ER1 – Turf roof mixture

Composition

This wild flower and grass mixture is suitable for sowing green roof schemes where a turf of grasses with wild flowers is the desired end point.

Wild Flowers

%	Latin name	Common name
1	Agrimonia eupatoria	Agrimony
0.6	Anthyllis vulneraria	Kidney Vetch
1	Centaurea nigra	Common Knapweed
0.6	Clinopodium vulgare	Wild Basil
1.6	Echium vulgare	Viper's Bugloss
0.3	Filipendula vulgaris	Dropwort
2	Galium verum	Lady's Bedstraw
0.2	Helianthemum nummularium	Common Rock-rose
0.5	Hypericum perforatum	Perforate St John's Wort
0.2	Iberis amara	Wild Candytuft
1	Knautia arvensis	Field Scabious
0.6	Leontodon hispidus	Rough Hawkbit
1	Leucanthemum vulgare	Oxeye Daisy
1.5	Lotus corniculatus	Birdsfoot Trefoil
0.2	Origanum vulgare	Wild Marjoram
1	Plantago media	Hoary Plantain
1.6	Poterium sanguisorba - (Sanguisorba minor)	Salad Burnet
1.6	Primula veris	Cowslip
1.5	Prunella vulgaris	Selfheal
0.6	Scabiosa columbaria	Small Scabious
1	Silene vulgaris	Bladder Campion
0.4	Verbascum nigrum	Dark Mullein
20

Grasses

%	Latin name	Common name
4.8	Briza media	Quaking Grass (w)
0.2	Carex flacca	Glaucous Sedge
20	Cynosurus cristatus	Crested Dogstail
24	Festuca ovina	Sheep's Fescue
24	Festuca rubra	Red Fescue (w)
2	Koeleria macrantha	Crested Hair-grass (w)
4	Phleum bertolonii	Smaller Cat's-tail
1	Trisetum flavescens	Yellow Oat-grass (w)
80

Sowing Rates

kg/ha	kg/acre	g/m2	Order Mixture
40	16	4	Order this mixture

Growing guide

Preparation

Create or construct a suitable growing bed that is free of weeds, has reasonable texture and structure and can retain moisture. A minimum depth of 75mm of a substrate with some nutrient and moisture holding capacity will be required to support grass growth.  A greater depth and/or irrigation may be needed in drier regions. (more)

Sowing

Seed is best sown in the autumn or spring but can be sown at other times of the year if there is sufficient warmth and moisture. On shallow growing medium irrigation may be needed to maintain establishment through dry periods.  The seed must be surface sown: do not incorporate or cover the seed. Bulk up the seed with an inert carrier such as sand to make distribution easier. (more on sowing)

Aftercare

The requirement for aftercare will vary from scheme to scheme. Some will need minimal maintenance, perhaps only occasional tidying cuts for aesthetic reasons. Living roofs with reasonable growing conditions will produce growth that is likely to need annual maintenance for best results. This gardening will involve weeding and mowing along the lines of grassland aftercare.

ER1 is a complete mix composed of 20% native wild flowers and 80% slow growing grasses (by weight). The flower and grass components are also available to order separately: ER1F the flower component may be sown alone where no grasses are required or sown with the grass component EG6 at a reduced rate.