This is Kerala’s first urban micro forest, developed at Puliyarakonam, located 12 km from Thiruvananthapuram city. It was a very dry region and we had severe water scarcity there. But we simulated this forest on a slope that was rocky. First, we removed the rocks and stones and prepared a mixture of coir pith, cow dung powder, rice husk and soil, taken in equal proportion. This was spread in a pit that was one metre deep, to create a seedbed. It was into this mixture that we planted the saplings. The saplings had been nurtured by us. We planted nearly 400 plants in a 4-cent patch of land, after they had attained two-and-a-half months of growth and their roots had been properly formed. What we saw was a surprising rate of growth. We had never expected trees to grow so rapidly on a dry incline like this. Besides, the weather had become unfavourable two or three times in between.
We planted the saplings on 31 January 2018. Two very heavy seasons of rain were experienced in the region. There were strong winds too. But none of the trees got uprooted. We are very regular in pruning the branches so that the other plants too could get sunlight. We also removed the weeds. We don’t intend to continue any maintenance regimen after the forest turns two years old. We won’t give it any manure either. Already it is using up the natural nutrients in the soil and growing well. Among these trees, there are some that have grown to 18 feet in height.