Desert Food Forest Chop-and-Drop

I hope you find this video a source of hope and that it empowers you to be part of the solution. Humanity doesn't have to destroy. We can repair.
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With the cooler weather of winter arriving at the Greening the Desert Project in Jordan, it’s time to chop-and-drop. There was a little rain last night and some showers before that, so the dense canopy that has grown over the summer needs to be opened up to allow in both the sun and rain. The canopy will change radically, and the thinning will enable trees beneath it to grow. The dropped material will add lots of organic mulch and nitrogen to the soil, feeding and protecting the soil life. This is how we design the way a forest grows and falls.
For those not aware, placing nitrogen-fixing legume trees between fruit trees will provide natural fertilization on the root level, as well as through the chop-and-drop of the mulching material. There should also be ground covers, often more nitrogen-fixing plants or herbs to distract/attract insects or forage crops for grazing animals, which provides even more natural fertilization as they munch along. In essence, we are assembling support plants and other elements to continuously benefit our productive trees without us having to regularly interact with the system.
Leucaena is the main chop-and-drop tree we’re using here, and it produces a very nitrogen-rich mulch as well as small branches that can be cured into firewood. The trees are pollarded to about head height, removing all foliage to be piled around the base of the trees. Then, the leucaena can regrow several meters throughout a year (Other trees, such as Jerusalem thorn and hibiscus, are performing similar functions but to a lesser extent). This cycle produces a tremendous amount of carbon and organic matter to form quality humus on the forest floor every year.
In the case of a leucaena, within a month of pollarding, lots of sprouts will have emerged along the tree’s trunk and from around the cuts. These tender shoots should be snapped off by hand on a weekly basis, fostering the growth of just three or four vertical branches over the next year. This will keep the trees from crowding the understory, as well as constantly feed the soil with new material. Done on a weekly basis, the pruning is possible by hand, but left longer, cutting back the branches will require a saw. Over time, the damaged areas from where branches have been pruned will develop scar tissue, which prevents new growth in that spot.
The chop-and-drop system feeds the soil and helps to develop fungal systems and mycelium webs to structure the soil nicely. This is how we can use the fast functioning of weedy, legume species to build new forests by design. From there, we adjust to the site’s evolution, adding and amending irrigation here and there. The pollarded trees will regrow over the winter such that they provide shade in the summer when needed, and the healthy cycle repeats.
That’s chopping and dropping at the Greening the Desert site, November 2018.
#permaculture #foodforest #greeningthedesert

[@Somewhere-In-AZ]

Have watched your videos for years. Have started using this knowledge in the Sonoran desert of Arizona. I hope to one day give tours of the place to teach people how easy and productive it is to be good stewards of the land. Am currently in the process of building a passive solar home that is very low energy consumption to cool in our super hot summers. You are one of my greatest teachers. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@futurecaredesign]

This is the kind of video that should end up in the youtube 'recommended algorithm'.

[@happygardener28]

the timing of your secondary trimming mimics small animal browsing in a mature landscapes. very wise idea, thank you.

[@suzyq6767]

I have learned so much from you, Geoff. Thank you.

[@sheilaackers3854]

Love the saying "the soil is an animal it's all mouth" hadn't heard that before but so apt!

[@futurecaredesign]

This makes so much sense its almost painful we didn't get it before.

[@aliakbaramirkhani3265]

I wish the Best for You and your family Mr. Lawton... you are showing the people on earth the best alternative way to live healthy again!

[@tituswittmann3798]

We need more people like Geoff! You are an inspiration!

[@Christodophilus]

Love these details, Geoff. Leucaena landed on our council strip, via its' reputed weed status. It was the only tree on our site, that kept green grass underneath, when everything else was brown. I learned of it's weed status, after it had become well established. Now it's seedlings are planting themselves, lower down our slope, and I'm managing them, similar to how you are. The coppice trees, actually fed the kangaroos in the drought we just had. I see it as a soil improver for our area, where nothing else seems to be filling the niche. I'm so glad it showed up, and I discovered how to use it.

[@michelelavender1967]

If you go to Bealtaine Cottage in Ireland you will see a small miracle created by Colette O Neil.

[@glockman1727ak47]

With these videos I am really getting it. Love this

[@anitahamlin2411]

I love what you are doing. Makes me think perhaps the Mojave near Palm Springs might behave the same way. Land is still affordable as Los Angeles is beyond expensive. I'd like to retire there! You give me ideas to prosper and thrive!🌵😉

[@piaspermacultureedu9460]

Great environmental & social leadership in action!

[@mihirm3632]

Thanks for teaching us this important day to day lesson. Please post more of these.

[@um9532]

God blees you. I am in egypt and i see peoples cytting trees like that and i was angry why they do this cutting beautiful trees now i undestand why

[@cieslik7564]

Egypt got huge potential.

[@futurecaredesign]

It all has to do with timing. Especially in the Mediterranean dry-summer humid-winter climate. You don't want any water evaporating in summer, but you do want your productive trees to get some sunlight. This way the productive trees get a big dose of sunlight during the wet time of the year and the moisture is protected during the dry time.

[@JBFromOZ]

so much benefit to the ongoing documentation of this project, thank you Geoff

[@johannsmith5697]

Chop and drop in the fall, Chop'n'fall.

[@93VIDEO]

Bravo from Paris ... C'est très beau ... la beauté est le parfum de la vérité ^_^

[@alexriddles492]

93VIDEO beauty is the perfume of truth. I'll have to remember that.

[@arrhazes8198]

Beauty is the perfume of truth. Lovely! I'm stealing that! Merci beaucoup. Les français est un très, très beau langue.

[@SHANONisRegenerate]

Theres a big difference now that it's been cut back it looks great guys. Sweet tips on Pollarding!

[@Fernando-py5ne]

Beatifull Job! Thank You Geoff and People from Jordan

[@inglescallejero]

I loved this footage. Thank you Jeff and camera man

[@Quercusssss]

Thank you for documenting and sharing this work. You are doing great things

[@gayalux1688]

Jeoff is showing us that the entire planet can be regreened!

[@khemrajnarine5636]

From Georgetown Guyana. Thank you so much for these updates. Learning a lot from you

[@lifeschoolingmikey1507]

Hi Khemraj, same country as you. Great info indeed.

[@Hailexx]

Beautiful! The natural area around you, the amazing food forest, a peaceful sunset... Heaven on earth :)

[@marcusandersen6091]

Such an inspiration source Geoff! Keep up the good work

[@redwolf7929]

Love watching the site evolve. Gives inspiration for dryland permaculture in Australia.As you know land is very expensive in coastal rim of Australia. More and more people will move into our desert semi desert areas,and these videos are inspirational.,thanks

[@en20metros]

So inspiring. 👏👏👏👏

[@bonzothebrown7603]

An awesome progression!

[@HFTLMate]

great updates brother

[@joseiglesias7134]

Two years back i made the mistake to cut almost on spring, many of those pioneer tree died in summer.. now im doing it at the right time, also chopping neighbors trees (they dont get it and want to clear all) and mulching with that.

[@lea-annemoss8327]

You are amazing 🌈

[@TutuSainz]

Brilliant teaching!

[@bluemoondiadochi]

I remember watching the greening of desert in 2014... it really didn't look impressive when you started, so i was impressed not only by your knowledge but also with your ability to paint a vivid picture of how it's going to be. huge respect, and i am looking forward to seeing this site develop in future!

[@vidaripollen]

Amazing work.🙏

[@markr7677]

I am absolutely fascinated by this project. I am curious about if something like this could work on a much larger scale to help reduce the effects of droughts and maybe prevent forest fires like we're seeing in California.

[@timlawrence1943]

Food forest trees would be a lower fire risk

[@SHANONisRegenerate]

I bet moist mulch or Forest litter would be far harder to set fire to

[@ahmedalrawi3371]

yes you can, diversity is key to prevent or limit forest fire and the native knew that, that's why they use control fire to burn fast growing species and give a chance to slow growing trees to grow unfortunately US lost 98% of it's forests and protected areas only have few species mostly soft wood and you cannot solve the problem on public land because you'll end up with political and social headache

[@HFTLMate]

Carob is fire proof barrier more trees = more rain more life in the soil = more rain

[@Christodophilus]

It's possible, but the forest fires in California are caused by several issues. Mostly, lowering their water tables has enabled fire prone species of forest to adapt. The lowering of water tables, is caused by greater earthworks designed to divert water away from a site (instead of capturing it on site) and pumping too much water from underground, to grow water hungry crops above ground. I have no doubt that trees like Leucaena would help, but it doesn't change the overall problem that is caused by changing the water table. You're always going to breed a forest, designed to go "whoosh" in a fire. Leucaena is the bandaide, but the overall wound needs addressing to make a lasting difference.

[@sophorssor8702]

Good work!

[@ahmedalrawi3371]

Thanks for sharing keep it up

[@jozefdebeer9807]

Geoff, stay amazing!!!

[@my_permaculture]

What a wonderful demonstration of chop and drop to feed the soil. And what a perfect timing too. I see the helpers in the clip mulch so close to the stems pf the trees. Wouldn't it be better to mulch on the dripline of the trees? Was wondering about that small detail. Thank you for shating this big and final step from your current stay at the project.

[@robsonoliveira3176]

Moringa oleifera is very good for this to...a lot of nutrients in leaves and carbon for soil.

[@colleenrodamer6230]

Awesome just awesome thanks for sharing all ur great information God bless y’all

[@dinosaur0073]

Thank you Mr Geoff.. We are trying to copy every stage & apply it in my garden.... Thanks again.

[@yanasamir5005]

This is amazing. I have these trees growing as volunteers in some of my pots. I knew I could use them more productively and now I know how, thank you. I believe the pods are also edible. I also like the idea that I could grow something underneath them once they’re tall enough.

[@Florestinhadamontanha]

another excellent class.

[@yellowbird5411]

It was important to hear you say that food trees can be planted under the canopy of the other trees. I think of citrus and many others as needing full sun, but you indicate that they do not. It is interesting to think that a light canopy might actually shelter/shade the tree underneath enough to prevent damage in the hot areas. I am in Florida, but I lost a key lime tree because it tried growing under the Jacaranda trees, and couldn't get enough sun. The trees are too massive to keep under control, as it would cost me a fortune. But if trees are trained and controlled, I can see how this could be OK.

[@anajuliaferreirasolamini4216]

Agro floresta de Ernest do Brasil, está revolucionando a agricultura.

[@veganchiefwarrior6444]

well judging from the overview at the end it looks like your just about done mate well done.. whats next for Geoff Lawton i wonder.. somewhere else? more zaytuna update videos? a new place? a tropical fruit forest in a freezing climate? what will it be?

[@loneforest6541]

nice tips

[@michaellerner3764]

Admiring your work from not to far away, I'm east of Jerusalem in the Judean Hills

[@donaldhughes7252]

You mean occupied palastine

[@michaellerner3764]

hi @@donaldhughes7252, being non political here. Plants and perma culture, go beyond all the politics. Never met a political plant, that's why its called a garden. Everyone grows together.

[@donaldhughes7252]

It's easy for you to say that while you are living on my stolen land

[@michaellerner3764]

nice.

[@farisasmith7109]

That spot is an oasis. Why aren't your neighbors also implementing this technique? Seeing such a drastic transformation I would be trying to get you to teach me how to change my landscape.

[@joseiglesias7134]

We have black-widow spiders here in mexico, they are usually under rocks only , but i worry about all that material laying around, and if i let my chickens out its crazy they will spread all and will no longer by where needed

[@tovaritchboy]

Hi, Chickens are a GREAT cultivator and they turn your soil as well as add their own little bit to the mix. IF you confine them under the trees and move them around they will keep a lot of the mulch concentrated in that area, EAT the insects and then if you move them what they leave benefits the plants. Secret is to not leave them in one area for TOO long. UNLESS you do like they have at this site and make a premiant enclosure and bring the vegetable material to them and process it through and then take that and spread around your plantings and into your garden.

[@THALASA]

The cool thing with leuceana, is the fact that the leaves close at night and open at dawn

[@tovaritchboy]

Great update, always love seeing how things are progressing. Do you have anything on the other larger sites you have worked on in Jordan?

[@Brian00071]

Can you use the cuttings to start new trees? Maybe they would sell at the local market?

[@GuiFalked]

@8:16 WOOHOO #Biochar!! :D

[@krzysztofrudnicki5841]

I wish to plant legume trees and shrubs for chop'n'drop but in my temperate climate its better to use non woody perennials.

[@DiscoverPermaculture]

You can still use plenty.

[@katharinabitterlich2883]

thanks a lot for showing the technique! I am wondering how you can match the nutrient requirements of the crops when you chop and drop. I think in summer in the growing phase it would be good to have ready availabkw nutrients but maybe when mulching the fresh biomass it will need time to break down. How much in advance should you chop and drop for the crops to have nutrients?

[@freeq1829]

I know Moringa is not a legume, but can I chop and drop it like one? The leaves have lots of nutrients don't they? Would it add back nitrogen?

[@marcusandersen6091]

Would not add back nitrogen as the nitrogen it has in its leaves are all ready from the soil-liquid but it will still serve the same purpose as the chop and drop material in this video does :) Hope that short answer solves som questions

[@TheSdecker2]

Moringa makes a fabulous chopand drop tree!

[@bonzothebrown7603]

Due to protein content, it's a concentrated form of N, wherever it falls. It's full of minerals, which is often best utilized as material to brew funky compost teas.

[@LeJimster]

I know this is an old post, but just wanted to point out, moringa *is* a legume. ;-)

[@fiestacranberry]

How much rain does this area get per year? Do you store it, or have another source of water for the garden?

[@tovaritchboy]

If you haven't checked out earlier vids try and have a look. But yes they store the run off in tanks at the top of the site and cycle through. IS really a wonderful system. Using the water more then once as it makes its way down from the buildings and collection areas to the bottom to finale soak in. If wasn't so cold here in winter would LOVE to do the same thing.

[@alwaziry]

is the Lukia tree called Tamarind in south asia ?

[@victoriaromero6804]

There are different types of Leucaena, which one would be best ty !!

[@yaqoubalmeer2128]

Hi Geoff, Thanks for the great video. As far as I know Leucaena is considered a weedy plant, so how do we deal with this problem? Also, I have read somewhere that it has some sort of a herbicide effect on nearby plants and grasses, so is it going to be an issue if we try to use cover crops near this tree? Thanks

[@crpth1]

In my home country (Portugal) pretty much all Mimosoids, like Leucaena, are considered invasive species and very troublesome ones. From time to time there are active campaigns to try and eradicate them. Which BTW I don't think is going to happen any time soon. They're way to sturdy with an incredible growth and survival rate. So my believe is that they're there to stay... With this said I don't deliberately plan them. But if I come across some that needs addressing. Well mulch and/or compost pile is what I do with my "weeds" so this one is no different. Lots of free biomass. :-) Cheers

[@3Sphere]

And if you chip those branches & leaves with a nice little portable gas or electric chipper or 'mulcher', they'll feed the soil even faster, right? Any reason why you would not want to chip and mulch everything? So you chop & drop mainly in the Fall besides small adjustments year round or does it depend greatly on the local climate?

[@nathanlewis42]

Why not use solar cooking so you can use all the wood for mulch?

[@johannsmith5697]

ash is useful byproduct but i agree

[@petestephens7707]

Would you consider moringa as chop and drop in this climate?

[@alliecatnz]

Thank you for another great video Geoff! Question I’m not sure if it’s answered in another one of your videos but if I’m getting some leaf fall from a couple of diseased trees or damaged wood which has become infected or say I’m deadheading some flowers which may have rotted due to out of season storms should I still chop n drop? If there’s fruit drop or yellow leaves falling the standard advice is to clear all plant material away from the base of the plants and burn them and or spray with organic spray. What are your thoughts on this? I’m happily chopping and dropping but worried I’ll spread infections or diseases or let them fester under the trees waiting for favourable conditions. Thank you if anyone has ideas or links to videos on this please reply. Ps. I’m in temperate Wainuiomata Wellington New Zealand and our young food forest is only a few years old, this year we got a late frost and some hail damage then some out of season thunder storms so a lot of new growth was weakened. Zone 9

[@DiscoverPermaculture]

Alice I just chop and drop the same

[@alliecatnz]

Geoff Lawton: Permaculture Online okay thank you! Hopefully nature sorts itself out. Inoculated new trees with natural native forest leaf litter from a families property nearby used that as a mulch and I’m sure it helped because the growth on everything has been insane, I’ve been following your videos for ages and value your experienced perspective. Ps. We have frogs that have turned up on their own this year and they’re breeding in our pond, haven’t heard them since I was a kid lots of the local ponds had no life, seeing dragonflies, hearing frogs, watching the forest grow and self seed this year especially has been incredible. It’s the only way forward for our planet if I can see the change from compacted anaerobic smelly clay to newly thriving food forest with wildlife finding it on just under 1 acre ... then imagine it on a grander scale, if every council did it, if homes could do it. My child will grow up mostly pesticide free and be exposed to healthy dirt. Thank you. I will experiment with leaving the diseased foliage etc and see what happens. Survival of the fittest I suppose.

[@loycemarch9603]

What are legume trees. What kind of trees are you cutting. Are leaves and seeds edible,

[@carolynethrasher4527]

Loyce March legumes are nitrogen fixing plants. Google that and you will see why they are considered key partners in permaculture. Sometimes a plant is chosen in a permaculture system not as a food source but as a means to growing food within a sustainable and attainable system. It’s much easier to produce your own inputs (fertility building blocks, soil builders) so that you can reap the rewards of the outputs (food, fuel, clean air and water). Our western minds tend to isolate parts but there is no separation in nature.

[@TheSdecker2]

How would I find out what nitrogen fixing chop and drop trees work in my zone? Zone 5?

[@bonzothebrown7603]

You have many options: tcpermaculture.blogspot.com/2011/05/plants-nitrogen-fixers.html

[@galaxyofvid2738]

Goats eat Lucina plant

[@EhsanFarsy]

Hello Geoff! Is it advisable to use cow manure as a mulch?

[@drpk6514]

Is it possible to use Moringa tree instead of lucina?

[@RVBadlands2015]

Are they moringa trees. And why do trim so far down and what do you do with the trimings.

[@vivalaleta]

You cut while they're flowering? You cut ALL the leaves growth off?

[@rkh7904]

What time of the year do you do this chop and drop please? And is the Leucaena, a form of Acacia?

[@cathymadsen2930]

This is a declared invasive weed in Australia. It has great value as a cattle feed crop however the tree is a nightmare. I had one in my yard and we cut it down and 7 years on the seeds are still sprouting. How do you manage these problems or do you think that in some environments fast growing trees such as these are more valuable and less problematic? I guess a fast growing tree that can thrive in these conditions are very useful for shade and firewood so it might not be such a problem?

[@freeq1829]

You can hand weed or be like me and use a pickaxe to dig weeds out and let them decompose in same spot

[@carolynethrasher4527]

The point of this video isn’t to plant this specific plant/tree. The point is how to chop and drop. You should plant trees that are suitable to your place not Jordan. 😉

[@monarchmedia8623]

Will this work with a mesquite tree in the high desert of Arizona?

[@colonagray2454]

Yes but at a much slower rate of regrowth. They grow better with a bit of neglect. Let them establish deep roots with infrequent deep watering and dont fertilize it until its bigger if at all. That tap root will determine how big it can get without falling in a windstorm. Good luck!

[@Piano_sessionfree]

No es una planta invasora?

[@RVBadlands2015]

What time of year do you do this.

[@emmavik-fredriksson640]

Great video. The volume of all your videos are very low!

[@charmainelee8815]

Date falm Australia.

[@jojohow8746]

Eh dat buggah is koa haole

[@paulaisrael2209]

Were you required to get some sort of license to allow you to create a garden in Palestine?

[@miracleshappen4483]

Solar power in those areas must be very convenient to be completely off grid = you can cook, heat water, have electricity for free. 🔥💦💖😋😀😁😊😉

[@bismanaufa5618]

124 comments

[@TheGranti7a]

Kids screeching in the background makes it hard to hear your words.

[@Christodophilus]

I thought that initially too, but then it reminds me that these places are meant for kids to explore and learn from. I'm glad there are kids to experience greenery, in such a dry location. It will help teach them what's possible. A little annoyance, for a greater cause. :)