Trees planted with water-saving soil
Parks and Gardens continues to innovate to tackle the effects of climate change. Now the institute is conducting a trial with biocarbonate-enhanced soil for planting, to see if this brings savings in watering and helps trees to survive in drought conditions.
The Barcelona Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens has planted 22 trees, half with conventional soil and the other half with a biocarbonate-enhanced soil.
Biocarbonate looks like charcoal but is made with organic debris, mainly resulting from pruning. Its main qualities are water savings and a source of nutrients for plants.
The goal of the trial is to monitor the trees for two years, using probes and by measuring their trunks and crowns to check the system works well before adopting it for all city plantations.
The trees being used are 17 casuarina and 5 acacia.
The initiative corresponds to part of a collaboration exercise between Parks and Gardens, Doctor Arbol and Carbon Vivo, with the idea of seeking solutions for tree survival in extreme situations such as the drought of recent years.
