As a part of the Singapore Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology’s (CUGE) training program, our director Simon Leake presented a workshop last week at the Singapore Botanical Gardens titled “Soils and Substrates for Green Infrastructure”. CUGE is a section of the National Parks Board of Singapore whose aim is research and training in all aspects of urban greening. Singapore has already achieved 20% green cover and is aiming at up to 40% over the next 20 years.
The 2-day workshop and field trip was focused on soil as an essential and sustainable component of horticulture in the urban setting. Both in-situ soil and artificial growing media were discussed. Soils for Landscape Development (Leake and Haege 2014) was used as the basis for specifying soils and AS 3743 –Potting Mixes was introduced as a means of assessing growing media.
Field trips included some massive 35 story public housing towers containing several floors of green roof. Almost exclusively the local yellow sandy clay subsoil is used as growing media both in-ground and on green roofs as there is no weight restriction. The nutritional properties of this soil are not well understood so SESL is arranging for samples to be imported so more specific advice can be given to the Singapore CUGE and National Parks officers.
The following blog post Simon Leake at the Singapore CUGE Soil Training Program was originally seen on: SESL Australia Blog
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