pounding down earth around tree roots
A gardening technique of firmly tamping soil around the base of a tree after planting to stabilize it.
adding short branches at the base of an ikebana arrangement
In ikebana, the practice of placing short, leafy branches or filler material around the base of the main stems to hide the kenzan (spike holder) and create a natural look.
For a newly planted tree, it is important to firmly tamp down the soil around its roots.
In ikebana, small branches and leaves are used for the base covering.
Compound of 根 (ne, 'root') and 締め (shime, 'tightening, fastening'), from the verb 締める (shimeru, 'to tighten').