How To Plant a Tree

Planting a tree isn't as simple as just digging a hole and throwing the tree in it. If you want your tree you're planting to survive and thrive, here's what to do.

THE STEP

1. Select the right time of year for planting the tree. Do not plant in late spring or summer because the heat will stress the plant and may cause it to die. The best time to plant a tree is fall (autumn) or early spring.

2. Check to see if there are any local requirements concerning digging deep holesif you need to dig near telephone and other cables (for example, in urban areas). We have already contacted Miss Utility and have been cleared to dig.

3. Choose a suitable tree for the region, climate, and space.

• Research local cultivars of species native to your area. If you will plant a non-native species, consider carefully why. We have chosen all native trees which will do well in our area.

4. Prepare the hole. Take a suitable shovel and dig a hole that is 2-3 times the width of the root ball, not just enough so it will fit. This lets the roots ease in more easily and begin to grow outwards into the soil. It also allows you to cut off the wire root basket if there is one.

• Try to dig the hole with a small "pedestal" of dirt in the center of the hole where the tree will rest. The hole should be a little deeper around the edges but there should be a pedestal of dirt in the center where the root ball sits. This pedestal prevents the root ball from sitting continuously in water. Any excess water will naturally flow to the deeper areas of the hole around the edges where the roots can drink from if needed. Having a pedestal in the center of the hole is very important since one of the major reasons why trees die is "drowning", meaning the tree is getting too much water and the root ball is sitting in a pool of water. The point where the tree comes out of the ground should be slightly higher than the ground around it. Slightly higher means 1/4 to 1/2 inch. This prevents water from collecting next to the base of the trunk which causes the tree to rot.
• Use the garden cultivator to loosen the dirt all around the hole to make it easier for the roots to spread.

5. Prepare the tree for planting. The process is slightly different for a small tree and a large tree:

• If it is a small tree, then you can turn it upside down gently to get it out of the pot. You could also cut some plastic containers to remove them.
• If the tree is larger and has a net or a hessian or rope bag, you might need to use large scissors or a sharp knife to cut through the packaging. Avoid handling the tree with the burlap off. Put it in the hole, then cut as much of the wire basket and burlap as you can from around it. The goal is to keep as much dirt around the roots as possible; moving the tree more than absolutely necessary can easily cause air to get to the roots and dry them out, even inside the root ball.
• Don't leave a tree's roots out of its container or burlap for too long. Especially in sun and wind, it could dry out and damage the roots.

Place the tree into the hole so that the crown will be level with or slightly higher than the soil.  

6. Place the tree into the hole gently. Be sure the hole isn't too deep or too shallow. The ground level of the plant in the pot should match up with the ground level after you fill the hole in. Do not bury over the crown(where the stem changes to root) or leave any roots exposed.

• You can place the handle of your shovel flat across the hole from one side to the other to measure whether the crown is level with the surrounding soil before filling in the hole.

7. Use some compost or composted manure if needed. If the soil that you currently have is not rich, has clay-like qualities or if it has the consistency of dust or sand, the addition of manure or compost will give the tree a great start in life. Backfill three quarters of the hole with existing dirt, one quarter with compost or composted manure.

8. Resist the temptation to use a commercial fertilizer; it tends to overboost the tree and make it less likely to do well over the long term. A great benefit to new trees, however, is an organic mixture that includes micorrhizae, beneficial fungi that enhance a tree's uptake of soil nutrients. It may also include rock phosphate, a natural root-growth enhancer.

9. Give fruit and nut trees extra attention. Adding manure or compost is essential if you are planting a fruit or nut tree. Backfill two thirds of the hole with existing dirt and one third with compost or composted manure for each fruit or nut tree.

10. Water the newly planted tree. Allow settling, backfill the remaining soil, and water again. This will eliminate air pockets. Water one gallon (3.7 liters) for every six inches (15 cm) of tree height.

11. Mulch, mulch, mulch! Cover the planting hole with 1-3 inches (2.5 cm - 7.6 cm) of shredded hardwood or leaf mulch. Keep the mulch 2-3" away from the trunk or the trunk will rot. Don't over-mulch the tree, either. A few inches are enough to keep water in and most weeds out. Mulch a circle out to the drip line, about the same width as the tree's leaves.

• A visible patch of mulch also helps remind people not to step or mow or run a string trimmer too close to the tree.

12. Water it again. After the planting is finished come back in about an hour and water one more time.

13. Stake the tree if necessary, for about the first year. Make sure that whatever stakes you use are tied loosely to the trunk and do not dig into the bark or tighten around the tree. Remove the stakes once the roots have a chance to become established, after about the first year. Staking protects the tree against blowing over in the wind, and it can also help to remind people moving around the tree not to run into it.

14. Keep watering your tree for the first few years as it gets established. Depending on the climate and your area, it will need weekly watering until the roots are established. To form deep roots, water deeply. A long, slow trickle of water will water more deeply than a quick sprinkling. Remember, deep roots help your tree to resist droughts and winds. Let the ground dry out, at least somewhat, between watering.

15. Enjoy the tree as it grows over the years with you, your family and friends. Appreciate its shade and beauty and thank yourself for adding another tree to the world.

You can see the video klik here

Happy New Year

Hi, i just want to say Happy New Year 2012. Hopefully we become wiser, have a strong faith, love your family, your friend, and all things in this world. 


Take care this world! Help people who lack, need our love, need our attention. Watch forest. Don't burn it and don't cut down carelessly. Watch animal, especially endangered. Give them place, dicent food, protection and anyelse you can do for better :) 


Hope we can still feel mildness in this world in 2012.

Extinct Animals

Tasmanian Wolf or Thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus

 The Tasmanian Wolf is not a wolf, but a carnivorous marsupial and a relative of wombats and kangaroos.  It even has a pouch.   Tasmanian officials promoting ranching paid bounties to hunters.  Believed to be extinct for well over half a century, unconfirmed reported sightings persist.


English Wolf

 The wolf became extinct in England in 1486, Scotland in 1743, and Ireland in 1770.


Quagga 

  

Quagga, Equus burchelli quagga, of the Karoo Plains and southern Free State of South Africa were a subspecies of the Burchell’s Zebra, although their unique appearance wouldn't necessarily make this apparent.  Some thought incorrectly that the Quagga was the female of Burchell's Zebra, probably because the natives gave both zebras the same name. 

In the wild, Quaggas, Ostriches and Wildebeests often grazed together in what was termed the "triple alliance".  The Quagga's hearing, the Ostrich's eyesight and the Wildibeast's keen sense of smell comprised excellent defense from predators for the entire herd.  However, its limited range made it all the more vulnerable and Quaggas were hunted to the brink of extinction in the mid 19th Century by settlers razing sheep, goats and other livestock. The last Quagga died in in 1883 in an Amsterdam Zoo.

Raja Ampat,'Last Paradise on Earth', under Threat

Huts on stilts perch above the coral of the turquoise lagoon, hammocks awaiting a lazy siesta and sunset cocktails. The Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat is a living Eden. But for how long?

This remote pearl of Asia between the Pacific and Indian oceans in eastern Indonesia's Papua province has remained a closely guarded secret and one of the last frontiers of tourism, known only to intrepid travellers and avid divers.

Raja Ampat's palm-fringed islands, surrounded by an underwater kaleidoscope of coral and fish, are described by the regional tourism office as "the last paradise on earth".

A 2002 report by US-based Conservation International (CI) classed the waters as "potentially the world's richest in terms of marine biodiversity," with nearly 1400 varieties of fish and 603 species of coral.

The 610 rocky islets of Raja Ampat -- meaning Four Kings in Indonesian -- are sprinkled over an area of 4.5 million hectares, boasting 750 kilometres of pristine sandy beaches.

"It's the best diving in the world," said Pam Roth, an enthusiast for 33 years. "I like the remoteness of the place. You don't see a lot of people here," the 78-year-old retired Londoner said.

But trouble is lurking.

In the Papua mainland, a thousand kilometres southeast of Raja Ampat, calls for independence by Papua's indigenous Melanesian population that began decades ago have become more vocal in recent years, after Indonesia's turn toward democracy in 1998.

Tribal and local leaders accuse the government of robbing rich forests and mines, polluting water and land in the resource-rich region, and putting little back into one of the country's poorest areas. The Papua region is off-limits to foreign journalists.

Last month eight people were killed in ambushes and clashes with police after an ongoing workers' strike at a gold and copper mine operated by US company Freeport McMoRan turned ugly near Timika, a city in Papua's mainland. Because of the distance from the mainland, the sparsely populated Raja Ampat islands remain largely untouched by the troubles for now.

The small number of adventurers arriving each year to the idyllic isles remain focused on diving and nature, largely unaware of the problems of the region. So far, the islands have remained largely protected from another scourge: mass tourism.

They house only seven "resorts" (with three under construction), each with a dozen villas at most. In addition, 39 "liveaboards" with a maximum of 20 people aboard each vessel, ply the waters.

In all, last year Raja Ampat welcomed only 4515 visitors -- one for every 1000 hectares -- each paying up to $US5000 ($A5050) a week for a villa nestled in the mangroves or a cabin in a traditional wooden boat. But that could change, as the islands gear up to attract and welcome more tourists.

Remoteness has been the main bulwark against mass tourism. With no air link, the most practical way is to land in Sorong, the closest town, and take a three- or four-hour ride on a wheezy ferry that began operating last year.

Signs of change are visible in a runway being hacked out of the forest, where chainsaws clearing the way for an airport due to open next year drown out the singsong of exotic birds.

A road connecting the future airport runs beside a stunning, translucent bay rich with coral that was once completely isolated but now is threatened by the impending scourges of construction and tourism.

"We hope it (the airport) will bring many tourists from many countries," enthused Yusdi Lamatenggo, the regional tourism minister.

But Jimmy Praet, manager of a company that pioneered tourism in Raja Ampat, feared that "an airport will make this place too accessible: it's so remote and unique now".

Praet's "Papua Diving," which opened the first resort in the mid 1990s, rents a dozen villas nestled between jungle and sandy beach or perched above the lagoon on the island of Kri, to up to 34 privileged guests.

"If they want this to be another Bali, the tourists will leave," Praet warned, referring to the popular Indonesian island which is often seen as a victim of mass tourism.

"We do not want to compete with Bali, we do not want to develop big resorts like in Bali," insisted Hari Untoro Dradjat, senior adviser at the National Tourism Ministry.

"Quality, not quantity, is the goal," he added. "We believe in the protection of the uniqueness of this area."

The number of tourists arriving in Raja Ampat is "actually still very low compared to other tourism destinations, nonetheless there are already signs of overcrowding on specific popular dive sites," said Mark Erdmann, senior advisor for Conservation International in Indonesia.

"The important thing will be to carefully manage tourism development to spread the pressure over a greater area of Raja Ampat and avoid crowding on popular sites," he said.

He welcomed a new regulation adopted in July restricting the number of resorts to 20, about three times the present number.

In May 2007, the government imposed an entrance fee of 500,000 Indonesian rupiah ($A55) for foreign visitors and 250,000 for Indonesians, with 30 per cent of the proceeds going to the regional tourism ministry, and the rest for conservation, education and health.

"Raja Ampat is eco tourism not mass tourism like Bali," insisted Lamatenggo, citing as proof the recent creation of seven marine parks covering a total of 1.2 million hectares, or 45 per cent of the region's reefs and mangroves.

But the government has refused to yield on development, despite repeated objections by NGOs in Indonesian Papua. Erdmann said that construction was beginning to take its toll on the fragile ecosystem.

"Raja Ampat right now is already suffering from a number of ill-conceived government infrastructure development projects, especially from 'ring road' development around many of the bigger islands," he said.

"There is in fact no real justification for these roads, as the people of Raja Ampat do not have any cars or motorbikes but rely on sea transportation," Erdmann stressed, adding that the work is smothering precious reefs.

He complained that the government had turned a deaf ear to calls for a system of public ferries to transport people and goods, in large part because crooked contractors and corrupt officials were pushing road projects, which were being built haphazardly and with little regard for the ecosystem.

Devastating assaults on the archipelago are also coming from dynamite fishing -- which is officially banned but "still exists" according to Lamatenggo -- and from coastal mining projects.

"I'd expect they'll ruin the place," joked Helmut Hochstetter, a 60-year-old German, as he prepared for a dive in the company of manta rays.

"Better then to enjoy it while we still can," he said before disappearing under water.

Belanda Akan Penuhi Tuntutan Korban Rawagede

Kementerian Luar Negeri Belanda, Rabu (23/11/2011), melaporkan, Negara Belanda bersedia memenuhi tuntutan keluarga korban peristiwa pertumpahan darah di Rawagede tahun 1947. Kemungkinan tersebut akan dibicarakan dengan pembela keluarga korban. Demikian menurut berita Radio Nederland pada hari yang sama.

Pertengahan September lalu, Pengadilan Den Haag memvonis Negara Belanda bertanggung jawab atas kerugian yang diderita oleh keluarga korban pembantaian di Rawagede, Jawa Barat. Untuk itu, Belanda harus membayar ganti rugi kepada tujuh janda korban.

"Belanda memperlihatkan rasa kemanusiaannya dengan kesediaan mereka memenuhi tuntutan korban kejahatan perang di Rawagede tahun 1947," kata pengacara Liesbeth Zegveld, pembela keluarga korban Rawagede, seperti dikutip kantor berita Belanda, ANP.

"Tidak hanya sebagai pengacara, sebagai orang Belanda pun saya juga gembira. Itu sesuatu yang baik. Para keluarga korban kini dapat menutup sejarah itu," kata Zegveld, Rabu. "Negara Belanda tidak harus naik banding, dengan alasan kemanusiaan."

Zegveld mewakili delapan keluarga korban dan seorang yang selamat. Ia mengatakan, para keluarga korban menyambut positif keputusan Negara Belanda memenuhi tuntutan tersebut. "Mereka terbuka untuk penyelesaian."

Zegveld berharap Belanda akan memenuhi tuntutan, tanpa memperinci jumlahnya. "Belanda tahu, bagi keluarga korban, ini kesempatan yang baik untuk menutup kasus tersebut. Namun, mereka tak mau hanya diganti sedikit. Itu menyangkut pembinasaan sebuah desa. Keduanya tak bisa dipisahkan."

Zegveld mengatakan bahwa Negara Belanda masih memiliki kesempatan untuk naik banding sampai 14 Desember atas vonis yang diputuskan pada 14 September lalu di Pengadilan Den Haag. Belanda dituntut atas pembunuhan massal di Rawagede tahun 1947.

"Jika tak ada kata sepakat, maka Negara Belanda dapat naik banding. Jika itu yang terjadi, maka kami juga akan melakukan hal yang sama, kendati pada prinsipnya kami telah menang sebagian."

Dua minggu lagi, Zegveld akan ke Indonesia untuk berbicara dengan keluarga korban. Ia berkata, perundingan baru saja dimulai, jadi dia tak mengetahui apakah akhirnya akan berlangsung baik. "Kami punya kepentingan bersama," demikian Zegveld seperti dikutip ANP.

KUKB lega

Komite Utang Kehormatan Belanda (KUKB) dengan lega menyambut kesediaan Negara Belanda. Menurut Ketua KUKB Jeffrey Pondaag, Belanda memang tidak bisa berbuat lain. "Saya sudah sedikit memperkirakannya," katanya kepada harian De Pers seperti dikutip Radio Nederland.

Pondaag juga berharap pemenuhan tuntutan akan datang tepat waktu karena keluarga korban sudah berusia lanjut. "Prioritas utama kami adalah keluarga korban yang terlalu lama menunggu. Makin cepat, makin bagus."

Dalam harian De Pers, Pondaag juga menyatakan senang dengan adanya perundingan ganti rugi. Ia berharap keluarga korban masih bisa menikmatinya, dan uang ganti rugi, setelah bertahun-tahun, diharapkan bisa memberi mereka lebih banyak kebahagiaan.

Ketua KUKB itu juga berharap, Negara Belanda setelah ini menyatakan permintaan maaf secara resmi.

Belanda Minta Maaf Kepada Indonesia

Pemerintah Belanda akan secara resmi meminta maaf kepada Indonesia terkait eksekusi yang dilakukan tentara Belanda pada tahun 1947 terhadap ratusan orang di Rawagede, Karawang, Jawa Barat, kata pihak Kementerian Luar Negeri Belanda, Senin (5/12/2011).

"Duta Besar Belanda untuk Indonesia pada Jumat, 9 Desember (2011) akan meminta maaf atas nama Pemerintah Belanda atas apa yang telah terjadi," kata Juru Bicara Kementerian Luar Negeri Belanda Aad Meijer. Ia menambahkan, Duta Besar Belanda akan menyampaikan sambutan kepada penduduk di sana dalam upacara yang akan diadakan di desa itu.

"Saya berharap (pemintaan maaf) ini akan membantu para orang tua itu menutup episode sulit dalam hidup mereka," kata Menteri Luar Negeri Belanda Uri Rosenthal, dalam sebuah pernyataan.

Belanda sebelumnya telah mengungkapkan penyesalan atas pembunuhan dan tindakan melanggar hukum itu, tetapi belum pernah meminta maaf secara resmi.

Tentara Belanda yang berjuang untuk mempertahankan Indonesia sebagai daerah jajahan menyerbu Kampung Rawagede dan melaksanakan eksekusi secara massal terhadap warga di sana. Para pejabat Belanda mengatakan, sebanyak 150 orang tewas dalam peristiwa itu. Namun, kelompok pendamping para keluarga korban mengatakan, jumlah korban tewas mencapai 431 orang.

September lalu, sebuah pengadilan di Den Haag memenangkan gugatan tujuh janda dan seorang yang selamat dari pembantaian itu di kampung yang kini dikenal sebagai Desa Balongsari itu.

Belanda telah setuju untuk membayar kompensasi senilai total 180.000 euro atau 
Rp 2,1 miliar.

Rumah Sakit Di India Terbakar

Sedikitnya 20 orang diduga tewas dan 40 lainnya terjebak setelah sebuah rumah sakit di Kalikut, India, terbakar. Api akhirnya berhasil dipadamkan setelah lima jam.

Menurut petugas, api muncul dari ruang bawah tanah tempat penyimpanan barang yang mudah terbakar pada Jumat pagi waktu setempat dan menjalar dengan cepat. "Banyak pasien yang menghirup asap, dan banyak juga yang tewas," kata Menteri Pembangunan Urban negara bagian West Bengal, Firhad Hakim, seperti dikutip dari BBC, Jumat 9 Desember 2011.

Usai api dipadamkan, tim penyelamat berusaha mengevakuasi pasien yang terjebak di bangunan rumah sakit berlantai enam tersebut. Sebelum tim pemadam kebakaran mencapai lokasi, warga sekitar terlebih dahulu melakukan upaya penyelamatan. 

"Kami telah memindahkan hampir 50 pasien ke rumah sakit lain yang terdekat. Situasinya saat ini sedang suram," kata Kepala Pemadam Kebakaran Gopal Bhattacharya.

Televisi India menyiarkan secara langsung upaya penyelamatan pasien yang terperangkap serta ratapan keluarga mereka. Asap terlihat masih mengepul dari lantai bawah.

Salah satu pasien yang selamat bersaksi, "Penjaga membangunkan saya, lalu menemani saya menuruni tangga. Saya melihat masih ada 10 atau 15 orang lagi di anak tangga paling atas, semuanya mencoba turun juga."