The University of Guelph-Humber’s plant wall suffered a technical glitch in the beginning of September 2019.
According to Monique Lee, maintenance specialist at Nedlaw Living Walls, the wall’s computer monitoring system falsely read that the wall was getting watered by the pumps.
As a result, the wall had no water for only a short period of time and it dried out, Lee said.
Lee said that after Nedlaw maintenance workers shook the dead leaves off the plants, new buds eventually grew in.
“For plant walls or any plant in any horticultural system, when there’s no water, plants are stressed,” Lee said, “their immune system is compromised.”
The biofilter plant wall was installed in Guelph-Humber by Nedlaw Living Walls in 2004.
The wall uses its plants to filter and clean the air to heal sick building syndrome, in which poor ventilation conditions affect stress of students and staff, Lee said.
Some students who see the wall have said it has a positive impact on them.
Shelby Lafreniere, a visiting Seneca College student said, “I think it’s really soothing to look at. I got up to go get food and when I saw it, I actually felt happier.”
Jimmy Vincent, the coordinator of camps, education and community outreach at the Humber Arboretum said, “tropicals are very, very difficult plants to grow in the first place. So when you’re trying to grow them in such a precarious growing condition, sometimes there can be challenges.”
Vincent mentioned how impressed he is with how the plant wall is currently being maintained.
The plant wall is completely integrated into the ventilation system of the building, but the ventilation system has not been affected by the drying out of the wall, as it has been hydrated since the technical glitch.
According to Lee, the plant wall is connected to the ventilation system; the air flows in and out of there and the plants detoxify the air. None of this process was affected during the glitch, said Lee.
Colm Millar, a first year Family and Community Social Services student said, “it gives its own unique kind of twist,” Millar said, “you see that and know it’s Guelph-Humber.”
Marcus Furtado, a first year Humber College student said the plant wall increases the awareness of green initiatives and helps the environment in post-secondary facilities.
Vincent said that some people looking at the wall will think no one is caring for the wall, but that the care is not the issue, maybe one of the plant species had a growth issue, or there were pests damaging the wall.
Lee said to keep the plant wall resilient “we just do more regular visits to keep an eye on things, but she’ll be fine.”
