Before You Create Permaculture Swales, Watch this Swale Guide and Example!

[@granvisio]

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[@arfaabbas]

❤️💜💚

[@ziaparker2461]

The question is not swales are good/swales are bad. It is ALWAYS a matter of adapting to the site guided by simple, sensitive observation. I am a PDC teacher, and consultant and have been digging swales and teaching about them for over 30 years. I have never installed a swale that is truly level. A 0.5-1.0% drop has always been more appropriate. Just have fun with it! no need to get up-in-arms about who is right, or who has the most precise definition. Adapt! Adapt! Adapt is the name of the game.

[@PermacultureCowboy]

agreed

[@CairnOfDunnCroftPermaculture]

Swales can also be used in waterlogged conditions for growing trees that don't like very wet conditions. I just add a pipe monk, like used for a pond. It allows me to use swales in summer but not infiltrate water in winter.

[@granvisio]

Thanks for sharing this example, which demonstrates the versatility of swales even in wet conditions!

[@leonshomegrown]

I see this video when you first made it but had to watch again as this is a fantastic video. My fruit tree swales are about one year old now and working fantastic. Have not watered the plants since planting. And the rain is keeping the soil hydrated perfectly. I’m in subtropical Queensland Australia and the wet season has started early. Hope you going well and have a great week 😊😊😊

[@chrissanchez9935]

Dont you have mosquito problems due to stagnant water accumulated along the swales? Thank You for Your Reply in Advance.

[@granvisio]

That’s a great question, thanks! So standing water in swales shouldn’t remain for long because swales infiltrate water into the soil. Normally within few days the water should be gone which isn’t enough for mosquito larvae to hatch and grow. If you add biomass to the swale bottom, like straw, poultry bedding or any other type of organic matter, the water will be absorbed even quicker. To tell you the honest story, we have mosquito problem in our region. We’re on 650 meter elevation so as soon as the summer starts in mid-June the mosquitos are with us during the whole summer until October. It was the case before we created the pond and swales. When you drive 300 meters down, there are no mosquitos whatsoever. So, we thought nothing is going to change whether we have water features or not. We just got used to wearing long sleeves all summer when we work. Besides, usually when mosquitoes start to appear where we are, we have no more standing water in pond or in swales. It’s really dry throughout the summer, but rehydrating the landscape in spring really made the difference so we’re glad about how swales perform. There are ways to eliminate mosquito populations naturally and I should finally do something about this, as I advise it to my clients which is installing bat houses. They will eat hundreds of them per hour at night. If you have a possibility to create ponds and keep fish - they will take care of the problem in ponds. Additionally, lizards, frogs and dragon flies eat mosquitos so it’s a matter of creating a habitat for these lovely creatures. I heard that some people put garlic to standing water and that kills mosquito larvae. I hope this helps!

[@chrissanchez9935]

@@granvisio, Thank You Very Much, Ma'am, for a very detailed response. 🙏🏼

[@granvisio]

@@chrissanchez9935 anytime!

[@erwinbrubacker7488]

​@@granvisiopurple martin, bird swallows, are mosquito eaters.

[@erwinbrubacker7488]

I plan to use moldboard plow, to create my swales. @ 20 ft. For fruit trees.

[@jeffreyjbyron]

What are pioneer trees? And in your situation in central italy, what tree or cover crop did you plant immediately?

[@DavesBonsai]

Great video! Thanks for such a comprehensive look into swales.

[@granvisio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@OXI28101941]

Really informative, thanks so much! One question (from Crete, with possibly a drier climate than yours): we have a field that undulates wildly across the slope due to erosion, like a piece of slanted corrugated iron. How on earth can I find the contour? I've even tried using an online contour creator based on Google Earth, but the result is wildly off on the ground. Any ideas?

[@granvisio]

Hi there! Sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately online contour creators will not help I'm afraid. They serve only as a general guide and in some cases as you noticed they may be wildly off. You need to verify the contours on your land by using A-frame which is labor intensive or laser if you can invest in it. I could try to find more detailed topographical maps in your area on geoportals and other online databases and provide some solutions if you're interested in a consulting service.

[@savoiragro1103]

I'm Algerian people, I'm interested in doing a practical course in permaculture

[@granvisio]

That's wonderful! Tell me if you have any questions!

[@savoiragro1103]

Hello ​I'm really interested in doing a Permaculture course this summer.😊

[@granvisio]

I don't run a Permaculture Designer's course (allowing you to obtain a Permaculture Designer's Certificate), but you should definitely check Geoff Lawton's course: www.discoverpermaculture.com/ it will be launched this month I believe! The next enrolment will be next year.

[@southone2040]

Thank you so much for what you do

[@granvisio]

Thank you for leaving the lovely comment!

[@lhorthy]

Your A-frame would work better and be more accurate if your crossbar was lower to the ground. I would aim for around 20-25 cm off the ground. Also, it is better to pivot the A-frame to measure the following position for a stake. This archives two things: if your A-frame center mark is slightly off, you cancel out the error each time you reverse the A-frame rather than compounding it. When you pivot, the leg stays in the same place, and you will be more accurate. However, when you lift up the frame, there is no guarantee that you will start in the same place. Over 50m, these errors can become quite significant.

[@savoiragro1103]

Hello I'm really interested in doing a Permaculture course this summer😊

[@granvisio]

I don't run a Permaculture Designer's Course (allowing you to obtain a Permaculture Designer's Certificate), but you should definitely check Geoff Lawton's course: www.discoverpermaculture.com/ it will be launched this month I believe! The next enrolment will be next year.

[@igorhocevar4228]

Very good educational video👍

[@granvisio]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for the lovely comment!

[@toddshook1765]

Thank you so much for describing swales and uses. Glad you stressed that not one size fits all. I will find some consulting about it for my area.

[@granvisio]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for leaving the comment! Good luck with your projects!

[@marjorielemiregarneau8141]

Your video was exactly the information I was looking for. Realllly well explained as well! Thank you so much!

[@granvisio]

Hi Marjorie. I am so glad you found value in the video. Thank you so much for leaving the comment!

[@SJ-xg3rv]

Great video, thank you

[@granvisio]

Thank you for the comment! I appreciate it!

[@transformativeexperiences]

What is a "water table" pls? Will you irritate the swales during the time when waiting for rain and there are very long droughts

[@granvisio]

The water table is like an underground boundary between two layers: Above the water table: The soil and rock have some water but also have air pockets. Below the water table: The soil and rock are completely soaked with water. Think of it like this: if you dig a hole in the ground and hit water, you've reached the water table. The water table isn't always at the same level. It can rise after a lot of rain or fall during a dry spell. The water table generally follows the shape of the land above it. If there's a hill, the water table is higher under the hill and lower in the valleys. If you dig a well, you need to dig below the water table to get water. The swales won't be damaged or irritated by the drought. The most important thing is to dig swales after light rain in the beginning of the raining season (so it isn't muddy) and then immediately sow cover crops adapted to the climate. Once the swales are stabilized by vegetation and pioneer legume trees, nothing can destroy them (if they are sized appropriately to water run-off).

[@flatsville9343]

I have hand dug a two level swale system. Easy. But, when constructing a more extensive system of 3+, is it better to start at the top or the bottom? I have never seen this issue addressed. It seems to me, starting at the top (highest level) makes more sense...given that you may not complete the system within one season if hand digging it.

[@granvisio]

Hi! You are right! When you establish contours, you can begin excavating the top swale and work your way downhill.

[@arfaabbas]

VeRy nice 💜

[@bahmak2003]

Can permaculture prevent malnutrition?

[@granvisio]

Since permaculture promotes sustainable food production systems that provide diverse and nutritious foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes and herbs, I think Permaculture can play a significant role in preventing malnutrition especially given that Permaculture practices focus on building healthy, nutrient-rich soil through techniques like composting and mulching. Healthy soil translates to healthier plants, which in turn produce more nutritious food. 😊

[@ingridgolding978]

Where can you get information on the biggest 24 hr presentation event? I am having difficulty in finding it. I live in Italy by the way😊

[@granvisio]

Great Question! So for quick reference, I love to use meteoblue website. After choosing the location, I go to tab “History And Climate (modelled)” and scroll down to section “Precipitation amounts.” Just look at how many days in each month there was a historic precipitation between 50 and 100 mm. If the value is 0.7 days - then it is a great chance there once was almost a 100 mm rain event in that month. For more specific data, go to www.ncei.noaa.gov/ enter location in the search bar like Milan, scroll down to where the chart is and click on the Precipitation tab. Select the earliest available date in the top left corner - wow for Milan it is 1.01.1763, and you can see some values in the chart in that era. But to get the specific highest amounts, download the station’s data in .csv file. - link located down below the chart. Save the spreadsheet as Excel Workbook, highlight all columns and format as table. You can then sort the precipitation column by the largest value which is 6.35 inches - 161.29 millimeters for Milan in 18/08/1979. You’d have to check if this also works for smaller Italian cities and towns. Let me know if this helps.

[@ingridgolding978]

@@granvisio thank you so much! That's really helpful

[@ingridgolding978]

I'll let you know when I get round to trying

[@harascambara]

Grato pelas explicações.

[@cordellscott]

All's swale that ends swale

[@user-ml8dm9fz6l]

Headphone Users: Warning loud sound effect noises. Closed Captioning is available if need to turn off sound

[@granvisio]

So sorry the audio is awful I am still learning...😐

[@cordellscott]

I eat swales for breakfast

[@SandhyaRani-rh8ck]

In our country ( India) no permaculturist charges for the advises they give .They would rather encourage by sharing the resources they have , like seeds or fertiliser like cow dung .you people are all commercial . No human touch