Fertilizer rate influences production scheduling of sedum-vegetated green roof mats
2014
Clark, Mary Jane Behrends | Zheng, Youbin
To investigate the influence of controlled-release fertilizer application rates on summer-propagated sedum-vegetated green roof mat production timing, unfertilized sedum-vegetated mats (control) were compared to mats fertilized in August 2011 with Nutricote® Total 18–6–8 100 day controlled-release fertilizer at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 35gm−2N. Fertilization rate influenced vegetative coverage, shoot height, inflorescence height and canopy area, leaf greenness and weed biomass. Mat production was completed late fall, following fertilization at ≥25gm−2N, while production was completed early the next spring, following fertilization at <25gm−2N. Although vegetative coverage of individual Sedum spp. changed over the course of the study, acceptable overall vegetative coverage was maintained following fertilization at ≥25gm−2N throughout the 2012 growing season. Production time ranged from 63 to 300 days following fertilization at 25gm−2N and the control, respectively. Fertilization rate influenced inflorescence characteristics of Sedum spp. and maximum leaf greenness was calculated to occur after fertilization with 25.6gm−2N. Therefore, by adjusting controlled-release fertilizer rates, production of green roof mats can be accelerated or slowed to meet production scheduling timelines.
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