IT’S TIME FOR TREE PLANTING: ARE YOU READY ? (Simple Tips For Successful Planting)

Celebrations of World environment Day (5th June 2009)are over . Lets not forget that actions related to environmental conservation and development are not one day affair. For those who really wish to contribute and do some thing very concrete in this direction this platform is always open and inviting all of us .
As monsoon is going to be active in the City shortly and if predictions of Good monsoon can really be relied upon, Tree Planting Activity is one of the activities that provide best solution to carbon trapping and environmental amelioration.
If you are also one of those who have planned to take up planting activity this time let me remind you to take adequate advance steps for your noble cause so that your efforts culminate into success.
Few of those tips are listed here:
1. Location of Plantation (school, your office premise, barren land, govt. institutions etc ) should be inspected thoroughly .
2. Decide the number of plants to be planted. If it is a barren land or field then you have to give proper marking on the ground for digging pits based on your spacing (generally it should be 5 X 5 meters or 4 X 4 meters ).
3. Size of pit generally should be 45 cm Cube( 45 cm deep, 45 cm wide and 45 cm length). In case you have big tall plant seedling more than 2 meter height with big earth ball then the size can go even up to 60 cm cube.
4. Check the availability of Seedlings of proper height. Ensure that you should take seedling of at least 1 meter height .
5. If you are planning for planting only a few numbers of trees and there is provision of watering then now you can take up planting any time . So start doing digging of pits.
6. However in case you have planned for a big chunk of land of any institutions involving more than 500 plants then you should wait for one good shower so that soil gets soften and digging of pit is easy.
7. It is always better to get the seedlings transported at least two days before from the source/ nursery if it is very far away from the site of planting. This will help the seedlings to recover from the shock, which they receive due to transportation.
8. The best time of planting is early morning (forenoon).
9. The seedling should be watered profusely one day before planting so that the ball of earth around the root part is moist and hold soil effectively which will be useful while planting .
10. While planting care should be taken to remove the plastic cover around the root part completely and the ball of earth which is moist and intact should be placed carefully inside pit.
11. While placing the tree in the pit, make sure that the soil is at the same level on the tree as when the tree grew in the garden center.
12. Now fill the area around root ball with soil and pack the soil with your hands and feet to make sure that there are no air pockets and the plant is placed firmly .
13. Make a little dam around the base of the tree as wide as the hole with left over soil or grass clumps to hold in the water. We should take care to water daily at least for 7 days and on alternate days for two weeks. This should be followed by once in a 5-6 days for at least one year.
14. In order to get good growth, retention of moisture and provision of humus material Mulching can be provided to the plants. This can be done by putting a layer of rotten leaves, wood chips, shredded bark/papers that will insulate the ground , decrease the amount of weeds that will grow around your tree, keeps moisture around the roots and provides food for your tree.
15. So what more are you looking for ? Lets Start planting now otherwise it will be too late this year .
HAPPY TREE PLANTING.