Tree planting with Sadhana Forest Kenya

Early this year Organix was at Lekuru area near Kisima town in Samburu County located in the northern part of Kenya. The place is 300km north of Nairobi. Mr. Aasit Shah and Mr. Saraitei Memiri spent two days at the Sadhana Forest Kenya where they volunteered to help address the area’s environmental and food security issues. The Sadhana Forest Kenya project founders, Yorit and Aviram Rozin aim to transform the land from being barren to fruitful. The project promotes food forestry and the reversal of environmental degradation through training and practical implementation in three different countries, including Kenya.

Aasit and Saraitei met Lark Rodman, the manager, his team and members of the community to prepare the designated area for tree planting on the following day. Out of the 16 Moringa trees planted 8 were treated with Absorber, Earthlee and Nhance Foliar.

The entire experience was humbling and refreshing for the Organix Limited team who were in the company of others that decided to forfeit the luxury of their usual dwellings and warm beds. As they soon found out, it was not your everyday camping adventure, this was a taste of reality; a reality of the inhabitants of Samburu who have to endure the dry and hot climates as part of their daily living. The rainfall pattern is unpredictable and at times the County receives no rain in a whole year. The local people have to eke a living despite the harsh conditions. Thanks to the efforts of the Sadhana Forest project the local community is motivated and empowered to improve food production through afforestation beside their modest sized farms or ‘shambas’.

Aasit and Saraitei demonstrated the correct application of Absorber and Earthlee during the tree planting. The entire group comprising of about 12 people from the local community and visitors from far and wide – had the opportunity to learn how to prepare the soil with Organix products prior to planting tree seedlings. Absorber, a water retainer was most appropriate for the very dry area. The very dry conditions at the site mean that anything that is planted does not get sufficient water.

Absorber has the property of retaining water and easily releasing the absorbed water and nutrients, thereby allowing plants to have water and nutrients available for a longer time, despite dry weather. When incorporated into the soil or substrate, it absorbs and retains up to 500 times its size of water.

Nhance Foliar a seaweed extract. It enhances root development with improved utilization of soil nutrients and fertilizers resulting in better top growth.

Earthlee is naturally occurring 80% Humate powder that is best applied as mixture with granulated fertilizer. It is however effective even when applied on its own. It is listed as an allowed substance by the U.S.D.A.’s National Organic Program. The humate powder enhances nutrient transfer, increase the soil cation exchange capacity, water-holding capacity and structure of the soil, as well as its aeration, tilth and workability.

The local community and project staff were happy to learn that with the two products, they were sure to cut down on the amount of water for the tree seedlings and that the nutrients that had been added to the soil would not be wasted due to leaching or fast release. The project team was left with Nhance Foliar to be applied twice at an interval of 4 weeks and Asilee for top dressing after 2 months.

** Mr. Aasit Shah is Director and Mr. Saraitei Memiri, Field Staff of Organix Limited, Nairobi Kenya.