Garden is not just plants. It is sum total of much more than what our eyes can see. Garden is the passion, the hardwork. It is a living and breathing entity. In fact, it is an ecosystem that one creates, looks after. Butterflies in the garden are the colorful bonus ...
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Brown Leaf is the forum for eco-friendly management of dry leaves. Mulching, composting and gardening are our focus areas. Why, then are we discusisng about butterflies? Yes, that is a valid question. Here is why.. On our forum, we constantly get questions and concerns from members regarding butterfly caterpillars. Gardeners ...
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Covid 19 disrupted our life as never before. Everything happened quickly, with no time to analyse, plan. All one had to do was, take the change in one's stride. For some people, it turned out a time to introspect, visit the bucket-list of things one wanted to do, but could ...
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All one needs is first successful compost. Once that is achieved, journey is easy. Many people give up before that. It is not the complexity of the process that discourages them. It is the fear of failure. Composting is not a rocket science. But it does need basic knowledge, ability ...
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'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' Apurva's blog emphasizes how ...
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Does waste exist? Mostly in our mind. Yes, think about it. Waste is waste only if we think it is. In this blog, Sonali tells us about her terrace garden, and how she “upcycled” the waste. Her blog makes us re-think the very concept of waste. As we said above, ...
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Brown Leaf Video 2: Why exactly trees shed leaves? Trees lose water through the pores on the leaves called Stomata. Image courtesy: dreamstime.com In summer, when trees need to conserve the water, what is the best strategy? Lose the leaves, right. Fallen leaves form a protective layer over the soil ...
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Here is the 3rd method, enclosure composting. Pit and pile are very cost-effective methods. They need minimum efforts. But often, people feel the pit and pile do not look neat. Sometimes, when people spend something on the project, only then they take it seriously. You will have such strange interactions ...
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There are so many ways of making compost. In this wonderful Guest Blog, Gaurav Shukla shares his successful experience of composting. Guess what he used as a composter? An earthen pot. Yes, that is the point. You don't need to buy expensive composters. Simply start with what you already have ...
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Introduction From time to time you will observe some insects in the compost. This is the stage when you would worry something has gone wrong. Then, there are our skeptical family members and neighbors who give you "I told you so" looks. They add to your concern. Family members are ...
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We know dry leaves is a huge challenge. But why exactly trees shed leaves? What must be the reason? Let's discuss why leaf-fall occurs. Trees that shed leaves for some part of the year, are called "deciduous trees". Trees lose water through the leaves through the process known as transpiration ...
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If at this stage you are not confident of creating your own plan, don't worry. We will help you. Just fill in this form below. Let us know some details of your area. And we will create a plan for you. Give us a week to get back to you ...
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What happens in nature Have you been to any forest area? Area where there is no human interference? Whatever leaves fall on the ground, remain there because there is nobody sweeping off those leaves. Forest floor looks something like this, isn’t it? For a landscape where humans do not reside, ...
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Vision: “Not a Single Dry Leaf is Burnt in India” Problem: Around November to March is the time when deciduous trees shed leaves. A large quantity of leaf litter is generated. It is often burnt since that seems the most convenient option. Burning of dry leaves is banned in many ...
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CASE STUDY 1 Millennium School in Pune, Maharashtra has developed a vegetable garden for its students using canteen waste and dry leaves. They cultivate all kinds of vegetables, fruits in this garden. An organisation nearby has a lot of leaf litter. I suggested them the model of partial compost and ...
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Do you want to manage dry leaves within your premises? Use this template to create a plan for yourself. Don't worry, it is not as difficult as it sounds. Use these pointers below, check what is applicable to you and create the plan. For composting method, use our comparison chart ...
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Leaf fall starts around mid-October and continues till June. In no time, dry leaves are everywhere. Every horizontal surface in sight is covered with a layer of dry leaves. Burning seems the easiest way to get rid of dry leaves. In this video series, we will learn, why leaf fall ...
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There is no waste in nature. Neither there are infinite resources in nature. Then, how the natural processes have continued for so many years, without waste and without running out of resources. Secret lies in the circular nature of the processes. Output of one system serves as input to some ...
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Municipal waste is the challenge across all cities in India, if not the world. Why there is no concept of waste in nature? Because in nature, processes are cyclic. Output of one system serves as input to some other. Problem occurred when we adopted the linear system, create - use ...
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Leaf fall season starts around mid-October and continues till June. These 6 months of the year are challenging. Dry leaves are just about everywhere. In fact, every horizontal surface gets covered with layers of dry leaves. Burning dry leaves is not at all advisable (Why not? Check here, https://brownleaf.org/why-we-should-not-burn-dry-leaves/) Then, ...
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In this wonderful blog, Chitrang Narkar shares his first stint with mulching and composting and journey to successful harvest. We hope more and more people take inspiration from Chitrang and take up these eco-friendly measures for dry leaves management. It was just another Saturday morning; I was having my breakfast ...
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Brown Leaf came into being in Pune city in February 2016 as the forum for eco-friendly management of dry leaves. Since its inception, thousands of gunny bags of dry leaves have been exchanged through the forum. All those leaves that would have gone up as smoke, have gone back to ...
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In this Guest post, Brown Leaf member Kirti Bhave shares how mulching salvaged her terrace garden Kirti stays in Pune city. She has created a beautiful terrace garden on her parent's terrace. She cultivates a variety of vegetables and fruits. Always fond of composting, she makes her own compost using ...
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In a moment, we will discuss 3 methods of composting and in the subsequent section, I will help you choose the right method for you. Here are a few guidelines that are common, no matter which method you choose. In the article about composting, we discussed ATM of composting, Aeration, ...
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Introduction Okkay, you are convinced that mulching and composting are good options. You started composting, and now what? Composting itself is not very significant unless it is followed by gardening, isn’t it? In this section, we will discuss where that compost is used. Shall we start? Gardens without soil, Why ...
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Copy and replicate Such dry leaf exchange forum can be setup in other cities as well. You can start it in your own city. How? Here it is On individual level Leaf-donors are all around us. Do you know anybody in your society/ lane who does terrace gardening? Approach them ...
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The challenge Come winter, and our streets, footpaths, building premises, rooftops, any horizontal surface in the sight is covered with dry leaves. From time to time, we sense acrid smoke coming from neighbor’s backyard, from the side of the street, where leaves are being burnt. My Experience I have a ...
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This is the most convenient method and it costs almost zero. As we discussed in the section “compost”, soil contains a variety of microbes. In the pile, there is constant contact with the soil. Hence this method does not require much inputs from us. Soil takes care of most of ...
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Pit Composting First composting method, we discuss is Pit Composting. Traditionally that is how composting was practiced. There used to be a pit in the backyards and all the kitchen waste, leftover foods and dry leaves were deposited in that pit. Composting used to happen at its pace. As we ...
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I am sure you will love this part. I am asking you to be lazy here. Yes, this mulching involves doing nothing 😊 Yes, believe me. Do read on to know more. When we collect and donate all the leaves, soil does not get back nutrients it lost. Yes, I ...
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If you have plants in the balcony, on window seal, or on the terrace, still you can practice mulching very effectively. Here is how...   https://youtu.be/T-qwA45XAj0 ...
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Leaves that have fallen in the plant-beds, under large tree, let them be there. (as far as possible). In case plant beds are situated near a tree where leaves do not fall naturally, then do active mulching there. Remember the rule of thumb, soil should always be covered, either with ...
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For dry leaves, mulching and composting are two best strategies. Just a quick recap of both, Mulching is mimicking what happens in natural landscape. We cover the soil surface, in garden, in plant beds, in pots and planters with crushed dry leaves. Layer of dry leaves helps soil retain moisture ...
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In nature, processes are cyclic. Means there is no end to it. Output of one system serves as input to some other system. That is why there is no “waste” in nature. While we, humans used natural, biodegradable products, there was not concept of waste in human settlements either. We ...
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Mulching is the process we recommend the most. Why? Because mulching is the process by which we mimic what happens in the natural landscape. What happens in the natural landscape? Let’s see.. Have you been to any forest area? Yes, like this? Wooded area with no or minimal human interference? ...
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Why we should not burn dry leaves November arrives, and we see dry leaves falling from the trees. They are just everywhere. Streets, footpaths, gardens, society premises, backyards. Our city literally gets drowned in dry leaves. We simply don’t know what to do with all these dry leaves. What do ...
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We discussed why leaf fall occurs and why it is not a problem in natural landscape. Then, why such a big fuss about it in the cities? Why it is a problem for us? For most part of history, humans have led a nomadic lifestyle. Our ancestors used to gather fruits, ...
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Why exactly do leaves fall? Rains are over. There is a slight chill in the atmosphere. Winter is just around the corner. Soon, sweaters, scarves, blankets will come out of the wardrobe, after a long break. It is a healthy season. Eat and be happy. Ideal one to go for ...
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Hello, Welcome to blog of the month – March 2020 This is the very first blog, a baby step towards collective intelligence, knowledge-sharing, idea collaboration platform. Every month, we will introduce a challenge, provide a few inputs for the solution and discussion begins. Members are encouraged to comment, share their ...
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Every one of us wishes to create a green corner amidst this concrete jungle. There are a few basic elements that plants need; sunlight and water, the vital among them. In an urban landscape, there are so many factors beyond our control. Your lovely balcony garden in it can be ...
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After break-down of Soviet Union, Cuba, its alley, went through energy crisis. Cheap fossil fuel supply it received from Soviet Union in exchange of sugarcane, suddenly stopped. Acute energy crisis led to food crisis. Scarcity of fuel made it difficult for farm produce to be sent to the cities. Per ...
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“Altogether world’s soils have lost up to 80 billion tons of carbon”. The soil will save us, Kristin Ohlson Exactly how much is 80 billion tons? 1 ton is almost 1000 kg (907.185 kg to be exact). Imagine, total 80 billion tons means 80 billion x 907.185 kg of carbon ...
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“I saw brown leaf story on YouTube echo India and I was very happy to see what you people are doing. Today I planted one bamboo plant on the occasion of dushera. It’s been 5 years I haven’t burnt any crackers. I don’t want to burn crackers and spread air ...
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I know, it is quite a tall order. Here is how, “When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to ...
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A leaf shred is a leaf saved.. In the last week’s Brown Leaf blog, we had guest blogger Ratna Gokhale, who shared how she made leaf shredder at home, what difficulties were faced and how they were overcome. In case you joined late, here is the link to the blog, ...
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Home-made Dry Leaves Crusher - Ratna Gokhale. A professor of Mathematics, a passionate gardener. Her background of mathematics is evident in the experiments she has done in her garden, the precision, analysis; Her garden is a living laboratory. In the next week’s blog, we will visit her garden. Here is ...
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This is the 3rd blog on mulching. You might wonder why I am so obsessed with it. Actually yes, I am. I am amazed with the design of nature. Resources in nature are limited. Resources are used and re-used. And that’s why this system has gone on and on, for ...
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Come winter, and falling leaves is a big headache for majority of city dwellers. What If I say, after reading this blog, you will be glad to have all those dry leaves around? Yes, no kidding. I can do that 😊 Stay with me, and I will convince you. What ...
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In this week’s blog, we discuss in detail, most-nature-friendly way of utilizing dry leaves. It is the easiest and yet much ignored way. If you have garden, large trees, then mulching means almost doing nothing. It is the dream, isn’t it? Wish to manage dry leaves with mulching? simply do ...
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Buena Monte Society, Pashan road, Pune From November to April, management of dry leaves is one of the major concerns for people. Especially for the societies with a lot of trees, it becomes a nightmare. Currently, we are discussing various composting methods in the weekly blogs. In last 3 weeks ...
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How to build a dry leaf composter, part 3 Method contributed by Kirti Bhave, Pune. Introduction part is a continuation of the two past weeks’ blogs. If you have already read them, if you are already convinced that you should go for composting, then feel free to skip this part ...
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Introduction part is a continuation of the last week’s blog. If you have already read it, if you are already convinced that you should go for composting, then feel free to skip this part. Directly go to “Let’s build the composter” part. If you haven’t read last week’s blog, and ...
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Let’s Compost, Part 1 First, let me convince you why you should compost dry leaves in your premises. Because it is the right thing to do. Because it completes the nature’s cycle and follows soil-to-soil principle. (Link) Because composting and not burning leaves, reduces air pollution. Because soil that has ...
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Butterflies around us Session by biodiversity expert Dharmaraj Patil Recently, Brown Leaf, Organic Gardening Group and Jividha, 3 initiatives in Pune, jointly organized session on butterflies. Why this session? What is the connection between dry leaves, gardening and butterflies? We in the city, strive to create a green patch amidst ...
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Dr. Sarika Tiwari, Pune Here is why and how Sarika started garden Meet Dr. Sarika Tiwari, a homeopathic consultant by profession. A doctor and mother of two, Sarika feels that “Grow your own food” is the need of time. She was concerned about toxic chemical pesticides used on fruits and ...
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Rina Patwardhan, Pune Here is why and how Rina tai started garden Rina has done BSc. and MSc. in Horticulture and PHD in Special genetics and plant breeding. Wow!! Amazing, isn’t it? Asking Rina why she created garden is pointless; she had to 😊. Originally from Assam, Rina is settled ...
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अमंत्रमक्षरं नास्ति नास्ति मूलमनौषधम्‌ । अयोग्यः पुरुषो नास्ति योजकस्तत्र दुर्लभः॥ This Sanskrit verse means, no sound/mantra is without any significance, no plant is without special properties; no person is unworthy. What is rare is the one who identifies the qualities and connects the dots. Okkay, I can see that big ...
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How to create a garden, part 8 Anjali Lele, Pune Here is why and how Anjali tai started garden Being a post-graduate in Botany, love for plants, backed up by solid knowledge defines Anjali tai. She has a garden on ground as well as on the terrace in Pune city ...
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Garden set up in the school premises, uses nirmalya from 2000 households. Organic matter goes back to the soil, nourishing it. It reduces stress on the river. 2000 students get connected, 2000 households become aware of environmental issues. Students bring nirmalya bags to school. No separate transportation is required. Nirmalya ...
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Shashikala Dagade, Bavdhan Budruk, Pune Here is why and how Shashikala tai started garden Coming from a farming family, gardening came to Shahsikala tai naturally. She, before marriage used to live in a village named Paud, on the outskirts of Pune city, where her family cultivates seasonal crops. She later ...
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Suchitra and Shirish Diwan Income Tax Lane, Pune Mr. and Mrs. Diwan reside in a lush green locality in Pune city. They have developed a beautiful terrace garden. Thankfully for them, their close family occupies the whole building; so, they did not face challenge of opposition from neighbors. Of course, ...
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Kirti Bhave, Prabhat Road, Pune Meet Kirti Bhave, a passionate gardener, mother of two energetic kids. It is not possible to make terrace garden on her apartment building. Hence, Kirti has set up her garden on the terrace in her mother’s building, who stays 4-5 buildings away. This is the ...
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Sejal Sheth, Shaniwar Peth, Pune Profession: Dentist Today, let’s visit, Shaniwar Peth, a densely populated neighborhood in Pune city. This area has history of more than 300 years. Many heritage structures and memories of old Pune can be found here. Eventually the old residential buildings, called “wada” made way to ...
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Shamika Kulkarni, Pune Meet Shamika Kulkarni, an architect by profession, a passionate gardener with green at heart. She has very creatively woven her knowledge of landscape architecture into her garden. Garden is planned, but not manicured. She has managed to preserve the “wild” aspect while introducing order in elements. Here ...
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Bharati Barhate, Pune Take a turn into the lane from noisy Karve Road, with its heavy Pune traffic, impatient honking and entirely different world awaits you. It is the garden around the building or it is the building amidst the garden; difficult to tell the difference. Meet Bharati Jawale-Barhate. She ...
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You have a tree in your backyard. It provides soothing shade in summer, hosts various birds. You see squirrels running about its branches. It shelters so many kinds of insects.It is immense pleasure to look at. This patch of green is your oasis in the amidst the concrete jungle.Come November, ...
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Amod Rahalkar, Pune It is Sadashiv peth, part of old city of Pune. Peth means sector. It was created in mid-18th century during the reign of Madhavrao Peshwa. Since then, it has only seen growth. One of the highly populated areas of Pune, narrow roads, cramped houses define Sadashiv peth ...
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Well, the thought of “growing our own food” is wonderful. I decided to give it a try. Making a salad? Just pick up a tomato and cucumber from the terrace, pluck a few leaves of mint here and basil there. Wow! That is the dream. No traces of chemical fertilizers, ...
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Keeping home clean is never ending activity, isn’t it? You sweep every day and still furniture is covered with dust the next day. And what if we skip a few days? Or if we are away? Oh, can’t even imagine. Layers and layers of dust everywhere, parapet, table tops, furniture ...
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Medha Tengshe, Aarohi Society, Pune House with a beautiful garden, birds chirping, kids playing around; that was the picture in most of the cities and towns during 70’s. Then cities started growing at unprecedented rate. Commerce, industries concentrated in urban areas. People moved to the cities for employment opportunities. Eventually, ...
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We hear this word “Soil-less Garden” from time to time. It is a relatively new concept born in urban landscapes. Cities are the center of commerce, huge infrastructure. Due to this very reason, people come to cities for employment opportunities. Eventually all cities hit the limit to growth. It is ...
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Why there is “waste” where humans live and how we can eliminate it Earth is much older than us. Any river in India is a few lac years old, if not crore. They have been here even before humans walked this earth. For most part of our existence on earth, ...
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Brown Leaf came into being in February 2016. Around same time, I created this website, www.brownleaf.org.Now after two and half years, why am I exploring this option of membership website?First, what exactly is membership website?It is like subscribing to a magazine. One pays annual subscription and receives regular issue. Issue ...
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For dry leaves, mulching and composting are two best strategies. For details please visit.. Here is a brief about both… Mulching is mimicking what happens in nature. Whatever falls on the floor remains there.. Shed leaves form a carpet, layer over the soil. This layer remains as it is throughout ...
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In nature, processes are cyclic. Means there is no end to it. Output of one systems serves as input to some other system. While we, humans used natural, biodegradable products, there was not concept of waste. We used plates made of leaves. We used clothes made of natural fabric. Newspaper, ...
Read More

Mulching is the process by which we mimic what happens in the natural landscape. What happens in the natural landscape? Let’s see.. Have you been to any forest area? Wooded area with no or minimal human interference? How does the forest floor look? If we do not sweep and collects ...
Read More

November arrives, and we see dry leaves falling from the trees. They are just everywhere. Streets, footpaths, gardens, society premises, backyards. Our city literally gets drowned in dry leaves. We simply don’t know what to do with all these dry leaves. What do we do? There is fire, there is ...
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Around November, leaf fall starts. There are piles of leaves everywhere, on the roadside, on the roofs, in the society premises; just about everywhere. Did you notice, none of the leaves are green. They used to be green on the tree. But then they turned yellow or brown and then ...
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Rains are over. There is a slight chill in the atmosphere. Winter is just around the corner. Soon, sweaters, scarves, blankets will come out of the wardrobe, after a long break. It is a healthy season. Eat and be happy. Ideal one to go for a jog in the morning, ...
Read More