IMPORTANCE OF TREE PLANTATION EVENT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SALVARIANS GROUP

“What we are doing to the forests of the world is a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”    -Mahatma Gandhi.

trees are good, trees are food.

trees are green, they are not mean.

trees bring water, trees being sheltered.

keep them clean, Don’t let them lean.

We “The Lights of Hope”  and a group of indeed nature lovers “The Salvarians” collaborated on this day. We met them had an introduction with them. They are putting great efforts to make mother earth more green, original, and aesthetic as of now. In accordance to the pandemic, we all had necessary precautions first, after that the Salvarians discussed basic and major tree plantation rules with us. Which are as follows:

1. According to tree species’ shade, moisture, and soil preferences choose the appropriate size for the tree.

2. Perform necessary pre-planting care. Keep trees shaded, cool, and moist before planting.

3. Remove all labels, wires, etc. from the tree’s stem.

4. Dig a hole, at least 3 times the rootball diameter and bowl-shaped.

5. Remove burlap, pots, wire baskets, etc. from the root ball. Removing these materials with the root ball in the hole minimizes root system disturbance.

6. Backfill with native soil–no amendments. Don’t mix in organic matter, fertilizer, sand, etc. Only add organic matter like peat moss (up to 25% of soil volume mixed in thoroughly) if you have very poor soil (clay sub-soil, rock).

7. Do not fertilize for 1-2 years or cut back crown. Fertilizer at planting time stimulates root rots. Prune dead, broken, or poorly placed branches or double leaders. Don’t cut back healthy, live branches to reduce the crown.

8. Water the entire root zone about once a week for the first year or two.

9. The most important thing you can do for any tree, next to watering, is applying an organic matter mulch (chips, clippings, bark, etc.) at a         2-4″ depth over much of the tree’s root zone.

10. Wrap and stake only if necessary. Only wrap a tree’s stem if the sun hits its trunk in winter. Overlap paper wrap from the bottom up. Leave the wrap on only in the winter for 1 or 2 seasons.

After having the informative session it was time for some action. We were divided into groups for performing tree plantation. We had decided on the site in advance by analyzing all aspects. One of the members of each group had the duty to handle rootball pre-planting care. Two members dug the soil and then with gentle care we implated the rootball within the soil. Other members backfilled the native soil without using any kind of other material. we watered the tiny little plant then. We all were feeling so magically joyful by executing the act. We, all the members of “The Lights of Hope” and “The Salvarians”, had a great experience with each other. We aim to have more and more collaborations like this one in the future.

We planted trees which made us inspired to perform this kind of activity in the future whenever within easy reach. We had important information about tree plantation, now we can perform it at our own home too. We all know the plus points of caring for environmental health then why should we don’t?

Penned By: Hetal Vasaikar