Radical idea: Can we "walk and sow" our way out of the heat and dust?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much the urban heat and dust have increased in cities like Pune. Urbanization is moving so fast, and we just don’t have enough trees to keep up.
I had this "wild" idea and I wanted to see if it’s actually feasible or just wishful thinking: What if everyone who went for a morning walk carried a pocketful of seeds and just scattered them as they went?
Specifically, I’m wondering about a mix of hardy, "extreme condition" seeds—maybe a combination of lawn-type grasses to cover the soil and reduce dust in the short term, and native tree seeds that could eventually provide shade.
The thought process:
• It's hard for a single person to dig a hole and plant a tree every day.
• But throwing seeds while walking is effortless.
• If we used seeds that can grow in poor, unfertile soil with almost no water, could we "magically" green up the edges of roads and vacant lots?
I’m curious to hear from the community:
Is this even ecologically sound, or would it just be a waste of seeds?
Are there any horticulture experts here who know of specific "bulletproof" breeds of grass or trees that can survive being thrown onto dry, urban soil?
Would this actually help with the dust problem, or is the "walking and throwing" method too low-yield to make a difference?
I'd love to hear if anyone has tried "guerrilla gardening" like this or if there are massive flaws in the logic that I’m missing. What do you all think?