Caring for green giants

TWO TREES more than 50 years old have found a new home inside the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, Alwarpet, today. The institution took up the work of transplanting a neem and date palm tree from its original place and re-planted them 100 ft. away, within the same compound.

The ``operation transplant'' was carried out without disturbing the mother roots, while trimming the secondary roots. Before the tree was moved to its new location, a pit to a depth of five feet was created with a gap of two feet around it. All safety measures were taken that the tap root was not damaged while digging the pit, says Mr. P. Sudhakar, Assistant Director of the Foundation.

Before lifting the tree using a crane, rolls of straw were coiled around both the trees from top to bottom. It has been done mainly to prevent any injury to the body of the tree, he said. Similarly clay was pasted around the pruned portions and it was removed at the time of transplanting, to be replaced with gunny bags to prevent any radiation damage.

Shifting trees has always been considered tricky. It involves such complex processes. The 2.75 tonne weighing neem tree was lifted and safely replaced in its new premises and the entire operation was over within an hour.

The new home of the tree consists of a six feet deep pit. It is embellished with equal proportions of red soil, sand and vermi compost to provide nutrients to the tree, says Mr. B. Arulanandam, Environment Educator of the Foundation.

Three days prior to the shifting, works such as digging the pit around the tree, trimming the secondary roots and other preparations have been done.

There are other things that go to help the experiment with higher chance of success. These include Indole Butyric Acid sprayed on the tree, and gybrellic acid, a shoot inducing agent wherever pruning was done and also in some portions where chances of new shoots will come up, says Mr. Sudhakar.

Regular watering of both the trees has to be taken up for another three months from the time of shifting, says Mr. Sudhakar, as transplantation is like planting a new sapling. Moreover regular watering will help the roots establish themselves. The neem tree also needs periodic checks, as it may tend to develop fungal infection. ``As far as the neem tree is concerned, to assess whether it will survive or not, we have to wait for two flowering seasons. Only then can one say anything with some confidence,'' says he.

While taking up road widening works on the highways, the Government agencies without any regret fell trees. By contrast, the operation to transplant the two trees cost only Rs. 7,500. So the Government authorities should insist that the contractor bagging the widening work should also take up the work of transplanting trees, which should also be made mandatory, suggests Dr. Nanditha C. Krishna, Honorary Director of the Foundation.

By P. Oppili

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