NETFUND PLANTS 10,000 TREE SEEDLINGS IN KAJIADO NORTH
NETFUND Ag. CEO Samson Toniok, Kajiado County officials, staff and the local community planted 10,000 tree seedlings in different institutions within Kajiado North Sub County on December 9 – 10, 2019. During the exercise,1,500 seedlings were planted in Oloolua Primary, 1,000 in Enomatosiani Girls High School, 1,500 in PCEA Church Enomatosiani, 1,500 in Ongata Rongai Primary School, 1,500 in Nkaimurunya Primary School, 1,500 in Nkaimurunya Secondary School and 1,500 in Olekasasi Polytechnic.
NETFUND’s tree planting activities
aim to contribute to attaining the national target of growing 2 billion new
trees by the year 2022. According
to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Keriako Tobiko,
500 million tree seedlings shall be planted in the FY2019/2020, which ends in
June 2020. Another 600 million seedlings shall be planted in FY2020/2021 while
800 million are targeted in FY2021/2022.
Speaking at Nkaimurunya Secondary,
NETFUND Ag. CEO Samson Toniok, challenged the local community to ensure that
the planted tree seedlings grow into maturity by caring for them.
NETFUND Ag. CEO Samson Toniok shows Lilian Macharia, a standard four pupil at Nkaimurunya Primary School how to plant a tree seedling
Tree
growing is an investment for current and future generations
Growing trees is a
lifelong investment, which requires long term and sustained effort and commitment.
The choice of tree seedling, planting
location, and care provided during and after planting determines their maturity
and ultimate environmental, economic, and social value.
How to plant a tree seedling
According to the International
Society of Arboriculture, 2019, the following steps show how you can plant and
grow a tree seedling:
Locate all underground utilities
prior to digging. This involves mapping out the site
including nature of the soil, water availability and the climatic conditions of
the location.
Identify the trunk flare. The
trunk flare is where the trunk expands at the base of the tree. This point
should be partially visible after the tree has been planted.
Dig a shallow, broad planting hole. Holes
should be 2-3 times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the root
ball.
Remove the containers or the seedling
bags. Inspect tree roots for straightening, cut, or remove
the unnecessary ones.
Place the tree at the proper height. Take
care to dig the hole to the proper depth – and no more. If the tree is planted
too deep, new roots will have difficulty developing because of a lack of
oxygen.
Straighten the tree in the hole. Before
backfilling, have someone view the tree from several directions to confirm it
is straight.
Fill the hole gently, but firmly. Pack
soil around the base of the roots to stabilize it. Fill the remainder of the
hole, firmly packing the soil to eliminate air pockets that may dry out roots.
Further, reduce air pockets by watering periodically while backfilling. Avoid chemical
fertilization at the time of planting.
Support weak trees that cannot stand
upright on their own, only if necessary. Studies have shown
that trees establish more quickly and develop stronger trunk and root systems
if they are not staked at the time of planting.
Mulch
the base of the tree. Mulch is organic matter spread
around the base of a tree to hold moisture, moderate soil temperature extremes,
and reduce grass and weed competition.
NETFUND PLANTS 10,000 TREE SEEDLINGS IN KAJIADO NORTH
NETFUND Ag. CEO Samson Toniok, Kajiado County officials, staff and the local community planted 10,000 tree seedlings in different institutions within Kajiado North Sub County on December 9 – 10, 2019. During the exercise,1,500 seedlings were planted in Oloolua Primary, 1,000 in Enomatosiani Girls High School, 1,500 in PCEA Church Enomatosiani, 1,500 in Ongata Rongai Primary School, 1,500 in Nkaimurunya Primary School, 1,500 in Nkaimurunya Secondary School and 1,500 in Olekasasi Polytechnic.
NETFUND’s tree planting activities aim to contribute to attaining the national target of growing 2 billion new trees by the year 2022. According to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Keriako Tobiko, 500 million tree seedlings shall be planted in the FY2019/2020, which ends in June 2020. Another 600 million seedlings shall be planted in FY2020/2021 while 800 million are targeted in FY2021/2022.
Speaking at Nkaimurunya Secondary, NETFUND Ag. CEO Samson Toniok, challenged the local community to ensure that the planted tree seedlings grow into maturity by caring for them.
Tree growing is an investment for current and future generations
Growing trees is a lifelong investment, which requires long term and sustained effort and commitment. The choice of tree seedling, planting location, and care provided during and after planting determines their maturity and ultimate environmental, economic, and social value.
How to plant a tree seedling
According to the International Society of Arboriculture, 2019, the following steps show how you can plant and grow a tree seedling:
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