Free guide to propagate Chilean native plants
Recently the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), belonging to the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile, has published a guide that teaches to plant and care for Chilean native species, satisfying with this a longing, mainly in the perspective of industrializing the cultivation of some fruits rich in antioxidants such as maqui or sarsaparilla.
In Chile, when going to the countryside on vacation, or to the beach, or the mountains, we will find that the vast majority of forests correspond to forest plantations or monocultures of pine (Pinus radiata) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus), both species introduced for industrial exploitation. .
The question immediately arises: Where is our beautiful native forest? Unfortunately, it is harder to find it every day, and therefore, its proliferation as its care depends on everyone.
One way to contribute to maintaining native trees is to work on their proliferation and plantation through collective or individual initiatives such as Reforestemos Patagonia, for example. But in a particular way you can also collaborate, and for this purpose this guide has been created.
The maqui
The free-to-use guide developed by the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity "Propagation of native flora: experiences and stories from southern Chile" details with illustrations how to plant 31 plants native to the country, from larches to sarsaparillas.
In the case of maqui, it is advisable to collect their ripe fruits and then dry them for ten days to plant them in February. This propagation system ensures that the maqui germinates and takes root in an approximate period of 20 days. The process ends after a year where they can be transplanted and treated as a culture.
The initiative compiles the work carried out by scientists from the Biological Station of the Senda Darwin Foundation, and especially by the manager of the native flora nursery Juan Vidal.
«Native forests provide vital services for human beings, such as climate regulation, cleanliness and water supply, the provision of food, and the production of the oxygen we breathe«says Javiera Díaz, agronomist and editor of the publication. «Insects, birds and animals that inhabit these forests play a fundamental role in pollination and other processes that support life"He adds.
In this way, squares, parks and domestic gardens will now be able to shelter these types of trees, helping to preserve the natural habitat. «Plant trees that form a small wild habitat to attract pollinators that are adapted to live in them, thanks to a joint evolution between insects, animals and plants, which has taken millions of years«.
As if that were not enough, native trees have characteristics that make them attractive for landscaping projects and spaces that need aesthetic renovation. Among the species in the guide, some particularities stand out such as «the orange trunk of myrtle; the fruits of the maqui; the beauty of the flowers of the chilco; or the citrus aroma of meli leaves«.
The book is available free of charge on the scientific dissemination website of the IEB, 6 Senses.
Source: 6sentidos.cl
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