Successful softening thanks to plant substrates

The importance of softening continues to grow. Every measure that governments and individuals take to make public spaces, homes and gardens more climate-proof makes a difference. In that context, the Flemish government also launched the Flemish Tile-Flipping Championship, which encourages every Fleming to "flip" or soften as many tiles as possible. But what to do after breaking up? What are sustainable, quality and beautiful alternatives? "Permeable paving is on the rise, but the greenery in between is often still treated as the poor relation. We offer the ideal technical solutions," says Bart Geerts, manager of Acterra, which produces TerraViva® substrates.

To ensure the sustainability of green spaces, plant substrates are indispensable. Bart Geerts: "Paving is absolutely important, but it only becomes a success story when it is easy for the user to use and maintain. You can break up your driveway, but of course something sustainable has to take its place, and this is often not given enough thought. We have the necessary knowledge and offer the ideal technical solutions for a driveable lawn, for example. Acterra develops various patented products for a ride-on lawn, ranging from intensive use with grass tiles or for sporadic use with gravel lawn. Various applications for green joints with flower mixtures or micro clover are also in our range."

Sustainable products

With the TerraViva® plant substrates, Acterra focuses mainly on ride-on lawns and underground growing spaces for trees in urban areas. Bart Geerts: "Based on the philosophy of a green living environment, we have developed a number of sustainable products that closely match that philosophy. In addition to a grass tile mixture for grass tiles and gravel lawn, there is also laying bed substrate and a foundation substrate available. After all, a good foundation and a vigorous grass tile mixture are essential for lasting green results. The foundation has to be right."

Alternative to gray

A green living environment is and will continue to be an important item. Increasingly, green alternatives are being sought for existing "gray" uses. For example, grass tiles are used in the construction of parking lots and driveways. The high carrying capacity of the tiles makes them suitable for intensive use. Grass provides more greenery in urban environments. Bart Geerts: "Over the years, our ride-on lawn mixtures have evolved from monotonous vegetation in grass to composite mixtures with mainly tread-resistant plants. Wadis and permeable paving have become necessary design methods for public spaces due to accelerated climate change. There is also a growing awareness in private gardens to do their own part."

In addition to a green appearance in the living environment, TerraViva® products also contribute to good water buffering. The advantages are therefore numerous: a green spot without weeds within a few weeks, a large water buffering capacity, suitable for heavy loads without rutting, easy to process, ecological, no seeding required, good germination and sustainable growth, high level of acceptance by the environment, sufficient rooting space, and the heart of the grass plant within the tile is protected.

Crucial solutions

The importance of sustainable greenery within the broader theme of softening remains too often underexposed, according to Bart Geerts: "We actually sit right between the concrete producer on the one hand and the green contractor on the other. And therefore we are in danger of falling through the cracks, while our technical solutions are crucial for a sustainable and thus successful project. Our substrates guarantee ease of use in a sustainable way," concludes Geerts.