Improving the soil

The earth at my plot at Pattinigodella was pretty barren. I think the developers had used some kind of herbicide to clear off the undergrowth. They had already cut down all the trees. They had also bulldozed downhill - so the best soil was on the plot for common use.

The land, already murdered by real-estate-Genghis-Khans, was threatened further by erosion - whenever it rained the water gouged out great chunks of the earth, carving great big runnels and taking even more soil downhill. The first thing to do was to limit erosion damage by digging two lateral drains across the land, along the contours.

The next thing to do was to cover the soil with vegetation. This was easier said than done. The earth was so barren that barely anything took root. The soil between the large plants which I put in was mostly bare, except for a few clumps of wild grass and citronella.

So then I began covering the soil with grass cuttings taken from the lawn of my rented house. This has a large lawn of about 25 perches and needs regular cutting, after which I get the clippings piled up in a corner. I started putting the clippings into large plastic fertilizer bags and carrying it to Pattinigodella in the back of my car.

I deployed this grass at strategic spots across the land, often on top of several small branches laid out diagonally. I also added compost made from the organic waste from cooking at my rented house. This too I either dumped at strategic locations or on top of the piles of grass. I also surreptitiously urinated at strategic spots when nobody was looking.