Use of inorganic substrates and composted green waste in growing media for green roofs

•Considerable variation in the physical properties of inorganic substrates was found.•Composted green waste improved the physical properties for plant growth and survival.•Composted green waste improved the physical properties for water retention.•The volume to mass ratio affected the physical properties of the growing media.

Inorganic substrates are used as the primary component in green roof growing media because they can provide the desired physical properties and are thought to be physically, chemically and structurally stable over time. Inorganic substrates can be amended with organic matter to help establish vegetation on green roofs but there is little information on how this affects the physical properties; dry bulk density, water holding capacity and air filled porosity; of the resulting growing medium or whether the effects are the same for all inorganic substrates. Nine crushed brick and three crushed tile substrates obtained from five UK suppliers of aggregates were amended with 30% v/v composted green waste. The physical properties of the substrates and growing media mixes were determined using the gravitational drainage technique. Amending the inorganic substrates with composted green waste significantly improved the physical properties by reducing the dry bulk density and increasing the water holding capacity. Air filled porosity of inorganic substrates decreased with addition of fine composted green waste but aeration was always adequate for plant growth and survival. This provides evidence of the beneficial effects of inclusion of composted green waste on the physical properties of inorganic substrates for green roof growing media but highlights the fact that the responses to inclusion of composted green waste may be different for different inorganic substrates or grades of substrate.