We totally agree that planting in winter season might seem weird to some of you, but we promise it’s got its reasons! We’ll also cover why we plant whips(saplings) close together to create a sort of ‘internet’ in the forest, and why climate change might affect what trees we’ll plant in the future. So ,let’s start this !!!
Why do we Plant Trees in the Winter also?
Like hibernating animals, trees like to store up with food (nutrients) for winter. A year for humans is like a day for a tree, with winter being bed time and summer being the daytime when the tree grows new leaves and spreads its roots to maximise growth using energy from the sun and warm ground.
A tree can be planted successfully from November right through to March, and this will give the tree a chance to be bedded in time to grow throughout the summer. RISE Foundation team with the help of local volunteers ,the trees (standards) along by watering them during the first 3 years of being planted.
How do we decide what tree to Plant?
‘Right tree, right place‘ is a phrase often used in tree planting. Lots of factors can determine what trees might grow best in a location, including the community in the area, its look and feel, soil pH, geology, temperature and space. The changing climate can also have an impact on what trees are suitable to plant.
We should try to plant as many species as possible for biodiversity.
- Make a database of all native species of your area. Identify its type (Evergreen, Deciduous or Perennial), advantages, maximum height and assign layer.
- Check the native species saplings availability in the nursery, their age and sapling height. Ideal height is 60 to 80 centimeters.
- Major species: Choose five different species to be the major forest species; these should be the species that you commonly find in your area. This will constitute 40-50 percent of number of trees in the forest.
- Supporting species – other common species of the area will constitute 25-40 percent, and minor native species will make up the rest.
Why do we plant whips close together?
A tree can only be as strong as the forest that surrounds it. When they are planted close together (70cm -1m apart max) and in clumps of the same species, they can work together to establish, protect themselves and grow taller so they can reach the sun. Trees connect with each other in the forest’s microclimate through their roots and the ‘mychorizal’ fungi network underground (think of it as the internet of the forest).
Overtime, the trees will grow bigger but once they are mature and the canopy is broader, some will die off and young trees will start growing again at ground level, creating different levels of the canopy. Any dead and dying trees create a mulch on the woodland floor to feed the forest.
So, we hope many points got clear here. For any further information, feel free to reach us at 9717096635 or mail us at mail2risefoundation@gmail.com
RISE Foundation (NGO) 