October 2018
Dear friends of AMIGOS ARBOLITO
Five months after our arrival in Ecuador, here comes our official newsletter.
View of the Quinta from above, to the left of the house you can see many Guayacan amarillo
Finally arrived!
In the middle of May, we arrived in Esmeraldas, and since then, we can personally take care of our little trees. When we arrived, it was still the rainy season, and some weeds were taller than the trees. We cleaned the area and examined the condition of every single tree. Since then, we have regularly inspected the trees, talked to them, and enjoyed this beautiful project. We have also been able to assign new godparents to several trees, which makes us particularly happy.
Differences
It is impressive how much the trees have grown in part; you can almost watch some of them shoot up. But a few also hardly grow at all or are sick or infested with pests. The different soil conditions are one of the reasons. We have loamy, heavy soil, sandy lighter in other places, and some "tierra negra", fertile black humus soil. While the water runs off quickly in the upper part of the terrain, in the lower part, the wetness accumulates during heavy rain. This was taken into account during planting. Most of the Guayacan amarillo are at the top, while the Fernán Sanchez, for example, thrive magnificently at the bottom. Nevertheless, we had to transplant a few unfortunate trees and even put some in the "sanitarium" to recover. There they receive daily care in the shade of the mango tree before moving to their new location.
The largest guayacan from the first stage compared with the smallest. Both trees were put in the ground at the same time. A transplanted samán is slowly recovering after losing all its leaves. Under the mango tree, seedlings are waiting to be planted.
Dry season and a crown
Now there is a dry season, and rain is rare. Each little tree is watered every other day. All now get a so-called "corona", a crown. The soil is loosened to a diameter of about 1 meter so that more oxygen penetrates the earth. A mound of dirt is poured around the trunk so that it does not become musty from the water. Then a circle is formed with soil. In this circle, we water them; occasionally, there is a round of fertilizer to prevent a lack of nutrients.
A “corona” around an oak tree. Watering and fertilizing are not directly by the trunk but in a circle. This protects the trunk from rotting and promotes root growth. Tireless work in the blazing sun. It takes several days until all the little trees have their crown. The daily watering takes at least two hours. Don Ricardo usually does this work.
Thank you
We are grateful for all the help we receive here, the many hours of voluntary work, and competent expert advice from various sides. Thanks to our many sponsors, we can employ personnel from the village part-time and procure the necessary tools. Many trees are still waiting for a sponsor, so we also thank all those who forward our newsletter, tell acquaintances about the "Amigos Arbolito", recruit sponsors, or share our posts on social media. And, of course, a big THANK YOU to all our sponsors and supporters!
Sincerely, your
AMIGOS ARBOLITO Team
