2 years ago we planted an edible forest

2 years ago we planted the first trees to create a new food forest ecosystem. Since then, a lot has changed.
Here's the swale article I mention in the video: www.rootsrecon...

[@TheDutchFarmer]

Do you want to see an in-depth video on each of the trees we planted in the food forest? Let me know in the comments below! Here's the swale article I mention in the video: www.rootsreconnected.com/articles/swales-101

[@martinwyke]

A couple of thoughts, you could try moving the peach tree to a dryer location, upslope perhaps, were it can thrive on neglect. AIUI eucalyptus tree can be coppiced, which could provide you with canes, poles posts posts. To kill it, the bark needs to be completely peeled as near the root as possible.

[@schmuckpuppet4842]

Het is leuk om te zien dat de boel begint te bloeien. Ik zou zeker wat meer willen zien over wat je er allemaal hebt groeien.

[@kassy6373]

Please do so. There must be many stories. You can try the one that failed again later from other sources or seeds and make that one other story. STUN can beat that.

[@bertieb9510]

I'd be very happy to see any more detailed videos you can find time to put out. I have followed all you have posted and am impressed by the progress that is really beginning to show this year. I'm glad you are posting more regularly now so i can continue to enjoy your success vicariously. 😊

[@7991noraA]

Oh YES

[@coreygarrison4550]

This was the video I've been waiting for. Its awesome to see the difference from when you first dug the swales and how well they are doing... It would be cool to see a tour of the swales during a big rain and see how they well they work.

[@eeegagsalot]

Was just about to write the same message. Amazing update! Great to see the place thriving 🎉

[@julianmounser3241]

Can different fungi be an advantage. It's been proved that trees communicate through fungi.

[@ForgottenKnight1]

Very envious of this garden. What a nice thing ! And just 2 years.

[@TheDutchFarmer]

Thanks!

[@eveadame1059]

​@@TheDutchFarmer 🧐🤔 Thank you, for your beautiful informative video 💕 Planting garlic 🧄 around your fruiting trees, helps deter fungus and insects. And the garlic keeps growing back

[@MichaelHBallard]

Yes Imagine in 4 and 8 years Impressive

[@denisstom3897]

@@MichaelHBallard indeed!!

[@herrmikman]

@@eveadame1059yes! Also “bijvoet” (Dutch) can do wonders

[@nuno3tavares]

Hi Dutch Farmer. I salute you for your efforts and enthusiasm. As a Portuguese ex-farmer in one of the driest and hottest regions of Portugal, I know exactly how incredibly difficult your task is and will be in the future. You seem pretty resilient and you will need a lot of resilience to succeed in your endevours. I will not patronise you or give you lessons, you seem to know your stuff, but allow me to offer you some positive inputs from my experience (these are no rules, just reports from my experience): 1) Use the Eucalyptus as windbreaks instead of your pioneer tree. Find the prevailing wind, specially in summer and plant rows of Eucalyptus to shelter your property or crops as much as possible. The dry wind is the most dangerous aspect. As pioneers they will use all the water available for your crops and you will have to irrigate a lot more. There are also some concerns about allelopathic effects on other plants. 2) Plant your trees a bit bigger. They are too small to compete and to be able to seach for water efficiently in the lower layers of soil. If you plant so small you will have to irrigate without stoping all summer long. 3) Clear the green vegetation around your new plants, dig a shallow pit with the tree in the middle and mulch heavily with large chunks of woodchips. Avoid using fine compost as mulch, it gets hydrophobic as it dries and you need all the water you can get. At those high temperatures, all the carbon in the soil tends to be mineralised fast by the microorganisms and I believe this is the limiting factor for soil improvement. Feed the soil with as much carbon as you can get and consider using molasses in your irrigation water to improve carbon content in the soil. Good luck!

[@halyoung388]

Wow! Your excellent comments are very informative. Thanks for sharing.

[@VicenteCanhoto]

This is great stuff. I would love to read more about your experience.

[@soiltosoulfarm]

Hey Nuno. Loved your comments. I'm a little apprehensive about my new farm on the south side of Gardunha mountain. It's very dry and hot in the summer.

[@3niknicholson]

excellent advice! One thing also I learnt is plant your firewood trees above your house, not below. Thirty two years later I'm doing a lot of carrying uphill with old bones ;-)

[@SolidGoldHedgehog]

The point about the woodchips vs compost is especially important. It gets hydrophobic in part because it tends to dry out much more quickly, and then it becomes a bit of a chicken and the egg situation. Woodchips are better sponges, and in volume have less air in between them than compost, and a lower surface area allowing it to retain moisture better. Also less likely to be blown around, keeping their wet sides down to the moist earth and not the dry wind. Though what I've also done just in my garden is a mix of both. An initial top dressing of compost which releases nutrients more quickly, covered in a heavy layer of woodchips to insulate it which then continues to break down slowly. Have seen the quality of my soil improve radically in just a few years.

[@DebRoo11]

My parents both immigrated to Canada from Holland when they were young. I could listen to you your accent all day 😅. Beautiful eco system you have developed. A joy to watch it flourish

[@janetrobinson6190]

Everyone from Ontario has parents or grandparents from the Nederlands 😂

[@DebRoo11]

@@janetrobinson6190 it seems like it doesn't it? lol

[@calindafleishman]

@@janetrobinson6190 Lots of townships and businesses have Dutch names for sure! But I'm sure most Ontarian's grandparents are Caribbean, Chinese, Latin American, Greek, Indigenous, etc -- Dutch is probably a minority

[@janetrobinson6190]

@@calindafleishman That’s just in Toronto. According to the 2016 census, across Ontario, Dutch ancestry is higher than all those you mentioned except for Chinese

[@SWRural-fk2ub]

His accent is more Portugese than Dutch.

[@histerezis0]

I want to thank you for this video. I am not a person who regularly comments but now I have the need to. Seeing how working smarter and not harder can impact the environment we are sharing with the rest of the flora and fauna really did inspire me. You inspired me to change my garden to implement more native plants and plants that are not native, but due to climate change, are drought hardy which is now a must have. You are one of the persons that really makes a difference, in nature , but also you can change a way of thinking for a simple viewer that stumbles on your video. Videos like this really are a teaching treasure, and the way you explain every step in your reasoning of doing things really resonates with a lot of people.

[@cesartabasa3204]

As a farmer like you, I am happy for your persistence in restoring the land by collaborating with nature.

[@Benzy670]

Your effort to support your local environment is so beautiful. The food forest already looks fantastic and healthy! May your property continue to prosper!

[@happykt]

I live in Austin and I am totally fascinated what you are doing. Because of this video, I looked up Mark Shepard and am going to order his book from the library.

[@09conrado]

There are lots of interesting videos by Mark, and also Geoff Lawton's visit to his farm is an awesome video

[@albertcamus7064]

Love to see y'all thriving, best wishes!

[@TheDutchFarmer]

Thank you!

[@sebanrg]

yes please!!! I would like to hear about all of the plants!!!

[@Kaygu_]

I love the boulders right next to your property. It makes me want to climb them

[@chippychick6261]

I Remember reading an account of an early settler to North America. As they moved into the land to select a good place to settle, they found forests of various kinds of nuts that had obviously been cared for and cultivated by the indigenous peoples before them. When I thought of how long it would take to grow and care for these kinds of mature food forests, it saddened me to think of the expansion of the Europeans on the land, their not knowing the value of the forests and their clear cutting for other kinds of agriculture. I am so buoyed by the optimism and long term thinking of your videos. Thank you for creating these fascinating and informative pieces. More, please.

[@tygerburning753]

Those were probably American chestnuts, which have been badly damaged and effectively wiped out as a food tree by chestnut blight. There's work going on to develop trees with resistance to the blight.

[@sandraportugal7231]

Fantástico trabalho, obrigada por escolherem Portugal, obrigado por estarem a restaurar a terra, obrigada por estarem a cuidar do planeta no nosso querido país 🇵🇹 que Deus vos abençoe e proteja sempre 🙏✨

[@morningsnightowl]

It feels like just weeks ago you were showing the eucalypts and other support plants going in, and now to see the HUGE trunks and see the next stage of succession starting to grow next to them is SO exciting! Absolutely love seeing this beautiful project moving into it's ne t stage already! Yall are doing fabulous work on this land!

[@suzilouden5964]

The food forest is already "manifique". We lived in Botswana for many years and paw-paws grew wild in our garden. Our variety was the tastiest fruit you can imagine. The food forest with it's bio diversity is fantastic. "Vous assurez un avenir merveilleux à votre famille". Wishing you guys all the luck in the world....❤

[@sgrvtl7183]

You and your wife are giving your land a Beautiful Love Offering. I am very excited for your Family 💜🦋

[@teboletlhake]

These videos are great. Especially for us beginners. Keep them coming. May God continue to bless you and your family.

[@Sustainable8888]

Your property landscape is beautiful with different elements, shapes, and levels. You have done great transformation to the land, it looks happier and will surely give back happiness to you, family, and community.

[@elainekaufman2264]

You seem to be more successful than a few other homesteaders

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Best ever definition of 'gardening'. It sits well with the definition of "weed" .... "Dig everything up and whatever grows back is a weed". Het boek van Sepp Holzer is twee dagen geleden aangekomen.... Hartelijk dank voor de aanbeveling.❤

[@Tecnetkb]

Good job. We have the same goal of letting nature express its potential, luckily you have two years head start, which provides me with an excellent source of inspiration

[@pete_pump]

Thank you so much for these videos. So exciting to see the speed of the transformation from a barren land to lush abundant landscape. Do keep the updates coming!

[@Lacuna555]

Yes please dive deeper! I don't mind a 2 hour long video, I would love it!

[@halyoung388]

I second that request.😊

[@ryanr8364]

Planting pawpaw trees in Portugal blows my mind. They're native to my area, yet rather hard to locate out in the forests. I have tasted the fruits, though, and they're exquisite.

[@mikecorcoran6834]

Such a difference 2 yrs makes.

[@lucelebeau3024]

Gosh, what labour and brains can accomplish in just two years. Amazing as well as educative.

[@anjanijdam1678]

Wat een prachtig landschap zo en heel inspirerend om te zien al die variaties in fruit bomen. Het landschap is steeds meer in zijn element. Echt prachtig wat jullie gedaan hebben. Hard werken maar heel slim aangepakt. Ga zo door, love it!

[@teagoldleaf4137]

1:34 plant a circle of garlic all around each fruit tree, plus an outer circle of thyme. Plant companions help a lot. The garlic and thyme discourage fungus and bugs. Get the book by Louise Riotte, called, Carrots Love Tomatoes. Are you in Spain or Portugal? It looks exactly like where my grandparents are from. So beautiful. Best of luck on your projects 🌱👍

[@HelenRullesteg]

*I'd love to see more about your food forest. Loved that there was next to no bare soil anywhere, the abundance of flowers and grasses plus all the food. Several other youtubers in Portugal constantly talk about the fire risk and laws concerning grasses and other things that dry out and become a fire risk, is that something you could maybe talk about a little bit?

[@GeneDayz]

Great philosophies discussed, great work done, great video all together!

[@trudiprigge1883]

Absolutely fascinating! You are miles beyond the normal homesteader! I love all your videos!

[@yvonneculley5626]

Thank you… don’t let it be too long between videos… Love it… amazing

[@creedjm]

It's really fun to see all of your work and the progress. So many of these youtube channels just show the destruction and start, but your planning and continuous work show what this can really be. Love seeing it! I also love your sentiment of providing food for more than just your family with the forest for the wildlife.

[@makhtargaye-jg6kt]

So beautiful from senegal

[@TheDutchFarmer]

Thank you!

[@konstantindunnzlaff1291]

A 10 hours podcast of you telling us about all the species would be fun! More realistically a somewhat interactive map with all the trees and shrubs and herbs would be awesome to browse through, although a lot of effort to set up (I think). Maybe some time in the future! Love to see this project flourishing, keep up the great work!

[@09conrado]

Perhsps even better if you copied him and did it yourself as well

[@sukanthyranjitkumar8725]

What a huge transformation!!!! From almost desert to a beautiful young forest!! You Dutch farmer and your family have quite planned very well of your plans for the transformation and executed even better than your plans!!!!👏👏👏 Very well done!!! Can't wait to see your next episode!!

[@garrettpeters3438]

This is an amazing project! I have just now discovered your site. I too have been growing pawpaw trees; looking forward to see how this turns out. I look forward to following the progress of this wonderful venture. Amazing to see what you have done with a treeless barren landscape in just. Two years.

[@thenodiggardener]

It's a huge difference in s short time, and great to see the perspective of it all. I think it can be disheartening for some to think it's not happening fast enough when you're in the thick of it, but regeneration takes time. This shows that actually nature is working with you with what she has.

[@2avcrm]

We grew up with about 10, 100+ year old mulberry bushes along the driveway (these were at least 6-8 feet tall). Every year we would pick them all the berries and eat as many as we could then use the rest to make mulberry syrup. Which is still my absolute favorite syrup, even better than maple syrup. If you ever get any extras, I highly recommend you try it.

[@Toekneeray]

I just had to sell my 10 acres because of some health stuff. To see what you've done in 2 years gives me hope to try again! I'd like to see a full tour.

[@ElisandeWalters]

that cockerel cry at the end was just perfectly timed. It looks AMAZING

[@magdamundt9483]

You are an amazing couple!!! I could watch a video of you every day ☺ and never get tired. There is so much knowledge and hardwork AND progress in your work, it is surreal. What an awesome experience and example for your kids.

[@magdamundt9483]

45 years ago I wanted badly to go the same way you did. But I couldn't find equally bold partners at the time. Also, knowledge was not yet abundant and available in sites/channels like yours - I fear I would have quite a hard time with failed experiments, maybe wouldn't succeed at all. It makes me SOOOOO glad to see your quite solid steps forward, and the many accomplishments you already can boast of. My compliments!!!!!!!

[@hirte777]

Your hard work and enthusiasm inspire me to do more with my own garden. I love following the development of your little pardise.

[@dingc.velasco6038]

lf memory serves me right, you had a topographical study of your land before you embarked on any development. That topo study made you conscious of the natural waterflow of your land, thus helping enormously in your decisions.

[@daniadejonghe4980]

you have the most beautiful land... I love to see what you are growing and I also love the very big beautful rocky landscape around you.

[@Skattie]

I saw your place when you started out, so wow, its coming on so well

[@ejames3349]

Your vision, hard work, and your growing knowledge because of your efforts to transform this land are truly inspiring. Recognizing that you are not just an owner of the land, but more importantly, you are a steward of it is very wise. We should all follow your example by being stewards of our planet, our fellow humans, and all of the animal and plant life on earth. Whether we live in a cramped city apartment or in a wide open land, we are all part of this garden of Eden and we are all capable of helping it thrive in big or small measures. Our reward is living in our garden of Eden and being able to share in its bounty. I keep watching your videos just to remind myself of this.

[@JG-md1sg]

Amazing work ! The results are already looking formidable

[@lisa-ul4vi]

I could listen to you for hours! Its just amazing what you have done!

[@marianaleitebraga]

We would love to know also about the other native plants growing there, please. Thank you for being a co-creating family with nature :)

[@gardenjoy9371]

Yes, yes, yes! Your journey is so amazing. Thanks for sharing the process!

[@rb9580]

With regard to the eucalyptus trees, have you looked at the mixed eucalyptus/horticulture systems in Africa? The trees are on a short coppice rotation to provide poles for construction, firewood or charcoal, allowing the space around them to be used for maize, beans, onions, green veg etc. At coppicing, three or four shoots are allowed to develop through to about the size of the "big" tree in your video. The poles are good for construction/fencing or simply firewood. I would think a similar coppicing strategy would work for you until such time as the other trees reach as size which outcompetes the eucalyptus.

[@anneliesmith3208]

The forest is looking amazing! Such an abundance already. Your eucalypts will sprout back to life from wherever you cut it, even a stump! They are an incredible, regenerative species. I live in Australia where they're consistently cut back under power lines and decimated by bushfire, they usually bounce back!

[@srantoniomatos]

Your work is exceptional. A few more years is gonna be paradaise. Peaches are almost impossible to maintain without desease ( specially leaf curl) even with chemichal aplications. But they still produce a lot. What suprise me the most were the almonds. Do you have irrigation going on on those swale trees? The eucaliptus will regrow even after 2 or 3 ground cuts. You may want to add "olaia" as a native (well, native from most eurasia :)) nitro fixer with really beautiful blossoms.

[@JPPL]

Thank you for sharing your journey here in Portugal. I have been following you before and was quite surprised and excited when I first saw your videos from here. Would be great if you could take us through the species you planted I am super curious what works well in our conditions. Good luck and looking forward your next videos!

[@ellieknol]

As much as I love you showing us what you accomplished, I'd also like to see your day-to-day life and how you go about living in the moment. So, smaller scale.

[@ahgieskes]

Goed gedaan, jochie!!!! Ben trots op jullie.

[@annie1626]

Love your passion for your chosen path, your vision, and your stewardship of the Earth. Obrigada!

[@douwebeerda]

Love to hear you talk for hours and hours about the system. Super fascinating and I feel like people are learning a lot.

[@Seiterk]

Be careful with the species chosen; apart from the eucalyptus, you are also planting Acacia dealbata, which is a quite problematic invasive species in Portugal.

[@gensafaris8239]

Beautiful and I so appreciate all of your videos. I wasn't surprised to hear you mention Mr Shepard too. Love all!

[@Paula-vo1xl]

Yes, please go into depth about the various plants/trees! Love what you do and how you do it! Peace from Northern California.

[@TheDumplingMan]

I could listen to you for hours and hours talking about the plants and your food forest. :)

[@kathywinkler9802]

excellent job!!... Your home will be even more amazing!!!

[@catarinatorres6378]

Beautiful! Can you tell us how do you help the trees growing! Regarding nutrition, mulch, fertilizer? What time of the year should we do it? Boa semana!

[@babaal78]

spring in Portugal is nice and look so much advanced than here i am in Ile de France. But i'm happy anyway my garden is blossoming and the vegetation growing nice since mid march, despite a lot of rain. Trees are amazing, for exemple i have planted my cherry tree taken from a random seed growing from my compost 3 years ago, and i never seen a tree growing so fast, i has grow 4 meters in 3 years and start flowering nicely this year, the trunk already 8 cm in diameter at his base. Around i did a no dig culture with a lot of horse manure each winter as cover.

[@13c11a]

You and your family are achieving something wonderful. It is a pleasure to watch.

[@jolanda-N]

Great to see how well things are going and what a progress you two made. Thanks for so much enthusiasm and inspiration.❤

[@noahheyl3571]

I really like the amount of information you put out. Good timing of how much info u put out. Awesome gardening Project

[@denisstom3897]

Thanks for the update. I love to see the evolution, you are on the right track ! I am for sure interested to see more in-depth video's, please!

[@catiepower3550]

Beautiful work!

[@theman5565]

Personally I love to hear you talking about your land and all that you have planted and what is coming up on its own. Many of the different things you talk about are new to me coming from Ohio years ago and now living in Normandy . I somewhat regret that I didn't choose a place further south as you have because this is definitely not the sunniest of regions but I must say my garden is quite the paradise and I love it in each season other maybe than winter. I will be looking forward to your next vlog.

[@meikeontube3200]

Thanks for sharing and explaining your planting system. What an amazing project!

[@SotoFarmsCaribbeanBeef]

Amazing job. You guys are doing great. Can’t wait to see the garden all grown up in a couple of years.

[@emmieespinosa4339]

Amazing work well done

[@TheDutchFarmer]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@nanoresmith2697]

Hard work ... but the rewards must probably be so awesome! Love these vlogs Dearest Dutch Family Farmers 🌿🐝🍄

[@growingwithnatureofficial]

Great video! I'm starting a food forest in Southern Spain and documenting it on my channel, so its great to see another relatively close by. Do you mind me asking where you got your fruit trees from? I am looking at getting lots this year, but haven't found a source yet. Thank you.

[@tigercasey1554]

Amazing achievement. Thanks for showing.

[@IfEnjoinder]

I really love those general Update videos.

[@bliksala]

Ja, leuk om meer te zien van wat er groeit. Kom maar op met jullie verhalen.

[@missglenellen]

So so so impressive what you achieved in just 2 years. I remember your first videos of this bare place. I too am the stewardess of a similar piece of ecologically "dead" land by the sea in Ireland, but I am many years older than you so it takes about an hour to plant a single tree of the compacted and acidic soil hitting bed rock most of the time. But I try my best to give it back to nature in a better condition than I "found" it. Thank you for your tremendous inspiration!

[@bernadettelee5949]

Wondwerful progress. So blessed. Thank you. Delightful!!!

[@eggy8826]

I love your videos so much! Great work! I was wondering though, what do you do for forest fire prevention?

[@ianvonmemerty6502]

Thank you for this follow up. I enjoyed it so much. To see the energy around you - where there was just depleted barren ground - is inspiring. Onwards and upwards - or rather (thinking water and roots) pepper and wider.

[@stevegermain1222]

Very good presentation, i have been on a couple properties and tried the same things. would love to see more thank you so much

[@lifeofintention4711]

This video had some keys that helped my understanding of the greater ecosystems that were a trouble to my father when planting on similar land where I grew up inn South Australia on a hills face. The soil seemed very similar, as did the weed types. Thistles were definitely a part of my upbringing and they thrived on the rocky outcrops on the slopes along with self seeded olives. In Australia some people coppice some varieties of eucalyptus that are fast growing for sustainable wood for burning. Please continue with the agriculture direction and I would be interested in taking a deep dive into your groundwater, well and what you know about how your aquifer runs. All the best!

[@sophiareygrace6656]

amazing work was donee

[@robline89]

Love your videos thank you

[@kezwall4506]

Looking fantastic, I am sure all the local fauna is very grateful as well. Really like your channel.

[@TheVideoful100]

Well done! I love how wild your plantings are in sum.

[@tildars]

Awesome video update. Great to see the success of all your hard work.👍

[@maryvijay2]

effort always pays.congrtulations

[@randykrohn5792]

I am very excited to see that you are growing pawpaw. There are many different varieties and flavors, so hopefully you have a good one. The flavors and texture of this fruit are amazing! A second variety would help you with pollination and fruit production. You can hand pollinate, but a second type will still help. In one of the comments below, they mention neurotoxins...just don't eat the seeds or skin and you should be fine. The pulp/flesh is what you want anyway. Some people do have an allergic reaction to the fruit, but just eat a bit and you will know. I have heard that eating too much pawpaw is not good for you, but I have no idea if that is correct or not...I have never been able eat enough to test that theory. Once established, it is a low maintenance tree. I think you will love it! I love all the diversity of plants and trees you are growing! I would love to hear an in-depth video of the tree varieties you have and the characteristics of them. Have you considered persimmons? Another interesting kind of fruit and low maintenance also.

[@mikefarrell526]

Pawpaws grew very well in Zimbabwe around the Harare area, like you say, take out the pips, don't eat the skins and go well with a fruit salad.

[@mayb.wright509]

Thank you for this video. So many lovely comments here!

[@michaelboom7704]

Love the view over the valley!

[@samtiles]

hello, I love your channel, can you tell more about where are you getting all these different trees? I'm from Tomar, Portugal, and I'm planting a small forest too, with Pinus Pineas, Carob trees and "Medronheiros" (check this one if you don't have one in the property already) .. But I always struggle to find different species like this Alder one you've just shown for example.. any place or trees you'd like to recommend to try in my property? keep it up and best of luck with this amazing project!

[@lorebrown5307]

For your peach fungus problem, arborist wood chips would help a lot or clean sawdust and aged manure or even very rotten wood and aged manure if you have it. I fixed a similar problem that way. Lovely food forest, really enjoyed the video

[@clydecox2108]

Exultant video content. Loving the diversity of flora and fauna.

[@51reutter_]

Nice job. So you are blending a bit of permaculture with Ernst Götsch’s syntropic (successional) agriculture and a bit of rewilding. That is exactly what I want to implement on my farm plus some larger animals as well. Keep up the good work.