A method for recultivation of degraded areas, comprising - creating a soil substitute on a degraded area by utilising a communal wastewater sludge originating from wastewater treatment, the soil substitute being suitable for growing vegetation, - determining, in an examination step , a composition of a structural material of the degraded area and a dry matter content of the wastewater sludge , wherein the structural material is a barren soil, a mineral bedrock, or a ballast rock of the degraded area, and then characterised by - in a measuring step , for creating the soil substitute , measuring out such a quantity of a biological type organic material containing the wastewater sludge to the structural material of the degraded area, that the ratio of these base materials is the following in the soil substitute in percent by weight (wt%) relating to the dry matter content of the base materials - 50 to 70 wt% structural material originating from the degraded area, and - 30 to 50 wt% biological type organic material, of which at least two-third is the wastewater sludge and the remaining part of which is other biological organic waste; and - mixing the base materials in a mixing step - microbiologically treating the soil substitute, comprising the steps of - taking a soil sample from a fertile soil established by natural pedogenesis close to the degraded area, - isolating a starter culture from the soil sample, - culturing, enriching and fermenting the isolated starter culture, and - inoculating the soil substitute with the fermented starter culture. - creating a soil substitute on a degraded area by utilising a communal wastewater sludge originating from wastewater treatment, the soil substitute being suitable for growing vegetation, - determining, in an examination step , a composition of a structural material of the degraded area and a dry matter content of the wastewater sludge , wherein the structural material is a barren soil, a mineral bedrock, or a ballast rock of the degraded area, and then characterised by - in a measuring step , for creating the soil substitute , measuring out such a quantity of a biological type organic material containing the wastewater sludge to the structural material of the degraded area, that the ratio of these base materials is the following in the soil substitute in percent by weight (wt%) relating to the dry matter content of the base materials - 50 to 70 wt% structural material originating from the degraded area, and - 30 to 50 wt% biological type organic material, of which at least two-third is the wastewater sludge and the remaining part of which is other biological organic waste; and - 50 to 70 wt% structural material originating from the degraded area, and - 30 to 50 wt% biological type organic material, of which at least two-third is the wastewater sludge and the remaining part of which is other biological organic waste; and - mixing the base materials in a mixing step - microbiologically treating the soil substitute, comprising the steps of - taking a soil sample from a fertile soil established by natural pedogenesis close to the degraded area, - isolating a starter culture from the soil sample, - culturing, enriching and fermenting the isolated starter culture, and - inoculating the soil substitute with the fermented starter culture. - taking a soil sample from a fertile soil established by natural pedogenesis close to the degraded area, - isolating a starter culture from the soil sample, - culturing, enriching and fermenting the isolated starter culture, and - inoculating the soil substitute with the fermented starter culture. <EOS>