Green Friday on Kauai

A team has been pushing hard to establish a perimeter of grass 8-12 feet wide next to Iraivan, right up to the lava rock plinth. Much preparation has happened, starting with a bulldozer sloping the land, installing a substrate support grid, filling with compost, seeding and more. After a couple of months, we are seeing the results, bright green grassy area on which future pilgrims will walk barefooted to read the 35 bronze plates on the perimeter wall. Just this morning Tandu Sivanathan covered the entire area with a special fertilizer designed to encourage root growth (high in potassium). See the slideshow for progress.

Overview of the area, about 5,000 square feet in area.

Dakshinamurti is nearby, blessing Tandu\

s project. '

The driver, Kimo, who delivered many trucks of compost had to stop for a photo.

Seed is spread carefully on the fresh compost.

BEING CAREFUL TO NOT LEAVE BALD AREAS.

Deva Seyon brings the compost to the area, in buckets.

Compost is lightly spread over the seed, to keep the birds from eating it.

Notice the brown earth in the photo, so different from the green at the end.

Next we take orange netting.

It is laid on top of the seed, to precent the famous Kauai chickens from scratching it all up.

Two weeks later the seed begins to sprout!

Its a happy sight.

Tandu and Justice do a small experiment with the next phase, which is planting an apron of mondo.

This is from today, Green Friday.

This grass has the special property of being salt tolerant, so you can control weeds by spreading salt and avoid chemicals.

In another month the grass will have occupied the entire area with no dirt showing. Good job!

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