In Costa Rica we are fairly fortunate to be able to rely on the land and the green space that surrounds us. It doesn’t take the best green thumb to make a garden grow here. Combined with the number of sunny days a year, where solar can be implemented for energy sources at home and ample down pour where you can collect rain water, relying on natural resources becomes second nature to those of us who live here. And if you are taking any of these last steps towards your own self sufficiency, way to go! You are definitely ahead of the curve.

We can also look into smaller detail at our daily habits to help ourselves in the long run.  Offsetting our carbon travel footprint, one may decide to take up the hobby of tree planting. Waste management also definitely comes under the microscope. Looking at the incoming plastics from purchases and an effort to minimize single use plastics we can look at ways of using reusable containers wherever possible by buying in bulk, bringing our own take out containers when eating out, and choosing to buy local where big packaging is often forgone. IN the home, we can help Mother Earth out by using biodegradable cleaning solvents. Most people don’t realize cleaning detergents oftentimes are sent back into nature polluting streams and rivers nearby. Best to use natural from the get go as to be most symbiotic with the environment. The extra cost for these last products are surely well worth the health benefits they reap. And for those experts whom have gone the extra mile, where up-cycling clothes is not just a fashion statement it’s a way to reduce your impact, hats off, as often time clothing is the item most likely to find its self on its way to the garbage. 

There are many ways to help this worldwide issue of what it will take for us to be sustainable and seems to be the only thing we know for sure is it is going to take every individuals effort to help achieve it.

Pro-Tip!

Regrow Heady Edibles like Pineapple 

• Twist the crown of leaves off the top of the pineapple. Make sure the base, the very tip of the area where the leaves join together, stays intact. New roots will be sprouting from this, and without it the plant won’t grow. 
• Strip off some of the lower leaves and any pineapple to expose the core stem. This helps the stem sprout roots once it is planted.
• Let it dry a week. 
• Then place the crown in a bowl of water in a sunny spot. Roots will begin to grow within days and it will be ready for transplant when you see several roots growing out.

They say it takes about two years for a pineapple to come to fruition. What do you say, worth the wait? Or can’t wait to try!

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Step 1: Dig the hole

It is important to dig a hole suitable for the size of the root ball. You want to dig a hole
that is wide and shallow. Ideally, the hole will be three times as wide as the diameter of
the root ball and only as deep as its height, so that when it is planted, none of the trunk
is below the soil line. If the hole is too narrow, the roots will not be able to spread and
expand enough to develop a secure anchor for a mature tree.

PRO TIP
If you are in a clay environment scarify the edges of the hole with a pickaxe and you can even mix in the use of sand as drainage.

Step 2: Place the tree and add soil

If the tree has come with its root ball wrapped in a burlap sack, remove the material and
any remnants of twine. If the tree is being transplanted from a container, check that the
roots have not become compressed. If they seem tightly bound to one another, carefully
tease the roots away from one another so that they will spread out in different directions
when they grow (if the tree is planted and the roots are too tightly wrapped up in one
another, they can girdle the tree and effectively strangle it).

Always lift the tree by the root ball and not the trunk. Orientate the tree as you wish,
being aware of where the branches of the mature tree will go. Backfill the hole with good
quality topsoil. Use the soil you removed to dig the hole in the first instance (unless it is
clay), but ensure that it is loosely structured to allow penetration by roots. You can add
well-composted organic material to the soil to help improve its structure, as well as add
nutrients to the soil.

Step 3: Add mulch and water

Mulch is great for soil moisture but BE very sure not to cover the root crown or you will
kill the plant and too much mulch will cause the roots to rot. A newly planted tree should
be well watered. Preferably using harvested rainwater, you should water the tree every
day for two to three weeks to promote it’s growth.

Step 4: Stake if needed

if your tree is fragile, has a thin trunk or may experience strong winds, tie it to a stake to
ensure it grows straight and to provide support. Drive a stake a couple of inches from
the trunk and lash the trunk to it loosely.

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