Fauji Forest Farm

15/04/2026

Our Mango Journey at Fauji Forest Farm 🌱🥭
Mangoes are special in India and i wouldn't be wrong if i say everone loves mangos.

Current status of mango plants at far:

4 years old: 1 seed-grown mango

2 years old: 2 grafted (Kesar) + 1 in-situ seed-grown

9 months old: 8 plants in 4 planting spots (each spot with multiple seedlings)

Now the real story behind these numbers…

Over the past 7 years, we have:

Planted 200+ mango seeds

Lost 60+ plants

Seen near 100% mortality in the first 3 years

Yes — for three years, nothing survived.

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The Turning Point

Our first successful mango survival came in 2022.
Then:

2024: 3 planting spots survived

2025: 3 more planting spots survived

This may sound like small progress — but in the Thar desert ecosystem, this is a breakthrough.

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What Changed?

In the early years, we were still learning.

We underestimated:

The importance of microclimates

The intensity of heat, frost, and wind stress

The role of soil biology and structure

Also — we didn’t yet have microclimates.

Today, that has completely changed.

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Key Learnings (Hard-earned)

1. Mango needs a “guardian tree” in Thar
For the first 4–5 years, mango cannot survive alone.

It needs a shade/support tree that:

Protects from extreme summer heat

Shields from winter frost

Breaks hot and cold winds

Without this — survival chances are near zero.

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2. Microclimate is everything
Over time, as our forest developed:

Shade pockets formed

Wind speeds reduced

Soil moisture retention improved

Only after this did mango survival begin.

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3. Soil is not just soil
In Nagaur region, soils are typically alkaline. Not preferred by Mango. It needs acidic soil ph.

How we improved ph:

Heavy addition of organic matter

Mixing in buried wood logs & branches (moisture banks)

Adding sulphur to slightly lower pH (makes nutrients more available)

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4. Mycorrhiza is a force multiplier
Using mycorrhiza:

Extends root reach dramatically

Improves access to water and nutrients

Increases survival in harsh conditions

In desert conditions — this is not optional.

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5. Planting strategy evolved
We moved from random planting → to planting in “spots”:

Multiple seedlings per spot

Natural selection + redundancy

Higher probability of at least one survivor

6. Realization that seed grown mangos have better root structure than the air layered ones led us to grow more seedlings. Which are more likely to survive and thrive in longer run.

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Where We Stand Today

We are genuinely grateful to have reached this stage.

There was a time when survival felt uncertain — today, we have living, growing mango plants across different age groups, and more importantly, a system that supports them.

We are confident that mangoes will become a part of Fauji Forest Farm.

A special thanks to family and friends who supported this journey by sending mango seeds from Kanpur, Bangalore, Ichalkaranji, Gujarat, Pune and many other places.
Even though those early seedlings did not survive, the support behind them mattered deeply — and continues to inspire us.

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The journey continues 🌱

10/04/2026

🔥 Summer Test Begins: Can We Protect Our Forest This Time? 🌱

At Fauji Forest Farm, this year we have successfully overcome the winter phase. We’ve now crossed spring and are stepping into the most challenging months — May and June.

Spring ended on a positive note, with generous rainfall from western disturbances giving our plants a strong push forward. 🌧️

Last year, these exact two months hit us hard — we lost nearly 90% of our one-year-old plants. It was a tough lesson.

This time, we’re better prepared. Each plant is protected with its own green net wall to shield it from hot winds and harsh afternoon sun. On top of that, heavy mulching has been done everywhere to lock in moisture and support root health. 🌾

Now comes the real test.
Hoping we cross these next two months without major setbacks. 🤞

09/04/2026

FFF Tip #4 🌾
मल्चिंग में लंबी घास और डंठल का इस्तेमाल करें, बारीक चारा नहीं।

फसल का बारीक कटा हुआ चारा (जैसे ग्वार आदि) जब ऊपर मल्च के रूप में डाला जाता है, तो यह एक सख्त परत बना सकता है — जिससे पानी और हवा का जमीन में जाना मुश्किल हो जाता है। 🚫💧

इसके बजाय, ऊपर की मल्चिंग के लिए लंबी घास, डंठल और मोटा जैविक पदार्थ ज्यादा उपयुक्त होता है। 🌿
यह परत ढीली रहती है, जिससे:

पानी आसानी से मिट्टी में समा जाता है

हवा का प्रवाह बना रहता है

नमी लंबे समय तक बनी रहती है

👉 बारीक चारा मिट्टी में मिलाने (soil preparation) के लिए अच्छा है, लेकिन सतह पर मल्च के लिए लंबा और ढीला material बेहतर रहता है।

04/04/2026

🌿 एक पल… जब प्रकृति ने खुद जवाब दिया 🌿

दिसंबर 2025 की बात है, Fauji Forest Farm पर — एक ऐसा पल जो हमेशा याद रहेगा।

हमने कुछ जमीन का काम करवाने के लिए JCB बुलवाई थी। सूखी लकड़ियाँ कुचली जा रही थीं और चारों तरफ हलचल थी। मैं और मेरी माँ बस खड़े होकर ये सब देख रहे थे।

तभी माँ ने दूर एक खेजड़ी के पेड़ पर बैठे एक शिकरा की ओर इशारा किया।

हम उसके बारे में बात करने लगे — वो क्या खाता है, क्या वो हमारी मुर्गियों के लिए खतरा हो सकता है। मैंने जो पढ़ा था, वो बताया कि हमारे जैसे इकोसिस्टम में उसका मुख्य शिकार चूहे ही होते हैं।

और फिर… कुछ अद्भुत हुआ।

जैसे प्रकृति खुद हमारी बात की पुष्टि करना चाहती हो।

जैसे ही हमारी नज़र वापस गई, वही शिकरा अचानक हमारे पास एक झाड़ी के पास झपटा…
एक ही पल में उसने एक चूहा पकड़ा… और उड़ गया।

न कोई शोर, न कोई हिचकिचाहट — बस सटीक और सहज क्रिया।

मैं और माँ एक-दूसरे की तरफ देखे… और मुस्कुरा दिए।

उस मुस्कान में एक गहरी समझ थी —
प्रकृति अपना संतुलन खुद बना रही है।

शिकारी भी है, शिकार भी है।
जीवन अपनी लय में आगे बढ़ रहा है।

और उस पल में Fauji Forest Farm सिर्फ एक प्रोजेक्ट नहीं लगा…
वो एक जीवित, साँस लेता हुआ जंगल महसूस हुआ।

🌱✨
शिकरा की अधिक जानकारी यहां - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikra

04/04/2026

🌿 A Moment That Felt Like Nature Whispering Back 🌿

This happened in December 2025 at Fauji Forest Farm — one of those moments that stays with you.

We had called a JCB for some earthwork. Dry wood was being crushed, and the land was buzzing with activity. Amidst all this, my mother and I stood quietly, just observing.

She suddenly pointed towards a Shikra perched on a khejri tree a little distance away.

We started talking about it — what it eats, whether it could be a threat to our chickens. I shared what I had read: that its primary prey in an ecosystem like ours would mostly be mice.

And then… something incredible happened.

Almost as if nature wanted to confirm it for us.

The moment we looked back, the same Shikra swooped down right beside us, near a bush. In a swift, precise movement, it pulled out a mouse… and flew away.

My mother and I looked at each other… and smiled.

That silent smile carried a powerful realization —
the ecosystem is balancing itself.

Predators are here. Prey is here.
Life is finding its rhythm.

And in that moment, Fauji Forest Farm didn’t feel like a project anymore…
It felt like a living, breathing forest.

🌱✨

Here is more about Shikra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikra

26/03/2026

FFF Tip #3 🌱
सूखे इलाकों में पौधा ऊपर नहीं, थोड़ा नीचे लगाइए।

सूखे इलाकों में पौधों को ऊपर नहीं, थोड़ा नीचे लगाना बेहतर है। 🌱 हम हर पौधे को ज़मीन से 6 इंच नीचे लगाते हैं। इससे मिट्टी ठंडी रहती है, हवा से बचाव मिलता है और बारिश का पानी अंदर जाता है। 💧 पौधों के जीवित रहने की संभावना बढ़ जाती है!

19/03/2026

Around our diggi (open water pond), we recently completed a continuous 3 ft wide and 3 ft deep trench.

All the branches from farm work were first crushed, then filled into this trench using JCB and tractor, and finally covered back with soil.
This creates a sunken hugelkultur ring around the pond.

Over time, the buried wood will start acting like a sponge—absorbing water during rains and irrigation, and slowly releasing it back into the surrounding soil. As it decomposes, it will also add organic matter and nutrients.
Since this trench runs all around the diggi, the bamboo and other trees in this zone will benefit from a consistent underground moisture and nutrient source.

What looks like plain soil today will gradually turn into a long-term support system for everything growing around it.

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18/03/2026

Sweet bounty of Green mulberry fruits🌿
Early signs of abundance at FFF

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17/03/2026

What if the walk from the gate to our home wasn’t just a path…
…but an experience of abundance?

Lately I’ve been thinking of creating a continuous corridor of fruit trees along the pathway — mulberries, Jamaican cherry, falsa, anjeer, pomegranate and more.

The idea is simple:
👉 No matter when someone visits, there should always be something to pluck and eat along the way.

This thought was originally sparked after watching this video from Andrew Mollison—
https://youtu.be/b5Xgw_DqmEw?si=sY1uYR2b4yG9tJiV

What struck me was the idea of creating a “corridor of food” — I want to try and do it at FFF… in our own harsh desert conditions.

Now I’m curious:
👉 If you were walking this path, what would you love to pluck and eat?
👉 Any hardy, low-water fruit species you think I should include?
👉 Or any design ideas to make this more magical?

14/03/2026

🌳✨ The Long Road to Sandalwood at Fauji Forest Farm ✨🌳

Sandalwood has always been a dream for us at FFF — a tree with very high value. But it is from karnataka and making it grow in thar is a steep challenge.

2021: Our first attempt with 50 white sandal saplings. Only 3 survived the first season. Today, 2 of them stand strong, a living reminder of our first attempt

2022 (March): A hasty decision — planting in summer — cost us all 50 saplings to the heat. A harsh lesson in timing.

2022 Monsoon: We tried again with 50 saplings. This time, 20 survived. Every leaf felt like a victory.

2023: We paused, to observe. No new planting

2024: A bigger step — 220 saplings. Only 30 survived. Again, new lesson learnt, we passed all the hurdles but lost at the last one.

2025: 200 more planted. As of now, ~190 are thriving.

Today, about 60 sandal trees are 2–5 years old, and nearly 190 are less than a year old. This year, we feel confident — our approach is systematic, tested, and aligned with the rhythms of FFF. Microclimate has also become more supportive.

Every surviving tree tells a story of a determination, a fight and a survival.🌿💚

Most of our learning happened from booklets and videos from Mr Nitin Patel. His work to spread sandalwood knowledge is great.

13/03/2026

A Tree from Childhood Memories – Jamaican Cherry 🍒🌳

Some trees are not just plants. They carry memories.

Jamaican Cherry (Muntingia calabura) — known as “Gasagase Hannina Mara” in Kannada and commonly called “Jamaican Cherry / Singapore Cherry” in Hindi — is one such tree for me.

When I was in Grade 3-7 in Bangalore, there were many of these trees in the jungle around our school. During lunch breaks, we used to climb the trees and pick the ripe fruits. The small red berries were incredibly sweet, and those moments with friends around those trees are memories I still cherish.

Because of those memories, I really want to grow this tree at Fauji Forest Farm.

But there is a challenge.

Jamaican Cherry does not tolerate cold well. Temperatures close to 0°C can kill the plant. At Fauji Forest Farm, winter temperatures can sometimes drop to –7°C.

So planting it randomly would almost certainly fail.

To grow such sensitive trees in a harsh environment, you have to look for natural microclimates.

There are always spots that stay slightly warmer, even during extreme winters:
Near buildings or walls
Close to a water body
Under existing tree canopy
In protected corners where cold winds don’t settle

If you observe the land carefully, these frost-resistant pockets always exist.

My father is traveling to Bangalore, and I have asked him to bring five plants of Jamaican Cherry. We will plant them in carefully selected protected spots.

If everything goes well, Fauji Forest Farm will very soon have the sweet bounty of Jamaican cherries, as this tree grows and fruits extremely fast.

And maybe some new childhood memories will be created around those trees too, if not for me, for my son.

13/03/2026

Helping Young Plants Survive the Desert Summer 🌱☀️

At Fauji Forest Farm, planting trees is only the first step. The bigger challenge is helping young plants survive the intense desert summers.

Small plants are very vulnerable to the strong afternoon sun and hot wind drafts. Without protection, the heat can burn tender leaves and slow down their growth.

To protect them, we use a simple method.
Two rods are placed on the west side of the plant, and a green shade net is stretched between them.

This blocks the harsh afternoon sun while still allowing enough light and airflow for healthy growth. It also protects the plant from the hot desert winds that can quickly dry out young leaves.

This shade net is only a temporary solution.
Around these plants, we have already planted support species like Subabul, which are growing fast. As these trees become bigger, they will naturally start providing shade and protection.
Once the support species are capable of doing this job, the green nets will no longer be needed. The ecosystem will take over the role of protecting young plants.

Interestingly, this is actually such a simple and effective solution, but it has occurred to us only in the 6th year of building Fauji Forest Farm.

Just when you think you have thought of all solutions, something new comes up! Its a constant learning and discovery.