The gardens surrounding Old Economy Village have just begun their transformation after multiple years of decline. Initial plant health, crop steering, integrated pest management planning and soil health will be essential prior to full scale restoration. While maintaining historically significant landscapes, fiber flax plots could grant insights and potential solutions to modern day challenges on evolved grounds. These insights include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Nutrient imbalances and sustainable/safe resolution options 

• Heavy metal toxicity potential from industrialization 

• Pathogen loads/risks and potential cultural (non-chemical) control solutions 

• Micro-climates and potential gradients across the historic gardens 

• Irrigation steering for future transplants 

• Soil structure and potential points of improvement 

• Irrigation water purity and elemental components from water authority source or antiquated infrastructures 

• Land surface temperatures and variances compared to early data sets relative to soil moisture and atmospheric temperature/humidity 

• The viability of fiber flax to be used in soil remediation for industrially polluted or calcareous land in the greater Pittsburgh area