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Background

The CCAT Vertical Garden is located at Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) at Humboldt State University, Arcata, northern California, USA. CCAT is a sustainability organization which the objective is disseminate information about appropriate technology in a live-in laboratory.The project was created on Spring, 2015 by Camila Ribeiro, Fernanda Franco, and Pamela Melo in association with CCAT.

Vertical garden, also known as green wall, it is a modern technique of landscaping increasingly widespread in the world[1]. The advantages of this technique are the improving of air quality and humidity, acoustic and thermal insulation, and also the use of small spaces to accommodate a variety of species of plants (ornamental or food). This new type of landscaping began with the French botanist Patrick Blanc, who specializes in tropical forest plants, being responsible for the innovation and the popularization of vertical garden. The garden can be deployed indoors or outdoors.

Problem statement

The objective of this project is to develop a garden that would utilize the least amount of space and be a good source of food for the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT). In order to develop an effective project, we aim to:

  • Choose a location within CCAT property that get enough sunlight to the plants;
  • Design a vertical garden that will make it possible for food growth;
  • Choose native species of plants.

Criteria

Project Criteria Constraints Weights
Food Abundance - Greater better. 10
Durability Has to last longer. 10
Sustainability Must be sustainable. 9
Ease use Easier maintenance better. 8
Educational Value Greater better. 7
Cost Must be reduced. 6

Literature Review

Material Used in The project

The use of plastic drums is a versatile and cheap way to set a structure for a vertical garden. The plastic manufacturing process, it’s essential the recovery and recycling of waste polymers, since their natural decomposition process is long and critical to the ecological balance. [2]

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has important qualities such as its durability, waterproofing, corrosion resistance and ductility. Due to flexibility HDPE is less susceptible to damage from extreme swings, as vibration and shock. HDPE has excellent water resistance without holding the oxygen or carbon dioxide. [3]

The physical aspect of the soil refers to the texture and structure. The texture of a soil is relates to the size of the grains formed. A soil has varying amounts of sand, clay, organic matter, water, air and minerals. The manner component is the soil structure. A well-structured soil should be fluffy and porous allowing the penetration of water and air, as well as small animals and roots. The chemical aspect are related to nutrients that will be used by plants. These nutrients dissolved in the soil water (solution) penetrates through the roots plants. In organic production system nutrients can be supplied by adding organic matter and plant compounds. The biological aspect deals with the existing living organisms in the soil, working in physical and chemical aspects of the soil. Life in the soil is only possible where there availability of air, water and nutrients. A soil presence of living organisms indicates good condition of the soil structure. Soil microorganisms are the main chemical transformation agents of nutrients, making them available for absorption by plant roots. [4]


There are specific characteristics of seeds that should me considerer to plant a garden, such as time of planting, purity and germination percentage of the seeds available and harvesting cycle. Choosing the best variety is related to germination rate, development plant, attack resistance of pests and diseases, productivity, product appearance, flavor. Each vegetable has its own characteristics as to the life cycle, preferred time planting, water requirements, nutritional requirements. For example, at the time of rains often have problems with waterlogged soil, make harder the harvest of roots and bulbs. It is important to organize seeding according to what is intended to harvest. for this data must be analyzed for each culture. [4]

Landscaping

The landscaping is defined as the art and technique of promoting the design, planning, management and preservation of open spaces, urban or not, in order to render the micro and macro landscapes. [5]

Into the landscaping, may be included alternative gardens as a technique of urban afforestation. Alternative Garden is a practical, economic and modern technique, which can be produced in any environment,internal and external, small or large and, moreover, is a way to collaborate with the environment, for reuse materials that would be discarded.

The urban trees, vertical gardens, green walkways, living roofs, filter gardens are techniques that besides improving the look of the environment are enabling to improve environmental quality and can be used by environmental managers in order to improve the quality of the environment, especially in large urban centers . The benefits of these green techniques are decrease heat, moisture increase, decrease erosion, better drainage of water, environmental preservation and attraction of birds. [6]

Vertical Garden

The Vertical Garden is a tool used in landscaping and consists in coating walls, internal or external, using diverse vegetation in order to improve environmental quality, both in terms of temperature, moisture but also in relation to aesthetics, helping and mitigating the lack of green areas in urban areas. Excellent dust and noise reduction strategy, protection walls against the sun, and also assisting in carbon sequestration and improving the quality of human life. [7]

It is a relatively new technology and require little space, which is a great advantage, since in most cities the space for landscaping are scarce, especially in densely populated areas. [8]

Thus, a vertical orientation may be provided for effectively displaying a number of plants or vegetables, creating a pattern to provide an aesthetic view, to maximize the use of the space, to increase the captation of existing light, or to simplify care or irrigation of the plants. [9]

Composting

Composting is a process in which it is used organic material to create a good source of nutrients for plant growth. Basically, microorganisms decompose organic matter into molecules that plants can use for its metabolism. A good compost consist in a good ratio of carbon and nitrogen. A good carbon (C) source comes from vegetables, and nitrogen (N) is mostly present in animals. A good C/N relation for a composting is between 20 and 30, or for ever 2 or 3 parts of carbon there is one of nitrogen. In a composting process it is necessary organic matter, minerals, water, microorganisms, and oxygen. During the process it will generate heat, CO2, water, and the finished compost. [10]

There are some concerns in placing a compost chamber in the middle of a vertical garden, such as oxygen source. Without oxygen the microorganisms will utilize the Nitrogen source and produce acids, ammonia, and it will emit methane gas (greenhouse gas with greater damaging potential to the atmosphere temperature than CO2). [11] Therefore, it is not our interest to have an anaerobic decomposition process happening. Another concern is the temperature, while decomposing the temperature can reach to 65° C, such temperature can burn the composting material and the soil surrounding it. [12]

Vemiculture

There is a different type of composting called vermicompost, it is a process of decomposition utilizing worms. It combines microorganisms and worms for a faster process, producing less heat; perfect for our vertical garden project. The worms will eat the organic matter and its feces will serve as a nutrient source for plants. The temperature in the process can reach to 30° C, it is higher than the ambient temperature in Arcata, CA, but it is bearable for the plant’s roots. There are many other advantages in using warms for composting, such as the production of compost tea, which contains a large amount of nutrients that can be collected and pour over the soil. The tea can be dropped directly in the plant foliage, and its nutrients will be available locally. [13] Besides, worms need an moisture environment, if their skin dries out, they will die. [14] Therefore, it is important to irrigate the system regularly.

Footnotes

Template:Reflist

  1. http://pt.scribd.com/doc/211486184/Quadro-do-Paisagismo-no-Brasil-Silvio-Soares-Macedo-pdf#scribd.
  2. PIVA, A. M.; WIEBECK, H. Reciclagem do plástico. São Paulo: Artliber, 2004 https://www.univates.br/tecnicos/media/artigos/artigo_diego_wermann.pdf
  3. ReciclaBrasil http://reciclabrasil.net/hdpe.html
  4. 4.0 4.1 Manual Horta Organica Domestica https://permacoletivo.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/manual-horta-organica-domestica.pdf
  5. MACEDO, Silvio S. Quadro do Paisagismo no Brasil. São Paulo: Coleção Quapá, 1999. Disponível em <http://pt.scribd.com/doc/211486184/Quadro-do-Paisagismo-no-Brasil-Silvio-Soares-Macedo-pdf#scribd.>
  6. GENGO, Rita C.; HENKES, Jairo A. A utilização do paisagismo como ferramenta na preservação e melhoria ambiental da área urbana. Revista Gestão & Sustentabilidade Ambiental, Florianópolis, v. 1, n. 2, p. 55 - 81, 2013. Disponível em <http://www.portaldeperiodicos.unisul.br/index.php/gestao_ambiental/article/view/1206/1000.>
  7. ref name="Blanc" BLANC, Patrick.The vertical garden: from nature to the city. WW Norton & Company, New York, US. 192 p, 2008. Disponível em < https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GRiV6E_xn8gC&oi=fnd&pg=PA6&dq=vertical+garden+&ots=hcEUZ1NdS0&sig=WDN6CdAPObZrEEdCowqQUGjf9n8#v=onepage&q=vertical%20garden&f=false>
  8. COSTA, Carlos Smaniotto, Jardim Vertical . Web artigo Disponível em <http://www.vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/arquitextos/12.133/3941.2001.>
  9. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Blanc
  10. http://www.cias.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/artofcompost.pdf
  11. http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/fundamentals/biology_anaerobic.htm
  12. http://www.cias.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/artofcompost.pdf
  13. https://books.google.com/books?id=_JJ5Cw5BBxEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=vermiculture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=c8nXVMjQCYvxoASSmoDQCA&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=tea&f=false
  14. https://books.google.com/books?id=PwxPUGpRyQkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=vermiculture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=J9DXVJuRI5K3oQTRz4GQAQ&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ#v=snippet&q=life-time&f=false
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