Salad, beans and strawberries that grow upwards? Is the perspective messed up or the picture the wrong way around? No! On the trial wall at the Bavarian Regional Office for Viticulture and Horticulture (LWG) in Veitshöcheim veggies have been growing, literally, upwards, since Wednesday the 31st of May 2017 - and that is not from the ground but sideways alongside the wall. With this pilot project "Veggiefacade", they want to test the technique for facade greening for the cultivation of vegetables. The four trial walls with 6m² cultivation area each will be used for tests over the next two years.
The same standards are used for all four of the trial systems (picture: before plantings). On this picture, you can easily recognize the channel systems on the lower side of the surfaces, through which excess irrigation will flow, so the water can be re-purposed for the next irrigation. Photo: © Bayerische Landesanstalt für Weinbau und Gartenbau, Veitshöchheim
Test setup four by four
A wall on the LWG campus in Veitshöchheim, which is more than 20 meters long, has been separated into four areas to test the different systems; then systems used for facade greening were installed. "These systems have already successfully been used for facade greening with shrubs and decorative greens. It is our goal to use these systems for the cultivation of vegetables," says Florian Demling. He holds a Bachelor of Science in the area of horticulture, construction- and planting-techniques and is the head of this project. The project is enclosed in the research for "Food production on Constructed Surfaces in Settlement Areas". The goal of the research in Bavaria is to explore the possibilities of using rooftops and facades in cities for "Urban Gardenings" of fruits and vegetables. Living space is growing upwards and green spots in cities are getting smaller, so city gardeners will need new surfaces to work on. What's better than facades then, and what alternatives are there?
Test setup four by four
A wall on the LWG campus in Veitshöchheim, which is more than 20 meters long, has been separated into four areas to test the different systems; then systems used for facade greening were installed. "These systems have already successfully been used for facade greening with shrubs and decorative greens. It is our goal to use these systems for the cultivation of vegetables," says Florian Demling. He holds a Bachelor of Science in the area of horticulture, construction- and planting-techniques and is the head of this project. The project is enclosed in the research for "Food production on Constructed Surfaces in Settlement Areas". The goal of the research in Bavaria is to explore the possibilities of using rooftops and facades in cities for "Urban Gardenings" of fruits and vegetables. Living space is growing upwards and green spots in cities are getting smaller, so city gardeners will need new surfaces to work on. What's better than facades then, and what alternatives are there?
"The basic requirements for our test run is the same on all four systems," explains Demling. In fall of last year, the four systems with different technologies were mounted to the wall. "The location of the trial surfaces is, of course, important for the outcome. We consciously chose a wall facing Southwest for the ideal sun exposure and the possibility of wind-protection through other buildings in the area." By recycling water and nutrients we ensure a continuous supply for the plants. "When it is dry, we use our half-closed cycle. Aside from the natural irrigation through rain, we can water the plants artificially from the top. Gravity makes the water flow downwards so all the plants in the system are irrigated equally. The excess water does not drip onto the floor but is collected in channels, which will re-enter the cycle." In the initial growth phases, the systems are irrigated two to three times in one day. Nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and micronutrients are dissolved in the water. "To keep an eye on everything, the processes are fully automated and the nutritional content of the water is measured." This is necessary to correctly collect the data on how much water is used and to ensure an equal fertilization of all the plants.
Head of research Florian Demling next to his planted Gabion-system. Only after all the results are evaluated, it will become clear which system works the best. Photo: © Bayerische Landesanstalt für Weinbau und Gartenbau, Veitshöchheim
The wall comes to life - let the trials begin
Within only a few hours, and with the help of many hands, the systems "come to life". On the day of planting (31 May 2017), 392 salad plants (green and red romaine lettuce), 196 strawberry plants and 196 bush beans were put into the systems. The test setup was turned into the "Living Wall". The selection of plants was made deliberately: Salad, beans and strawberries have similar requirements in terms of fertilization and irrigation. The order of the plants in the system also follows a certain pattern. "The sowing and planting of the test areas is not arbitrary. Prior to the planting-day, we defined the exact location of every plant," recalls Demling. That is the only way to assure the same framework conditions for every plant in the setup - and particular products cannot be favored or disadvantaged by their location. After the sowing, the real work began for Demling and his team. "The focus of this test is the individual plant development." Aside from regular examinations of the vitality of the plant, the volumes that are harvested will be the most important factor in the evaluation of the results. "We check the conditions of the vegetables continuously," says Demling. The plants are graded for their looks and quality in a range from 1 (stunted growth) to 9 (lush growth). "This will give us distinct data about which system works best for plant development. Other important aspects are the work that the systems require, such as installation, maintenance and practicability.
The wall comes to life - let the trials begin
Within only a few hours, and with the help of many hands, the systems "come to life". On the day of planting (31 May 2017), 392 salad plants (green and red romaine lettuce), 196 strawberry plants and 196 bush beans were put into the systems. The test setup was turned into the "Living Wall". The selection of plants was made deliberately: Salad, beans and strawberries have similar requirements in terms of fertilization and irrigation. The order of the plants in the system also follows a certain pattern. "The sowing and planting of the test areas is not arbitrary. Prior to the planting-day, we defined the exact location of every plant," recalls Demling. That is the only way to assure the same framework conditions for every plant in the setup - and particular products cannot be favored or disadvantaged by their location. After the sowing, the real work began for Demling and his team. "The focus of this test is the individual plant development." Aside from regular examinations of the vitality of the plant, the volumes that are harvested will be the most important factor in the evaluation of the results. "We check the conditions of the vegetables continuously," says Demling. The plants are graded for their looks and quality in a range from 1 (stunted growth) to 9 (lush growth). "This will give us distinct data about which system works best for plant development. Other important aspects are the work that the systems require, such as installation, maintenance and practicability.
"We are all excited to see which system works the best and how well the different plants will flourish," says Florian Demling. The harvest of the different plants throughout the summer will give an interesting insight on the test sequence. "It will be suspenseful to watch the hibernation of the plants." To begin the second year of the trial, there is a new planting of the vegetable facade planned after the harvest in October, in order to see the "Living Wall" back in action in the spring of 2018.
For more information:
Bayerische Landesanstalt für Weinbau und Gartenbau
An der Steige 15
97209 Veitshöchheim
Tel.: 0931 9801-0
Fax: 0931 9801-100
E-Mail: poststelle@lwg.bayern.de
Bayerische Landesanstalt für Weinbau und Gartenbau
An der Steige 15
97209 Veitshöchheim
Tel.: 0931 9801-0
Fax: 0931 9801-100
E-Mail: poststelle@lwg.bayern.de