The Mt. Rokko Green Belt Project, which we have been working on for a year and a half, has come to a close, with our forest caretakers taking care of part of the tree planting on Mt. Rokko.
Start of tree planting on Mt. Rokko
Initially, this was an activity started by just the members of the Kobe store, but thanks to the cooperation of many people, including nursery school teachers, people from nearby preschools, Tsudoi no Hiroba Muskari, Netz Toyota Kobe , and Ebeille FC , the tree planting was completed sooner than planned.
The trees to be planted are
- Purple bark : Purple berries in autumn
- Quercus serrata : Acorns fall from the trees, and their deep roots help prevent landslides.
- Dogwood : Flowers bloom from June to July. Easy to grow even in the rocky Rokko Mountains.
- Chestnut : bears small fruit
- Komayumi : Pink fruits in autumn
A total of 30 trees were planted. By planting trees suited to Mt. Rokko, the original purpose of the park is to prevent landslides and also to provide a recreational opportunity to enjoy the autumn leaves.
How to plant a sapling
This was the first time for all of us to plant trees. Mr. Akai, a forest caretaker and instructor, came and gave us a lecture on how to plant trees.
Except for dead leaves
Remove dead leaves until you can see the soil.
Digging with a shovel
Use the shovel correctly to dig a hole for the seedling to go in. If there are stones in the ground, the roots will not grow, so remove any stones at the same time.
Plant the seedling. Plant only the part of the plant that still has soil in the ground, then cover it with soil and firm the surface down with your foot.
Setting up supports
Set up the supports, being careful not to damage the seedlings.
Installing wild boar prevention netting
Wild animals come to eat the new shoots, so we wrap them with protective nets. I don't know if this simple protective net will keep wild boars away, though.
And so... We planted the seedlings in this manner. This area is full of rocks, so even if you stick a shovel into the soil, you will soon hit a rock. It's quite hard work.
Finally, tree planting begins
Seedlings are planted with at least 2m between each other.
Along the promenade we will plant trees such as barberry, which produce beautiful fruit.
Mr. Shinomiya, President of Netz Toyota Kobe, also attended today's tree planting ceremony.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who helped us.
