Hi everyone. I have been using these methods in Saudi Arabia for more that a year now and have had amazing results. The same exact spices have been used. More lucina and siganporian daise. I will post videos on it soon to the channel. Very exciting to see that Geoff is recommending these trees and herbs as mulch and I’ve been lucky enough to be using them by chance.
I showed your videos to my neighbours, two from Qatar, the rest from Palestine. They showed strong interest in how much change can be achieved in that hyper arid land. Are any students/instructors able to get into Palestine and teach those farmers permaculture? It's one thing they really could use.. When I first saw that land, dusty, rocky, barren, I said to myself, "Wow, that's one challenge I don't think I could take on." Years of progress is so wondrous, replacing dust to green. Thank you, for the people who live in Jordan, relatives of my neighbours, and training people to finally get some progressive actions to have foods without the costs of import.
Israeli military blocks Palestinians from crossing into Jordan, so even if the Palestinians could afford it, they couldn't get to Jordan. I realize Geoff would need Israeli permission to enter Palestine, and would need to assemble farmers or others to get to him. Unfortunately Israel is operating an apartheid system, so Geoff or anyone from Jordan would have to abide by Israeli military rules and oversight. Palestinians need this type of help.
Its israeli land and they already working on a permaculture method in the south east if the negev where no one lives. Nobody cares about fakestine , they should move to jordan.
@@ninemoonplanet I've been thinking about desert permaculture for Palestine for a decade. Don't wait for Geoff to arrive - have your palestinian friends watch the videos on RUclips and start following the info. They can probably take the course online, maybe even for free.
@@ninemoonplanetAnyone from that region knows that the Jordanian military won’t allow anyone through who has been through the Israeli border. Stop bringing politics into places where it is not welcome, this is an educational video
I love the low key statement that y'all broke records for olive oil quality...I have no doubt you all produce some of the most incredible, nutrient-dense foods ever. As a child, I thought botany was boring. Now I know our lives literally depend on it, so I guess it's not so boring anymore.... :)
Ok, I see you. Jesus and Permaculture, eh? The way the world is going, I think that combo is gonna get more and more popular. That's the team I rep, anyways. God and His ways above everything else.
Thank you for all of your videos... especially the ones addressing dryland strategies. I live in Tucson, Arizona within the Sonoran Desert. It's definitely capable of growing more but the long drought we've been experiencing is a challenge. I've been following your advice for 6 years and I'm able to grow and keep alive more by mulching (rocks, wood chips, horse/cow manure/ chicken manure mixed with pine shavings). I grew 20ft Laucaena trees, so beautifully, but lost them during our winter and 3 hard freezes (zone 9b). They are slowly coming back in May. I plant vegetables in 15 gallon containers under mesquite trees so they receive some shade during heat. I like your perennial suggestion. I found Mexican Petunia's pretty and an easy to grow, self seeding (a pest at times) ground cover. It's been great for mulching. Love all of your videos, thank you and your team.
2 questions regarding Mexican petunia 1) is the botanical name RUELLIA BRITTONIANA? 2) Does it take up more moisture than succulents would. Think I'd want a less water thirsty living mulch.
@@b_uppy Yes, you have the correct botanical name. I can't answer your other question ... haven't compared the two plants. I know that Mexican petunias grow easily and are tolerant to dry spells. Where there is watering happening in support of other plants my Mexican Petunia's will grow up to 5 feet tall. They make great mulch in the late fall. If left in the garden they will bloom almost all year.
For anyone living in AZ, I know that these methods are a lot about getting non-native plants to grow, but we actually have many native food plants! In fact, all 3 of our main native legumes: palo verde, ironwood and mesqute, are edible and delicious! So I highly recommend using them as shade, mulch and food while actively supporting native wildlife :) We have so many other edible native plants too like chia, cholla, prickly pear, saguaro, saltbushes etc! Im definitely not advocating against bringing in things like olives and whatnot, but adding in native plants whenever you can is a great way to support ourselves and our pollinators :D (Ps AZ has the highest diversities of native bee species in the US and possibly the world!)
Very informative. I have seen the benefits of this over the past 3 years. The soil in my yard is getting better at supporting more plants and grasses. I simply let the grasses grow without chopping it thru the rainy season, at which point I cut it all and made compost with it. This past rainy season, I did the chop-and-drop using the grass and the vegetables I grew are thriving, as well as some trees. Now I am using goat manure in and on top of the soil and mulch with the grass on top of the manure. I don't need to water as much, the soil stays moist longer. So I use less water to water my plants. In fact, I use water from cleaning utensils I give chickens water in most of the time now. My water bill hasn't gone up by much despite growing more plants. Compost tea from goat dung has percolated deep into the soil too and helps with improving nutrient profile of the soil. Worms are more plentiful too. Over the next few months after southern hemisphere winter, I will be planting lots of fruit trees finally. I hope to have a food forest in a few years in my yard.
Congratulations! Hint, bury biochar. It's even better if you soak the biochar in a nutritive solution. See the "Garden Like A Viking" You Tube channel for more on this.
We're planning on how to use some of your techniques here on the ranch in Jalisco, Mexico. Fortunately we don't have so many problems with water, considering there's a rainy season that lasts for about 4 months, and also some natural springs on the property. Even so, many parts of the property get very dry during the dry season, so we hope to look at cultivating ground cover and mulching to keep the moisture in for the whole year. We're looking at the plants we can already find on the land to put to use. For example, we can get some equisetum from near the creeks and use it to make a reed bed for processing our grey water. There's also a herb which seems to be edible, which it seems the previous groundskeeper was using as ground cover near a banana tree. So we'll see if we can use that. Also some verdolaga/purslane which might be useful and tasty. Greetings from Mexico and thanks for your work. Showing your videos to my companions has planted some seeds in their minds, seeing what is possible.
You should consider the proliferation of huizache and mesquite because they are nitrogen fixers and are ubiquitous in Mexico. You are under the misconception that you do not have a water problem. Yes, you do. There two terms in Jalisco, estiaje and sequía. You do not use your spring for estiaje but only for sequía. You must rely on mulch and rain harvesting techniques. Here is a gastronomic 2020:13 suggestion: Beef mole, a side of verdolagas, 20:13 20:13blanched cactus garnished with freshly chopped coriander. There are many Tequileras inJalisco that need removal of the bagazo and vinaza. This perfect good mulch for you.
@@estebancorral5151 thank you kindly. You are right, we do have water problems. The verdolaga is growing well, though slowly. There are a lot of oak leaves on the ground that we use for mulch, so that's something. We're not too close to Tequila but maybe there are some tequileras around. It's cool to get something which is rubbish for someone else, and turn it into something useful. God bless
Thank you Geoff, family and team. At a time of never ending bad news your permaculture videos are a wonderful, positive tonic for the spirit. I visited your own permaculture farm seven years ago and it remains one of the most uplifting experiences of my life. I am lucky to live in a similar environment not far from there and constantly refer to your teachings in an effort to become more self sufficient. 💕
This is awesome Geoff. Thank you for the more in depth tour and explanation of mulching. When I was living near the sea on Cape Cod, I mulched my raspberry patch with ten inches of washed up sea weed. The soil temp, moisture, and fertility were wonderful. I never had to pull out any unwanted plants around the raspberry plants. And there was always an super abundance of delicious raspberries, enough to tide us over winter! Mulching is something superb to do.
Scrambling to deep mulch trees here in 6b7a drought......did it when first planted them several years ago, dug swales and berms since we are on a 10% grade. About halfway done.... Always in the lookout for local tree companies needing to dump chip....very blessed....noticed early on the volunteer trees that grew out of first chip pile looked better than any other trees.....over 200 planted trees here....staying busy.....then I go back and water until it runs off....
Thank you so much Geoff for the tour. It's amazing to see the changes and progress and systems all working. Congratulations and I will continue to use your ideas, knowledge you provide free, and systems, in my own half acre in rural NSW, Australia.
Greetings from Arizona zone 9B, thanks for all of your tips and tricks, we definitely use them in our portrait and Vineyard and it works wonderfully! Cheers 🥂😎
For saline and saline-sodic soils I've discovered a wonder. Well, more like the wonder discovered me: Batis Maritima. It grows naturally in that kind of soils in the Caribbean. I used to fight it until I discovered regenerative agriculture and now is my best ally.
Dig a hole in the desert and you may find moist soil. If you mulch you will make the most of that moisture. First Americans in the Southwest have corn that can be planted a foot deep. Decades ago I used bags of grass clippings in Albuquerque, NM, to dramatically improve soil in a couple of years.
I would love to learn more about the stone wall swales. I am along the Gila River in Duncan, Arizona and I am in a flood zone that will flood every 10-15 years. I wonder if the stone walls would help hold the integrity of my swales during those dramatic events? Which side would you use stone walls for the swale?
@@gussampson5029 LOL, I didn't get it, either. But it looks like something we have here called Ice Plant. It's a succulent, likes the hot weather with very little water. Closed captioning said "carborotus," which is not helpful, either. LOL.
Very interesting Geoff. Pretty sure the groundcover you are calling Caprobrotus is in fact Sesuvium portulacastrum, used a lot in the ME as an ornamental groundcover, as is Wedelia. A flower would soon tell which plant it is! Purple plant is a form of Ruellia, probably R. ciiosa. Very inspiring, I hope to initiate something in the UAE at some point.
@@przybyla420 can you define ecofascist for me? I consider myself an environmentalist and I think the current thinking on high-invasive-potential species is scuffed and needs a rework (i.e. I think they do need to be recognized as high invasive potential, but at the same time I think there needs to be more nuance than just "it's bad, don't plant it" - e.g. black locust is mostly easily eradicated in the same way as any other thorny tree, but honey locust is horrifyingly sharp and esse delendam).
Great to see. It is amazing to see all that green. I totally believe overgrazing and free range livestock contributes majorly to desertification as natural regeneration is unable to occur when all the weeds and ground cover is eaten up.
The purple flower is called flor de san pedro in Spanish I think. They smell really nice at night right? They dye off in winter and come back in spring and summer in the mediterranean.
What about layers of rocks over the first mulches to keep them from blowing away? All of it in the pit surrounding the first trees. Or in the adjoining swales.
I really like that theoretical idea of silvapasture/shadeing for ground crop growth. Out in colorado i am thinking of starting a 4 acres garden (walnut, almond,pecan,apple, pears, cherrys, peaches, plums orchard with bushes of blueberries, blackberries/elderberries etc between the trees and grapes on the fencelines) then growing a vertically to tree limbs if i can... squash pumpkin beans as a test. Maybe even throw some rows of strawberries etc in raised bed containers and then run chickens free range through there in the warm months to eat the beetles etc off. then winter crop throwing buckwheat down on the pasture to green manure the rest of the 60 acres while the 4 acres (leaves and branches) provide feed for me and the goats. Still gotta figure some stuff out and probably will try to figure a hay for the bulk of the land... but if i can get something to be efficient enough on 4 acres i may just creep that to the horse barn area, main barns and house area and slowly work the bulk of the pasture like that until my seasonal creek basin is just 3 acres of prime hayland quality pasture/hay. Might be a pipe dream in the short term but if i can get somethings to go my way...
Great to see you talking about mulch! That Carpobrotus is great, I'm growing one in Perth called pigface, I think it's in South Africa too. Grows well in semi arid climates.
I helped a cousin who lived in eastern Washington state turn his yard into a lawn. It started as hard-pan, and they'd tried putting mulch on it but that had only a negligible result over three years. What I did was till up the ground ten inches deep, then put six inches of mulch on top, then tilled sixteen inches deep, which mixed the mulch into the top layer of soil. What this did was give enough organic matter that the ground absorbed moderately quickly where before water had pooled and mostly evaporated despite the mulch on top. After one good rain where the neighbors' yard had standing water that mostly evaporated, my cousin's yard absorbed most of the rain. With another heavy rain forecast in a few days I implemented my next step: they had a rabbit which of course produced copious amounts of droppings that were high in nutrient content, so while the soil was damp we spread rabbit droppings in a layer about 3/4" deep and tilled that into the top eight inches. Since the ground was highly alkaline, and since coffee grounds could be had for free by the five-gallon bucket load, we mixed another 3/4" worth of coffee grounds with the rabbit droppings before tilling. After the next rain we bought enough "planting mulch" mix to cover the ground an inch deep; we mixed grass seed and some vetch seed into the planting mulch thoroughly and spread the result out evenly then tamped the surface down so it was smooth and level. He had to water it a few times through the summer but that was the last time; with the organic content in the upper layer of soil and a light addition of light mulch each spring that yard turned lawn became the envy of the neighborhood; it turns brown in mid-summer but becomes green again after the first rain (which sometimes comes in August!). The only things he added after the second year were corn gluten meal granules and coffee grounds. That lawn was a superb selling point when they got a new house! Anyway, I related this to point out that sometimes mulch on the surface isn't enough and tilling in a first batch of mulch to give soil fiber and the ability to actually absorb water can get things started. It isn't even necessary to till the entire area if you're just trying to green it (as opposed to making a lawn); in Eastern Oregon with the same sort of alkaline soil it's been show that tilling some strips or circles covering only a fifth of the area and tilling in compost/mulch is enough to jump-start things; once there is green plant cover on those portions the earthworms will slowly but steadily extend the borders, turning more and more ground into actual soil -- it's just necessary to keep the entire area well-covered in mulch (including coffee grounds; in small amounts the earthworms love them).
Did anyone catch the name of the succulent ground covers? Cabarutus? Thanks Geoff, great video.. even after taking your class, these are still so helpful and exciting
Awesome to get an update, one of the most interesting projects on youtube :) How are the neighbours faring that took up some of the permaculture concepts?
The mulch is also very useful and important for organic growers in areas where there is plenty rain. Fungi will feed from the mulch, and provide plant available nutrients to the roots from the plants. Healthy plants will have a certain amount of sugar content that is high enough to protect them against insects. Insects are not capable of digesting those amounts of sugar content, that is why you will never see that healthy plants, living in a healthy soil with a high diversity of micro organisms, (fungi and bacteria) and enough bio mass from the right composition, getting attacked by insects. Fungi is for 70% the most important factor for a healthy plant growth. At least that is what I learned from watching this lecture, Why insects do not (and cannot) attack healthy plants | Dr. Thomas Dykstra | Regenerative Ag
Wondering what trees to plant at high elevations in the southwest US that would grow fast, provide shade and survive with just a little help to get started on growing a food forest?
I have started talking about a difference between a desert and a dryland. A dryland is a place where rainfall is near-desert, but the status of vegetation is better. It seems like you have created a system where a desert is being converted to a dryland, with minimal inputs (mulch, water, bit of rotational energy to move the water, and obviously the work to earthmove to catch rain).
This video was very interesting and informative! I was just wondering about the Singapore daisy...! Sounds like Lantana, good soil underneath and quite a pest...!
Mulch will kill whatever is growing beneath it. So you can mulch everything and then make holes in the mulch to plant what you want to plant. It also helps to cover the entire ground with cardboard if you want to kill everything. Cardboard with a mulch cover. Then make holes in the mulch/cardboard layer to plant whatever you want.
Annual clovers, vetch, fenugreek, comfrey, and fast growing acacias (wattles) to replace the leucaena. I'm in Tasmania (home of Bill Mollison), and I would live to see Geoff Lawton do more teaching on cold/temperate permaculture.
Hi, thank you very mocht for this knowledge shared! I do have a question. Can we also add chicken or cattle manure to speed up the process of soilcreation? And if so, do we mix it with leaves and wood chips or do we cover the manure with them? Thanks again.
I believe you have to go carefully with fresh chicken manure because it’s so strong, but if mixed with enough mulch, it tones it down. Best to age it a bit before adding is what I’ve always heard. I believe cow manure is immediately useable. Anyone who has more experience than I do, please amend or add to what I have said here.
Chickens and ducks on your own land are great to add to the mix. Cows can work too if you have enough land. If you buy manure you have to be very careful. There are persistent herbicides, like grazon, that are used on some pastures that can kill your plants when you use manures from animals that ate the hay from those fields.
Hi. Compost both manures. Mix first with lots of dry herbaceous material. Keep moist. Never apply uncomposted manure because even if it is low in npk like cow manure, it carries risks that composting will eliminate. Straight chicken manure will burn whatever you are growing.
Great as always, Quick question- what are the permaculture solution to Potato Beetle problem ?? Is there anything reliable to repel or intoxicate the hungry monster?
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Be neat if you were or Mark Shepard were go to a conventional California orchard that someone is wanting to rehab according to permaculture practices. Always hear Californians whining about water rights. I'm 💯% certain there is zero or poor ground covers being used in most instances. Also see zero rainwater harvesting employed. It would likely be initially impractical to remove large portions of the trees out of production, to plant different trees and shrubs to improve diversity that way. It would be interesting to see how much impact a permaculture approach can have in these chemical- and irrigation-dependent valleys.
Yup. I haven't driven past many orchards on the west coast where there's any ground cover, aside from some of them having grass that is manicured. I watched a church up the street from me do a replanting of Christmas trees. They only put down a thin layer of cow manure when they planted. Otherwise it is bare earth. Their trees appear to grow slowly and not be as "full" as they could be.
@@ronniemcmaster8657 I am wondering how it could be best improved seen many where it's bare ground in Cali. Sounds like terrible practices under the circumstances. Would love to know maintenance stats before and after.
I’m sure there are many reasons why commercial ag would not use mulch one of them may be it interferes with the harvesting equipment especially tree crops like almonds or, but the system is messed up for sure
@@heritagefamilydental Depends on the mulch, and the plant. Wonder what kind they would choose to rehab. Almonds and avocados are certainly a challenge.
As controversial as it would no doubt likely be, it would be absolutely fascinating to see the Nabatean water harvesting, storage and irrigation infrastructure features at Petra restored for the purposes of implementing a permaculture system to support further local Bedouin employment, [particularly women] and make tourism more sustainable in that part of Jordan. If nothing else, it would serve as a fascinating way to study how an ancient society functioned; archaeology in real time.
My God, can you imagine the beauty if that would happen?! I would love to see Petra just as is, it's on my bucket list. But wow, I can only imagine what it would be like after 10 years of Geoff's strategy.
@@pinkelephants1421 Avdat is another Nabatean site. It was not as ornate as Petra, but the engineering was just as impressive. No two Nabatean sites were alike because they were designed to be site specific.
That "purple flower": Ruellia. Not sure which species however. R.simplex? R. brittoniana? AKA (in English anyway) "Mexican Petunia". Here in Spain it seems a good candidate for chop and drop systems.
the purple flower plants... you don't know it... you apologized that you didn't know it. that maybe the only time I know of that you didn't know a plant variety. such a beautiful location. you did well Geoff.
12:07 A carborutus ? Purslane? High in vitamin C, can be eaten raw in salad? 17:24 that is mexican petunia - but you knew that. For my live ground cover in summer is the blue flowered tradescantia, purslane (carborutus) at the moment. I have loads of Mirabilis too and they are all self seeding and serve as a shade of the soil for the larger plants like my corn/hollyhock/tomatoes/chard /squash etc. I'm currently concentrating on getting more trees in all around for water retention and shade for ground food and bushes.
I wonder if this works on sandy soils as well, I bet it does in the long run, but for my 'small' 5000sq meter garden I think I want to dig some compost into the ground, atleast for the fruittrees, to get a quick start, an then mulch on top for the rest, like bushes and herbs. I live in a temperate climate, but it feels like the water just drains stright out under the soil, not so much evaporation.. First year on new soil, lots to figure out..
Me and my dad planted 60 nut trees on our property in central texas late last fall, little did we know we would be in the worst drought in a decade here this year, we've gotten a few inches of rain this year at best and it's been well over 105 every single day for weeks now... what I can say from my limited experience on my 100 acres is that mulch is worth its weight in gold. Any tree that didnt get mulch dried up and died very fast. The difference between those with mulch and without is comparable to night and daytime. I havent watered in over a week and the soil underneath the mulch is still damp and about 20 degrees cooler than the ground around it. I forgot to mention that my soil is almost 100 percent shell rock that starts about 3inches down if that. I had to dig 2ft holes for the trees to even have a place to be put in with a rockbar. I know it maybe apples to oranges comparing solid rock to sand but I was pretty hopeless before discovering permaculture, now that I've implemented some of the techniques, I swear by them. Try your local dump ground or exposition center, anywhere that does rodeo's might be willing to fill up the bed of your truck with the cleanouts from the horse stalls which is great because it's got all them nutrients in it too. Dont sleep on the mulch though, it is my lands most powerful weapon in combating desertification
@@tysongibson6941 this is why the eradication programs of huizache and mesquite in Central Texas is stupidity. You keep them as a pollarding and coppice species to provide mulch for your money makers. Instead, of waisting money on fossil fuel or electricity. Use a FEMA design wood gasifier. Run the shredder on the wood gas. Save the ashes which are loaded with potassium to pamper your trees. Inoculate your shredded mulch with wine cap mushroom (Stropharia Rugoso Annulata) spawn. Fungi are there to speed up the phosphorus recycling amongst your trees. You should look into Jean Pain plenty of information on RUclips.
A realy great tutorial. Thank you. I have one question. I am in the very early stages of introducing a permaculture system to my small 2000m2 olive grove(31 mature trees)in Paxos, Greece. We are within zone 9b. Everyone in Greece is concerned with fire risk, with last year seeing 10's off thousands of hectares going up in flames taking livelihoods and homes with it. Is this deep mulching method going to put my home and twitchy neighbours at risk? I realise that without seeing it in the flesh I may be asking the impossible, but any advice is welcome.
I would like to hear from others with experience on this. My thought initially is that mulching cools the soil and helps retain moisture which over time can refresh the water table so the plants have something to drink all year. Fire breaks might be of value to build into the layout of the land, but really, when the land is moist from the water getting planted in the rains and not evaporating or running off immediately, you would have a far smaller fire hazard.
I think if you plant support leguminous species densely, you not only put less flammable mulch but after a year or two not only you will have a lot of shade which will also reduce fire hazard via increasing moisture in soil and organic matter and in soil but you also bring your food forest system a step forward and produce all your high quality nitrogen on site. in my experience there are some good ground cover plants which you don't even need to sow their seed and some are actually edible like lambs quarter. I think they also contribute to the fungi in soil as they are mostly "woody plants". of course you can use other plants that you want some plants as Geoff mentioned have "gels" that reduce evaporation and are fire resistant. not only that but you can use fire resistant trees as well there is video in Geoff's channel about how to fire proof your land, other than that using swales,dams, ponds high in the property obviously increase moisture in soil and help mitigate any fire risk. I only have one eighth of an acre so i can't put many pond here in north west Iran near lake urmia and we have a temperate climate with hot Mediterranean summers -10 in winter +40 in summer with 12 to 22 inch's of rain I know it vary alot it's pretty wild after shrinkage of lake we get less buffer against climate change which is sad, we used to have much more snow and rain and much more acceptable temperature's back then it's mostly caused by ignorant human interventions and people drilling lots of wells to irrigate wheat,beet flood irrigate orchards...sigh I talked too much And went off topic sorry
also the chop n drop mulch you do will be be under shade and they're not gonna catch fire easily since they are green and if you put them in swales they'll be damp ,wet and decomposing so they'll be almost non flammable
By implementing Geoff’s strategies you are helping to reduce overall fire risk by several different means. That said, there IS a greater chance of fire breaking out in a mulched permaculture site than on bare, scorched earth ground devoid of plants or any organic matter. It’s important to try to educate authorities and neighbors, as much as an uphill battle this can be. And to diligently design with the inevitable risk of fire in mind. The best way to prevent fire is to obsess over possible ignition sources and worst case scenarios, since the vast majority of wild fires are ignited by humans.
As you've touched on it several times - can you talk some more on plant succession, how you move through or plan succession cycles and how you plan the plant strata?
Would it help establishing an initial hardy herbatious layer using a few goats, which grazes on these plants, to come "prune" the young trees and leave their droppings on the barren soil?
if you have a pummice like volcanic rock/ashstone you can use that as mulch because it will shade the soil keeping it cool and reducing evaporation, it will keep the wind from causing evaporation and the key factor of pummcie is that it doesnt transmit heat ie it insulates so also keeping the soil cool. this will allow you to plant pioneer species without any organic mulch available. if you cant get pummice get wide flat stones and lay them on the soil. they will also shade the soil but heat will eventually transmit through the stones as they heat up.
What are good perennial ground covers for arid areas ? I'm trying to apply the principles in Spain and finding suitable perenial ground covers that can put up with 5 months of no rain and torrential rain is difficult
I would love to know the equivalent plans for high mountain prairie/desert. Which trees and ground cover and mulch to start with? My current mulch is wood shavings from pine and cedar. I’ve purchased a branch chipped so I can process my cottonwood branches that drop.
There is a lot of dry grasslands and mountain ecosystems in the South West US that don't seem to get much attention by permies. We could really use someone like Geoff Lawton to give us a guide on where to start.
@@williamhad I'm currently working on a 6 acre property in Twentynine palms CA, Mojave desert. The end of life goal there is to get the local communities embracing this style of living and spreading like a green virus.
How does the perennial ground cover help with the fertility of the tree? Exchanging nutrient? And the olives were better because of herbaceous ground cover? Not understanding.
What is the name of the grand cover he mentions at 12:09 ? The subtitle says "carburetors" (???). It looks like portulaca ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca ) . Anybody knows? Thanks
Tried to use variations Geoff's pronunciation +succulents and it's seeing succulents instead of trying also search for a similar sounding word, or carburators... Someone with specific knowledge will need to weigh in.
While I though it was Purslane as well. Which is another succulent and edible btw. I believe he is referring to Carpobrotus en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpobrotus
Ruellia is the name of the plant with purple flowers. That stuff grows fast and can withstand heat and drought fairly well (I'm in Texas). Also, after they get a drink all the purple flowers open up and the bee's and humming birds love them. It can take over a space if not cultivated yearly, and its difficult to remove completely as it keeps coming back from the rhizomes that are left in the ground. I had to look up the name, we just call it "the bamboo looking stuff with the purple flowers."
Hi Jeff; sorry I am not sure if I am spelling carburutus right , when I looked online cant seem to find it, but I found some old car parts . Lol. is the carburutus plant the same as Purslane ???
@@RegenerativeMojave after you told me the botanical name I found is called ""Ice Plant"" ,I can't believe I was looking for carburetors .Lol 😂😂😂 Thanks
Another tip for revegetating land: To supplement bark-mulch or, replace it entirely with, grass clippings (from mowing) -- seed-heavy grass, that is. It will promote grass coverage 😁
For those that have yet to learn this, you keep mulch away from direct contact the the trunks of trees. This prevents gnawing animals from girdling and killing them.
It depends on where you are. Paul Gauchi has proven dropping more than 12 inches of wood chips over the ground and up against hist trees does no harm. Leaves and branches naturally pile against trees in the forest and the forest prevails.
@@b_uppy How? He started it more than 40 years ago and has seen no issues. The whole contact with tree trunks thing is a myth. The only time it may be a problem is when it is above a graft and the grafted part sprouts roots, then the tree is no longer a dwarf, which is a good thing for me.
@@ronniemcmaster8657 Because it is anecdotal. There may be enough rodent control in his neighborhood that it isn't a problem. Some trees lack the ability to regrow...
@@b_uppy I think the problem you originally mention is an old wive's tale. I've yet to see trees having the problems you speak of. I would think it more wise to deal with the rodents, which are the problem. A few barn cats would resolve the issue.
I live in Arizona, a state in the southwest USA. We desperately need help. This area is dry but now it's even worse because of our years long draught. Our local and federal government does nothing. . Is there anyway your organization can assist? Workshops? Public education campaigns?
I think starting your own permaculture compound , making sure you track the start snd progress visually and written in a log, would be a huge start. It seems to me that adobe walls to outline your site and help keep the wind and bigger grazing animals out would be a help too. If you share Geoff’s videos with your family, friends, neighbors, and community at the local library and other organizations, I think you’ll find a few interested helpers and self starters like you to share the journey. And I would add that you watch your thoughts… keep your thoughts turning always to the joy of a green property which is inspiring many others to do the same until it is the norm. Any bumps in the road, just thank them for showing up, let them go, use their challenges to come up with better ways, and move forward with your joyous vision. Nature appreciates those who appreciate her and things come together more easily for those who are appreciative. Think of a child or coworker who complains and one who keeps being thankful… which do you find yourself helping more? I hope this helps and wish you all the joy and success along the journey.
If anyone knows what variety of Carpobrotus that is it would be amazing if you could reply to this message. It is commonly know as the Ice plant, and we have its bigger cousin growing in our garden. Bright pink flowers. But they are the kind that grow as thick as your finger and I don't like it as much as the one Geoff shows here. Same as the Singapore Daisy, a latin name would be much appreciated!
You did not fully understand. You can only plant the fruit species after the support species have been established. The spacing between the trees will depend on the specifies you want to plant.
Hi y'all Sorry I'm late. I've I've question, I'm on the Savannah Wsy far north qld, about 90ks from the table lands forest edges... we are soil on sand in clay... we have around 35 fruit trees established on the land we brought I've been mulching for 12 months amd the results are fantastic so far, I'm at the stage if planting as much as possible this 12 months, as part of a 5yr plan... My question is on yr jelly, ( succulent) ground cover.. any chance you'd do a small list of what you think are best for 75 25 desert land.... we have good water bore filtered, x2 133.000lt rain water tanks + if needed we are still hooked to the towns supply as well... so water at this point I think we have covered... Some drip irrigation but I have a daily walk an water routine, every day I hand water many trees that I test moisture 1st... I'm finding the 6inc of mulch we've made is ready to support life, under all the bigger trees, all around 15 20 foot hight, mango, lychee, apple, blood orange, lemons, grape fruit, limes black berries, mulberries, Fig, Nectarine, peaches, the strongest or oldest we are proergorgating from cutting the oldest trees as to keep woth all we grow being hitloom veg and trees proven over 25yr or more...no GMOs... Thank you for your knowledge from your amazing cranial universe, if you have time for a list of succulent ground covers for desert growing apart from what's shown here thated be great....
hi, super fun thank you! i cant wait to get started! i cant find the “car bor utes” plant online. i dont know how to spell it. can you help me? this vid helped me so much, my container trees are burning up here in texas.
04July2022: Oh please tell me the spelling of the ground cover that contains gel, "cargarutus"... "carbarutus"? I apologize that I can't hear the word clearly enough. I live in the desert in the US and am desperate to get at least a couple of acres covered.
Never mind, someone else below answered this question. It's carpobrotus or ice plant. -I've tried searching every spelling and i can't find it either. I hope he answers-
When you use green mulch, won't most nitrogen dissolve in the air anyways? When the leaves turn brown, it loses its nitrogen to the air right? So almost nothing will go into the soil i believe. Maybe covering it with brown mulch might be better for nitrogen conservation? Can anyone advise me on this?
Not sure on this, I assume that like making NPK fertilizer from urine, the off gassing of nitrogen can be prevented by adjustment of the pH using wood ash. See Rich Earth on RUclips for all the science on retaining the nitrogen ect. Hope this helps.
Hi everyone. I have been using these methods in Saudi Arabia for more that a year now and have had amazing results. The same exact spices have been used. More lucina and siganporian daise. I will post videos on it soon to the channel. Very exciting to see that Geoff is recommending these trees and herbs as mulch and I’ve been lucky enough to be using them by chance.
Awesome!!! May your good example spread through to your family, friends, neighbors, and beyond!
What's the name of the channel, how can we find it.
Amazing work. How much rainfall do you get yearly? How do you deal with water gathering?
السلام عليكم شاكر، ممكن تشرح لي اكثر عن الطرق الي جربتها ونفعت معك ؟ انا في المدينة واحاول ازرع
Channel??
I've asked the neighbours in our village for their cuttings to get a decent amount of mulch. They still provide it to me and I'm very thankful for it.
I showed your videos to my neighbours, two from Qatar, the rest from Palestine. They showed strong interest in how much change can be achieved in that hyper arid land.
Are any students/instructors able to get into Palestine and teach those farmers permaculture? It's one thing they really could use..
When I first saw that land, dusty, rocky, barren, I said to myself, "Wow, that's one challenge I don't think I could take on."
Years of progress is so wondrous, replacing dust to green.
Thank you, for the people who live in Jordan, relatives of my neighbours, and training people to finally get some progressive actions to have foods without the costs of import.
Works better in palestine than qatar
Israeli military blocks Palestinians from crossing into Jordan, so even if the Palestinians could afford it, they couldn't get to Jordan. I realize Geoff would need Israeli permission to enter Palestine, and would need to assemble farmers or others to get to him.
Unfortunately Israel is operating an apartheid system, so Geoff or anyone from Jordan would have to abide by Israeli military rules and oversight.
Palestinians need this type of help.
Its israeli land and they already working on a permaculture method in the south east if the negev where no one lives. Nobody cares about fakestine , they should move to jordan.
@@ninemoonplanet I've been thinking about desert permaculture for Palestine for a decade. Don't wait for Geoff to arrive - have your palestinian friends watch the videos on RUclips and start following the info. They can probably take the course online, maybe even for free.
@@ninemoonplanetAnyone from that region knows that the Jordanian military won’t allow anyone through who has been through the Israeli border. Stop bringing politics into places where it is not welcome, this is an educational video
I love the low key statement that y'all broke records for olive oil quality...I have no doubt you all produce some of the most incredible, nutrient-dense foods ever. As a child, I thought botany was boring. Now I know our lives literally depend on it, so I guess it's not so boring anymore.... :)
Ok, I see you. Jesus and Permaculture, eh? The way the world is going, I think that combo is gonna get more and more popular. That's the team I rep, anyways. God and His ways above everything else.
@@hebronwatson9532 let's not be discussing cults in polite company, okay?
Thank you for all of your videos... especially the ones addressing dryland strategies. I live in Tucson, Arizona within the Sonoran Desert. It's definitely capable of growing more but the long drought we've been experiencing is a challenge. I've been following your advice for 6 years and I'm able to grow and keep alive more by mulching (rocks, wood chips, horse/cow manure/ chicken manure mixed with pine shavings). I grew 20ft Laucaena trees, so beautifully, but lost them during our winter and 3 hard freezes (zone 9b). They are slowly coming back in May. I plant vegetables in 15 gallon containers under mesquite trees so they receive some shade during heat. I like your perennial suggestion. I found Mexican Petunia's pretty and an easy to grow, self seeding (a pest at times) ground cover. It's been great for mulching. Love all of your videos, thank you and your team.
That's awesome, and that pest of yours will be your best friend for mulch creation.
2 questions regarding Mexican petunia 1) is the botanical name RUELLIA BRITTONIANA? 2) Does it take up more moisture than succulents would. Think I'd want a less water thirsty living mulch.
@@b_uppy Yes, you have the correct botanical name. I can't answer your other question ... haven't compared the two plants. I know that Mexican petunias grow easily and are tolerant to dry spells. Where there is watering happening in support of other plants my Mexican Petunia's will grow up to 5 feet tall. They make great mulch in the late fall. If left in the garden they will bloom almost all year.
@@BarbaraC02
They are quite nice looking. Hopefully they continue to work 9ut.
Have you tried Moringas ,we're north of you in the Mojave .
For anyone living in AZ, I know that these methods are a lot about getting non-native plants to grow, but we actually have many native food plants! In fact, all 3 of our main native legumes: palo verde, ironwood and mesqute, are edible and delicious! So I highly recommend using them as shade, mulch and food while actively supporting native wildlife :) We have so many other edible native plants too like chia, cholla, prickly pear, saguaro, saltbushes etc! Im definitely not advocating against bringing in things like olives and whatnot, but adding in native plants whenever you can is a great way to support ourselves and our pollinators :D (Ps AZ has the highest diversities of native bee species in the US and possibly the world!)
We can mix it all up, not everything needs to be native as the natives didn't survive....to start with....
Very informative. I have seen the benefits of this over the past 3 years. The soil in my yard is getting better at supporting more plants and grasses. I simply let the grasses grow without chopping it thru the rainy season, at which point I cut it all and made compost with it. This past rainy season, I did the chop-and-drop using the grass and the vegetables I grew are thriving, as well as some trees.
Now I am using goat manure in and on top of the soil and mulch with the grass on top of the manure. I don't need to water as much, the soil stays moist longer. So I use less water to water my plants. In fact, I use water from cleaning utensils I give chickens water in most of the time now. My water bill hasn't gone up by much despite growing more plants.
Compost tea from goat dung has percolated deep into the soil too and helps with improving nutrient profile of the soil. Worms are more plentiful too. Over the next few months after southern hemisphere winter, I will be planting lots of fruit trees finally. I hope to have a food forest in a few years in my yard.
Congratulations! Hint, bury biochar. It's even better if you soak the biochar in a nutritive solution. See the "Garden Like A Viking" You Tube channel for more on this.
@@B30pt87 Thanks. I will check it out.
Thanks Geoff, you're the king.
We're planning on how to use some of your techniques here on the ranch in Jalisco, Mexico. Fortunately we don't have so many problems with water, considering there's a rainy season that lasts for about 4 months, and also some natural springs on the property. Even so, many parts of the property get very dry during the dry season, so we hope to look at cultivating ground cover and mulching to keep the moisture in for the whole year.
We're looking at the plants we can already find on the land to put to use. For example, we can get some equisetum from near the creeks and use it to make a reed bed for processing our grey water. There's also a herb which seems to be edible, which it seems the previous groundskeeper was using as ground cover near a banana tree. So we'll see if we can use that. Also some verdolaga/purslane which might be useful and tasty.
Greetings from Mexico and thanks for your work. Showing your videos to my companions has planted some seeds in their minds, seeing what is possible.
You should consider the proliferation of huizache and mesquite because they are nitrogen fixers and are ubiquitous in Mexico. You are under the misconception that you do not have a water problem. Yes, you do. There two terms in Jalisco, estiaje and sequía. You do not use your spring for estiaje but only for sequía. You must rely on mulch and rain harvesting techniques. Here is a gastronomic 2020:13 suggestion: Beef mole, a side of verdolagas, 20:13 20:13blanched cactus garnished with freshly chopped coriander. There are many Tequileras inJalisco that need removal of the bagazo and vinaza. This perfect good mulch for you.
@@estebancorral5151 thank you kindly. You are right, we do have water problems.
The verdolaga is growing well, though slowly.
There are a lot of oak leaves on the ground that we use for mulch, so that's something. We're not too close to Tequila but maybe there are some tequileras around. It's cool to get something which is rubbish for someone else, and turn it into something useful.
God bless
Thank you Geoff, family and team. At a time of never ending bad news your permaculture videos are a wonderful, positive tonic for the spirit. I visited your own permaculture farm seven years ago and it remains one of the most uplifting experiences of my life. I am lucky to live in a similar environment not far from there and constantly refer to your teachings in an effort to become more self sufficient. 💕
Geoff’s back, such inspirational work
This is awesome Geoff. Thank you for the more in depth tour and explanation of mulching.
When I was living near the sea on Cape Cod, I mulched my raspberry patch with ten inches of washed up sea weed. The soil temp, moisture, and fertility were wonderful. I never had to pull out any unwanted plants around the raspberry plants. And there was always an super abundance of delicious raspberries, enough to tide us over winter!
Mulching is something superb to do.
Scrambling to deep mulch trees here in 6b7a drought......did it when first planted them several years ago, dug swales and berms since we are on a 10% grade. About halfway done....
Always in the lookout for local tree companies needing to dump chip....very blessed....noticed early on the volunteer trees that grew out of first chip pile looked better than any other trees.....over 200 planted trees here....staying busy.....then I go back and water until it runs off....
Inoculate your wood chips with wine cap mushroom spawn to increase the trees nutrient uptake.
Thank you so much Geoff for the tour. It's amazing to see the changes and progress and systems all working. Congratulations and I will continue to use your ideas, knowledge you provide free, and systems, in my own half acre in rural NSW, Australia.
Great to see you Geoff, your looking well which is a beautiful reflection of the environments your help create. Take care
Greetings from Arizona zone 9B, thanks for all of your tips and tricks, we definitely use them in our portrait and Vineyard and it works wonderfully! Cheers 🥂😎
Thank you Geoff!! Please do more dryland videos. Love to see them and learn
For saline and saline-sodic soils I've discovered a wonder. Well, more like the wonder discovered me: Batis Maritima. It grows naturally in that kind of soils in the Caribbean. I used to fight it until I discovered regenerative agriculture and now is my best ally.
Dig a hole in the desert and you may find moist soil. If you mulch you will make the most of that moisture. First Americans in the Southwest have corn that can be planted a foot deep. Decades ago I used bags of grass clippings in Albuquerque, NM, to dramatically improve soil in a couple of years.
Thx Jake, a voice of balance and reason, respect 😊
Very well put through and information. Keep it up.
Tnx Geoff, chop, drop and mulch, Ape take note, do this instead of burning, less carbon in the air a good thing.
I would love to learn more about the stone wall swales. I am along the Gila River in Duncan, Arizona and I am in a flood zone that will flood every 10-15 years. I wonder if the stone walls would help hold the integrity of my swales during those dramatic events? Which side would you use stone walls for the swale?
Hi Geoff! The purple flower is ruellia, AKA Mexican petunia. We grow it here in our desert New Mexico garden. 🙂
Hi do you know the name of the first ground cover he said? It sounded like Carbirudus or something but I can't find anything like that on Google.
@@gussampson5029 LOL, I didn't get it, either. But it looks like something we have here called Ice Plant. It's a succulent, likes the hot weather with very little water. Closed captioning said "carborotus," which is not helpful, either. LOL.
Very interesting Geoff. Pretty sure the groundcover you are calling Caprobrotus is in fact Sesuvium portulacastrum, used a lot in the ME as an ornamental groundcover, as is Wedelia. A flower would soon tell which plant it is! Purple plant is a form of Ruellia, probably R. ciiosa. Very inspiring, I hope to initiate something in the UAE at some point.
Thank you Mr. Lawton. Keep 'em coming as we are all thirsty for the GTD project info and videos. (North east Arizona, USA)
In my region, zone 7, high desert, Russian olive. Tree of heaven. Black locust, honey locust, Siberian elm, tamarix. Black pine.
Don’t let the local eco fascists find out you’re planting the first three
Bee hives!!!!!
@@przybyla420 can you define ecofascist for me? I consider myself an environmentalist and I think the current thinking on high-invasive-potential species is scuffed and needs a rework (i.e. I think they do need to be recognized as high invasive potential, but at the same time I think there needs to be more nuance than just "it's bad, don't plant it" - e.g. black locust is mostly easily eradicated in the same way as any other thorny tree, but honey locust is horrifyingly sharp and esse delendam).
Great information thank you for sharing this
The site is looking gorgeous, thank you for sharing.
This is a very interesting topic. If possible, please make videos with auto subtitles, then others will be able to watch videos in other languages.
Thank you for sharing your method and videos.
Great to see. It is amazing to see all that green. I totally believe overgrazing and free range livestock contributes majorly to desertification as natural regeneration is unable to occur when all the weeds and ground cover is eaten up.
The purple flower is called flor de san pedro in Spanish I think. They smell really nice at night right? They dye off in winter and come back in spring and summer in the mediterranean.
The purple flowered plant is ruellia
What about layers of rocks over the first mulches to keep them from blowing away? All of it in the pit surrounding the first trees. Or in the adjoining swales.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you Geoff!
I really like that theoretical idea of silvapasture/shadeing for ground crop growth.
Out in colorado i am thinking of starting a 4 acres garden (walnut, almond,pecan,apple, pears, cherrys, peaches, plums orchard with bushes of blueberries, blackberries/elderberries etc between the trees and grapes on the fencelines) then growing a vertically to tree limbs if i can... squash pumpkin beans as a test. Maybe even throw some rows of strawberries etc in raised bed containers and then run chickens free range through there in the warm months to eat the beetles etc off. then winter crop throwing buckwheat down on the pasture to green manure the rest of the 60 acres while the 4 acres (leaves and branches) provide feed for me and the goats. Still gotta figure some stuff out and probably will try to figure a hay for the bulk of the land... but if i can get something to be efficient enough on 4 acres i may just creep that to the horse barn area, main barns and house area and slowly work the bulk of the pasture like that until my seasonal creek basin is just 3 acres of prime hayland quality pasture/hay.
Might be a pipe dream in the short term but if i can get somethings to go my way...
Great to see you talking about mulch! That Carpobrotus is great, I'm growing one in Perth called pigface, I think it's in South Africa too. Grows well in semi arid climates.
I helped a cousin who lived in eastern Washington state turn his yard into a lawn. It started as hard-pan, and they'd tried putting mulch on it but that had only a negligible result over three years. What I did was till up the ground ten inches deep, then put six inches of mulch on top, then tilled sixteen inches deep, which mixed the mulch into the top layer of soil. What this did was give enough organic matter that the ground absorbed moderately quickly where before water had pooled and mostly evaporated despite the mulch on top. After one good rain where the neighbors' yard had standing water that mostly evaporated, my cousin's yard absorbed most of the rain. With another heavy rain forecast in a few days I implemented my next step: they had a rabbit which of course produced copious amounts of droppings that were high in nutrient content, so while the soil was damp we spread rabbit droppings in a layer about 3/4" deep and tilled that into the top eight inches. Since the ground was highly alkaline, and since coffee grounds could be had for free by the five-gallon bucket load, we mixed another 3/4" worth of coffee grounds with the rabbit droppings before tilling. After the next rain we bought enough "planting mulch" mix to cover the ground an inch deep; we mixed grass seed and some vetch seed into the planting mulch thoroughly and spread the result out evenly then tamped the surface down so it was smooth and level. He had to water it a few times through the summer but that was the last time; with the organic content in the upper layer of soil and a light addition of light mulch each spring that yard turned lawn became the envy of the neighborhood; it turns brown in mid-summer but becomes green again after the first rain (which sometimes comes in August!). The only things he added after the second year were corn gluten meal granules and coffee grounds. That lawn was a superb selling point when they got a new house!
Anyway, I related this to point out that sometimes mulch on the surface isn't enough and tilling in a first batch of mulch to give soil fiber and the ability to actually absorb water can get things started. It isn't even necessary to till the entire area if you're just trying to green it (as opposed to making a lawn); in Eastern Oregon with the same sort of alkaline soil it's been show that tilling some strips or circles covering only a fifth of the area and tilling in compost/mulch is enough to jump-start things; once there is green plant cover on those portions the earthworms will slowly but steadily extend the borders, turning more and more ground into actual soil -- it's just necessary to keep the entire area well-covered in mulch (including coffee grounds; in small amounts the earthworms love them).
Did anyone catch the name of the succulent ground covers? Cabarutus? Thanks Geoff, great video.. even after taking your class, these are still so helpful and exciting
Perhaps Carpobrotus, aka pig face.
Ya I’m trying to figure this out also.
I believe he said Carpobrotus.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpobrotus
@@Hohoz88 thank you!
Awesome to get an update, one of the most interesting projects on youtube :) How are the neighbours faring that took up some of the permaculture concepts?
The mulch is also very useful and important for organic growers in areas where there is plenty rain. Fungi will feed from the mulch, and provide plant available nutrients to the roots from the plants. Healthy plants will have a certain amount of sugar content that is high enough to protect them against insects. Insects are not capable of digesting those amounts of sugar content, that is why you will never see that healthy plants, living in a healthy soil with a high diversity of micro organisms, (fungi and bacteria) and enough bio mass from the right composition, getting attacked by insects. Fungi is for 70% the most important factor for a healthy plant growth. At least that is what I learned from watching this lecture, Why insects do not (and cannot) attack healthy plants | Dr. Thomas Dykstra | Regenerative Ag
Shade and mulch are crazy helpful in the southwest US also, especially at high elevation. The sun has just been painful lately.
🕊️
Wondering what trees to plant at high elevations in the southwest US that would grow fast, provide shade and survive with just a little help to get started on growing a food forest?
I have started talking about a difference between a desert and a dryland. A dryland is a place where rainfall is near-desert, but the status of vegetation is better. It seems like you have created a system where a desert is being converted to a dryland, with minimal inputs (mulch, water, bit of rotational energy to move the water, and obviously the work to earthmove to catch rain).
This video was very interesting and informative!
I was just wondering about the Singapore daisy...!
Sounds like Lantana, good soil underneath and quite a pest...!
I find this very exciting!
love this channel, I am going to use this method in dry California. Thank you
Where in California?
I live in central Florida, my grass is terrible I just moved in my house. Can I spread mulch over my yard to help the grass grow? Thank you!
Mulch will kill whatever is growing beneath it. So you can mulch everything and then make holes in the mulch to plant what you want to plant.
It also helps to cover the entire ground with cardboard if you want to kill everything. Cardboard with a mulch cover. Then make holes in the mulch/cardboard layer to plant whatever you want.
12:00 And what would be a "living mulch/ground cover" weed in temperate climates?
Annual clovers, vetch, fenugreek, comfrey, and fast growing acacias (wattles) to replace the leucaena.
I'm in Tasmania (home of Bill Mollison), and I would live to see Geoff Lawton do more teaching on cold/temperate permaculture.
Hi, thank you very mocht for this knowledge shared! I do have a question. Can we also add chicken or cattle manure to speed up the process of soilcreation? And if so, do we mix it with leaves and wood chips or do we cover the manure with them? Thanks again.
I believe you have to go carefully with fresh chicken manure because it’s so strong, but if mixed with enough mulch, it tones it down. Best to age it a bit before adding is what I’ve always heard.
I believe cow manure is immediately useable.
Anyone who has more experience than I do, please amend or add to what I have said here.
Chickens and ducks on your own land are great to add to the mix. Cows can work too if you have enough land. If you buy manure you have to be very careful. There are persistent herbicides, like grazon, that are used on some pastures that can kill your plants when you use manures from animals that ate the hay from those fields.
Hi. Compost both manures. Mix first with lots of dry herbaceous material. Keep moist. Never apply uncomposted manure because even if it is low in npk like cow manure, it carries risks that composting will eliminate. Straight chicken manure will burn whatever you are growing.
@@44point5 Thank you for the clarification! I hadn’t been thinking of other possible issues that composting can eliminate.
Thanks Geoff. Great Video. Wonderful information 🌎 The Planet deserves a lot more from us.
Awesome garden! Thanks!
The "little purple plant" looks like ruellia. I recognize it from where it grows in Kansas. I always thought it needed a lot of water though.
Great as always, Quick question- what are the permaculture solution to Potato Beetle problem ?? Is there anything reliable to repel or intoxicate the hungry monster?
I read that pheasants eat these beetles.
Guinea Fowl.
Great series!
Great work team
Thanks for the valuable information.
I wish i was a billionair I would fund all ur projects and green the world
U are a real hero ur team are all heros thank u for all ur info and works
You can, and may already be doing this, share and share and share these videos of Permaculture with everyone you know, on social media, as part of conversations …..
Be neat if you were or Mark Shepard were go to a conventional California orchard that someone is wanting to rehab according to permaculture practices. Always hear Californians whining about water rights.
I'm 💯% certain there is zero or poor ground covers being used in most instances. Also see zero rainwater harvesting employed. It would likely be initially impractical to remove large portions of the trees out of production, to plant different trees and shrubs to improve diversity that way.
It would be interesting to see how much impact a permaculture approach can have in these chemical- and irrigation-dependent valleys.
Yup. I haven't driven past many orchards on the west coast where there's any ground cover, aside from some of them having grass that is manicured. I watched a church up the street from me do a replanting of Christmas trees. They only put down a thin layer of cow manure when they planted. Otherwise it is bare earth. Their trees appear to grow slowly and not be as "full" as they could be.
@@ronniemcmaster8657
I am wondering how it could be best improved seen many where it's bare ground in Cali.
Sounds like terrible practices under the circumstances. Would love to know maintenance stats before and after.
I’m sure there are many reasons why commercial ag would not use mulch one of them may be it interferes with the harvesting equipment especially tree crops like almonds or, but the system is messed up for sure
@@heritagefamilydental
Depends on the mulch, and the plant. Wonder what kind they would choose to rehab. Almonds and avocados are certainly a challenge.
rainwater harvesting? lol. where i am in southern california, there's no rain to harvest. we get around 8 in. of precipitation a year.
As controversial as it would no doubt likely be, it would be absolutely fascinating to see the Nabatean water harvesting, storage and irrigation infrastructure features at Petra restored for the purposes of implementing a permaculture system to support further local Bedouin employment, [particularly women] and make tourism more sustainable in that part of Jordan.
If nothing else, it would serve as a fascinating way to study how an ancient society functioned; archaeology in real time.
My God, can you imagine the beauty if that would happen?! I would love to see Petra just as is, it's on my bucket list. But wow, I can only imagine what it would be like after 10 years of Geoff's strategy.
@@yLeprechaun Exactly. Be a great way to turn what's all too often, archeology, from a dry dusty subject into a living breathing one.
Why not the Nabatean system in Avdat?
@@estebancorral5151 I'm not familiar with Advat.
@@pinkelephants1421 Avdat is another Nabatean site. It was not as ornate as Petra, but the engineering was just as impressive. No two Nabatean sites were alike because they were designed to be site specific.
Mr. Geoff, how would you manage to repel mosquitos in a tropical permaculture setting?
That "purple flower": Ruellia. Not sure which species however. R.simplex? R. brittoniana? AKA (in English anyway) "Mexican Petunia". Here in Spain it seems a good candidate for chop and drop systems.
Where in Spain are you?
@@estebancorral5151 Near Valencia
the purple flower plants... you don't know it... you apologized that you didn't know it. that maybe the only time I know of that you didn't know a plant variety. such a beautiful location. you did well Geoff.
12:07 A carborutus ? Purslane? High in vitamin C, can be eaten raw in salad?
17:24 that is mexican petunia - but you knew that.
For my live ground cover in summer is the blue flowered tradescantia, purslane (carborutus) at the moment. I have loads of Mirabilis too and they are all self seeding and serve as a shade of the soil for the larger plants like my corn/hollyhock/tomatoes/chard /squash etc.
I'm currently concentrating on getting more trees in all around for water retention and shade for ground food and bushes.
Many many thanks from France
Problem is, what do you do when you mulch and the voles and moles move in?
I wonder if this works on sandy soils as well, I bet it does in the long run, but for my 'small' 5000sq meter garden I think I want to dig some compost into the ground, atleast for the fruittrees, to get a quick start, an then mulch on top for the rest, like bushes and herbs. I live in a temperate climate, but it feels like the water just drains stright out under the soil, not so much evaporation.. First year on new soil, lots to figure out..
Me and my dad planted 60 nut trees on our property in central texas late last fall, little did we know we would be in the worst drought in a decade here this year, we've gotten a few inches of rain this year at best and it's been well over 105 every single day for weeks now... what I can say from my limited experience on my 100 acres is that mulch is worth its weight in gold. Any tree that didnt get mulch dried up and died very fast. The difference between those with mulch and without is comparable to night and daytime. I havent watered in over a week and the soil underneath the mulch is still damp and about 20 degrees cooler than the ground around it. I forgot to mention that my soil is almost 100 percent shell rock that starts about 3inches down if that. I had to dig 2ft holes for the trees to even have a place to be put in with a rockbar. I know it maybe apples to oranges comparing solid rock to sand but I was pretty hopeless before discovering permaculture, now that I've implemented some of the techniques, I swear by them. Try your local dump ground or exposition center, anywhere that does rodeo's might be willing to fill up the bed of your truck with the cleanouts from the horse stalls which is great because it's got all them nutrients in it too. Dont sleep on the mulch though, it is my lands most powerful weapon in combating desertification
@@tysongibson6941 this is why the eradication programs of huizache and mesquite in Central Texas is stupidity. You keep them as a pollarding and coppice species to provide mulch for your money makers. Instead, of waisting money on fossil fuel or electricity. Use a FEMA design wood gasifier. Run the shredder on the wood gas. Save the ashes which are loaded with potassium to pamper your trees. Inoculate your shredded mulch with wine cap mushroom (Stropharia Rugoso Annulata) spawn. Fungi are there to speed up the phosphorus recycling amongst your trees. You should look into Jean Pain plenty of information on RUclips.
A realy great tutorial. Thank you. I have one question. I am in the very early stages of introducing a permaculture system to my small 2000m2 olive grove(31 mature trees)in Paxos, Greece. We are within zone 9b.
Everyone in Greece is concerned with fire risk, with last year seeing 10's off thousands of hectares going up in flames taking livelihoods and homes with it. Is this deep mulching method going to put my home and twitchy neighbours at risk? I realise that without seeing it in the flesh I may be asking the impossible, but any advice is welcome.
I would like to hear from others with experience on this.
My thought initially is that mulching cools the soil and helps retain moisture which over time can refresh the water table so the plants have something to drink all year. Fire breaks might be of value to build into the layout of the land, but really, when the land is moist from the water getting planted in the rains and not evaporating or running off immediately, you would have a far smaller fire hazard.
I would add that in previous videos Geoff has demonstrated the way they use & reuse water in this system. Maybe you could find tips to use from these?
I think if you plant support leguminous species densely, you not only put less flammable mulch but after a year or two not only you will have a lot of shade which will also reduce fire hazard via increasing moisture in soil and organic matter and in soil but you also bring your food forest system a step forward and produce all your high quality nitrogen on site. in my experience there are some good ground cover plants which you don't even need to sow their seed and some are actually edible like lambs quarter. I think they also contribute to the fungi in soil as they are mostly "woody plants".
of course you can use other plants that you want some plants as Geoff mentioned have "gels" that reduce evaporation and are fire resistant. not only that but you can use fire resistant trees as well there is video in Geoff's channel about how to fire proof your land, other than that using swales,dams, ponds high in the property obviously increase moisture in soil and help mitigate any fire risk.
I only have one eighth of an acre so i can't put many pond here in north west Iran near lake urmia and we have a temperate climate with hot Mediterranean summers -10 in winter +40 in summer with 12 to 22 inch's of rain I know it vary alot it's pretty wild after shrinkage of lake we get less buffer against climate change which is sad, we used to have much more snow and rain and much more acceptable temperature's back then it's mostly caused by ignorant human interventions and people drilling lots of wells to irrigate wheat,beet flood irrigate orchards...sigh I talked too much And went off topic sorry
also the chop n drop mulch you do will be be under shade and they're not gonna catch fire easily since they are green and if you put them in swales they'll be damp ,wet and decomposing so they'll be almost non flammable
By implementing Geoff’s strategies you are helping to reduce overall fire risk by several different means. That said, there IS a greater chance of fire breaking out in a mulched permaculture site than on bare, scorched earth ground devoid of plants or any organic matter. It’s important to try to educate authorities and neighbors, as much as an uphill battle this can be. And to diligently design with the inevitable risk of fire in mind. The best way to prevent fire is to obsess over possible ignition sources and worst case scenarios, since the vast majority of wild fires are ignited by humans.
As you've touched on it several times - can you talk some more on plant succession, how you move through or plan succession cycles and how you plan the plant strata?
Hi George, in Argentina we have thornless prosopis trees...
Would it help establishing an initial hardy herbatious layer using a few goats, which grazes on these plants, to come "prune" the young trees and leave their droppings on the barren soil?
Thank You Geoff, it's always a learning session whenever you drop such videos 🎉
if you have a pummice like volcanic rock/ashstone you can use that as mulch because it will shade the soil keeping it cool and reducing evaporation, it will keep the wind from causing evaporation and the key factor of pummcie is that it doesnt transmit heat ie it insulates so also keeping the soil cool. this will allow you to plant pioneer species without any organic mulch available. if you cant get pummice get wide flat stones and lay them on the soil. they will also shade the soil but heat will eventually transmit through the stones as they heat up.
anyone else notice the big cat, maybe a cougar or something, cross the screen in the background at 3:58? toward the right of the screen
Fat Cat
What are good perennial ground covers for arid areas ?
I'm trying to apply the principles in Spain and finding suitable perenial ground covers that can put up with 5 months of no rain and torrential rain is difficult
The purple plant at 17:50 min looks like Ruellia simplex.
I would love to know the equivalent plans for high mountain prairie/desert. Which trees and ground cover and mulch to start with? My current mulch is wood shavings from pine and cedar. I’ve purchased a branch chipped so I can process my cottonwood branches that drop.
You're doomed
I'd recommend researching your local flora species and select a few legumes species out of that to pioneer with. What state are you in?
There is a lot of dry grasslands and mountain ecosystems in the South West US that don't seem to get much attention by permies. We could really use someone like Geoff Lawton to give us a guide on where to start.
@@williamhad I'm currently working on a 6 acre property in Twentynine palms CA, Mojave desert. The end of life goal there is to get the local communities embracing this style of living and spreading like a green virus.
@@RegenerativeMojave I have a similar goal except I'm in SE Arizona. I hope that we can use permaculture to get some of our rivers to flow again
How does the perennial ground cover help with the fertility of the tree? Exchanging nutrient? And the olives were better because of herbaceous ground cover? Not understanding.
What is the name of the grand cover he mentions at 12:09 ? The subtitle says "carburetors" (???). It looks like portulaca ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca ) . Anybody knows?
Thanks
Tried to use variations Geoff's pronunciation +succulents and it's seeing succulents instead of trying also search for a similar sounding word, or carburators...
Someone with specific knowledge will need to weigh in.
To me it looks like sesuvium portulacastrum.
While I though it was Purslane as well. Which is another succulent and edible btw.
I believe he is referring to Carpobrotus
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpobrotus
Purslane and portulacas are close too, but these the leaves look more like they are in w whorled arrangement.
Ruellia is the name of the plant with purple flowers. That stuff grows fast and can withstand heat and drought fairly well (I'm in Texas). Also, after they get a drink all the purple flowers open up and the bee's and humming birds love them. It can take over a space if not cultivated yearly, and its difficult to remove completely as it keeps coming back from the rhizomes that are left in the ground. I had to look up the name, we just call it "the bamboo looking stuff with the purple flowers."
Hi Jeff;
sorry I am not sure if I am spelling carburutus right , when I looked online cant seem to find it, but I found some old car parts .
Lol.
is the carburutus plant the same as Purslane ???
Carpobrotus edulis.
They're many different kind of ice plants so experiment with all and see which does best on your site. Let's green the world!!
@@RegenerativeMojave after you told me the botanical name
I found is called ""Ice Plant"" ,I can't believe I was looking for carburetors .Lol 😂😂😂
Thanks
@@shamanking5195 🤣🤣 No problem 🌳🌴🌲🌴
Think it was misidentified by Geoff. Looked it up and it's sufficiently different to make me think it's something else.
@@b_uppy When I saw it I thought it was a Purslane variety , I hope Jeff reads the comments and give us the correct answer.
Another tip for revegetating land:
To supplement bark-mulch or, replace it entirely with, grass clippings (from mowing) -- seed-heavy grass, that is. It will promote grass coverage 😁
In sub tropic if we plant bamboo layer all over the periphery does that help with shade and fit in larger scheme of things?
Yes!!!!!
For those that have yet to learn this, you keep mulch away from direct contact the the trunks of trees. This prevents gnawing animals from girdling and killing them.
It depends on where you are. Paul Gauchi has proven dropping more than 12 inches of wood chips over the ground and up against hist trees does no harm. Leaves and branches naturally pile against trees in the forest and the forest prevails.
@@ronniemcmaster8657
That's different than proof.
@@b_uppy How? He started it more than 40 years ago and has seen no issues. The whole contact with tree trunks thing is a myth. The only time it may be a problem is when it is above a graft and the grafted part sprouts roots, then the tree is no longer a dwarf, which is a good thing for me.
@@ronniemcmaster8657
Because it is anecdotal. There may be enough rodent control in his neighborhood that it isn't a problem. Some trees lack the ability to regrow...
@@b_uppy I think the problem you originally mention is an old wive's tale. I've yet to see trees having the problems you speak of. I would think it more wise to deal with the rodents, which are the problem. A few barn cats would resolve the issue.
I live in Arizona, a state in the southwest USA. We desperately need help. This area is dry but now it's even worse because of our years long draught. Our local and federal government does nothing.
. Is there anyway your organization can assist? Workshops? Public education campaigns?
Have you heard of Brad Lancaster? He's a rainwater harvesting permaculture expert in your neck of the woods. He has affected great change in Tucson.
I think starting your own permaculture compound , making sure you track the start snd progress visually and written in a log, would be a huge start. It seems to me that adobe walls to outline your site and help keep the wind and bigger grazing animals out would be a help too.
If you share Geoff’s videos with your family, friends, neighbors, and community at the local library and other organizations, I think you’ll find a few interested helpers and self starters like you to share the journey.
And I would add that you watch your thoughts… keep your thoughts turning always to the joy of a green property which is inspiring many others to do the same until it is the norm. Any bumps in the road, just thank them for showing up, let them go, use their challenges to come up with better ways, and move forward with your joyous vision.
Nature appreciates those who appreciate her and things come together more easily for those who are appreciative. Think of a child or coworker who complains and one who keeps being thankful… which do you find yourself helping more?
I hope this helps and wish you all the joy and success along the journey.
@@louisegogel7973
More permaculturists need to document and participate in research, to be sure.
Beautiful.
thanks Geoff
I'd like to see an illustration of a tree planted in the cardboard box with mulch as Geoff explains at 2:53
I would be interested in varieties for high desert US. 16” percip per year 0F-100F
Same here. I also would like to know.
I am in southeast Idaho. We are In a desert. Average 11 inches of moisture per year.
If anyone knows what variety of Carpobrotus that is it would be amazing if you could reply to this message.
It is commonly know as the Ice plant, and we have its bigger cousin growing in our garden. Bright pink flowers. But they are the kind that grow as thick as your finger and I don't like it as much as the one Geoff shows here.
Same as the Singapore Daisy, a latin name would be much appreciated!
What should be distance between fruit tree and support tree ??
You did not fully understand. You can only plant the fruit species after the support species have been established. The spacing between the trees will depend on the specifies you want to plant.
What is the name of the succulent ground cover plant? Carbearutis?
Looks like Portulaca. But I could not understand what he said, also.
See this question repeated several times in years comments
Alright I found it Carpobrotus Rossii.
Its edible.
@@marcoaragon5939
Doesn't look taxonomically close enough.
Ethier way I will get it.
I believe the purple flowers are Ruellia.
Love this!
Hi y'all
Sorry I'm late.
I've I've question, I'm on the Savannah Wsy far north qld, about 90ks from the table lands forest edges... we are soil on sand in clay... we have around 35 fruit trees established on the land we brought I've been mulching for 12 months amd the results are fantastic so far, I'm at the stage if planting as much as possible this 12 months, as part of a 5yr plan...
My question is on yr jelly, ( succulent) ground cover.. any chance you'd do a small list of what you think are best for 75 25 desert land.... we have good water bore filtered, x2 133.000lt rain water tanks + if needed we are still hooked to the towns supply as well... so water at this point I think we have covered...
Some drip irrigation but I have a daily walk an water routine, every day I hand water many trees that I test moisture 1st... I'm finding the 6inc of mulch we've made is ready to support life, under all the bigger trees, all around 15 20 foot hight, mango, lychee, apple, blood orange, lemons, grape fruit, limes black berries, mulberries, Fig, Nectarine, peaches, the strongest or oldest we are proergorgating from cutting the oldest trees as to keep woth all we grow being hitloom veg and trees proven over 25yr or more...no GMOs...
Thank you for your knowledge from your amazing cranial universe, if you have time for a list of succulent ground covers for desert growing apart from what's shown here thated be great....
hi, super fun thank you! i cant wait to get started! i cant find the “car bor utes” plant online. i dont know how to spell it. can you help me? this vid helped me so much, my container trees are burning up here in texas.
Increíble Se puede trabajar con cualquier clima y producir alimentos 👏🏻👏🏻🤙🏻🐝🥕🌿🫑🥦🥬
Eso es el punto de Permacultura. De cual país eres?
A ton of precious informations in a single video. Thanks Geoff!
04July2022: Oh please tell me the spelling of the ground cover that contains gel, "cargarutus"... "carbarutus"? I apologize that I can't hear the word clearly enough. I live in the desert in the US and am desperate to get at least a couple of acres covered.
Never mind, someone else below answered this question. It's carpobrotus or ice plant.
-I've tried searching every spelling and i can't find it either. I hope he answers-
When you use green mulch, won't most nitrogen dissolve in the air anyways? When the leaves turn brown, it loses its nitrogen to the air right? So almost nothing will go into the soil i believe. Maybe covering it with brown mulch might be better for nitrogen conservation? Can anyone advise me on this?
Not sure on this, I assume that like making NPK fertilizer from urine, the off gassing of nitrogen can be prevented by adjustment of the pH using wood ash. See Rich Earth on RUclips for all the science on retaining the nitrogen ect.
Hope this helps.
No, it will volatize into the air. One way to mitigate that is to inoculate your mulch with mushroom spawn. One choice is using wine cap mushrooms.