Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – An experiment has started on Ghent’s old Fluvius site, where 36 test plots study how local plants grow in soil containing rubble, led by UGent, Viaverda, and Ghent Environmental Front.
As VRT News reported, Ghent is getting ready to build a new park on the old Fluvius site and is doing experiments. They’ve teamed up with the Ghent Environmental Front, Ghent University, and Viaverda to run an ecological test. They’re studying how plants grow in different kinds of city soil, especially soil that has rubble and old building materials in it.
They’ve set up 36 small test areas, each about 4 square meters, and filled them with different mixes of soil and construction waste. They mentioned that the goal is to find out which plants grow best in these conditions. This will help them figure out the best way to create green spaces. It’s a practical experiment that’s happening right where the new park will be, so they can see what works in a real urban setting.
How can using local plants and recycled soil improve urban parks?
According to officials, the test plots are planted with tough, local plants like clover and thyme. These plants are good at growing in bad soil and help bees, fix the soil, and stop erosion. By watching how these plants do in different soil mixes, they’ll learn how to make the park’s soil better. The plan is to make the park green and able to handle climate change. They also want it to be cheap to take care of and use old building stuff.
In Ghent, they’re changing how the old building stuff is used in each test area. Some areas have the old foundation removed, some keep it, and others mix it with new soil. This helps them see how different soil layers affect plants. They’re watching how well local plants, herbs, and wildflowers grow.
Officials mentioned that the project in Ghent is about more than just the city. They want everyone to learn from it, like people with gardens, businesses, and builders. Often, it costs a lot to remove old foundations or bring in new soil to make a space green.
