#32 Why I didn't install swales at my permaculture food forest.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มี.ค. 2024
- Berms and swales are a great solution to catch and sink rain water. They have been used in permaculture projects all over the world! But it isn't the only solution and certainly not the best solution on our land.
This video was the inspiration for our stone lines:
• Stone Lines
This is where we bought our vetiver gras: (no paid add, but highly recommended!)
www.vetivergras.com
You can support this project with your donation:
www.sonselva.com
Permaculture starts with observation. You work with what you have, One of the principles is "The problem is the solution". rocky sloped land with little arable top soil? build rock berms to collect the topsoil. Context is everything. in Ireland all of those walls surrounding the fields? those rocks were dug from the fields. every year the wall gets a little higher and the top soil a little less rocky.
Excellent site specific design. Part of being a successful permaculture designer is not getting caught up in anyone's dogmatic approach. We work in a coniferous forest and don't use swales because of the damage to the roots of very old trees. We lay tree trunks and brush on contour, slowing water and nutrients - over time creating small fertile terraces in the forest. Keep up the good work.
One benefit from using stone lines is that it will build up the top soil over time as it collects organic matter from trees and bushes. The soil will get a bit thicker and thicker for each year that passes.
**Using the method that is best for your land**
With rock so close to the surface, and rock available, what you're doing makes perfect sense. It seems like placing more rock as new organic matter is creating new soil above the first rock in the line would be great to get the topsoil even higher. If the water sinks through the permeable rock, it's not all that accessible to most plants, so you're really trying to slow down the water and prevent erosion of the new topsoil you create. Part of the method of swales is to thicken the topsoil in the planting area, but if you have almost none to start with then building up makes more sense than digging. Nice video. I'll start at the beginning of your videos.
This makes me very happy to see. I have been trying to think of ways to terrace a hill on my little piece of property on the TX-OK border. I've been gardening for years in containers because I have no dirt - just rocks, lots of rocks. But the other part of my lot is on a hill and would love to food forest on it. Now I have a plan.
It rains here in Ecuador everyday! I wish we could send you our water in exchange for some sunshine! Subscribed ! Keep up the good work!
Subbed to watch your project progress. Be sure to take plenty of before footage, something I regret not doing more of.
I clicked on this and had no idea that we had met last year up in the mountains with Jacopo and the gang. I'm doing the same here in Calvià, so many stones!
doing things differently - at least from my experience - is a sign of understanding.
Thanks so much. Love your work. Where we are in western Arkansas, there is not a lot of soil, and lots of rock about six inches down. Rocks and lots of wood logs and brush with weeds and leaves for making berms, to keep the soil from moving to far or washing away.
The best day to start is the day you start.
Always good to see a fellow Permie in a Mediterranean climate coming up with solutions. I have swales, berms and terraces, but they are a LOT of work. I also have a gazillion rocks. Mmm?
The stone walls are an excellent choice for your soil type.
Permaculture is about CONTEXT. No "one size fits all" solution
Saudi Arabia has these odd stone circles all over the place (you can see them on google maps). I have often wondered if they weren't some sort of water catchment for plants growing inside when the climate wasn't as dry as it is now.
Good to have a reminder to use what is available locally. Good luck with your project.
Yes, site specific solutions are what permaculture is about. Good job identifying what works best for your land.
The growth of the plant on the berms will be impressive. Keep your small changes. Cover the soil, plant in density, variety. Look for for stratification and sucession. You know all that. It works.
I really enjoyed your take on rock lines, berms and swales. Since individualization is one of my strengths, I’ve always appreciated the fact that Permaculture creates bespoke solutions to the needs of each site. That’s why it works. Looking at China today and the sorry state of its agriculture, it seems like every time someone comes up with a successful and sustainable method, for managing their land, the government orders the entire nation to do it, with disastrous effect.