HOW TO PLANT A SPEKBOOM
PROJECT SPEKBOOM!
A Chamberlain community project to help improve CO2 emissions for future generations.
Spekboom Spectacular
At Chamberlain, we strive to preserve the world for future generations and always look for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This year, our focus is on minimising CO2 emissions, and luckily nature has provided a CO2 sucking superhero to help us achieve our goal.
Enter 'Portulacaria Afra', also commonly known as the Spekboom. This botanical marvel acts as a carbon dioxide sponge and can absorb between four to ten tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare!
Indigenous to South Africa, this succulent can be found towering high on the north-facing mountain slopes of the Eastern Cape and the semi-desert Karoo regions. The Spekboom can grow up to 5m high and live up to 200 years old. This wonder plant is also highly drought tolerant and easy to propagate, rooting with little effort from cuttings.
How To Plant A Spekboom
- Cut roughly 3-5cm of branch at a 45-degree angle
- Trim roughly 2cm of leaves above the cut
- Stick the branch upright in soil
- Water the cutting every 2-3 days
- Wait until new branches sprout
- Repeat the process
Our Goal
Initially we aimed to plant 20,000 Spekboom cuttings on our premises to counterbalance the carbon emissions from our transportation fleet. In just two months, we not only met but surpassed our goal, planting 21,000 cuttings. Now, fuelled by our success and driven by our commitment to create a better, clearer future, we're raising the bar even higher.
With your support, we aim to double our impact, setting a new target of 40,000 cuttings. This goal will enable us to neutralise the carbon emissions from the transportation activities of our entire workforce.
Join us as we strive to make a difference, one Spekboom at a time.
What Can You Do To Help Out?
Plant it forward! Take a little piece of Spekboom, plant it in your garden, and let it grow. (Keep the black planter bag you received the cutting in; you will need it for later.) Once it begins to sprout branches, trim 3-5 cm of a branch and replant it in the original black planter bag. Pass along the cutting to a friend, neighbour, colleague, etc., and have them follow the same steps.
Let's work together towards creating a cleaner, brighter future. Join us in planting it forward and making a positive impact on our planet.