Growing trees in the desert

Growing trees in Baikonur has to be seen as a prowess, The semi desert landscape that surrounds the space city shows that a very limited number of trees species can naturally grow in the extreme conditions of this area.

Therefore, almost all species have been imported in the "new city" and ingenious solutions have been found to resolve problem such as:

• no water in the immediate under ground as well as no much rain
• high temperature in the summer period associated with drought
  
• a limestone clay and sand type of soil which is rather poor in organic elements,
  
• the salt of ancient sea that has contaminated lower geological layers,
  
• freezing temperature which is a killer for bark and the blossoms or young leaves,
• etc...
  

Trees do have a hard life in Baikonur:
Not only from the nature :-)

Only sustained and continuous efforts make the miracle possible: To grow trees in the desert and make the new city "green".
Since a couple of days, many environmental technicians and agents are at work in the Baikonur streets to prepare fort the big seasonal transition.

The first visible action is the pruning. It has started here in the Peace Park for a week already,

or next to the Arbat street where you can observe a more drastic cutting. Note the white colour at the bottom of the trunk. This "white painting substance" is used everywhere to fight against parasites/fungi and to prevent bark cracking during freezing periods (?)

Large quantities of fresh ground are transported to the city by trucks.

This is used to replenish the soil at the foot of the trees bringing essential nutritional elements.
Korolev Prospekt

Burning dead herbs of the past season is a also a widely used technique in Baikonur. This let to think that soils are rather acidic as ashes brings potassium and carbonates that will slightly increase soil pH .
Here, on the Gagarin Avenue, as well as everywhere else in the city, a dense piping system bring the necessary water to the plants in the warm season.

At the same place, dried Camel feces is also widely spread as a natural (and local) fertilizer.

Dead trees are replaced by new plantations properly supported.

At many places, one can also observe the digging of the unfrozen soil, the necessary preparation for new flowerbeds like here under in front of the Science and Cosmos Stela.

All these efforts will for sure pay in a couple a weeks when the season change will definitely make us forgetting the very cold winter. The city will suddenly look like an "oasis in the desert".

A description of the various acclimatized species of trees that can be found in Baikonur parks definitely deserves a dedicated message.