StarProperty.my team visits the FTS nursery a few months before the StarProperty.my fairs to prepare the 1,110 trees to be given out to the public.

Increase privacy, improve urban forestry, reduce erosion, provide oxygen, beautify the environment, support native wildlife and lower air temperatures. There are numerous reasons why one should plant more greens in the house, but for those who are used to urban lifestyles, gardening may seem to be a daunting task especially for the beginners.

Here are some beginner’s tips to maximise the ease of planting a tree.

First, choose the site carefully. As a tree will spread branches above and roots below, factors to be considered include proximity to buildings, streets, utility lines (overhead and buried), septic systems and drains. Think “Does the new plant suit its chosen site in the long run?” before planting a tree.

Digging a hole for the tree seems like a no-brainer, but one has to make sure the width of the hole is three times the container with sufficient depth so the base of the plant’s trunk will sit level with the ground once planted. The plant will not be stable if the trunk is too high while in danger of rotting and dying if it is too low.

Then, remove the tree from the container and set the tree as straight as possible. Gently break up the soil at the base of the root ball to tease the roots loose if the roots are wound tightly to the soil to encourage the spreading of the roots. Avoid damage of the roots as the plant might suffer “shock” and die as a result.

When backfilling the hole, one has to avoid certain situations such as compacting the soil tightly, piling soil up near the trunk, as well as adding raw fertilizers or manure to the soil mix.

Do water the plant immediately to help settle the soil. Also, additional soil may be required after settling.

The first few weeks are crucial to the plant’s survival. To ensure the root ball retains moisture while new roots spread, one has to water the new plant regularly, as well as fertilise the new tree every month to encourage rapid growth.

Last but not least, cherish the plant like a newborn child. Protect it from threats such as lawnmowers, pets, weeds, grass, fire, car and bikes.

Interested in becoming a green member of the community? Visit upcoming StarProperty.my fairs to get a plant of your choice.

There will be 400 plants given out at StarProperty.my fairs at Nu Sentral (August 15-21) and Publika Mall (Sept 29-Oct 02) respectively, and 300 plants for visitors of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre fair (Nov 18-20). The fairs are supported by premium partners Ekovest Bhd and IJM Land.

Free Tree Society (FTS) Kuala Lumpur will provide care sheets with further details to care for the plants.

Be it edible or ornamental purposes, outdoor or indoor plants, there will 20 types of plants to be given out to those who like to create a greener and better living environment.

This CSR event is a joint collaboration between StarProperty.my and FTS in an effort to encourage the public to plant more greens in their homes.

FTS president Baida Hercus said the society has collaborated with multiple parties to give away 150 types of plants and approximately 3,000 trees this year.

“Our target is to reach a figure of 6,000 trees per year eventually,” she added.

For those who like to add some flavour in their cooking, there will be edible plants including blue pea flower, Brazillian spinach, ginseng jawa, Indian borage, lime, longevity spinach, Malabar spinach, moringa, mulberry, papaya, passion fruit and pisang berangan.

One can also opt for more ornamental plants such as desert rose, duranta, kalanchoe, ruellia, Ruellia rosea, Sanchezia, spider plants and Zigzag.

Visit fair.starproperty.my or Facebook (/StarProperty) for further information.

For booth enquiries, please call 603-79671388 (ext 1105/1184) or email support@starproperty.my.

FTS Nursery at Bangsar is opened for the public to volunteer on Tuesday and Saturday. Visit Free Tree Society Kuala Lumpur Facebook page for details.

StarProperty planting and transplanting 1,110 trees at Free Tree Society Nursery.
SAMUEL ONG /THE STAR, 12TH JULY 2016.

*Information is provided by FTS.

**Subscribe to StarProperty.my on Facebook for the latest updates.

***Want to contribute articles to StarProperty.my? Email editor@starproperty.my.

****For Chinese articles, download Property Trends at Google Play/iTunes, or subscribe toWeChat.