Premjibhai's method of planting trees

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Shri Premjibhai has developed an innovative practice for planting / growing trees in the arid region. The named the technique as Sand Pipe method. Description : The steps of the methods are as below. (To see the planting method stepwise in detail, please Click Here) Step: 1) A pit is dug ( about 1 feet deep) and a sapling is placed vertically in the pit. Step: 2) A PVC pipe of approximate 6 inch in diameter and 2 feet in length is inserted (about 1 feet deep) placed vertically aside of the plant in the pit. Step: 3) The pit is filled with the normal soil up to the ground level. Step: 4) Now the PVC pipe is filled with the coarse sand up a ground level Step: 5) Pull out the PVC pipe slowly. The process makes a passage in the ground nearer to the root portion of plant and facilitates easy and maximum movement of water towards roots. Steps: 6) Watering one – two bucket of water (15 – 25 liters) on the top of the sand passage. This water does not spread in surrounding area but remain in the dry coarse sand and give moisturize effect to the root zone of the plant. This accelerate the root germination and helps the plants growth much faster. Steps: 7) In case of insufficient monsoon, additional water and if available , watering the plant one or two times in six months  ( during summer and winter ) . This water is sufficient for the tree to survive till next monsoon (for one year) The concept behind this is that the sand filled pit acts as a chamber and moisture is retained for a longer time. Water percolating through sand facilitating water absorption by root zone of the plant and it helps the roots development much faster and ultimately plant survive for longer period.