Premium
This is an archive article published on July 30, 1997

Projects to work on

On your birthday, gift the environment:How would you react if someone turns up with a mango sapling as a birthday gift? You would probably ...

.

On your birthday, gift the environment:
How would you react if someone turns up with a mango sapling as a birthday gift? You would probably find it unusual. But with the strange gift you could actually gift your own surroundings and thereby yourself and so many arround you. So, grow it and most importantly take care of it. (Hey, but even if it’s not your b’day and no one gifts you a sapling, you can always plant shade giving trees). And you’ll be thrilled to see the mango tree growing with you.

Recently the Honorary Secretary of BNHS celebrated his 70th birthday by planting a Banyan sapling. Imagine! If each one of us starts celebrating our birthdays by planting one tree every year, instead of cutting cakes (or along with cakes) then we will do ourselves a great deal of good.

But we sincerely hope you will not just read this and forget. So, start gifting your friends with tree saplings on their birthdays and help them grow the trees. And getting a sapling is not a big problem. You can get them in any tree nursery close to your home.

Story continues below this ad

But you can make a sapling on your own too. How? Well, we’ll help you. And if you are successful in making one sapling, you can make a nursery along with friends from your building. All it takes is a sincere interest. Here’s how to go about it: first of all, collect seeds from ripen jamun or mango fruits that you’ve eaten and dry them in the sun. Keep them sealed in a plastic bag. Take some amount of moist soil (red) add an equal amount of cowdung to it and make a mixture.

All these materials are generally available in nurseries. Take a plastic milk bag and fill it with the mixture. While filling the bag remember not to completely fill the bag, leave some space at the margins. After filling the bag insert the jamun seed deep inside the soil (half of the bag’s depth). Pour some amount of water and leave it in the open. Do not pour too much of water as waterlogging will hamper the plant’s growth. Water the plant just once a day. After few days a small green plant will come out of the soil. Take sufficient care of your plant, and your sapling is ready. Gift wrap it and gift it. Another method of raising a sapling is by using a branch of the original tree instead of the seeds. This method is much easier and quicker. And this time you can use a sapling of the Indian Coral tree.

Select and cut a good stem of the plant which is half a metre long and 3 cm in thickness. Remove all the leaves and plant the bare stem in a pot filled with soil. While planting remember to see that what was originally the lower part is put in the soil and what was upper part is left in the air. This is because plants have a particular direction for the nutrients to flow — from down to the upward direction and if this is disturbed the plant will die.

With regular watering, within a few days you will be excited to see small green leaves growing out from the tips of the stem. Planting seeds and branches is just one side of the story whereas taking care of your plants is the other and important half. Here are some tips how best you can take care of your planted trees. It’s said that talking to plants will encourage them to grow. There’s no doubt that visiting your plants every day will help them grow better because each time you see them you’re bound to notice if they need water or some assistance, and will then supply the need. Whenever you visit your plant check for the following signs of problems:

Story continues below this ad
  • If you see some limp leaves that are indicators of insects, remove the insects and cut the damaged part of the plant.
  • Yellowing or falling of leaves indicates either that the water/ soil is not sufficient or waterlogging is problematic. Understand the needs of your plant. n Brown spots are indicators of fungal disease. Remove the damaged parts. If the infection is deadly then take out the plant and burn it.
  • Identify any small creatures you see wandering on your plants and learn to distinguish the friends from foes. A creature that doesn’t cause any harm to the plant but eats the unfriendly creatures are the friends of your plant. So don’t be too hasty while taking any action.
  • Discuss your experiences with your friends and family members and encourage them to celebrate their birthdays the your way.

    Latest Comment
    Post Comment
    Read Comments
    Advertisement
    Top Stories
    Advertisement
    Advertisement
    Advertisement