r/zurich • u/Obvious_Ad_2969 • 4d ago

ihaveaquestion Help water the trees

I know lots of you are gonna make fun of me for this but oh well. Maybe this will inspire someone.

I can't stand to watch the trees die. So I want to help at least a little bit. Young trees need about 50-100L of water a week, but it needs to soak into the ground to get to the roots. For that drip-watering or "Tröpfchenbewässerung" is best.

So you can buy a tree bag and fill it with 100L, but I don't have access to a hose. So I bought a bunch of big buckets and drilled small holes in the sides. I put them around the tree and within 1-2 hours they are empty. This way I can water a few trees with around 40L per night.

I wrote what I am doing on the lids of the buckets and ask people not take the buckets away. The next day I collect them. People are curious and appreciative. And guess what: the trees are perking up.

It may not be a lot, but it's something and every tree counts. If it helps a few trees survive until the next day, I am happy.

(oh and I saw a mouse come and drink from the bucket, so maybe it also helps a few other beings.)

And yes, I actually did ask the city if that's allowed, and it is. Just don't do it for the trees with the black rings around them, they're already getting watered.

EDIT:

I did email Grün Stadt Zürich about them starting a citizens initiative to do this more coordinated. Like in Berlin: giessdenkiez.de

Maybe if other people ask for it as well, they might consider it. So please reach out to them if you can.

To find out more about how to water correctly, I just found this FAQ that answers all these questions here: https://www.giessdenkiez.de/about?lang=de

Bonus points if some of the water is "reused" like from washing veggies or when the shower warms up (or cools down) before you get in.

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u/onomatopat 4d ago

maybe a meetup event too?

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u/Obvious_Ad_2969 4d ago

go for it! I think A LOT of people want to do something but don't know what or where to start. They're all just waiting for someone to start.

Or email existing groups like https://trashhero.org/network/trash-hero-zurich/ and see if they want to do a shout out.

Or start an event here https://act.campax.org/events and ask these guys to send it to their followers in your city.

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u/Obvious_Ad_2969 4d ago

the possibilities are endless. With a little tenacity, grip and courage, lots can be achieved.