SEEDLINGS ON STONY GROUND
Planting trees at Saihanba, where temperatures could drop to minus 43 degrees, was a tricky proposition.
In the 1960s, young recruits planted 427 hectares of larches, but hardly any survived, less than eight percent.
"We used to truck in seedlings from northeastern China, and from the south, but it was hard for them to survive the local climate," said Yi Guizhi, a retired tree-planter.
People cultivated seedlings, and took care of them throughout the year. "We sowed the seeds in early spring, cared for them through summer and autumn, and properly protect them through the winter. The seedlings grew to have strong roots, and they were not tall, but rather stout," said Yi.
Over the years, trees in Saihanba survived some of the worst drought, frosts and pests.
"We used almost every known technique to keep the trees alive," said Wang Jianfeng, another veteran tree-planter.
"For some plants, we grow them on the land for two years, and put them in jars for two years for them to become strong enough, and then transplant them back to the land," he said.
Plantation efforts are not uncommon throughout China, but many were futile because of a lack of constant care.
In order to succeed, people at Saihanba were persistent. In 2017, about 6,000 hectares of stony land remained, where tree planting was extremely costly and hard.
"We never waited until there was enough money, or enough manpower. We decided it was the right thing to do, to turn the last piece of barren land green," said Liu Haiying, head of the forest management office.
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2020-09-15
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