Nutrition Strawberries and lettuce also grow on the wall

Salad, beans and strawberries can grow not only in the garden but also on the house wall. The Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture (LWG) has started the pilot project "Vegetable facade" in the municipality of Veitshöchheim at the end of May. The aim is to investigate the possibilities of roofing and facade landscaping for gardening in the city. This makes sense, because in many large cities the living space is expanding upwards and green areas are becoming less and less.

(Image: Tim UR / fotolia.com)

The scientists are now testing the suitability of four different systems for a period of two years, which are already being used successfully in the greening of shrubs and ornamental plants. The plants are supplied via a substrate or a nutrient solution.

On a trial area of ​​6 square meters for each system, the scientists have brought a total of 392 salad and 196 strawberry plants to the wall. In addition, bush beans were sown 196 times. These crops have similar fertilization and irrigation requirements. The facade is sheltered from the wind and has a south-west orientation to provide ideal sun exposure. The plants are - in addition to the natural irrigation by rain - continuously supplied via a circulating circuit with water and nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. In the further course of the experiment, the scientists regularly check the vitality and yield of the plants.

At the end of July, the lettuce harvest arrives, while the bush beans are ripe at the end of August. In addition, the question arises whether the strawberries can hibernate well on the wall. The evaluation should show which system is most likely to be accepted by the cultures. Also, the effort such as installation, maintenance and practicality flows into the overall assessment. From October, a new planting is planned so that the wall will come alive again in the spring of 2018. Heike Kreutz, bzfe