in differnet mixes of Flox
It is worth noting that adding 20mm layer of Flox in it's Green Roll form at the base of the growing media will help even more. So for our hot climate we can now make thin and light weight roofs that successfully grow plants with less stress.
Let me know if you need more information at rgriffi8@gmail.com
Robert Griffith