[Gypsy-Boy]

This is a very novel idea.
Charity starts at home so - Lets all start by planting atleast one tree in front of our own house first, and then go ahead and attempt to paint our neighborhood green.
This will lead to some green patches in an otherwise concrete jungle.

Cheers
GB

[dwaraka]

Great ! Let's start rolling the talk.

As for water retaining techniques, we can use cowdung/ saw dust / dry leaves/ bio-degradable sponges/ waste paper/ card board, etc. Any more suggestions?

Next OTR in Bangalore for sure is green OTR. Offroaders please be ready with required tools and 20 ltr water per vehicle.

Dwarak



Dwarak

[amitk26]

Very good idea.

For watering the sapling for initial period there is a very easy method.
This was tried out in Rajasthan and known as "Ghat Sinchai" or pitcher irrigation.

All you need to do is to get an terracotta water pitcher ( Ghara / Ghat) and a lid for it , This pitcher is filled with water and buried next to the sapling.
If there is a need for re-irrigation as in an orchid or farm a small plastic hose is attached and other end is left out of the ground to re-fill later on.

But usually pitcher once filled will be sufficient for the inital period required for plant roots to develop.

[dwaraka]

amit,

That's wonderful solution.

[tj123]

Bit off topic but still but intent is same.
Bangalore once a Garden city now a concrete jungle now, it’s quite strange that how greedy & selfish people are, just to grab some land full grown trees are mercilessly chopped down in the name of development.

What for this development which is not sustainable. Government agencies are hand in glove with such people who are systematically robbing the greens.
Looks like govt agencies like the forest departments don’t have enough teeth to fend off such evil deeds.

There should be a massive nation wide campaign to for tree plantation.
There should be mandatory legislation, which forces builders to leave some land for tree plantation, within apartment complexes, multi plex’s , SEZ ‘s etc.

[Rotorhead]

indeed a very noble thought. I will try to do the same whenever I make my trips .

[Torqy]

Good idea.
Make sure it doesn't become an obstacle in the next OTR!

[Ym-enjn]

Originally Posted by amitk26

Very good idea.

For watering the sapling for initial period there is a very easy method.
This was tried out in Rajasthan and known as "Ghat Sinchai" or pitcher irrigation.

All you need to do is to get an terracotta water pitcher ( Ghara / Ghat) and a lid for it , This pitcher is filled with water and buried next to the sapling.
If there is a need for re-irrigation as in an orchid or farm a small plastic hose is attached and other end is left out of the ground to re-fill later on.

But usually pitcher once filled will be sufficient for the inital period required for plant roots to develop.

Excellent!! That is exactly what we needed.









Source- Clay Pot Irrigation

Overview
Clay pitcher irrigation is a simple, low-cost solution for dryland farming. Unglazed clay pots with a capacity of seven to ten liters, a conical body and narrow neck, are buried approximately one meter apart with the mouth of the pot exposed. Crops are planted around each pot which are filled with water every four to seven days. Water loss from the pot is regulated by soil moisture content. As water is used by the plant, hydrostatic pressure in the soil decreases and water is transmitted out of the pot. When the surrounding soil reaches field capacity, water loss from the pot decreases. This natural, self-regulating mechanism is what makes clay pitcher irrigation extremely efficient.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by Ym-enjn

Source- Clay Pot Irrigation

Yes the pictures explain it very well only one simple modification which I wrote earlier . If there is a lid on the pitcher and it is fully buried and a plastic hose is attached the water loss will be even less.

[Rough Square]

This is such a noble cause and I so want to be a part of it.

Why restrict this to 4X4 owners / excursion?

[Spinnerr]

Now that is a real green thought. +1 to that.

OTRs just before the onset of the monsoons seems to be the right time to see a good success rate.

[GrayBerry]

This is a noble thought,. Hats off for the suggestion.
The sapplings can be got from the forest department.
Need to identify the sappling that grows at the particular OTR location
Each Jeep/Gypsy/Vehicle can carry an earthen pot
Before the start of OTR, identify a planting area and,...
Wow,. nice guys, thats a cool way to start an OTR
Once again hats off for the suggestion.

[Gypsy-Boy]

Originally Posted by Rough Square

This is such a noble cause and I so want to be a part of it.

Why restrict this to 4X4 owners / excursion?

This is not restricted to 4X4 owners / excursion.

As I had said earlier, we should all plant atleast one tree in front of our own house / Office

[hgnishanth]

Great idea and a very noble cause. I am all in for it. Next OTR we shall carry some saplings and plant them at a suitable location.

Cheers
Nishanth