One of my favourite memories of Primary School includes playing under and in the massive oak trees in a well-kept garden. (You didn’t really think it would include schoolwork did you?) The oak trees were incredibly old. They provided bountiful shade, oxygen and a cool respite from the summer heat. Every Arbour Week the school would assemble, say a small prayer and plant another acorn.

When was the last time you planted a tree?

This week is National Arbour Week and with the global warming crisis, there’s no time like the present to plant a tree, improving your health and beauty of South Africa…..

15 steps to 'giving back' to the Earth

What with deforestation and global warming, it’s a sure sign we’re not giving trees the credit they deserve. Now's your chance to make amends... Plant a tree this week with your family or colleagues, and it will live well after you’re gone. Take some time to go to your local nursery and choose an indigenous baby tree, as foreign trees tend to soak up a lot more of our precious water!

Here are 15 tips to reducing your carbon footprint today:

1.  Dig a square hole, 50 cm x 50 cm wide.

2.  Separate the top soil (darker soil) from the bottom lighter soil.

3.  Put the dark topsoil into the bottom of the hole.

4.  Remove the tree from its container or plastic bag. Be careful not to damage the roots!

5.  Put the tree into the hole. Make sure the tree base is below
    ground level.

6.  Plant a pipe at an angle next to the tree's roots, with the top of the pipe sticking out the ground. If you don’t have a pipe, but holes in the bottom of a two litre coke bottle and plant that next to the tree’s roots instead. This will make watering simpler.

7.  Mix a small amount of compost into the lighter soil, and pack it into the hole.

8.  Measure one spade length space around the tree.

9.  Remove all the grass and weeds from this space.

10.  Water the tree.

11.  Add a 10 cm layer of mulch (leaves, straw, or strips of newspaper), around the tree. Be careful not to touch the tree.

12.  Once a week, water the tree through the pipe or bottle. This sends the water directly to the roots (and prevents wasting water). After watering, put the lid back onto the bottle to prevent water evaporation.

13.  After the first year, water the tree only when the soil is dry.

14.  Hammer a straight wooden stake or stick into the ground next to the tree. Using something soft - like a stocking or piece of fabric - tie the tree to the stake to help the tree to grow straight.

15.  Love and enjoy your tree!

Kind Regards

Pascale Barrow
Managing Editor