Thanks so much for the feedback. Yes, when I was researching I found it helpful if videos were around the 10min mark give or take so I could quickly absorb some information while I was taking a tree planting break! Alex 🌱🌿
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
@@lauralee6628in areas of lower rainfall (assuming you do get big rain events) don't you just need to space the swales further apart on the slope and dig them larger to catch a larger volume of water?
that may work = however is not unknown to 2 years or more with no significant rainfall in all parts of australia with less than 700 mm rainfall = you can get some tree crops to survive but not all tree crops = to date no viable working model to verify the efficiency of swales in areas with 700mm or less rainfall = if we give you 1000 hectares and $10,000,000 at goondiwindi (in 550 mm rainfall) how much income can you earn from a $10,000,000 land development investment with tree crops grown on swales ?? without stored water in tanks ???
@@lauralee6628 that's a good question, one I am not equipped to answer. When you mentioned regions with 700mm per year, I was assuming even a drought year would be at least 300mm
Good job! I've been pushing folks to try strips like that, especially with native clumping grasses that'll work like a strainer to really hold back the soil and rain. Looks like you've proven the concept and I appreciate you posting this vid!
Thanks very much! This is great to know you are thinking along the same lines. Have you been working on a project of your own? Love to hear about your experience. Wishing you all the best! 🌿🌾
@@dreamsofgreen Thankfully, I live in a wet area so holding onto water really isn't necessary. For me, it's about using native plants to encourage wildlife to hang around and eat the pests in the garden. I know a lot of folks are jumping on the Vetiver grass bandwagon, thinking it's all the rage and the perfect solution, but I've come to prefer using native grasses because they help in ways that Vetiver cannot - like producing food and homes for the native animals that have evolved in this area. In Australia, for example, you have a ton of clumping grasses that work much the same as Vetiver. The Lomandra species not only form a nice clump, but have quite a tough rooting habit that binds the soil so it can't wash away easily. That the local wildlife has evolved to use the plant means that you're adding to the food web rather than introducing a grass that does nothing for the ecological system of the area. When planted close together to form a tight line, clumping grasses like the Lomandra or Poa look absolutely fantastic as a hedge and really add to the value of the homestead. That they also form a filter that slows surface water runoff is a bonus. Who wouldn't love a hedge of Festuca Glauca or Poa Poiformis around their back garden? Throw in a few Lomandra Longifolia for good measure and you've got a hedgerow that's both attractive and functional. Mix it up with some Orthosanthus Multiflorus 'Morning Iris' every few feet and you've got a design that'd make all the neighbors jealous, for sure. And best of all, they're all native plants that have evolved to live in the conditions you have on hand. That means you need to do less work to maintain them, and they work for you to help build the soil biome with their root structures while also fulfilling their role in the local food web. Around my neck of the woods, we use clumping grasses like Panicum Virgatum and Andropogon Gerardii to do the same thing. While non-native plants might accomplish one thing, like preventing erosion, because they didn't evolve here, they pretty much create a black hole in the food web. Sure, they might root deep, like the Vetiver, and help stop erosion, but that's all they do. They can't feed the local songbirds and pollinators because the two didn't evolve together, and without food.... well, it's no wonder we've lost more than 30,000,000 songbirds since the 70's when non-native plants became all the rage in the horticulture industry. Those non-native plants stay looking pretty because insects don't nibble on the leaves. But without insects, there are no soft protein sources for the songbirds to feed their chicks in the nest. No food for the baby birds doesn't generally work out well, as I'm sure you can imagine. Anyhow, kudos to you for thinking outside the box. I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with next!
Thanks so much for this really interesting and informative reply. You make some really great points. The lomandra are used extensively around here for exactly that - erosion control on creek banks and steep slopes. Thanks also for mentioning the other species, I’ll look them up as there are many grasses I’m not familiar with. That’s a devastating loss of songbirds by the way. Watching all the birds come back into the tree rows has been such a joy. Of course there’s great uses for vetiver, however I didn’t use it as I had an abundance of other native clumping grasses that were already thriving and the birds were loving it! Thanks again, I’ve enjoyed reading. Alex
@@dreamsofgreen Dr. Doug Tallamy has one a few videos here on TH-cam where he talks about the real-world costs of planting non-native plants in our yards. Something like 70% of our ecosystems have been replaced with things that haven't evolved in that local area, so it causes something of an invisible cascade failure in the whole chain of life. 90% of birds require soft protein sources like caterpillars to feed their chicks in the nest, and just one nest can require more than 4000 caterpillars to reach maturity. Since we've opted to use non-native species in our yards to the degree we have, that means the local insects not only can't eat them because they don't recognize them as a food source, but everything that eats the insects then has far less food for their young. Non-natives like Vetiver might work great to help with erosion control, and even provide fodder for livestock, they are basically "inert" in the landscape. Planting things that are native to the region, however, can host dozens of different insects that serve as the foundation of the food chain much like how plankton works in the oceans. Often, we don't even understand the complexity of what the native plants are doing. Bunch Grasses, like the Lomandra or Festuca, also produce tons of nutrient-rich mulch every year. Because they tend to root down deeper in the strata, they are mining minerals that aren't usually available to plants that have a shallower rooting habit. When their leaves are then used as mulch, that wider array of nutrients then becomes available to other plants, increasing the health of the plants and the taste of their fruits. Folks get so fixated on NPK that they forget there are a bazillion other nutrients needed for a healthy plant, just like with people. I always recommend the grasses be cut to the crown at the beginning of the dry season. Not only does the mulch help to retain soil moisture, but removing the standing dead stalks will greatly reduce the fire hazard by making it harder to catch alight. Combined with the increased soil moisture means that fires are far less likely to take hold.
Thanks for this, I’ll look him up! Again, I’ve learnt so much from one post from you. I agree - this NPK fixation! And love the last paragraph too. Great information. I’m just starting to cut back the grass around the trees for mulch and to start reducing fire risk. Thanks again, Alex 😊
Thank you. I affirm this method. I have been terracing similarly in Colorado (USA) for 25 years and have sustained large shrubs, fruit trees, vegetables, and grasses (poa et al). Here the annual rainfall is ~14", and the elevation is 6700'. Understanding the soil (structure, texture, pH ) is primary for composition to balance retention and drainage, then amending and planting accordingly.
What an incredible video. I just want to echo how nice it is that you get straight to the point. The amount of knowledge shared is impressive, and I love how you explain all your plans whilst going along (like the branches to save topsoil from running off). I'm looking to study/find work in conservation and restoration, so this is all very exciting to see! I hadn't thought of another method other than swales, and how they don't work past 15 degrees. Thanks!
Amazing information thank you 🙏🏽 I own 3 acres of land, all of it sloping! I really want to re-forest the land, but don’t have the budget for putting in swales as I’d need a machine. This system looks way better and you’ve inspired me to start turning my old cow paddock into tree covered land once again.
That’s wonderful Sharon! If you are ever over Kyogle way, send me an email at alex@dreamsofgreen.com.au. I’d be happy to show you around. Best wishes for your property!! Alex 🌿
@@dreamsofgreen Thank you Alex, I will definitely take you up on that offer! I lived in Lismore for 18 months, such a special place and area you live in. My Mum is at Goonellebah so next time I visit her, I’ll come see you too 😃
Hello from the Northern Hemisphere. I live in the hills near a Mediterranean town, and all of the property I recently acquired is on slopes. That's all we've got over here. The native flora is vastly different, but otherwise, there are many similarities. We have extreme droughts and equally extreme precipitation. I'm trying to figure out how to fit my permaculture garden into the existing landscape, without having to use traditional stone terraces, which are expensive to build (and these days it's really hard to find people with the relevant knowledge). You've given me a few great ideas to experiment with. I'll keep checking out your channel, and will keep you posted. Thank you!
Check Jeff Lawton's (also an Australian) work about swales. Jeff's work relies on digging along contour lines, while this one looks for ways not to dig. But compared to terraces, both are interesting to find out about. I built dry stone walls in Dordogne (France) and I agree - labour is hard to find, and nobody would want to pay me at the level of expertise + amount of time this takes! But it fitted the lifestyle of those who built it: out in the field all the time, shifting the stones out of the cultivated areas and reserving them for the walls, using patience over generations rather than fast investment of money and (fossil) energy. If you wanted to machine-build terraces cheaply and fast, buy cages made from iron wiring (from the sort of iron bars made to reinforce concrete?) Then you plonk the cages at the bottom end of your terrace, throw the stones in and back-fill with soil - or, slowly back fill with soil as you sift the stones out. Old terrace builders will scream that you are destroying the landscape, but you get a similar result in months, instead of decades, and you can do most of the work with a digger! Ready stone-filled cages also exist, but of course you have more stones on site than you know what to do with already :)
In addition to your pointers regarding cattle, I would suggest rotational grazing. That way all the manure and urine is concentrated in one area which is then left fallow for 60 or more days to regenerate. In addition to this, if free range chooks are sent through an area approximately 3 days after the cattle have been moved on, they will scratch up the cow pats and feast on the fly larvae. This has the added bonuses of providing free proteins for yet another income stream, keeps the fly population under control and helps speed the recognition the grasses.
Agree 100%. Sadly the average age of a cattle farmer in Australia is 61 years old and most have a day job. There is a new generation of regenerative farmers coming through (for example, southern cross university in Australia is now offering regenerative farming degrees). I’m optimistic that the methods you describe above will become the ‘new normal’.
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
@@dreamsofgreen that’s awesome news. I have hopes that the idea spreads far and wide. Even from an economic view its a no brainer. Improved pastures mean one of two things, either you can successfully run m,ore head on the same amount of land or with extra forage, you can get calves up to market weight sooner in the season and thus command a premium price for them.
Wonderful tour of your hillside and planned shady and slow water areas. Rotational grazing with silvo-pasture combines the extra benefits to the soil and the trees and grasses. Thanks for the time and sharing your video.
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
I paused to say that those grass rows actually produce a swale like function. They slowly build up mounds instead of digging swales. Difference in elevation is difference in elevation, right? It slows the water flow, and as organic debris caught up in the grass rows, they will mound up slowly. I love it!
@@dreamsofgreen Honestly, I would probably swale that way even if earth works was an option, now that I've seen it. I love things that require less work; not more. Here is a link to the channel my wife made for videos of the farm: th-cam.com/channels/H57pOwu07Sy7Fc8EQxkr8Q.html Thanks for sharing what you are doing. It truly was inspiring.
Well I can’t use my hands to dig a hole like you can in the beautiful soil you created! I think you’ve done a remarkable job with the use of swales. Thanks for the link, watching now!
@@dreamsofgreen I had a foot or two of mulch on the front yard for almost a year before I made my way out there. I was working in the back yard first. My wife's crew would fill garbage cans with weeds, and grasses, and stomp them down. When they got them here, they came out in garbage can shaped grass pills. The funniest looking things you've ever seen. I just had them cover the whole yard with them without fluffing them at all. What a shade cover! In addition to shade, and the automatic drip system it activates, the microbes at the surface (the O-Horizon layer) break down the organic matter, and it filters down into the soil. I do almost no work anymore. It is like most things in life. Getting set up requires a lot of project work, but maintenance is easy. When the house is a wreck, the "overhaul" is a huge project. But, if you do it well, keeping things tidy is not all that hard. You just have to be at it daily. I started and ran the yardwork business for years before my wife took it over. I learned how to get weeds out. Bermuda grass is abundant here, and it is hard to get out. Especially in our clay soil. (Ok, not clay...concrete!) LOL When I see the rare weed now, I pull on it, and a foot or more of weed and root just gently comes out...easily! It is dazzlingly amazing! Especially after years of experience sweating them out before. The mulch makes the microbes happier, allowing more fungi to grow, which changes the bacteria to fungus ration to change. This actually makes it horrible soil for weeds to grow in. They crave bacterial dominant soil.
Thanks so much Garrett. I can’t wait to see the rainforest species take off! I’ve got some really beautiful native species in there so it will be interesting to see how the forest develops over time. Alex 🌱😊
Thanks so much for your kind words Margarethe. It’s going to be really important to create some wildlife corridors around this system but it’s a start! Alex 💚🌿
Thanks so much for your encouragement Matt! You live in a beautiful part of the world. Any questions or support I can offer please feel free to reach out. Many of the species I’m using up in Kyogle would work for you too. All the best with your project! Alex 🌿
We did this on our dairy farm in South Africa,which has even more issues with soil erosion than Australia ,we just called them contours but had them further apart ,approximately 4 meters apart ,worked a treat preventing erosion
Thank you so much for sharing!! So good knowing you’ve had success with this. My rows are also on average about 4m apart but the steeper areas closer and the flatter areas a bit further apart. Really appreciate you sharing. Best regards for your property, Alex 💚🌿
Really like this idea. We have some slopes on our place in Oklahoma (USA) that I think would benefit from this system. Thanks for posting this video. I look forward to your future videos.
Thank you. I can see major advantage in leaving the grass that I had been clearing. Less effort better result we are on 1:3. The remarks on mowing are particularly useful.
Brilliant, well done. I've not thought of the different needs when the slope is great. I just assumed swales were the way to go.This system is amazing.
Thanks so much for your comment. Sometimes the frustrations of a limited budget and challenging terrain can be a blessing in disguise - we are forced to work with what we’ve got! 💚
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
I was wondering if my idea was out there already and if it would work. So happy to find your channel. Thank you, I think it's not only an amazing idea, seeing it working so well is even better.
@@dreamsofgreen My land is fairly flat but even may work on it. I was thinking of a guy who has land in Texas who is trying to slow water and sink it. it's hills and all and trying to put in dams to slow the water, but they are washing out in heavy rains. i was thinking about ways to slow the water from washing out his dams and using grasses to slow the water down before they got to the wash. deep rooted grasses was where my thoughts went. Maybe you could help him out sounds like you have about the same type of weather too. [ www.youtube.com/@dustupstexas/videos ]
Alex, I live in Northern California and have been looking for advice on how to reforestate neglected mountain steep slopes. I am so glad I found your channel! Thank you for sharing your methods and progress! What is the % of your food forest slope? I have 15%, 30% and even 50% slopes 😮😅. I am hoping to learn from you how steep is too steep to plant.
Hi Lu and thanks so much! Sorry about the delayed response, I had to find my maps! I’m used to dealing in degrees and had to convert to %, so I think this is right: the food forest is mostly around 22-32% with some steeper sections of up to around 36%. We have a very steep almost cliff section that I can’t mow as it’s too steep so I planted a Moreton bay fig which has an extensive root system and will hopefully help hold the ground together. You could use a similar species to help stabilise your steeper slopes (think invasive roots that will spread horizontally versus a long tap root which can blow over more easily in a storm). Hope this helps and all the best with your plantings! Alex 🌱🌿🌳
Congratulations on setting up a very nice system there. I can see a few small animals and chickens being very happy in that environment in a short time.
Thanks so much John. Yes I can’t wait for some canopy. Have sadly lost some chickens to wedge tail eagles so it will be lovely to see them scratching around the forest floor under the lovely shade and protection of the trees. Alex 💚🌿
I once made the mistake to free my seedlings from the suffocating high grasses. The seedlings were immediately spotted by deer and destroyed many of the seedlings.
Yes it’s such a balance with the grass. I’ve had a couple of seedlings ‘pruned’ by wallabies but luckily they bounced back. The grass basket system seems to work well for me, where I clear around the trunk and use the cut grass as mulch, then tie the surrounding long grass over the seedling to form a shelter. This was my solution in the tree rows as I couldn’t afford thousands of tree guards and wooden stakes! Wishing you much success Franek and I hope you’re able to get your trees established. Best regards, Alex 🌿🌳
Good stuff, I am doing something very similar on my hillside - very similar climate, though very different part of the world, too. I arrived at quite a similar solution, though mine is way more messy (I've done a few videos on the topic), I just don't mow so there's grass and "weeds", the orchard that was already there, but now also various native volunteers popping up. My land has been more green as a result in recent years but I want to get it all a bit more organised going forward!
Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to following your progress. Just had a quick look and looks so green and lush! Best wishes with your project - love the structure too. Alex 🌿
A great Idea Alex I planted 4 of those Brisbane wattles 12 years ago. then after the bushfires 4 years ago. After the cockies ate the seeds and spread them Now I have abt 4,000 of them growing on my place
Your land is very similar to ours, with similar challenges. Seven years ago, we cut a total of about 1 kilometer of swales, and we also mow paths the way you are showing. These practices slow down rain runoff to prevent erosion and create a nanoclimate for sheltering saplings. Your video is packed with concrete information. It was wonderful to see how you are taking care of your land with such a clear vision and knowledge.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate your comment. I just subscribed and watched your video on how swales transformed your property after 7 years. I am blown away by the transformation!! You have created an absolute masterpiece. I am so inspired by the beauty of your property. The stonework is magnificent too. I recognise many similar tree species and I hope our property looks this lush one day. Thank you for the inspiration, it has made me so happy to watch this. Alex 🌱💚🌿
@@dreamsofgreen This is wonderful, Alex, that you are already pursuing your dream. We started when we were retired; you have so many many years to "weave" your project to the most amazing "green kimono". My imagination is running wild seeing your property in a near future. It really looks and sounds like you have a very good understanding of what it takes to create your own green, peaceful island. Both my husband and I admire what you have achieved. Your response to my comment warmed my heart. Thank you.
Nice to get some more Aussie content. We have a similar ex grazed landscape of 25 acres on the NSW south coast and will be starting our permaculture journey with a heavy focus on syntropic agroforestry. Look forward to checking out the rest of your videos.
Very interesting! Love how you have a variety and have incorporated a bunch of ideas and targets in the design. The bits of shade the hill gets is making a difference in the grass that is mowed, as it is greener than your neighbors hill. Love this so much!
Super cool. I think a similar system is used in northern Thailand to recharge water back into the hillsides. But adding the trees in the way you did makes it exponentially better.
Excellent share. Glad you pointed out one of the flaws of swales. Ask yourself how many tons of topsoil loss on flat land is there when people can't see any soil loss at all? Therefore, trees are required a what % of slope?
Fantastic! My slopes are also too steep for swales and I was leaning towards rows of Vetiver but your idea is so much less work and has worked well. I have access to a spring fed dam so if we have a long, dry spell I could potentially add irrigation if needed too. Thanks a lot for the info.
6:26 Blackwood / Acacia melanoxylon: The tree's twigs and bark are used to poison fish as a way of fishing. This tree can also be used as a fire barrier plant, amongst other plants, in rural situations.
@@dreamsofgreen Thank you for the reminder! I just finished watching the update. It's mind blowing seeing how fast those trees grow there. I am from Portugal and it has been becoming hotter and drier every year. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about how you watered the trees in the contours or the food forest if you did at all. Your property, the landscape and all the fauna are really beautiful! Have a nice day.
Thank you so much! We timed our plantings after a bad drought had finally broken and timed everything with the rains. No watering (the dam and creek dry out so we knew we couldn’t rely on it). And heavy mulching. But we also have clay soil that holds water for much longer than sandy soil. You want to plant whatever grows really quickly in your local area to establish a cooler microclimate and to reduce the effects of evaporation. That was a key strategy for us. Best wishes for your project! 🌿🌳
@@dreamsofgreen That's reassuring, knowing that things actually grow without water when they are well thought out to start with. From my experience this year, I would never think it would be possible for plants to grow without any water. I made a dam myself but put a liner in it, and this was the first year that I used its water. I was watering very hardy native plants every other day if not, they would be dead or pretty miserable, even with plenty mulch. I don't know the climate where you are but from the looks of your landscape my place looks quite more arid than yours. One interesting thing I found out is that plants in general actually grow better, at least when they are young, when they are under a shade, even if they have all the water they need. On the other hand, yeah, that's a very important piece of information, using fast growing trees as pioneers. I planted quite a lot different species of native trees this last year and found out one of them would be adequate for that end, I have to find out others for different projects. This is the one, Fraxinus Angustifolia, if you want to take a look at this beauty. Thanks for getting back to me and keep up the good work. I wanna see when those rain forest species grow to be really big and supporting the whole ecosystem! Bye!
Excellent to see this info. I've a similar property and have used basically the same methods (I'm just over the range in Nimbin). Having been here for 30 years I've for some years adopted the practice of only planting in the wet season so never water. People still think Spring is the time for planting (but often our driest season) This is when seed would naturally sprout, ensures a far greater survival rate (less stress), better root systems (roots follow lowering soil moisture down as drier winter/spring progresses) and far less work maintaining watering
Thanks Steph! We’re practically neighbours! This is really reassuring to hear this, thanks for sharing. Your place must look incredible now. I’m sure it must be so rewarding to look back at your old photos and see the beautiful transformation of your land. Alex 💚🌿
What you're doing is inspiring to say the least. Heroic in my opinion. Hopefully you will set a trend. Check out Fog-Net water catching systems that are being used in the dryest places on Earth as drinking and irrigation source. Perhaps it will help with the drought situation. It looks simple, and effective. It's just plumbing and plastic netting, so the cost should be negligible. Best of luck!
Wow! Thank you so much! I hope so too. It’s such a joy to watch a forest grow from seed.. and see the birds come in and the wallabies resting in the shade of the trees. And I will definitely look this up. Thanks for the recommendation, I absolutely love learning about simple technology such as this! Much appreciation, Alex 💚🌿
Brilliant work. It is inspiring to see people who care so much about the land, and do something about it! I'm curious as to how did you get that grass to grow without watering or irrigation? How much does planting the grass on contour help as opposed to just planting grasses randomly over the hill? It must make you feel great to have such success with nature.
Looking forward to future updates. I live in Southern England, and even we are suffering with lack of water in some areas. We do not get seasons now, they very often merge. Up in the 70s today when it should be getting colder, and a frost is very rare. When I was growing up frost in September was the norm. Miss the seasonal changes. Some plants and trees do not like the changes either, they need frosts to send them dormant.
Thanks for watching! And sorry to hear of the challenges you are facing. I don’t think we’ve had a ‘normal’ year since we’ve been here.. it’s definitely difficult to plan and so I tried going for maximum diversity to try and maximise my chances of something succeeding! Best wishes to you, Alex 💚🌿
It's very timely. I was thinking about doing the same thing with my native grasses here in southern spain. The best one is a grass called hyparrhenia hirta, which is similar to vetiver, but very invasive. Invasive is just what I need now.
Yes vetiver and similar grasses are amazing for stabilising steep slopes! Establishing cover and mulch is key right? It can be so hard getting started with harsh conditions. The acacias really helped me too in getting much need shade quickly. Wishing you all the best with your project and please let me know how it goes! Alex 🌾🌾
@@dreamsofgreen Thanks! Here is not so much the slope but the climate change. I fear we've turned into desertic climate since our rain patterns have changed. Then, any tree we try to grow needs an excessive amount of care and irrigation, and we can't provide neither. Not even for jujubes. The pioneer species here is the carob which is already established in the terrain and we are planning on extending it. We also want to add some moringas and mulberries which are doing great, melias for shade, and rhamnus alaternus, which is a large bush that is already growing lush green. This latter is said to be an useless bush that grows spontaneously in the hills. Precisely what we need: spontaneous growth. Let me decide how useless it is. I proposed the herbs hedge system to help established these trees and for reforestation efforts nearby, but it was received with skepticism; they fear the herbs will reduce the water availability for the trees. I'm glad to see that's not the case. However, I have to wait until december or january. The herb I want to plant can be divided by roots and we have plenty, only not in hedges, but for extracting the roots unharmed I need to wait for a good rainy week.
I love this: ‘let me decide how useless it is’. Brilliant! 😂 That’s exactly what I did, when we were still in drought I drove around to see what was still thriving and collected seed as those were the tough-as-nails species I wanted. Also I had to weigh up competition with water of the grass vs the effects of evaporation. A few 40 degree days in a row and anything not sheltered by grass was dead. So that’s how I decided, just by observing what happened on my own piece of land. You could always set up a side-by-side trial as a test and then observe what works best and go from there. The number of times I’ve been told I was doing it ‘wrong’ or I ‘should do this or that’!! I say there is no one best way. We just learn by trying things with the resources we have available, seeing what works best then repeat! Great also that you’ve got the carob and you know that works. Mulberries have been a stand-out winner for me too but not the moringa sadly. Perhaps it was too wet after the drought broke? I will try again. I’ll look up this bush you mentioned too as I don’t know it. Good luck to you!! 🌿
In Australia Hyparrhenia hirta is called Coolatai Grass. Not recommended, for anything, anywhere on this continent. Plenty of preferable grass and grass like species such as Themeda, Lomandra, Austrostipa, Astrebla, Gahnia, Lepidosperma that are native to place. Investing in invasive is a poor choice here. Planting species native to place should be the go to option for restoring landscape function. The goal is having a fields bursting with possibilities, rather than paddocks of problems.
@@radmckenzie4910 thanks so much for this as I hadn’t heard of it. I’m not sure what grasses we have on our property but just using what was already there. Will be interesting to start identifying them. Thanks again, Alex 🌾
Beautiful design, and thank you for explaining each detail so well! I can recommend Sepp Holzer for ideas on reforesting slopes - he even manages to grow subtropical fruits on the Austrian Alps, using ponds to reflect the sun and rocks to hold heat near the roots. In particular, he advocates 'hugels' - a long row-mound stuffed full of dense organics, chunks of wood, covered in soil. That is for *cold* mountains, however - it would definitely scorch your plants roots, in the summer heat. INSTEAD! A slight variation on the hugel concept: 1) stake the contour with small sticks, as deep as the topsoil, with a foot above ground 2) twist-and-bundle your tall grasses into long, thigh-thick wads 3) shove the bundles onto your contour-stakes, with each bundle skewered by a few stakes in a row, overlapping thick You now have a dense 'carpet-roll' of organics to *slow* the run-off, *without* creating a miniature dam (which would overburden the soil and cause a mudslide). That tightly-bound straw will hold a LOT more water, from surface tension and capillary action, especially as it slowly mulches its way down. When you mow another batch of grass, twist it up and stuff it on TOP of the old tangles, and the *fungal culture* in the old bundle will start crawling into the new one! Good Luck!
Wow Anthony, thank you for sharing this amazing system. Sticks are a problem as we have no mature trees so I’d have to buy tomato stakes (the eucalyptus sticks snap when I try to drive them into the soil), HOWEVER, I think I can vary the variation a bit to get the same effects as I really love the way you’re thinking here. Once I do the first chop n drop of the acacias at the start of wet season I may be able to chop them smaller and drive some into the ground and also lay branches on contour, using these to hold in place the the thick bundles of grass and hopefully be able to create this dense carpet roll of organics to keep the moisture in and feed the plants. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks again for taking the time to share this, love it! Alex 💚🌿
When I was a younger man I had 100 acres near Old Bonalbo. I found specimen Silky Oaks grew very well there. I'm sure you've seen them coming into flower now around the old properties in your district. They would make excellent pioneer trees. They have been long forgotten about as a furniture timber but I have used Silky Oak to build guitars, both solid body and acoustic. I've two under construction at the moment. I'm now in Burringbar and I've have three grow extremely well [ 200 - 300mm dia in 10 years ] from wind blown seeds. I pot up seedlings when I find them but there's only so many Silky Oaks a man can plant on 1 acre.
Fantastic! I absolutely love this. Great information. We have lots of silky oaks across the road (flowering as we speak!) and the seed drifts across to our paddock and they naturally pop up as the perfect pioneer. I have planted many in my food forest as well as my reforestation areas but will definitely plant more. Wonderful to know you are making guitars from the timber. I read up on them from Rowan Reid’s book “Heartwood”. He is growing them for timber in Victoria. Kind regards, Alex 💚🌿
I admire your approach by creating blady grass "swales" it's way better than Yoeman's approach on steep country with high rainfall. The hardy Silky Oak has a clue to it's capacity to grow well in your conditions in its botanical name. As you probably know it's a Grevillea Robusta ie a resilient and robust tree. More power to your arm ! @@dreamsofgreen
Thanks Andrew. Yes I looked into yeomans approach but for our particular site it wasn’t suitable and we didn’t have the catchment area on just 10 acres. This seems to work well as an alternative and it will be interesting to see the site mature over time
Hi. Very interesting video. You should check out syntropic agroforestry. It´s a techinque developed by a guy by the name of Ernst Gotsch. He is from Switzerland, but he developed the technique in Brazil. Its very similar with what you are doing, but, for example, in the rainy season, they prune the hardy trees and mulch the growing trees with the pruning material to add organic matter. There are places in Australia where this technique is being applied.
Thanks Luz! Yes, watching “life in syntropy” was life changing. So inspiring. Now the acacias are up, I will be doing my first heavy pruning at the start of the wet season and can’t wait! Looking forward to checking out some more syntropic farms around our area too. A lot of really inspiring people doing some great things with syntropics! Thanks for your comment. Alex 💚🌿
I recall a study done in Victoria that found for even mild slopes, the best return in dollar terms was to “convert” the hillsides to honey production, with side lines of firewood, tree crops and timber. Over time it was found the return was over 9 times better than beef, dairy, sheep or monoculture.
I think they should do rotational grazing. Destroying the grass is not a good thing. Perhaps add fodder trees that grow quickly and some timber trees..
Yes it’s amazing the difference once the land is allowed to rest and recuperate. Perhaps in the future I can offer to plant some trees. I have so many excess fodder and timber trees that I have propagated, I think this would be a beautiful thing! 😊
My wife loved your place, and your approach to farming. You have a similar approach to mine. Do as little as possible, as "free" as possible, for as much as possible. And make it look awesome, and in such a way that makes people scratch their heads in wonder. LOL I popped in to share this video (again, I think), with a new set of time stamps. The portion of the video that talks about the phytonutrients in tomatoes grown in the sun and under glass in a greenhouse. (He called them phytochemicals by accident. Oh well.) 2:10:30 to 2:12:30
Thank you so much Bill! Yes, many people do scratch their heads driving past our place!! And I don’t think it’s possible to share the link in the comments I’m afraid..
Thanks for focused & attention to tree details!🤓 I'm active with Agroforestry (avocation) in SE U.S. as I believe Forests are main solution to restoring our ancestral 'wetter' (& cooler) climates for our benefit now. If I understood you , I heard u have 'rainforest' species...curious to know if your area's original deforestation for cattle farming was main cause of becoming a dry area?🌅
Oh this is fantastic. If you have any links please post them so I can take a look. Always love learning what’s worked and how you manage your agroforestry systems. I also believe they are the solution to restoring our wetter and cooler climates. We are at the base of the Border ranges national park and to the east was once the ‘Big Scrub’ subtropical rainforest where only 1% of the rainforest remains. All I know is on a hot day here when it’s over 40 degrees Celsius in the bare paddock, it’s 10-15 degrees cooler under the canopy of the rainforest species a mere 50m away (Australian black bean, she-oak, silky oak, Moreton bay fig). We also flood so it’s not always dry but I have definitely observed the extreme temperature fluctuations where there is no tree canopy, and thus much higher evaporation rates. Wishing you all the best with your projects and do share! Alex 🌱🌿🌳
it's great that you don't irrigate on clay soils its even more important to be wary of manual irrigation because of salt buildup danger but im worried about fire on those little grass strips i hope you fire proof your property for example by having reliable water storages on top of your property, rehydrating the landscape, wish you all the best on your journey to reach your dream!
Yes great suggestions and I agree! Fire is always a threat and now the risk of frost has passed and it warming up, I’m actually going to start mulching a lot of the grass. Thank you so much for your lovely wishes and same to you! Alex 💚🌿
I'm just sitting by one of my steep slopes by a natural creek over in Nimbin looking at the lush grassy, weedy growth on the banks. I know some weeds, but wondering which ones are natives? Tricky haha
Sounds beautiful! And oh my gosh, I've spent the last three years learning all about the trees and still so many native rainforest species to learn about... We are blessed with the amazing species we have at our doorstep aren't we? And so I haven't even started on the native grasses and ground covers yet!!
Would you rather mix the tree species in the same row, or dedicated each row to one dominant tree species each, and vary the tree species on a row basis? Wondering if these four types, Cedar, Ash, Acacia and Eucalyptus have different mature characteristics, like height and canopy? Would it be better to grow the tallest species at maturity on the lower sections and the shorter farther up the hill? Does it depend on the direction of the hill too? Seems that the hill is receiving full sun now at the filming.
Hi Rani! I used a very simple planting plan that keeps repeating. Acacias every 4m, 10 different species of eucalyptus in between (also every 4m and around 40-50 species of mixed rainforest trees every 2m. So there is a very diverse mix of canopy heights and shapes, some trees like the red and white cedar are deciduous, some have dense canopy and some have an open canopy. Diversity for me was key. And then you just observe where is naturally wetter/drier/rockier and take advantage of these microclimates and try to plant the most suitable species. The outer ridge of this slope is rocky and faces west so I planted tougher species there. The southern or shady side of the slope stays wetter so more sensitive rainforest species have been placed there. We often go for hikes at local national parks and so I’ve tried to be more observant of what thrives in nature and then tried to replicate that (with lots of trial and error!). Wishing you all the best and I hope this helps! Alex 🌱🌿
Haha yes, before I planted all the different varieties of eucalyptus I had no idea! I thought a gumtree is a gumtree.. then all the new seedlings put on their first new growth and I was amazed at the beauty and diversity of colours. And this is a great idea, once the growing season begins and the grass gets up I’ll do a mowing demo through the tree rows. The Razorback is an amazing little machine! 😄🌾🏎️
What a piece of luck finding this channel! I too have a steeply sloping garden (20-60 degrees) with only very small level areas (which tend to have buildings on them anyway). When I moved here, a third of the garden (2 acres of exhausted former sheep pasture) was bare rock or tufty bits of grass and weed. I can't tell you how frustrated I was in finding one permaculture channel after another that suggested 'digging' swales to capture water. I just can't do that here. It's not just the angle of some of the slopes, the underlying rocky ground wouldn't allow for it without the need for machinery. Besides, I can't afford to just go hire in diggers and workmen. Everything I do has to be done to a very tight budget (the cheapest plants and seeds, other seeds and cuttings taken from my own plants), and checking fly-tips and farmland ditches for dumped trash that can be repurposed. So it's nice to see someone has thought of a different way through necessity, 'planting' artificial swales 'on top of' the existing soil instead. In a way, it's how I've very slowly coming round to building a few of my own swales too. I had a lot of disasters over the years: cows and sheep escaping from neighbouring fields causing chaos and trampling everything, 2 rabbit plagues, killer temperatures over 2 winters, too much rain, severe storms, and now new drought conditions appearing over the past 3 years. However, I've finally established 2 'growing' swales at the top of the hill, with partial swales, drifts and groups on the slope below. My environment is totally different from yours (Scotland), but subscribed anyway because I reckon you may have a few ideas that I can translate into my own permaculture/wildlife garden.
Thanks so much Debbie for your beautiful comment! I figured if I was tearing my hair out in frustration there must be others having the same issues!! Even though we’re in different climates, the principles are the same - select tough as-nails species that are thriving in your area. Keep an eye out for what’s still thriving in your drought conditions on neglect (in abandoned fields, side of the road, street trees etc) and grab seed. Fast growing support trees is what made a huge difference for me. I’m sure you’re doing this already though by the sounds of it! My best wishes to you Debbie. I’ll be here cheering you on from Kyogle!! Alex 🌱💚🌿
I’ve done much the same. I ended up poisoning the grass around things like plum pines though. The wattles, gums, red ash don’t mind but somethings do much better without the grass, especially growing during a dry summer. You cleared around it a bit but could use much more, I guess that will come eventually as you mulch them with the wattle branches. The grass rows are collecting water but grass is very thirsty. I like what you’re done but I think with the three wet summers we have had, trees have grown anywhere, the test will be how they handle a dry summer. I’ve been surprised by how much wetter soil stays in places that I poison grass. Wattles are great as they are competitive and provide shade, but aren’t greedy for water like gums or grasses. Cedars and red ash are almost as good. Bunyas are good too, competitive with grass, yet aren’t greedy for water. Great bird nesting tree with its spikes. If you do bunyas, I’ve had better success growing them up in 6l bags(>2 foot tall). If you put them out at tube stock size they can just go dormant for a while and wallabies will eat them. My wallabies never eat red or white cedar, rarely eat red ash but love wattles and gums. I cage a lot of trees until there tall enough, when it’s wet they can leave them alone but as it drys out the wallabies go and munch everything they can reach, especially if you have small juicy koala trees. The two favourite koala trees around here (swamp mahogany, forest red gum) are also the wallabies favourite especially if you fertilise and/or water them.
This is such wealth of information Gulliver. Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of your experience with me. Really appreciate it. I’m sure your forest must be looking absolutely magnificent! Alex 🌱💚🌿
Yes!! Love it! I’ll have to do a video of my front slope 😉 I loosely based it on syntropic style rows but on contour, incorporating long term emergent timber species as well as high, medium and low fruit and support trees. I’ve got avos and macadamias with teak and blue quandong, silky oaks and eucalyptus with citrus and pomegranate..grumichama, white sapote, figs and mangoes..with acacias, calliandra and Albizia in the mix. I can’t wait!! It’s only been in the ground less than two years and I’m still finishing it off so a little time yet to be harvesting but it’s been so rewarding seeing it grow. Have you got your own syntropic system set up? If so send me the link, I’d love to see what you’ve done! Thanks so much for the encouragement and all the best, Alex 🌱🥭🌿🥑
Yes absolutely agree. I’m sure some thinning will be needed in the future! Just happy to have some shade from those acacias in the early stages. They’ve made such a difference. Cheers, Alex 🌿
Welcome and thank you! Occasionally we get ticks but it’s just part of country life here and we just try to be careful. Although I will say the ticks are the least of our problems when we have brown snakes!! My dear cat would follow me around the paddock keeping watch while I planted trees. Three times he got between me and a brown snake, hissing to warn me. Amazing! And luckily no ticks but we do check him (and ourselves) regularly. Alex 💚🌿
Great question! I’ve divided the property up into different zones. This back slope was steeper and more difficult to access and so I’ve marked this for wildlife and long term timber. I’ve also planted some cool edible natives such as Burdekin plum, lily pillies, Davidson plum, small leaved tamarind, plum pine, black apple etc. I’ll keep pruning the acacias and eucalypts for mulch. My front slope is a syntropic style food forest, also planted on contour. There I have a mix of long term timber such as silky oaks, eucalypts, Australian teak and blue quandong along with fruit and nuts such as macadamia, Malabar chestnut, citrus, pomegranate, feijoas, mango, avocado, white sapote , grumichama, guavas, figs, mulberries and lots more! I have lots of nitrogen-fixing support trees that will serve as chop and drop as well. Can’t wait to be driving along the tree rows harvesting all that fruit! The vast majority of trees in the food forest system have all been propagated on site and this system is younger so a few years to go yet! 😊🌿🍋🥑🥭
I appreciate how succinct this video is. A lot of permaculture channels would have taken an hour to convey what was conveyed in this video.
Thanks so much for the feedback. Yes, when I was researching I found it helpful if videos were around the 10min mark give or take so I could quickly absorb some information while I was taking a tree planting break! Alex 🌱🌿
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
@@lauralee6628in areas of lower rainfall (assuming you do get big rain events) don't you just need to space the swales further apart on the slope and dig them larger to catch a larger volume of water?
that may work = however is not unknown to 2 years or more with no significant rainfall in all parts of australia with less than 700 mm rainfall = you can get some tree crops to survive but not all tree crops = to date no viable working model to verify the efficiency of swales in areas with 700mm or less rainfall = if we give you 1000 hectares and $10,000,000 at goondiwindi (in 550 mm rainfall) how much income can you earn from a $10,000,000 land development investment with tree crops grown on swales ?? without stored water in tanks ???
@@lauralee6628 that's a good question, one I am not equipped to answer.
When you mentioned regions with 700mm per year, I was assuming even a drought year would be at least 300mm
Good job! I've been pushing folks to try strips like that, especially with native clumping grasses that'll work like a strainer to really hold back the soil and rain. Looks like you've proven the concept and I appreciate you posting this vid!
Thanks very much! This is great to know you are thinking along the same lines. Have you been working on a project of your own? Love to hear about your experience. Wishing you all the best! 🌿🌾
@@dreamsofgreen Thankfully, I live in a wet area so holding onto water really isn't necessary. For me, it's about using native plants to encourage wildlife to hang around and eat the pests in the garden. I know a lot of folks are jumping on the Vetiver grass bandwagon, thinking it's all the rage and the perfect solution, but I've come to prefer using native grasses because they help in ways that Vetiver cannot - like producing food and homes for the native animals that have evolved in this area.
In Australia, for example, you have a ton of clumping grasses that work much the same as Vetiver. The Lomandra species not only form a nice clump, but have quite a tough rooting habit that binds the soil so it can't wash away easily. That the local wildlife has evolved to use the plant means that you're adding to the food web rather than introducing a grass that does nothing for the ecological system of the area.
When planted close together to form a tight line, clumping grasses like the Lomandra or Poa look absolutely fantastic as a hedge and really add to the value of the homestead. That they also form a filter that slows surface water runoff is a bonus. Who wouldn't love a hedge of Festuca Glauca or Poa Poiformis around their back garden? Throw in a few Lomandra Longifolia for good measure and you've got a hedgerow that's both attractive and functional. Mix it up with some Orthosanthus Multiflorus 'Morning Iris' every few feet and you've got a design that'd make all the neighbors jealous, for sure.
And best of all, they're all native plants that have evolved to live in the conditions you have on hand. That means you need to do less work to maintain them, and they work for you to help build the soil biome with their root structures while also fulfilling their role in the local food web.
Around my neck of the woods, we use clumping grasses like Panicum Virgatum and Andropogon Gerardii to do the same thing. While non-native plants might accomplish one thing, like preventing erosion, because they didn't evolve here, they pretty much create a black hole in the food web. Sure, they might root deep, like the Vetiver, and help stop erosion, but that's all they do. They can't feed the local songbirds and pollinators because the two didn't evolve together, and without food.... well, it's no wonder we've lost more than 30,000,000 songbirds since the 70's when non-native plants became all the rage in the horticulture industry. Those non-native plants stay looking pretty because insects don't nibble on the leaves. But without insects, there are no soft protein sources for the songbirds to feed their chicks in the nest. No food for the baby birds doesn't generally work out well, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Anyhow, kudos to you for thinking outside the box. I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with next!
Thanks so much for this really interesting and informative reply. You make some really great points. The lomandra are used extensively around here for exactly that - erosion control on creek banks and steep slopes. Thanks also for mentioning the other species, I’ll look them up as there are many grasses I’m not familiar with. That’s a devastating loss of songbirds by the way. Watching all the birds come back into the tree rows has been such a joy. Of course there’s great uses for vetiver, however I didn’t use it as I had an abundance of other native clumping grasses that were already thriving and the birds were loving it! Thanks again, I’ve enjoyed reading. Alex
@@dreamsofgreen Dr. Doug Tallamy has one a few videos here on TH-cam where he talks about the real-world costs of planting non-native plants in our yards. Something like 70% of our ecosystems have been replaced with things that haven't evolved in that local area, so it causes something of an invisible cascade failure in the whole chain of life. 90% of birds require soft protein sources like caterpillars to feed their chicks in the nest, and just one nest can require more than 4000 caterpillars to reach maturity. Since we've opted to use non-native species in our yards to the degree we have, that means the local insects not only can't eat them because they don't recognize them as a food source, but everything that eats the insects then has far less food for their young.
Non-natives like Vetiver might work great to help with erosion control, and even provide fodder for livestock, they are basically "inert" in the landscape. Planting things that are native to the region, however, can host dozens of different insects that serve as the foundation of the food chain much like how plankton works in the oceans. Often, we don't even understand the complexity of what the native plants are doing.
Bunch Grasses, like the Lomandra or Festuca, also produce tons of nutrient-rich mulch every year. Because they tend to root down deeper in the strata, they are mining minerals that aren't usually available to plants that have a shallower rooting habit. When their leaves are then used as mulch, that wider array of nutrients then becomes available to other plants, increasing the health of the plants and the taste of their fruits. Folks get so fixated on NPK that they forget there are a bazillion other nutrients needed for a healthy plant, just like with people.
I always recommend the grasses be cut to the crown at the beginning of the dry season. Not only does the mulch help to retain soil moisture, but removing the standing dead stalks will greatly reduce the fire hazard by making it harder to catch alight. Combined with the increased soil moisture means that fires are far less likely to take hold.
Thanks for this, I’ll look him up! Again, I’ve learnt so much from one post from you. I agree - this NPK fixation! And love the last paragraph too. Great information. I’m just starting to cut back the grass around the trees for mulch and to start reducing fire risk. Thanks again, Alex 😊
Thank you. I affirm this method. I have been terracing similarly in Colorado (USA) for 25 years and have sustained large shrubs, fruit trees, vegetables, and grasses (poa et al). Here the annual rainfall is ~14", and the elevation is 6700'. Understanding the soil (structure, texture, pH ) is primary for composition to balance retention and drainage, then amending and planting accordingly.
Thanks so much for sharing, wonderful to know you’ve been doing this for the last 25 years and it works! Kind regards, Alex 💚🌿
What an incredible video. I just want to echo how nice it is that you get straight to the point. The amount of knowledge shared is impressive, and I love how you explain all your plans whilst going along (like the branches to save topsoil from running off). I'm looking to study/find work in conservation and restoration, so this is all very exciting to see! I hadn't thought of another method other than swales, and how they don't work past 15 degrees. Thanks!
Thank you so much! I wish you every success in your chosen career, I’m sure it will be very rewarding for you! Best wishes, Alex 🌿
Wow three years makes a huge difference. I love seeing your progress.
A bloody wonderful idea. Great job bringing the land back to its natural state.
Wow, thanks so much. It’s been so rewarding seeing it transform! Alex 💚🌿
Amazing information thank you 🙏🏽 I own 3 acres of land, all of it sloping! I really want to re-forest the land, but don’t have the budget for putting in swales as I’d need a machine. This system looks way better and you’ve inspired me to start turning my old cow paddock into tree covered land once again.
That’s wonderful Sharon! If you are ever over Kyogle way, send me an email at alex@dreamsofgreen.com.au. I’d be happy to show you around. Best wishes for your property!! Alex 🌿
@@dreamsofgreen Thank you Alex, I will definitely take you up on that offer! I lived in Lismore for 18 months, such a special place and area you live in. My Mum is at Goonellebah so next time I visit her, I’ll come see you too 😃
I love this. Its a great way of arresting water & soil run-off and sequence the land back up the chain. Wonderful!
Thanks so much Scott! 🌿
Hiii!! Love this video! Please make more videos like this thank you!!!
Thanks so much Sophia! 💚🌿
Hello from the Northern Hemisphere. I live in the hills near a Mediterranean town, and all of the property I recently acquired is on slopes. That's all we've got over here. The native flora is vastly different, but otherwise, there are many similarities. We have extreme droughts and equally extreme precipitation. I'm trying to figure out how to fit my permaculture garden into the existing landscape, without having to use traditional stone terraces, which are expensive to build (and these days it's really hard to find people with the relevant knowledge). You've given me a few great ideas to experiment with. I'll keep checking out your channel, and will keep you posted. Thank you!
Check Jeff Lawton's (also an Australian) work about swales. Jeff's work relies on digging along contour lines, while this one looks for ways not to dig. But compared to terraces, both are interesting to find out about. I built dry stone walls in Dordogne (France) and I agree - labour is hard to find, and nobody would want to pay me at the level of expertise + amount of time this takes! But it fitted the lifestyle of those who built it: out in the field all the time, shifting the stones out of the cultivated areas and reserving them for the walls, using patience over generations rather than fast investment of money and (fossil) energy. If you wanted to machine-build terraces cheaply and fast, buy cages made from iron wiring (from the sort of iron bars made to reinforce concrete?) Then you plonk the cages at the bottom end of your terrace, throw the stones in and back-fill with soil - or, slowly back fill with soil as you sift the stones out. Old terrace builders will scream that you are destroying the landscape, but you get a similar result in months, instead of decades, and you can do most of the work with a digger! Ready stone-filled cages also exist, but of course you have more stones on site than you know what to do with already :)
Thank you so much and wishing you all the very best with your property! Kindest regards, Alex 💚🌿
Love what you doing for wildlife and I look forward to seeing more of your food forest.
Thank you so much Deborah. It’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. 💚
In addition to your pointers regarding cattle, I would suggest rotational grazing. That way all the manure and urine is concentrated in one area which is then left fallow for 60 or more days to regenerate. In addition to this, if free range chooks are sent through an area approximately 3 days after the cattle have been moved on, they will scratch up the cow pats and feast on the fly larvae. This has the added bonuses of providing free proteins for yet another income stream, keeps the fly population under control and helps speed the recognition the grasses.
Agree 100%. Sadly the average age of a cattle farmer in Australia is 61 years old and most have a day job. There is a new generation of regenerative farmers coming through (for example, southern cross university in Australia is now offering regenerative farming degrees). I’m optimistic that the methods you describe above will become the ‘new normal’.
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
@@dreamsofgreen that’s awesome news. I have hopes that the idea spreads far and wide. Even from an economic view its a no brainer. Improved pastures mean one of two things, either you can successfully run m,ore head on the same amount of land or with extra forage, you can get calves up to market weight sooner in the season and thus command a premium price for them.
Absolutely!
Have to wait for trees to mature a bit.otherwise the cows will eat them.
Wonderful tour of your hillside and planned shady and slow water areas. Rotational grazing with silvo-pasture combines the extra benefits to the soil and the trees and grasses. Thanks for the time and sharing your video.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Yes I think silvopasture has so many amazing benefits! Thanking you again, Alex 🌿
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
I paused to say that those grass rows actually produce a swale like function. They slowly build up mounds instead of digging swales. Difference in elevation is difference in elevation, right? It slows the water flow, and as organic debris caught up in the grass rows, they will mound up slowly. I love it!
Thank you so much! Yes, exactly my goals for this system 😄 It’s a ‘how to swale when you can’t swale’ type of set-up. 🌿
@@dreamsofgreen Honestly, I would probably swale that way even if earth works was an option, now that I've seen it. I love things that require less work; not more.
Here is a link to the channel my wife made for videos of the farm:
th-cam.com/channels/H57pOwu07Sy7Fc8EQxkr8Q.html
Thanks for sharing what you are doing. It truly was inspiring.
Well I can’t use my hands to dig a hole like you can in the beautiful soil you created! I think you’ve done a remarkable job with the use of swales. Thanks for the link, watching now!
@@dreamsofgreen I had a foot or two of mulch on the front yard for almost a year before I made my way out there. I was working in the back yard first. My wife's crew would fill garbage cans with weeds, and grasses, and stomp them down.
When they got them here, they came out in garbage can shaped grass pills. The funniest looking things you've ever seen. I just had them cover the whole yard with them without fluffing them at all. What a shade cover!
In addition to shade, and the automatic drip system it activates, the microbes at the surface (the O-Horizon layer) break down the organic matter, and it filters down into the soil. I do almost no work anymore.
It is like most things in life. Getting set up requires a lot of project work, but maintenance is easy. When the house is a wreck, the "overhaul" is a huge project. But, if you do it well, keeping things tidy is not all that hard. You just have to be at it daily.
I started and ran the yardwork business for years before my wife took it over. I learned how to get weeds out. Bermuda grass is abundant here, and it is hard to get out. Especially in our clay soil. (Ok, not clay...concrete!) LOL
When I see the rare weed now, I pull on it, and a foot or more of weed and root just gently comes out...easily! It is dazzlingly amazing! Especially after years of experience sweating them out before.
The mulch makes the microbes happier, allowing more fungi to grow, which changes the bacteria to fungus ration to change. This actually makes it horrible soil for weeds to grow in. They crave bacterial dominant soil.
Love this. Such an amazing transformation. Thank you so much for sharing. I can’t wait until I have a forest floor to walk along! 🌱🌿🌳
I love to see what you are doing. I hope to follow your venture as your trees grow.
Thanks so much Garrett. I can’t wait to see the rainforest species take off! I’ve got some really beautiful native species in there so it will be interesting to see how the forest develops over time. Alex 🌱😊
This is the way nature dose it ,excellent video.And its so nice to here that your planting species for our beloved koala bears .
Thanks so much for your kind words Margarethe. It’s going to be really important to create some wildlife corridors around this system but it’s a start! Alex 💚🌿
Absolutely brilliant system, so clever and simple, congratulations to you. I wish more Australian farmers would copy this.
Thanks so much Joshua! Much appreciated. It will be interesting to see how the system develops over time. Alex 💚🌿
Thanks Alex. I'm on the mid-north coast. Your videos are really helpful for what I'm trying to do. Really enjoying the content. Keep it up.
Thanks so much for your encouragement Matt! You live in a beautiful part of the world. Any questions or support I can offer please feel free to reach out. Many of the species I’m using up in Kyogle would work for you too. All the best with your project! Alex 🌿
Really inspiring what you’ve created there - look forward to seeing how it develops. thanks for sharing. 👍🏻
Thanks for watching! 🌿
We did this on our dairy farm in South Africa,which has even more issues with soil erosion than Australia ,we just called them contours but had them further apart ,approximately 4 meters apart ,worked a treat preventing erosion
Thank you so much for sharing!! So good knowing you’ve had success with this. My rows are also on average about 4m apart but the steeper areas closer and the flatter areas a bit further apart. Really appreciate you sharing. Best regards for your property, Alex 💚🌿
Really like this idea. We have some slopes on our place in Oklahoma (USA) that I think would benefit from this system. Thanks for posting this video. I look forward to your future videos.
Oh fantastic Claudia! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions and I wish you all the best on your property. Happy planting! 🌱💚🌿
Many thanks. I'll be sure to get in touch if I have questions
Thank you for sharing! I’ve also got a very steep slope and this information is so helpful!
You are so welcome! Feel free to reach out if I can help you at all. Wishing you all the best with your property! Alex 🌳🌳🌳
Like that u are bringing the trees back and encouraging others as well.
Thanks so much Tom. Appreciate your comment. Best wishes, Alex 🌿
wow you are so considerate! please do a video of how you planed the design of your property and keep up the good work!!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! What a great suggestion! 💚🌿
Thank you. I can see major advantage in leaving the grass that I had been clearing. Less effort better result we are on 1:3. The remarks on mowing are particularly useful.
Thanks Peter. I like less effort! I’ll do a demo on the mower once the grass gets up too. Best regards, Alex 🌿
Fantastic contribution to the earth and community.
Wow, thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement! Alex 💚🌿
Brilliant, well done. I've not thought of the different needs when the slope is great. I just assumed swales were the way to go.This system is amazing.
Thanks so much for your comment. Sometimes the frustrations of a limited budget and challenging terrain can be a blessing in disguise - we are forced to work with what we’ve got! 💚
what few people realise is that swales only work where there is high rainfall - and even fewer people successfully manage them over the decades - SO FAR there are no viable swale/tree crop constructs anywhere on australia with less than 650 mm annual rainfall - if there are any the total area would be a few hectares - which is too small to be viable - anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in unicorns
I was wondering if my idea was out there already and if it would work. So happy to find your channel. Thank you, I think it's not only an amazing idea, seeing it working so well is even better.
Wow, amazing! Thank you so much, please let me know how your project progresses. Love to share ideas and inspiration! Alex 🌱💚🌿
@@dreamsofgreen My land is fairly flat but even may work on it. I was thinking of a guy who has land in Texas who is trying to slow water and sink it. it's hills and all and trying to put in dams to slow the water, but they are washing out in heavy rains. i was thinking about ways to slow the water from washing out his dams and using grasses to slow the water down before they got to the wash. deep rooted grasses was where my thoughts went. Maybe you could help him out sounds like you have about the same type of weather too. [ www.youtube.com/@dustupstexas/videos ]
this video of Shaun's is what got me to thinking about using native grasses. especially on the hill sides. th-cam.com/video/YkqG8Eolg7M/w-d-xo.html
Watching now..! Thank you so much for sharing 💚
Fascinating practical information. So much to learn... Thank you for sharing your wonderful knowledge Alex
My pleasure and thank you Wendy! 🙏🌿
Congrats on your progress! Must be especially rewarding to have propagated these from seed and see the growth now!
Thanks so much Claire! Incredibly rewarding! Best regards, Alex 💚🌿
"I'll just take my knife, and go for a lovely nature walk..." Love it! (Great video btw, thanks!)
So good to see a great retreating project! Really good methods to see and share!
Thank you so much! Alex 💚🌿
Beautiful, and well expained! I love that you are taking wildlife into consideration.
Thank you very much! 💚
Alex, I live in Northern California and have been looking for advice on how to reforestate neglected mountain steep slopes. I am so glad I found your channel! Thank you for sharing your methods and progress! What is the % of your food forest slope? I have 15%, 30% and even 50% slopes 😮😅. I am hoping to learn from you how steep is too steep to plant.
Hi Lu and thanks so much! Sorry about the delayed response, I had to find my maps! I’m used to dealing in degrees and had to convert to %, so I think this is right: the food forest is mostly around 22-32% with some steeper sections of up to around 36%. We have a very steep almost cliff section that I can’t mow as it’s too steep so I planted a Moreton bay fig which has an extensive root system and will hopefully help hold the ground together. You could use a similar species to help stabilise your steeper slopes (think invasive roots that will spread horizontally versus a long tap root which can blow over more easily in a storm). Hope this helps and all the best with your plantings! Alex 🌱🌿🌳
Absolutely excellent description of the bio-mechanics of your project. Very much appreciated!
Wow, thank so much! Appreciate your comment, Alex 💚🌿
Congratulations on setting up a very nice system there. I can see a few small animals and chickens being very happy in that environment in a short time.
Thanks so much John. Yes I can’t wait for some canopy. Have sadly lost some chickens to wedge tail eagles so it will be lovely to see them scratching around the forest floor under the lovely shade and protection of the trees. Alex 💚🌿
Greetings from Dubais desert. Great work you do! Wonderful to hear your thoughts while watching your work! Makes understanding easy
Thanks so much for watching and for your kind words. I’ve just posted a new video with an update, hope you enjoy! 💚🌿
I once made the mistake to free my seedlings from the suffocating high grasses. The seedlings were immediately spotted by deer and destroyed many of the seedlings.
Yes it’s such a balance with the grass. I’ve had a couple of seedlings ‘pruned’ by wallabies but luckily they bounced back. The grass basket system seems to work well for me, where I clear around the trunk and use the cut grass as mulch, then tie the surrounding long grass over the seedling to form a shelter. This was my solution in the tree rows as I couldn’t afford thousands of tree guards and wooden stakes! Wishing you much success Franek and I hope you’re able to get your trees established. Best regards, Alex 🌿🌳
thank you @@dreamsofgreen
I wish I could come to AUS in my next life!
It’s a beautiful part of the world I must say! We’re at the foot of the border ranges national park and it’s a magical place to explore. 💚
Good stuff, I am doing something very similar on my hillside - very similar climate, though very different part of the world, too. I arrived at quite a similar solution, though mine is way more messy (I've done a few videos on the topic), I just don't mow so there's grass and "weeds", the orchard that was already there, but now also various native volunteers popping up. My land has been more green as a result in recent years but I want to get it all a bit more organised going forward!
Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to following your progress. Just had a quick look and looks so green and lush! Best wishes with your project - love the structure too. Alex 🌿
Such a great video. And wonderful to see Australian videos being made, keep up the great work and keep posting!
Thanks so much Kaz and will do! Kindest regards, Alex 💚🌿
A great Idea Alex
I planted 4 of those Brisbane wattles 12 years ago. then after the bushfires 4 years ago.
After the cockies ate the seeds and spread them
Now I have abt 4,000 of them growing on my place
An amazing pioneer! 💚
Really well done and full of wisdom. Be blessed
Thank you so much. Alex 💚🌿
Your land is very similar to ours, with similar challenges. Seven years ago, we cut a total of about 1 kilometer of swales, and we also mow paths the way you are showing. These practices slow down rain runoff to prevent erosion and create a nanoclimate for sheltering saplings. Your video is packed with concrete information. It was wonderful to see how you are taking care of your land with such a clear vision and knowledge.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate your comment. I just subscribed and watched your video on how swales transformed your property after 7 years. I am blown away by the transformation!! You have created an absolute masterpiece. I am so inspired by the beauty of your property. The stonework is magnificent too. I recognise many similar tree species and I hope our property looks this lush one day. Thank you for the inspiration, it has made me so happy to watch this. Alex 🌱💚🌿
@@dreamsofgreen This is wonderful, Alex, that you are already pursuing your dream. We started when we were retired; you have so many many years to "weave" your project to the most amazing "green kimono". My imagination is running wild seeing your property in a near future. It really looks and sounds like you have a very good understanding of what it takes to create your own green, peaceful island. Both my husband and I admire what you have achieved. Your response to my comment warmed my heart. Thank you.
Thank you for your beautiful words. 🙏
Nice to get some more Aussie content. We have a similar ex grazed landscape of 25 acres on the NSW south coast and will be starting our permaculture journey with a heavy focus on syntropic agroforestry. Look forward to checking out the rest of your videos.
Wonderful!! I look forward to hearing about your progress and wishing you all the very best! Alex 💚🌿
Very interesting! Love how you have a variety and have incorporated a bunch of ideas and targets in the design. The bits of shade the hill gets is making a difference in the grass that is mowed, as it is greener than your neighbors hill. Love this so much!
Thank you!
Thanks so much Jotanna! Yes lots of clover and bees which is lovely. Alex 💚🌿
Super cool. I think a similar system is used in northern Thailand to recharge water back into the hillsides. But adding the trees in the way you did makes it exponentially better.
Thanks so much and didn’t know this was used in northern Thailand! Great to know! Alex 💚🌿
I hope we get to see your future forest mature more and more
Great long term system, and very well explained.
Thank you.
You are welcome! Glad it was helpful. Alex 🌿
Excellent share. Glad you pointed out one of the flaws of swales.
Ask yourself how many tons of topsoil loss on flat land is there when people can't see any soil loss at all?
Therefore, trees are required a what % of slope?
Fantastic! My slopes are also too steep for swales and I was leaning towards rows of Vetiver but your idea is so much less work and has worked well. I have access to a spring fed dam so if we have a long, dry spell I could potentially add irrigation if needed too. Thanks a lot for the info.
Wonderful! Great having the spring fed dam as backup too. Wishing you much success with your property! Alex 💚🌿
Your methods are genius!
Wow, thank so much Shirley! Alex 💚🌿
work of art great job👍
Thank you so much! Alex 🌿
Fantastic work. Thank you for sharing this concept.
Thank you and a pleasure Adam! Alex 💚🌿
6:26 Blackwood / Acacia melanoxylon:
The tree's twigs and bark are used to poison fish as a way of fishing.
This tree can also be used as a fire barrier plant, amongst other plants, in rural situations.
Great information, thank you! 🌿
Such a spectacular system! I got great ideas from the video. Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you so much! I’ve just filmed an update, exactly 3 years after it was planted. We have a canopy now! 💚🌿
@@dreamsofgreen Thank you for the reminder! I just finished watching the update. It's mind blowing seeing how fast those trees grow there. I am from Portugal and it has been becoming hotter and drier every year. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about how you watered the trees in the contours or the food forest if you did at all. Your property, the landscape and all the fauna are really beautiful! Have a nice day.
Thank you so much! We timed our plantings after a bad drought had finally broken and timed everything with the rains. No watering (the dam and creek dry out so we knew we couldn’t rely on it). And heavy mulching. But we also have clay soil that holds water for much longer than sandy soil. You want to plant whatever grows really quickly in your local area to establish a cooler microclimate and to reduce the effects of evaporation. That was a key strategy for us. Best wishes for your project! 🌿🌳
@@dreamsofgreen That's reassuring, knowing that things actually grow without water when they are well thought out to start with. From my experience this year, I would never think it would be possible for plants to grow without any water. I made a dam myself but put a liner in it, and this was the first year that I used its water. I was watering very hardy native plants every other day if not, they would be dead or pretty miserable, even with plenty mulch. I don't know the climate where you are but from the looks of your landscape my place looks quite more arid than yours. One interesting thing I found out is that plants in general actually grow better, at least when they are young, when they are under a shade, even if they have all the water they need. On the other hand, yeah, that's a very important piece of information, using fast growing trees as pioneers. I planted quite a lot different species of native trees this last year and found out one of them would be adequate for that end, I have to find out others for different projects. This is the one, Fraxinus Angustifolia, if you want to take a look at this beauty. Thanks for getting back to me and keep up the good work. I wanna see when those rain forest species grow to be really big and supporting the whole ecosystem! Bye!
yes to the point very useful content too
Thank you! Alex 💚🌿
Great work. All the best for future plantings.
Thanks so much Peter! Alex 💚🌿
Well thought out, and the proof's in the pudding - those trees are thriving.
Thanks John! Much appreciated. Alex 💚🌿
Excellent to see this info. I've a similar property and have used basically the same methods (I'm just over the range in Nimbin). Having been here for 30 years I've for some years adopted the practice of only planting in the wet season so never water. People still think Spring is the time for planting (but often our driest season) This is when seed would naturally sprout, ensures a far greater survival rate (less stress), better root systems (roots follow lowering soil moisture down as drier winter/spring progresses) and far less work maintaining watering
Thanks Steph! We’re practically neighbours! This is really reassuring to hear this, thanks for sharing. Your place must look incredible now. I’m sure it must be so rewarding to look back at your old photos and see the beautiful transformation of your land. Alex 💚🌿
Fantastic, detailed presentation.
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! Alex 💚🌿
What you're doing is inspiring to say the least. Heroic in my opinion. Hopefully you will set a trend.
Check out Fog-Net water catching systems that are being used in the dryest places on Earth as drinking and irrigation source. Perhaps it will help with the drought situation. It looks simple, and effective. It's just plumbing and plastic netting, so the cost should be negligible.
Best of luck!
Wow! Thank you so much! I hope so too. It’s such a joy to watch a forest grow from seed.. and see the birds come in and the wallabies resting in the shade of the trees. And I will definitely look this up. Thanks for the recommendation, I absolutely love learning about simple technology such as this! Much appreciation, Alex 💚🌿
Brilliant work. It is inspiring to see people who care so much about the land, and do something about it!
I'm curious as to how did you get that grass to grow without watering or irrigation?
How much does planting the grass on contour help as opposed to just planting grasses randomly over the hill?
It must make you feel great to have such success with nature.
Looking forward to future updates. I live in Southern England, and even we are suffering with lack of water in some areas. We do not get seasons now, they very often merge. Up in the 70s today when it should be getting colder, and a frost is very rare. When I was growing up frost in September was the norm. Miss the seasonal changes. Some plants and trees do not like the changes either, they need frosts to send them dormant.
Thanks for watching! And sorry to hear of the challenges you are facing. I don’t think we’ve had a ‘normal’ year since we’ve been here.. it’s definitely difficult to plan and so I tried going for maximum diversity to try and maximise my chances of something succeeding! Best wishes to you, Alex 💚🌿
Will be watching. Good luck
It's very timely. I was thinking about doing the same thing with my native grasses here in southern spain. The best one is a grass called hyparrhenia hirta, which is similar to vetiver, but very invasive. Invasive is just what I need now.
Yes vetiver and similar grasses are amazing for stabilising steep slopes! Establishing cover and mulch is key right? It can be so hard getting started with harsh conditions. The acacias really helped me too in getting much need shade quickly. Wishing you all the best with your project and please let me know how it goes! Alex 🌾🌾
@@dreamsofgreen Thanks! Here is not so much the slope but the climate change. I fear we've turned into desertic climate since our rain patterns have changed. Then, any tree we try to grow needs an excessive amount of care and irrigation, and we can't provide neither. Not even for jujubes. The pioneer species here is the carob which is already established in the terrain and we are planning on extending it. We also want to add some moringas and mulberries which are doing great, melias for shade, and rhamnus alaternus, which is a large bush that is already growing lush green. This latter is said to be an useless bush that grows spontaneously in the hills. Precisely what we need: spontaneous growth. Let me decide how useless it is.
I proposed the herbs hedge system to help established these trees and for reforestation efforts nearby, but it was received with skepticism; they fear the herbs will reduce the water availability for the trees. I'm glad to see that's not the case.
However, I have to wait until december or january. The herb I want to plant can be divided by roots and we have plenty, only not in hedges, but for extracting the roots unharmed I need to wait for a good rainy week.
I love this: ‘let me decide how useless it is’. Brilliant! 😂 That’s exactly what I did, when we were still in drought I drove around to see what was still thriving and collected seed as those were the tough-as-nails species I wanted. Also I had to weigh up competition with water of the grass vs the effects of evaporation. A few 40 degree days in a row and anything not sheltered by grass was dead. So that’s how I decided, just by observing what happened on my own piece of land. You could always set up a side-by-side trial as a test and then observe what works best and go from there. The number of times I’ve been told I was doing it ‘wrong’ or I ‘should do this or that’!! I say there is no one best way. We just learn by trying things with the resources we have available, seeing what works best then repeat!
Great also that you’ve got the carob and you know that works. Mulberries have been a stand-out winner for me too but not the moringa sadly. Perhaps it was too wet after the drought broke? I will try again. I’ll look up this bush you mentioned too as I don’t know it. Good luck to you!! 🌿
In Australia Hyparrhenia hirta is called Coolatai Grass. Not recommended, for anything, anywhere on this continent. Plenty of preferable grass and grass like species such as Themeda, Lomandra, Austrostipa, Astrebla, Gahnia, Lepidosperma that are native to place. Investing in invasive is a poor choice here. Planting species native to place should be the go to option for restoring landscape function. The goal is having a fields bursting with possibilities, rather than paddocks of problems.
@@radmckenzie4910 thanks so much for this as I hadn’t heard of it. I’m not sure what grasses we have on our property but just using what was already there. Will be interesting to start identifying them. Thanks again, Alex 🌾
I like this very much. I look forward to seeing updates!
🪲💚🍃💦🦜🌿🌳🌾
Thank you!
Thank you so much Louise!! Best wishes, Alex 🌱💚🌿
Well presented !!!
Inspiring , even for a small plot.
Thank you so much! Alex 💚🌿
I love your Hill! Lots of good ideas
Thank you! 💚🌿
From a very wet & windy Somerset, England - this is a fascinating video 🙂
Thank you so much Kevin. I hope you get a sunny day soon! Alex 🌿
Beautiful design, and thank you for explaining each detail so well!
I can recommend Sepp Holzer for ideas on reforesting slopes - he even manages to grow subtropical fruits on the Austrian Alps, using ponds to reflect the sun and rocks to hold heat near the roots. In particular, he advocates 'hugels' - a long row-mound stuffed full of dense organics, chunks of wood, covered in soil. That is for *cold* mountains, however - it would definitely scorch your plants roots, in the summer heat. INSTEAD! A slight variation on the hugel concept:
1) stake the contour with small sticks, as deep as the topsoil, with a foot above ground
2) twist-and-bundle your tall grasses into long, thigh-thick wads
3) shove the bundles onto your contour-stakes, with each bundle skewered by a few stakes in a row, overlapping thick
You now have a dense 'carpet-roll' of organics to *slow* the run-off, *without* creating a miniature dam (which would overburden the soil and cause a mudslide).
That tightly-bound straw will hold a LOT more water, from surface tension and capillary action, especially as it slowly mulches its way down.
When you mow another batch of grass, twist it up and stuff it on TOP of the old tangles, and the *fungal culture* in the old bundle will start crawling into the new one!
Good Luck!
Wow Anthony, thank you for sharing this amazing system. Sticks are a problem as we have no mature trees so I’d have to buy tomato stakes (the eucalyptus sticks snap when I try to drive them into the soil), HOWEVER, I think I can vary the variation a bit to get the same effects as I really love the way you’re thinking here. Once I do the first chop n drop of the acacias at the start of wet season I may be able to chop them smaller and drive some into the ground and also lay branches on contour, using these to hold in place the the thick bundles of grass and hopefully be able to create this dense carpet roll of organics to keep the moisture in and feed the plants. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks again for taking the time to share this, love it! Alex 💚🌿
When I was a younger man I had 100 acres near Old Bonalbo. I found specimen Silky Oaks grew very well there. I'm sure you've seen them coming into flower now around the old properties in your district. They would make excellent pioneer trees. They have been long forgotten about as a furniture timber but I have used Silky Oak to build guitars, both solid body and acoustic. I've two under construction at the moment.
I'm now in Burringbar and I've have three grow extremely well [ 200 - 300mm dia in 10 years ] from wind blown seeds. I pot up seedlings when I find them but there's only so many Silky Oaks a man can plant on 1 acre.
Fantastic! I absolutely love this. Great information. We have lots of silky oaks across the road (flowering as we speak!) and the seed drifts across to our paddock and they naturally pop up as the perfect pioneer. I have planted many in my food forest as well as my reforestation areas but will definitely plant more. Wonderful to know you are making guitars from the timber. I read up on them from Rowan Reid’s book “Heartwood”. He is growing them for timber in Victoria. Kind regards, Alex 💚🌿
I admire your approach by creating blady grass "swales" it's way better than Yoeman's approach on steep country with high rainfall. The hardy Silky Oak has a clue to it's capacity to grow well in your conditions in its botanical name. As you probably know it's a Grevillea Robusta ie a resilient and robust tree. More power to your arm ! @@dreamsofgreen
Thanks Andrew. Yes I looked into yeomans approach but for our particular site it wasn’t suitable and we didn’t have the catchment area on just 10 acres. This seems to work well as an alternative and it will be interesting to see the site mature over time
Hi. Very interesting video. You should check out syntropic agroforestry. It´s a techinque developed by a guy by the name of Ernst Gotsch. He is from Switzerland, but he developed the technique in Brazil. Its very similar with what you are doing, but, for example, in the rainy season, they prune the hardy trees and mulch the growing trees with the pruning material to add organic matter. There are places in Australia where this technique is being applied.
Thanks Luz! Yes, watching “life in syntropy” was life changing. So inspiring. Now the acacias are up, I will be doing my first heavy pruning at the start of the wet season and can’t wait! Looking forward to checking out some more syntropic farms around our area too. A lot of really inspiring people doing some great things with syntropics! Thanks for your comment. Alex 💚🌿
Happy to be helpful and spread new ideas.@@dreamsofgreen
Good work lady.
I recall a study done in Victoria that found for even mild slopes, the best return in dollar terms was to “convert” the hillsides to honey production, with side lines of firewood, tree crops and timber. Over time it was found the return was over 9 times better than beef, dairy, sheep or monoculture.
Wow, if you remember the name of the study I’d love to read it! Alex 💚🌿
I think they should do rotational grazing. Destroying the grass is not a good thing. Perhaps add fodder trees that grow quickly and some timber trees..
Yes it’s amazing the difference once the land is allowed to rest and recuperate. Perhaps in the future I can offer to plant some trees. I have so many excess fodder and timber trees that I have propagated, I think this would be a beautiful thing! 😊
My wife loved your place, and your approach to farming. You have a similar approach to mine. Do as little as possible, as "free" as possible, for as much as possible. And make it look awesome, and in such a way that makes people scratch their heads in wonder. LOL
I popped in to share this video (again, I think), with a new set of time stamps. The portion of the video that talks about the phytonutrients in tomatoes grown in the sun and under glass in a greenhouse. (He called them phytochemicals by accident. Oh well.)
2:10:30 to 2:12:30
Thank you so much Bill! Yes, many people do scratch their heads driving past our place!! And I don’t think it’s possible to share the link in the comments I’m afraid..
@@dreamsofgreen That is odd. I have shared them before.
To me, getting people to scratch their heads that way is actually icing on the cake!
Thank you so much for this video, I have learned so much of this.
That’s wonderful Agnes! A pleasure. Alex 💚🌿
Yup, looks great. Keep it up.
Thank you! 🌿
Brilliant, great work!
Thanks very much! Alex 💚🌿
Really interesting and informative video. Thanks very much.
A pleasure Mathew! Thanks for watching. Alex 💚🌿
great video and great ideas! Also it looks really cool
Thanks so much! Alex 🌿
Thanks for focused & attention to tree details!🤓 I'm active with Agroforestry (avocation) in SE U.S. as I believe Forests are main solution to restoring our ancestral 'wetter' (& cooler) climates for our benefit now. If I understood you , I heard u have 'rainforest' species...curious to know if your area's original deforestation for cattle farming was main cause of becoming a dry area?🌅
Oh this is fantastic. If you have any links please post them so I can take a look. Always love learning what’s worked and how you manage your agroforestry systems. I also believe they are the solution to restoring our wetter and cooler climates. We are at the base of the Border ranges national park and to the east was once the ‘Big Scrub’ subtropical rainforest where only 1% of the rainforest remains. All I know is on a hot day here when it’s over 40 degrees Celsius in the bare paddock, it’s 10-15 degrees cooler under the canopy of the rainforest species a mere 50m away (Australian black bean, she-oak, silky oak, Moreton bay fig). We also flood so it’s not always dry but I have definitely observed the extreme temperature fluctuations where there is no tree canopy, and thus much higher evaporation rates. Wishing you all the best with your projects and do share! Alex 🌱🌿🌳
it's great that you don't irrigate on clay soils its even more important to be wary of manual irrigation because of salt buildup danger but im worried about fire on those little grass strips i hope you fire proof your property for example by having reliable water storages on top of your property, rehydrating the landscape, wish you all the best on your journey to reach your dream!
Yes great suggestions and I agree! Fire is always a threat and now the risk of frost has passed and it warming up, I’m actually going to start mulching a lot of the grass. Thank you so much for your lovely wishes and same to you! Alex 💚🌿
Very cool!
Hope you can get some perrenial grasses in among that leaf litter also
Great information about bacterial and fungal systems. Super good video!
Thanks so much. Really appreciate your comment! Alex 💚🌿
I'm just sitting by one of my steep slopes by a natural creek over in Nimbin looking at the lush grassy, weedy growth on the banks. I know some weeds, but wondering which ones are natives? Tricky haha
Sounds beautiful! And oh my gosh, I've spent the last three years learning all about the trees and still so many native rainforest species to learn about... We are blessed with the amazing species we have at our doorstep aren't we? And so I haven't even started on the native grasses and ground covers yet!!
Good look, Miss!
Thank you! 🌿
Outstanding idea.
Thank you so much! 💚
Would you rather mix the tree species in the same row, or dedicated each row to one dominant tree species each, and vary the tree species on a row basis? Wondering if these four types, Cedar, Ash, Acacia and Eucalyptus have different mature characteristics, like height and canopy? Would it be better to grow the tallest species at maturity on the lower sections and the shorter farther up the hill? Does it depend on the direction of the hill too? Seems that the hill is receiving full sun now at the filming.
Hi Rani! I used a very simple planting plan that keeps repeating. Acacias every 4m, 10 different species of eucalyptus in between (also every 4m and around 40-50 species of mixed rainforest trees every 2m. So there is a very diverse mix of canopy heights and shapes, some trees like the red and white cedar are deciduous, some have dense canopy and some have an open canopy. Diversity for me was key. And then you just observe where is naturally wetter/drier/rockier and take advantage of these microclimates and try to plant the most suitable species. The outer ridge of this slope is rocky and faces west so I planted tougher species there. The southern or shady side of the slope stays wetter so more sensitive rainforest species have been placed there. We often go for hikes at local national parks and so I’ve tried to be more observant of what thrives in nature and then tried to replicate that (with lots of trial and error!). Wishing you all the best and I hope this helps! Alex 🌱🌿
Variety is the spice of life
This is brilliant!
Thank you!
Thank you so much! Alex 💚🌿
Great work, thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for watching, I’ve just posted an update of this system. It looks completely different now! 💚🌿
. All the colours of the sunset. Very evocative. Please show your mower in action. I’m intrigued.
Haha yes, before I planted all the different varieties of eucalyptus I had no idea! I thought a gumtree is a gumtree.. then all the new seedlings put on their first new growth and I was amazed at the beauty and diversity of colours. And this is a great idea, once the growing season begins and the grass gets up I’ll do a mowing demo through the tree rows. The Razorback is an amazing little machine! 😄🌾🏎️
Ty for this I’m looking at a hilly land parcel in California
You are awesome
Wishing you all the very best! Thanks for watching, Alex 💚🌿
What a piece of luck finding this channel!
I too have a steeply sloping garden (20-60 degrees) with only very small level areas (which tend to have buildings on them anyway). When I moved here, a third of the garden (2 acres of exhausted former sheep pasture) was bare rock or tufty bits of grass and weed.
I can't tell you how frustrated I was in finding one permaculture channel after another that suggested 'digging' swales to capture water.
I just can't do that here.
It's not just the angle of some of the slopes, the underlying rocky ground wouldn't allow for it without the need for machinery. Besides, I can't afford to just go hire in diggers and workmen. Everything I do has to be done to a very tight budget (the cheapest plants and seeds, other seeds and cuttings taken from my own plants), and checking fly-tips and farmland ditches for dumped trash that can be repurposed.
So it's nice to see someone has thought of a different way through necessity, 'planting' artificial swales 'on top of' the existing soil instead. In a way, it's how I've very slowly coming round to building a few of my own swales too.
I had a lot of disasters over the years: cows and sheep escaping from neighbouring fields causing chaos and trampling everything, 2 rabbit plagues, killer temperatures over 2 winters, too much rain, severe storms, and now new drought conditions appearing over the past 3 years.
However, I've finally established 2 'growing' swales at the top of the hill, with partial swales, drifts and groups on the slope below.
My environment is totally different from yours (Scotland), but subscribed anyway because I reckon you may have a few ideas that I can translate into my own permaculture/wildlife garden.
Thanks so much Debbie for your beautiful comment! I figured if I was tearing my hair out in frustration there must be others having the same issues!! Even though we’re in different climates, the principles are the same - select tough as-nails species that are thriving in your area. Keep an eye out for what’s still thriving in your drought conditions on neglect (in abandoned fields, side of the road, street trees etc) and grab seed. Fast growing support trees is what made a huge difference for me. I’m sure you’re doing this already though by the sounds of it! My best wishes to you Debbie. I’ll be here cheering you on from Kyogle!! Alex 🌱💚🌿
I’ve done much the same. I ended up poisoning the grass around things like plum pines though. The wattles, gums, red ash don’t mind but somethings do much better without the grass, especially growing during a dry summer. You cleared around it a bit but could use much more, I guess that will come eventually as you mulch them with the wattle branches. The grass rows are collecting water but grass is very thirsty. I like what you’re done but I think with the three wet summers we have had, trees have grown anywhere, the test will be how they handle a dry summer. I’ve been surprised by how much wetter soil stays in places that I poison grass.
Wattles are great as they are competitive and provide shade, but aren’t greedy for water like gums or grasses. Cedars and red ash are almost as good. Bunyas are good too, competitive with grass, yet aren’t greedy for water. Great bird nesting tree with its spikes. If you do bunyas, I’ve had better success growing them up in 6l bags(>2 foot tall). If you put them out at tube stock size they can just go dormant for a while and wallabies will eat them.
My wallabies never eat red or white cedar, rarely eat red ash but love wattles and gums. I cage a lot of trees until there tall enough, when it’s wet they can leave them alone but as it drys out the wallabies go and munch everything they can reach, especially if you have small juicy koala trees. The two favourite koala trees around here (swamp mahogany, forest red gum) are also the wallabies favourite especially if you fertilise and/or water them.
This is such wealth of information Gulliver. Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of your experience with me. Really appreciate it. I’m sure your forest must be looking absolutely magnificent! Alex 🌱💚🌿
Great video. You are my hero.
Wow, thanks! 💚🌿
Great opportunity to try a syntropic line or two with the natives too if you want to try something different. Doing great work 👍
Yes!! Love it! I’ll have to do a video of my front slope 😉 I loosely based it on syntropic style rows but on contour, incorporating long term emergent timber species as well as high, medium and low fruit and support trees. I’ve got avos and macadamias with teak and blue quandong, silky oaks and eucalyptus with citrus and pomegranate..grumichama, white sapote, figs and mangoes..with acacias, calliandra and Albizia in the mix. I can’t wait!! It’s only been in the ground less than two years and I’m still finishing it off so a little time yet to be harvesting but it’s been so rewarding seeing it grow. Have you got your own syntropic system set up? If so send me the link, I’d love to see what you’ve done! Thanks so much for the encouragement and all the best, Alex 🌱🥭🌿🥑
Most of the trees will over shadow the others but it is god for the time being to have such a dense growth since there are no mature trees or canopy
Yes absolutely agree. I’m sure some thinning will be needed in the future! Just happy to have some shade from those acacias in the early stages. They’ve made such a difference. Cheers, Alex 🌿
New sub here.... this video came up as recommended and I am glad that it did! Question, with the grass so high, what do you do to eliminate ticks?
Welcome and thank you! Occasionally we get ticks but it’s just part of country life here and we just try to be careful. Although I will say the ticks are the least of our problems when we have brown snakes!! My dear cat would follow me around the paddock keeping watch while I planted trees. Three times he got between me and a brown snake, hissing to warn me. Amazing! And luckily no ticks but we do check him (and ourselves) regularly. Alex 💚🌿
What are your long-term plans for the site? Will you chop and drop some of those pioneers and transition in more fruit/nut-bearing plants?
Great question! I’ve divided the property up into different zones. This back slope was steeper and more difficult to access and so I’ve marked this for wildlife and long term timber. I’ve also planted some cool edible natives such as Burdekin plum, lily pillies, Davidson plum, small leaved tamarind, plum pine, black apple etc. I’ll keep pruning the acacias and eucalypts for mulch. My front slope is a syntropic style food forest, also planted on contour. There I have a mix of long term timber such as silky oaks, eucalypts, Australian teak and blue quandong along with fruit and nuts such as macadamia, Malabar chestnut, citrus, pomegranate, feijoas, mango, avocado, white sapote , grumichama, guavas, figs, mulberries and lots more! I have lots of nitrogen-fixing support trees that will serve as chop and drop as well. Can’t wait to be driving along the tree rows harvesting all that fruit! The vast majority of trees in the food forest system have all been propagated on site and this system is younger so a few years to go yet! 😊🌿🍋🥑🥭
Thank you for sharing