Hi to you at Goanet!
Miguel makes a very valid point that it is important to know what is being
planted. Sometimes while reading the article 'Green thumb: planting trees' I
wondered whether Goans really need to be told what to do when it comes to
plants - what to plant, where to buy them, when to plant, how to plant.
The best fruits I have enjoyed are tree ripened papayas, cashews, mangoes,
jackfruits, etc. in Goa, and these from trees which were planted by our
ancestors, who were neither told all of the above, nor did they tell nature
what to do. They let nature grow 'naturally' - some might prefer the term
'wild' - and Goa looked like the garden of Eden from ages until a few
decades back! We'll come to the grafts later.
If one is really interested in 'natural' green, s/he should read/study some
of the literature produced by an old Japanese person called Masanobu
Fukuoka. He provides other perspectives of nature. In my opinion, his
philosophy combined with diversity can also be applied to plants. Nature
regulates itself in that it produces further bio-diversity for it's own
survival (and gene pool) as well as creates an inner strength within that
which grows, to overcome changing and sometimes more challenging situations.
Have we not all seen how nature bursts at the seems at the first rains of
the monsoon? Should we not also let these natural plants grow, for they are
stronger, and graft onto them, using some of the old trees we still have in
our gardens, or do we want to lose this Goan wealth once the old trees are
gone? Who knows and or can (always) guarantee where all the other 'new'
stuff comes from anyway? Practicing the art of grafting could also be a
fulfilling hobby or occupation for someone from the neighbourhood.
Besides the big challenge of planting trees, Goa's even bigger challenge of
the hour is providing nature the 'holy' (wholesome?) ground it needs for all
the information hidden deep within itself to germinate. The disease -
desertification and thrash, terrible chemicals banned in Europe Eg. DDT, and
what not - must go and make way for health and balance. When that happens,
with a little help, nature will take control again; and until that time, we
will have to coerce nature to accept the seedlings and grafts we plant, and
cajole it spending long hours with artificial and scarce watering, and at
times unnecessary fertilizers and pesticides, not having enough time for our
families and ourselves.
More info about the person I mentioned above and his philosophy at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masanobu_Fukuoka
Warm Regards,
Milton Fernandes
In Germany
