Transplanting is the practice of transferring soil communities,
including seeds and microbes co-existing in the soil, to assist urban
vegetation in natural regeneration. In other words, transplanting soil
creates new possibilities to restore plant communities, that otherwise
would get lost, and makes space for plants for garden themselves
within urban environments.

Increasing urbanisation and continuous reconstruction of urban zones
often fail to plan for the maintenance of plant diversity. In Gent
(Belgium), areas with high biodiversity are endangered due to
construction work, whilst new public gardens are constructed with
soil, unfit for a diverse set of plants to grow spontaneously. This
creates a pattern, where human construction diminish biodiversity.

Soil from zones with high plant diversity are transplanted to zones
with degraded soils. The soil needed to inoculate a new garden is only
a small percentage of the garden area, but takes several years to fully
establish. Understanding the biotope of the transplanted soil and how it
matches the zone, the soil is transplanted to, is crucial for a
succesful transplantation.

Transplanters is developed during an artist residency in Timelab,
Gent/Belgium (2023) and as the Master graduation project of Social
Designer Freja Kræmmer Nielsen from Design Academy Eindoven,
Netherlands (2023). The project is built on scientific research on
soil transplantation and hands-on experimentation in dialogue with
neighbors and local activist organisations of Dampoort, Gent.