I am a landscape architect - ITA
Creating resilient landscapes: Insights from landscape architects
Are you remodelling a street? Or designing a new public or commercial open space? Maybe a private or multi-family residential garden?
Similar issues. Different scenarios.
Chances are high that soil quality and water availability will cause you concern. The same applies to rooftop and vertical gardens and patios. And definitely when rehabilitating a brownfield site.
Are the “buts” getting in the way of creating a great project?
You specified a lightweight or structural soil but need to increase the water and nutrient holding capacity? Or maybe you are considering a bold design with an out of the ordinary range of plants for a roof garden but are concerned the plants might not survive?
Or on the contrary, you work with native plants but wonder how they will cope with extended drought periods and unpredictable rainfalls. Perhaps, your client wants a lush lawn in a public space. Yet it will get heavily trampled. And it won’t have and irrigation system.
An insurance policy for plants
You got the design under control. You also know who will build the project to your specification. But are you concerned about its maintenance and what it will look like in a couple of years if it is not properly maintained?
Do you just want to ensure the plants will settle well, grow and not die? Especially when big trees need to be transplanted. Even in ideal conditions it is stressful for trees to adapt to the move. They can do with all the help.
A unique soil conditioning solution
So, how about a soil conditioner that increases the water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil or substrate?
- That contains growth precursors to kick start essential root growth and a mixture of fertilisers to sustain that growth?
- And water saving polymers that release the stored water to the plant’s root system on the plant’s demand? Thus reducing drought stress and the watering frequency by 50%.
All these elements in one easy-to-use granular soil conditioner. To get stronger and healthier plants and to increase their survival rate. Additionally, it saves you costs in watering and replacement of dead plants.
Landscape architects explain how they got the “buts” out of their projects:
- "Not knowing what the future maintenance would be, we specified TerraCottem"
Ian Innes from Sydney’s Royal Botanic on the use of TerraCottem at Darling Park, Sydney: “The garden is essentially a large planter box, sitting over a car park and Sydney’s Western Distributor elevated freeway. Our first task was to ensure good drainage, not only to reduce the potential load on the slab but also to avoid anaerobic soil conditions. We then spent some time getting a specialised planting mixture concocted – light-weight, free draining, without too much organic matter that may produce subsidence later. The final recipe included a high inert quotient (volcanic ash), pine bark nuggets for their ability to break down slowly, ground dolerite for good cation exchange – and TerraCottem. Not knowing what the future maintenance would be, we specified TerraCottem, not only because of the hydrogel content and additional boost to cation exchange, but because of the slow-release fertilisers".
- "To guarantee the success of our planting projects we have created a cocktail…"
This is how Luis Gonzalo Moscoso Higuita, director of the restoration company Forestpa S.A.S, Medellín, Colombia achieves a high plant survival rate: “To guarantee the success of our planting projects we have created a cocktail based on organic compost, Agrimins, fertiliser, mycorrhiza, calcium and phosphorus amendment and TerraCottem. The composition of this mixture varies from project to project as we base it on the results of the soil analysis. TerraCottem plays an important role in this composition as it helps to keep moisture, crucial in a sandy soil such as in Cuturú. It also acts as a nutritional guarantee due to its macro and micronutrients and, above all, it activates root growth, essential for plant establishment and survival."
- "As a landscaping architect, soil quality for me is key. After all, that is the basis of all life."
Roeland Vranckx, award-winning lanscape architect (Belgium): "Soil is like the foundation of your house, but it's alive. By adding TerraCottem soil conditioner, we significantly enhance soil quality. This improvement is crucial when planting trees and shrubs, as it promotes faster and deeper root growth, better establishment, and improved drought resilience. This principle applies equally to lawns. For grass concrete paving, I consistently incorporate TerraCottem into the substrate below—even when not specified—because grass tends to dry out quickly during prolonged droughts. TerraCottem effectively prevents and mitigates this rapid drying. Indeed, the inclusion of TerraCottem in the subsoil is not just beneficial; it's absolutely essential."
Ana Sylvia Da Glória Soares & landscaper Luiz Carlos Orsini (Brésil) - https://www.lcorsini.com.br
... about how TerraCottem has helped professionals create sustainable planting projects while saving on maintenance and water.
Ready to ensure the long-term success of your landscaping projects?
With a simple gesture at the time of planting, you give plants the extra help to start off the right foot instead of struggling to germinate or survive transplant shock.
Boost your soil with TerraCottem soil conditioner
Ogni ammendante TerraCottem contiene componenti nutritivi, stimolanti della crescita e che assorbono l’acqua.
Tutti aumentano la capacità di trattenere l’acqua e i nutrienti dei terreni e dei substrati di coltivazione, incrementano lo sviluppo delle radici, la crescita e la sopravvivenza delle piante e consentono un risparmio idrico fino al 50%.
Gli ammendanti TerraCottem agiscono a livello delle radici delle piante. Vanno mescolati al terreno al momento della semina.
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TerraCottem universal è l’ammendante TerraCottem “originale”. Da quando è stato introdotto nel 1993, il prodotto si è costantemente evoluto con polimeri più performanti (noti anche come idrogel, granuli che immagazzinano acqua o super assorbenti), fertilizzanti e materiali di supporto per migliorare ulteriormente la crescita delle radici e delle piante e ridurre gli input. Questo è ancora il TerraCottem da utilizzare nella maggior parte delle applicazioni, come alberi, arbusti, rivegetazione, piante annuali e perenni, giardini pensili, orticoltura e terricci. |
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TerraCottem turf contiene zeolite, un minerale vulcanico naturale al 100% che contribuisce ad aumentare la fertilità del suolo e la ritenzione idrica. I benefici del prodotto sono ulteriormente potenziati dall’inclusione di fertilizzanti specifici per tappeti erbosi e acidi umici che hanno un effetto positivo sulla capacità di trattenere l’acqua, sulla struttura e sull’attività microbiologica del terreno. Tutto questo per ottenere un insediamento più rapido dell’erba, una maggiore crescita delle radici e una crescita sostenibile delle piante e migliorare la qualità del tappeto erboso, dell’erba seminata e dei germogli. |
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TerraCottem arbor è stato sviluppato appositamente per l’impianto di alberi e arbusti. I polimeri di nuova generazione, l’inclusione di acidi umici per aumentare ulteriormente la capacità di ritenzione idrica, la struttura e l’attività microbiologica del terreno e i fertilizzanti specifici per gli alberi (con una durata di vita fino a 12 mesi), bilanciati con un fertilizzante starter per un rapido insediamento delle piante e un fertilizzante azotato sintetico, sono gli elementi centrali di questa nuova formulazione. Tutto questo per facilitare l’acclimatazione precoce degli alberi nell’area di impianto, migliorare la crescita delle radici e delle piante e aumentare il tasso di sopravvivenza degli alberi, riducendo al contempo gli input e i costi di sostituzione. |
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TerraCottem complement è stato appositamente formulato per applicazioni in aiuole e orticole precedentemente trattate con l’ammendante “universale”. TerraCottem complement reintegra i componenti consumati dalle piante durante la precedente stagione di crescita e quelli persi ogni volta che una coltura o una pianta annuale viene estratta dal terreno. Grazie alla sua applicazione, la capacità di trattenere i nutrienti e l’acqua dei terreni e dei substrati di coltivazione viene mantenuta in condizioni ottimali. |
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- Trees & shrub planting
- Ornamental and sports grass
- Environmental restoration
- Roof gardens & green walls
- Horticulture
- Annuals en perennials
Just mix the TerraCottem soil conditioner with the soil or substrate. Easy.
- When? Just once, at the time of planting or prior to seeding.
- Why? To get better plant growth. To protect plants against drought and irregular irrigation. To ensure they will survive. To make your work stand out.