While a green roof is just as alive and natural as a garden growing on the ground, the green roof is going to need some extra tender loving care. If you were told to live 500 feet up in the air through high winds and dramatic weather changes, wouldn’t you need a little more attention too? We think so!
Maintenance is a must when tending to any form of plant life. But stewardship is a whole other ballgame. Whereas maintenance is considered scheduled upkeep, stewardship is proactive and helps identify what’s going right and what’s going wrong to then boost the former and fix the latter. Basically, maintenance provides the green roof with the bare minimum it needs to survive. Stewardship, on the other hand, enhances the green roof and secures a positive ROI on the initial build of the roof.
For stewardship to work, it’s important to ask the necessary questions that regular maintenance can’t address. In this article, we’re asking the hard-hitting questions all stewards should ask to understand how to improve the health and functionality of their green roofs while garnering a positive return on your investment.
1. Is My Green Roof Functioning Well With This Mix of Plants?
Sometimes, two peas in a pod just don’t mix. It’s not uncommon to find certain species of plants invading another plant’s soil on a green roof. Stewardship is the proactive approach that notices signs of invasion (even without a UFO sighting) early on. By checking in on the functionality of plant diversity, green roof stewards are able to ensure all plants in the garden can thrive.
How so?
Let’s say a certain plant was overgrowing and harming the livelihood of other plants. The steward is able to recognize the issue and remedy the situation, be it by replanting the overgrown plant in a new location or removing that species from the roof all together. Consequently, stewardship enables people to make sure the plants that are growing on the green roof are living optimally. This prevents any further cost in damages or restructuring the garden. Essentially, stewardship saves you money in the long run by preventing any major issues that can be costly to fix.
2. Why Does This Species Seem Unhappy and What Can We Do About It?
Sad, wilting, and dying plants are depressing to look at! Not only are they unsightly, they’re a sign that your green roof is decaying. Stewardship allows you to take notice when a certain plant or species of plant isn’t doing too well from neglect or environmental factors.
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To overcome the issues with neglect or certain environmental occurrences, like consistent heavy winds, recurring stewardship visits improve the health of the green roof until the next visit. Think of it like going to the doctor for a physical, you may not look sick but your blood pressure may be a little too high. The doctor then sets up a plan for you based on what foods to avoid, which medications to take, and best exercises to lower your blood pressure. This is stewardship — preventing the problem from getting any worse and continuously addressing and improving the issue on a consistent basis.
As they (does anyone know who ‘they’ even are?) say, taking care of yourself now prevents you from paying the price later. Taking care of your green roof now, prevents you from paying a lot of money trying to bring it back to life. Effective stewardship locks in a positive return on your green roof investment for years to come by intercepting any potential future issues that can run up a tab quickly.
3. Is The Insect Population in This Urban Garden Problematic, Or Can We Leave it Alone?
Ah, insects. They’re extremely necessary for the health of plant life, pollination, and so much more. But sometimes they can get a little rowdy and out of hand (like your average party back in college on a Saturday night). Stewardship gives insight as to what the insects are up to in the garden — differentiating from those hogging the “keg stand” and those minding their own business, mingling amongst the flowers.
But often, it’s not that simple to understand if the insect population in the green roof is problematic. And we don’t expect everyone who owns or tends to a green roof to be experts in the field. Sometimes, hiring a stewardship expert is the best option here to help determine if the insect population is getting out of control. In fact, hiring a stewardship expert can save you money you would otherwise have to spend on removing any insects who overtook the garden and replanting/repairing the damaged plant life.
4. Is This System Accomplishing its Goals?
This may just be the most important question in regards to green roof stewardship — is this green roof accomplishing its goals?
Think about what you originally intended the green roof to do (i.e. cooling a roof, attracting pollinators, being a socialization spot for employees, etc.). Is it working? Has the heat in the building diminished? Are there more bees and other helpful insects on the roof? Consider the overall ROI of your green roof. Are you gaining a reduction in energy costs to justify the initial build out?
If your answer to this question is no, it’s time to speak with a stewardship expert to create a course of action to revamp your green roof. If the answer is yes, keep up the good work!
Final Thoughts
Green roofs are like children. You can’t just give them the basic necessities, you also need to guide them and help them grow. Regular maintenance ensures they’ve eaten and are clean. Stewardship, however, enables them to grow healthy and thrive throughout each stage of their life. But even plant moms and dads need help sometimes. Working with a stewardship expert can dramatically change the course of your green roof’s health and ensure it’s working optimally. Schedule a stewardship consultation with our experts and let’s get started!
