Growth: from tiny seed to imposing tree
“ Let us all find our purpose in life – the potential that lies within the seed.
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Sanchita Pandey Lessons from My Garden
Early one Monday morning in June 2021 – when South Africa found itself amid strict lockdown regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic – my doorbell buzzed. It was not unusual, as by then it was almost a ritual to go to the front door to receive an assortment of online pre-ordered deliveries: fresh food, medicines, books, documents – a daily feature of the covidisation of our lifestyles. But this specific doorbell triggered a little bit of an extra bounce.
I was expecting something completely different – a larger box. But this box was the size of an A5 paperback. Inside the package was 21 tiny plastic packets of seeds, ten in each packet. Seeds I ordered from Seeds For Africa based in Cape Town. Seeds for seven varieties of indigenous trees that are suitable for the highveld climate of wet hot summers, and cold, frosty winters. decaf cappuccinos. Low cost and potentially high returns. A good investment. Yes, that is correct what you are thinking. Moch is trying something, again, his favourite pastime of observing the actualisation of potential. I am going to try to grow each seed type into a row of kneehigh saplings and will transplant them into either our garden or the outside pavement.
And trees will simply stand and observe the world from the same place for a couple of centuries. I was really motivated to try such a seed-to-tree venture. An inner farmer was waiting to burst forth, given the right environmental circumstances.
The catalyst for me to try my hand at“ afforestation” was an inspiring article in The Economist about Akira Miyawaki’ s method of germinating tiny, urban forests that are entirely self-sustainable after three years with a 30-fold increase in biodiversity, and might help in cooling the earth. Already in 45 countries. I was hooked. This needed a try. Why not?
This is my first attempt, ever, of growing trees-from-seeds –
I knew very little about cultivating tree seeds. But what the heck! Price of a couple of Starbucks
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