World Environment Day!

One more Environment Day has gone. Few more events of tree plantation, some award functions for working for environment and few speeches by influential people about our degrading environment..that's it! So we have done our bit for nature and till next 5th June, we need not worry about our environment. This is all what the Environment Day mean to us. But actually, there is much more beyond that..!

Let us try something different this time... Go and trail round your neighborhood garden or forest and explore. This is the best time to see trees, loaded with fruits or pods; like Mango, Neem, Java Plum, Indian Coral tree, Mahua etc. Identify and collect seeds from the many different trees that grow naturally in your area. You may plant few seeds. You may even stock up them for the next year.

Planting a tree seed is the smallest thing but possibly the grandest gesture you can do today..! It can be a pip from a Golden Apple, a samara from an Indian Rosewood or a winged seed from Drumstick tree. Monsoon is all set to arrive. The rain brings new life..especially for trees. This season, seeds are eager to sprout, dreaming to become a tree and trees tend to grow at higher speed.

All you have to do is make sure they are the seeds of trees that found naturally or native to the place in which you live. Your one single action gains significance as it grows.

Just remember and make sure that you plant it where it won't be causing problem for anyone in future. After all, in a few years we don't want someone cutting down what you have so carefully sown all those years ago. Planting near your home, on a private land or alongside of the roads might be fair enough.

Doing small things can achieve big things. The very seed you planted in the soil is proof of that. A living example of how from small things even greater things emerge and grow..! :)

Each one of us has a place and a role to play in the incredible web of life and each one of us can make a difference.

Let this be the idea, the thought, perhaps the hope that you can do something for environment..and for ourselves. That you can help to maintain our ecosystem. An ecosystem is not made up only of living components like animals, plants, microbes etc, but also of non-living components like water, soil, sun-light, atmosphere etc; respectively known as Biotic and Abiotic components. Our next few posts will be dedicated to understanding the inter-relation of these abiotic factors with the biotic ones. It will be one more step to know the ecosystem we live in, better.

We and Trees : Seeds of Hope

Hope You liked the last post! As You know, just two seeds of Indian Coral tree have lead to the foundation of Gifting Trees. And after witnessing the growth of tiny, delicate buds from seeds, it eventually became my habit to collect seeds, pods or fruits of Native trees wherever I go. It not only helped me in learning nursery techniques but in identifying various tree species also!

The world of seeds is very fascinating. It’s really wonderful to see or witness how a dead-like tiny seed transfers into a sapling and then into a large tree! As an amateur, I was unaware of different seed treatments that have to be done prior sowing to increase the germination percentage. With trial and error, I am still learning the interesting aspects of seeds.

With time we also realized that it is much easier and cheaper to make the seeds germinate and grow your own saplings for plantation. It's better to sow the seeds in poly-bags first and not directly at planting site as the young saplings need to be taken care of. For poly-bags, there are number of commercial products which comes in poly-bag packaging. One can reuse them for Green purpose!

There are seeds which do not require any pre-sowing treatment. Just keep them on the soil and they will germinate. For example, seeds of Mango, Pongam, Palash, Mahua etc are very easy to germinate.

Few seeds do not respond to mere sowing and watering. They require hot water or cold water soaking or scratching before sowing for germination. For example, seeds of Wild Date Palm, Semal, Babool etc should be immersed in the cold water & kept overnight before sowing for better germination. In Gifting Trees’ trees-related posts, I made it sure to mention the seed treatment whenever necessary. It might be helpful for those who want their own grown saplings.

Here are few photographs our own saplings..

                         Saplings of Neem and Puple Orchid tree 

                                          Saplings of Palash

                                           Saplings of Mango

The saplings should be at least one year old before they are destined to the plantation site. This helps in preventing the mortality.

Seeds come in number of shapes, colors and sizes. A few small seeds have the power within them to feed a family; a fistful of seeds, the whole community. Our future depends on saving the traditional diversity of seeds around us..! Its amazing what a seed can grow! Only there is need to visualize a tree or plant in it.