Thursday, July 30, 2015

An Article

Trees for tiny soil spaces

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Hariesh Krishnamurthy recommends, “We need to plant the sapling after digging a pit about 2.5-3 feet deep
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Hariesh Krishnamurthy recommends, “We need to plant the sapling after digging a pit about 2.5-3 feet deep"
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human interest

There are trees with small root systems that can grow even in 1 ft of soil, says Hema Vijay

Can tiny home gardens host trees safely? Do tree roots attack foundations and cause cracks in walls? While all of us understand the need for trees in the urban landscape, many of us hesitate to plant trees in our home or apartment gardens fearing that the tree’s roots could attack the foundations or walls of our homes or compound walls.
True, trees with extensive root systems like the neem tree need substantial soil space. While it is not feasible to grow such large trees in tiny soil spaces, there are a host of trees with small root systems that can be grown even in one or two ft soil spaces alongside compound walls, and at locations even just three feet away from the building.
“Bauhinia (mandarai), creteva (mavalingam), shrubby cassias, ixora (vetchi) trees, muraya paniculata with its nice fragrant flowers, henna, dwarf mango varieties, gooseberry trees, lemon trees pomegranate trees, henna, native medicinal trees like the adathoda, nochi... there are quite many options to choose from. These trees can be grown for their shade, fruits, flowers, or just to keep the natural ecosystem alive in the city. We have to think of ways to bring back greenery to the city, rather than take lack of space as an excuse”, suggests Prof. D. Narasimhan, associate professor, Department of Botany, Centre for Floristic Research, Madras Christian College.
In the case of big trees like the neem which needs about 10 feet of soil surface between it and the building, construction of an underground concrete or stone barrier may be taken up, to prevent sprawling roots from reaching into the building’s foundation. And then of course, remember to plant the tree saplings deep enough. If you are going to plant the tree sapling at the surface depth, then of course, the growing tree’s roots have a higher chance of spreading around and reaching the foundations. “If you plant the tree sapling at the prescribed depth of three feet, the growing tree’s roots tend to grow deep into the soil and stay clear of the building’s foundation”, suggests horticulturist Hariesh Krishnamurthy. He recommends, “We need to plant the sapling after digging a pit about 2.5-3 feet deep. After planting, cover the pit with soil, leaving half to three fourth of the pit uncovered. Over a period of four months, the pit can be filled with sand and soil and brought to ground surface.”
Keywords: Plantation, Environment

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  • Did you know? The opposite of a green thumb is a brown thumb.
    Did you know? The opposite of a green thumb is a brown thumb.

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Chitra Krishnaswamy shares some ridiculously easy-to-follow tips that will inspire even the most inexperienced gardeners to grow vegetables in a small space

All you need is five pots to start. So says Chitra Krishnaswamy to a gathering of women from FICCI Ladies Organisation and Siruthuli. Chitra is well known in the city for her fabulous terrace garden that grows everything from chillies to big,fat pumpkins.
Listening to Chitra makes one want to do gardening, even if one has never done it before. For those of us out there who find the elaborate instructions and dos and don’ts intimidating, Chitra’s tips make it sound ridiculously simple. She says she was the same way with not a clue about gardening. When the kids grew up and she found herself with plenty of time, she decided to give vegetable gardening a go on a whim.
“I just went to the nearest nursery and picked up almost all the seeds I could lay my hands on and plenty of pots. But I realise now that that is not the right way to go about it. It gets overwhelming,” says Chitra who has since then become an expert on home gardens. What about space? Especially for those who live in apartments?
“Get five pots. And grow the five things you use every day in your cooking,” she suggests. For example, curry leaves, coriander, chillies, tomatoes and greens like palak. Chitra explains how to start step-by-step. “It is not just about the thrill of gardening. It is a larger issue. Growing vegetables oneself ensures better health for our family, better budgeting and less wastage. If we all decide to do it, the volume of garbage we create will come down considerably,” she says. “No garbage should go out of our house, or at least it should be minimal,” says Chitra who believes that consciously looking at garbage, brings it down. “If we compost our wet waste and send the rest to recycling, Coimbatore will be so much cleaner. And, greener. If all of us had a garden in our balconies/terrace/compound how lovely it would be.”
Things to get before you start
♣ Five flower pots (preferably with three of four holes at the bottom for efficient drainage) ♣ Planting soil (available at nurseries) ♣ Coir pith ♣ Organic manure (available in nurseries/ or make your own) ♣ Neem powder ♣ Pseudomonas (enriches the soil) ♣ Panjakavyam (makes plants healthy)
Things to do
♣ Use one plant in one pot (do not put multiple seeds in the same pot. It does not auger well for the plant) ♣ Prepare the pot by putting pebbles or broken pieces of terracotta at the bottom to avoid stagnation of water ♣ Prepare the soil by mixing one part each of coir pith, manure and soil; add a fistful of pseudomonas and neem powder and then put the mixed soil into the pot ♣ Put the plant/seed of your choice into the soil a few inches apart. ♣ Water lightly. Remember too much water is as bad as too little. Even if it is the hot season it is just the top layer of soil that will dry out. The coir pith in the soil retains moisture. ♣ Set a schedule and it will be easy for you to get into a rhythm. Add a fistful of manure in the pot once a week Spray panchakavyam once a week (dilute 30 ml to one litre of water and then spray on plants)
Composting
♣ Three or four tiered composting pots are available. But one can compost in simple pots or buckets too. ♣ Ensure the pot/bucket has holes in it to breathe. ♣ Layer your wet waste for the day into it. ♣ Add dried leaves or saw dust on top. This will absorb any excess moisture. ♣ Put in a spoonful of compost microbes or dried cow-dung powder and put a layer of newspaper on top. ♣ Remember to turn the pile every day to ensure proper composting. ♣ Do NOT add onion peel, citrus fruit, tamarind, bones to your composting. ♣ It is preferable not to put cooked food into your composting pot as it may attract maggots. But if you do, just ensure you put a little more saw dust or dry leaves.Chitra says there will be no smell at all as the wet wastes decompose and turn into compost.
All your gardening needs are met at the Siruthuli office. For details call: 0422-2318222/2318333
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