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Growing on concrete
Published on: Sunday, February 16, 2020
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A nice potted Ficus elastica plant. Some time from now, the strength of the root may force the pot to crack, after which it can grow on the tiled floor without problem.
GROWING a plant is easy as it only involves simple inputs like a growing medium in containers or on the ground which is the normal thing to do. But growing on substrates other than soil or compost, or even water, is quite something else altogether.  

For instance, it may sound like a joke to say that so-and-so is growing his or lovely plant on concrete.  It could turn out to be a laughing matter when the entire neighbourhood becomes involved in long drawn-out sessions of empty gossip.  

On the other hand, the smart and brainy plant lover in the group could have realised that it is a real possibility to grow on concrete floors and even on the surfaces of concrete walls, both indoors and outdoors.  Such brainy nerds will be the ones who will soon begin to harvest the fruits of such cultivations instead of zero benefit for those who spend time on the hot air-type of blah-blah-blah sessions.

How this is so is simple to grasp. In a wonderful state like Sabah, plants can grow on anything, even on the back of one’s shirt if it is left to the elements outside for too long. Living entities like mold, mosses, fungi, algae, etc., are all out there ready to take over, break down and convert apparent throwaways such as shirts, shorts and under clothes, and when the conversion is over, hey!  Presto!  You have a heap of compost to benefit more plants!  

That will be a happy day indeed as there will be no wastage, although it could be tinged with sadness to see branded designer products converted into compost.  Remember the 3Rs?  If you have to throw, then buy less, or else focus more on reusing or recycling.  Of course with shirts or trousers in shreds, there is little choice left.  Even then, there are pictures circulating around showing people reusing even tattered jeans and jackets and setting a fashion trend while at the same time blaring a pro-environment statement.

Okay, that’s so much for the digression.  Now it is back to serious concrete and plants.

At face value, planting on concrete looks like a pretty simple idea, which should be the case if one is doing container gardening.  This is a stereotypic and common system of gardening where large numbers of plants especially edibles are set within concrete tubs, basins or enclosures with the soil and other necessities.

But growing plants on concrete with little or no soil to support them is altogether quite another matter. This may sound incredible but is actually very straightforward, very practical and easily implemented.  Moreover, it does not take up much space and is amazingly successful. So, go for it, folks!

 

 

Scindapsus is not only good to see and nice to behold but it is also good at growing on concrete, especially
 vertical concrete walls.
 



 

Why Grow On Concrete

This is a piercing question especially when planting beds and pots of all shapes and sizes are available everywhere.

 Reasons are plentiful, but basically, growing on concrete can save quite a lot of space.  This is particularly so in crowded gardens with concrete pavings where the addition of one or two more plants is desperately desired.  In this case, it is just a matter of squeezing the plant within the narrow spaces between pots or plants.

Also, planting on concrete is truly the most relaxing way of carrying out gardening simply because it involves no land clearing, digging, preparation of planting beds or holes, and no working with messy sticky soil.  Just get some tough cuttings, or one or more freshly-cut marcotts, or even several tiny polybags or plants, and then waddle around and shove them into the tight corner somewhere on the concrete.

On their own, they won’t be able to survive for long especially during the dry hot weather, but if all the plants in that particular tight corner are regularly watered, that may ensure the planting materials will not dry out and die off before setting up their growth pattern there to be followed by a strong take-off in growth.  As a matter of fact, in any garden, irrespective of whether they are container garden or the usual ground-based garden, a crowded condition is more likely to nurture a moist growing condition for a much longer period of time.

In some situations where the entire compound is fully cemented, gardening is still possible although it has to be container gardening or else it needs the setting up of a robust system of trellises or greenhouses. In such instances, there is no requirement to break up or damage the concrete pavement which would mean breaking up the owner’s wallet.

However, for the idea to be fully applicable, it is necessary that the plant possess some of the growth characteristics that support its ability to grow under marginal conditions.  One such characteristic is the system of root growth found on the plant as well as its inherent ability to extend growth in three dimensions, such as creeping and crawling, winding and twining, twisting and climbing.  

And then there are other tough and hardy means such as having dual or multiple function roots which may initially begin as a soft and tender root and later on morphing into pseudo trunks.  It is amazing what nature can do with all the gifts and abilities conferred on living things including humans.

Many of the creepies, twisties and crawlies are herbaceous or semi perennial plants that serve very well in the creation of green walls and vertical gardens, the effects of which can be seen in many places including Changi airport in Singapore.

 In fact, any brilliant old hand in horticulture within the local scenario should be able to cook up the same or even better dish in gardening using the same or similar ingredients or inputs.  Simply put, this is maximising on the natural resources that is available at the fingertips of the state.  If the state can be the trend-setter, why follow others?

From a needle-thin aerial root of Ficus elastica, a large pseudo-trunk can develop from the transformation not only on ground cultivation but also when grown on concrete.
 



 

Some Plants For Concrete Cultivation

In nature, there are countless varieties that are available for use in partnership with concrete.  They can grow in all settings, such as horizontally or vertically upwards or downwards.

With vertically-set concrete settings such as walls and partitions, most of the time, only cascading plants are used as they do not need brackets or clips to hold such plants to the walls.  However, in some situations, sticking or clinging plants are necessary as they are able to prop and push themselves upwards along any vertical constructions of any material.  

The problem with upward growing sticking plants is that sometimes, entire sheets of old unhealthy green wall start to excoriate and peel off from its substrate thereby leaving large swathes of unsightly stains on the wall.  Fortunately this very rarely happens even after ten or twenty years. 

In the case of cascading green plants, the variety Vernonia elliptica is one of the best to create a green wall although it is unable to grow on concrete. But if properly and richly nourished, it can extend its downward growth to a distance of 10 metres or more, which is about three stories in height. If the management of the building is trying to scrimp to save some expenses, or even trying to scrounge around for freebies, then the plant may not put on a good show and could be hard pressed to even cover the height of one’s hairy legs.

 

Ficus pumila is even more awesome.  It can grow not only on concrete, but also in a vertically upward manner in defiance of gravity.
 



The woody variety Ficus pumila is a beautiful wall-greening plant.  It can grow on any substrate including concrete with its slow but steady growth. The new shoots extend together with the roots that stick onto the concrete wall easily.  

They can take up to five to seven years to cover a wall of height two metres and length 8 metres.  The growth does not stop even though it has reached the top.  Instead more and more lateral shoots are produced and appear to overhang from the wall.  This tends to create a dishevelled appearance in cases where the green wall has attained 10-15 years.  In such cases, they need to be manicured to return its trim and prim look.

On the other hand, Ficus elastic is truly capable of growing on concrete even without care and attention once it has set into its abode snugly.  As mentioned earlier, just get some cuttings, marcotts or even little plants in tiny polybags and then shove them into some humid and tight corner somewhere in your garden and growth of new leaves and roots should start to be seen within a matter of two to three months.  

Just make sure the corner is maintained as a joint to keep the environment cool, humid and moist without the need for pots, soil or manure.  As the plant grows, the marcott wrappings gets busted open thus losing all its soil or compost material.  Similarly, the tiny little polybags face the same eventuality but by then, the plant should be able to send out great numbers of roots that may penetrate every crook, crevice, crack or corner.    These are the spots that act as microscopic sumps with the soil particles and nutrients ready to be lapped up by such roots.  

As the plants grow bigger and the roots thicker, harder and stronger, they have the ability to penetrate deeper and more solidly into the cracks and crevices in order to sustain themselves and maintain their position.  In fact, many old buildings around the world are facing the ravages of nature due to such plant behaviour, including many places in Central America, Asean, China and India, among others.

 

A rooted cutting of ficus left in a small wooden box for several years now do not depend on the soil for its survival.  Growing on the surrounding concrete gives it more nutrition than anything else.
 



 

Creating The Support For Anchor

How does a marcotted ficus anchor itself for support?  Basically, it produces lots of aerial roots which radiate in every direction.  Besides, the fibrous roots in the ball of earth in the marcott also begin to enlarge, lengthen and spread outwards.  This means there is a two-level, three-directional approach to secure not only support, but also the moisture and the necessary nutrients.

Each time the roots are severed or injured, more fibrous roots are produced at the point of injury, and these go on to duplicate the functions of the older roots, which can get very woody and tough. This therefore is the essence of growing on concrete, even though the original plant has little or no soil of its own.  A marcotted ficus grown in this way can attain two to three metres in height within a year.

 

l The writer can be reached at  [email protected]



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