The TERRA-Terre gardens of WASABI: the local vegetable garden of the TERRA Research Centre

The TERRA Research Center is seeing the deployment of new vegetable plots of the WASABI urban agriculture and biodiversity platform. These "TERRA'Terre gardens" will offer employees and students of the Faculty the possibility to buy vegetables, grown without pesticides.

Located behind the TERRA Center and the "directed wasteland", between the Botanical Gardens and the "centennial plot", the TERRA'Terre gardens are starting to produce their first generations of vegetables, grown without pesticides. These plots are home to various ongoing trials, bringing together the scientific approach and permaculture practices. Eventually, these studies will support the sector in order to produce better, while respecting the environment.

Although not certified organic, the experimental approach envisaged on the plots excludes the use of chemicals. The vegetables are sold to students and employees of the Faculty at very reasonable prices.

Experimentation as the basis for scientific permaculture 

The vegetable plot is separated into 4 specific zones:

• The mound culture where different compositions of substrates are studied. In particular, there is the permacultural mound where the mixture of soil, grass and wood logs must provide a carbon contribution to the different cultivated varieties.
• On the basis of "SPIN farming" (Small Plot INtensive Farming), cultivation on the ground is also studied. SPIN farming is the anglicism of reference for intensive cultivation on small areas, generally in urban or peri-urban areas. Some of these surfaces are covered with mulch and geotextile using sheep's wool. These techniques have the effect of nourishing the soil, preserving its freshness and reducing the development of weeds. At least, the study of these methods must test them and conclude the advantages and disadvantages. The use of organic fertilizers, by exploiting fish and insect shell residues, should help nourish the soil and facilitate growth.
• A third area applies market garden agroforestry. The apple trees are separated by three strips of vegetables and should provide their first crops by 2022.

Finally, a community zone will eventually be made available to students and staff of the Faculty as well as to Gembloux's people.

To learn more about the methods used by the TERRA-Terre gardens, our market gardeners, Damien and Léo, under the leadership of Caroline De Clerck, will be happy to inform you.

Learn more about WASABI? Starting this September, the project coordinator, Haïssam Jijakli, is organizing group visits for the actors of the sector as well as for students, starting from secondary school.