One Year of Failing Towards Progress

Use code DUSTUPS120 to get $120 off across your first 4 boxes of Good Chop at bit.ly/41FkRNA!
It's been a year for me and the Dustups project. One of the many benefits of turning Dustups on KZbin is documenting my learning process both for you and myself. I can look back at what I've been through, where I've been, and what I've accomplished. Ohhh, and the failures, but I like to think that failures means progress. Failures isn't something to be ashamed but rather something motivating. Denzel Washington puts it very beautifully: Fail Forward!
So, come and see the unseen adventures from 2023 - my journey to Mexico, about the agave failure, about solar panels, doghouses, in one word: progress.
If you're as passionate about permaculture projects and desert ranches as I am, and you enjoyed the video, hitting the like button is allowed and encouraged :). 🌄
Thiago's work at Lightning Ridge: • A Literal Oasis - Synt...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
👉 You probably noticed that I post many of these videos on a delay.
If you'd like to stay up to date with the latest ranch happenings, the best way is to join my email group at dustupsranch.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
👉 In case you missed the previous episode, here’s a shortcut:
• Pulling the Trigger on...
- Pulling the Trigger on My Desert Forest Dream
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
💡 Useful Resources
👉 Get access to Dustups 2D/3D map by joining the membership program at www.buymeacoffee.com/dustups/...
👉 The Facebook group where like-minded people connect: / dustups
#desertlandscape #desertlife #permaculture

[@dustupstexas]

Use code DUSTUPS120 to get $120 off across your first 4 boxes of Good Chop at bit.ly/41FkRNA

[@user-sf7lv4jm4c]

You need some actual organic material in your soil as well. Not just biochar. Ground construction or pallet wood mixed with cow manure mixed with biochar etc. throw in a bunch of grass clippings.

[@alvarocoronel67]

Hablas español! 👍🏼

[@PankajDoharey]

If human organic matter works cant you ship large quantities of it from closest city ?

[@b_uppy]

You need to use a smaller piece of equipment. Your tearing up roots of anything that might be halfway established...

[@Bardmusic66]

Can you follow up with that link for the Australian version of a desert forest

[@ASophieGarden]

I kid you not. I saw the same piece of land when it was up for sale and wanted to do the same thing. I’m glad you’re there. Now: get as much organic material from outside into the craters you’ve made. Contact drop chip for free truckloads of wood chips. Speak to local supermarkets (HEB) on having them donate their rotting produce. You must mulch for capturing morning dew and sustaining moisture. Cover mulch with netting so the wind won’t lift it. Work on making swales for when it does rain. I know you want it all to grow naturally on its own, but get a drip irrigation system for starting the whole project out; you’ll suffer less. I’m highly interested in your project pls let us know if you’re doing volunteering.

[@Dmitrisnikioff]

All of these are good ideas that don't work great due to scale and lack of infrastructure

[@ASophieGarden]

@@Dmitrisnikioff Scale is not an issue; a forest begins with a watered seed on fertile ground. The infrastructure has been set in place already with the larger holes as beds for fertile organic material. It’s only the enhancements that are needed (drip irrigation, organic material and mulch). Beginning smaller allows for better observation and corrections. Expansion comes as the initial small effort progresses. Be positive, this is not random advice, it’s the application of the various “green the desert” developers around the world, and your local gardener (like me maybe?) 😸. 😎🍀.

[@Dmitrisnikioff]

@@ASophieGarden My issue with starting small is how a lot of the time nature wins against small scale attempts to establish a new ecological equilibrium. Yeah, sometimes a virtuous cycle emerges, where biomatter accumulates but our experiences in the Icelandic wastes have been uhhh, mixed on the oasis model of growth.

[@ASophieGarden]

@@Dmitrisnikioff Icelandic wastes are quite different to the Texas desert. Plenty of plants grow in the heat with enough water and organic material (check out every rainforest on the equator). Your experience in Icelandic wastes is valid and worth exploring, but it’s not the topic of the video or my comment.

[@nekononiaow]

Scale is the issue here. There are no paved roads leading to this property and no company is going to ship anything at scale in this place, so all materials must be taken on site. Which is why the biggest priority is holding water in the ground so vegetation can start producing the needed materials in situ.

[@richardahlquist5839]

Shaun, you may already be aware or may not. Chest style freezers and refrigerators a lot more energy efficient than their upright counterparts. In part because when you open the door on uprights, convection starts dumping all the cold air out the bottom and the top fills with warmer air. A chest when you open the lid, the cold air in the unit cant go anywhere. This is why you see open chest style freezers in grocery stores but the upright freezers have doors. Something you may want to consider running on solar. Great content, its awesome to watch the progress.

[@WilsonWilson-lb1wi]

Although Richard is right about the efficacy of chest versus upright it doesn't allow for desert climes.Anything inside the freezer is instantly adversely affected as soon as the door is opened. Even in cold climates the loading bays are curtained to allow or stop the flow of hot air. Normally this is because of the humidity issues. In a coldstore the humidity is obviously zero. If a coldstore is not opened it will sit there perfectly stable. Reference permafrost caves where food is deep sixed for fifty years and the food is still edible. refrigeration (freezing) is only stable if the temperature is constant, whether at minus 32 for mind 50 c.

[@jameschristophercirujano6650]

Speaking of waste, I dunno if it will work, but since there are wild life in the area, why not put a salt block, so animals will pass through the property for salt, and possibly dropping their waste along.

[@thatguychris5654]

Sorry to see the Agave seeds fail. Likely because at the Mexican farm, they were sowing it into dark soil. You are starting with bare dirt. The real key here is find species of plants that are nitrogen fixers that can tolerate heat and drought. Maybe some Acacia at the top and some clover or alfalfa in the valleys? Keep at it, you and nature will find a way 👍 Regarding your power, the panels are how fast you can charge, but how many watt-hours do your batteries store? Even averaging the panel output for a week and it covers your needs, may be a moot point if the batteries can only store 2 days worth. When it comes to that breaker, the math is W=V×A so your 600w panels at 12.5v is 48A!!!! If you start pulling a 1/4 of that with your devices, it will trip every time. Lastly, with the large swings in temperature between day and night, have you considered a climate battery? Using your equipment to bury some cheap pipe and only run low wattage fans to circulate air. Way less power than the AC unit with almost nothing to repair or maintain.

[@christophermunoz2491]

Mezquite is a good nitrogen fixer an also a native species

[@dustupstexas]

Yes. I have an episode on a geothermal trench

[@knucklessg1]

​@@dustupstexas I posted something similar on another one of your videos. You need hardy pioneering species that are nitrogen fixers to bring life to your soil. Also, foliage drop from these types of plants also feed and grow your soil. Black locust, seaberrys, look for other nitrogen fixers, including clover!

[@Nobudee]

None of the n-fixers you just listed can grow in desert conditions. Poor soil, sure, but not drought and heat and sun... Cactus first, nitrogen fixer or not, it'll add organics for for chop/drop or compost, or biochar... then some specific desert pioneers and n-fixers@@knucklessg1

[@thatguychris5654]

@dustupstexas sorry must of missed that one. Hope the other info helps though 🙂

[@SWIDGE00K]

You are an inspiration. Mistakes are learning opportunities. " A man who never made a mistake, never made anything!"

[@jAsciba]

grow olives

[@alexkha]

@@jAsciba Olives take 20 years before they start producing anything.

[@Ahit24]

I am literally here to see your failures... lol also I am here to see you succeed. We don't need to be babied, lets see the full journey good, bad, UGLY... you are obviously a determined individual.

[@plumberman19]

agreed totally!

[@matthewmonsees8288]

A load of manure and a couple big round haybales might really help out. Plus there are bales out there that aren't good for feed, and once you roll them off of your trailer you can unroll them like a roll of TP using the dozer.

[@danforthrhodes8960]

A composting area or pit seems needed and would need to be aerated.

[@backcountrymagic]

You are accomplishing something - which is, you're building a pretty healthy "seed bank". Wouldn't be surprised if in a few years down the road AND after a few days of steady rain one season that you'll see a lot of green shoots. I would recommend doing two things: 1) pre soaking seeds in a un/de-chlorinated water bath for a couple of hours before spreading (if the water you're using for irrigation is chlorinated, basically coming from the tap, you're actually sterilizing them!), 2) spread/toss seed the day before a heavy soaking rain in the forecast, 3) incorporate mycorrhizal fungi (comes in a powder) onto the roots/into the planting hole for seedlings when planting - you'll be shocked at how important the soil micro-biome is!, and 4) plant seedlings near/under natural shading like a bush or grass. For this last part, the extreme heat and conditions will decimate your seedlings especially if they've been grown in a very controlled and benign nursery setting. I would also set-up a nursery on-site. Plants grow to maturity best when they've been conditioned in the elements that you plan on growing them in. I have worked in dryland forest restoration and can say, I think you're doing all the right things but not perhaps in the correct areas or order of operations. But better timing your efforts when the natural rains are due, will likely return better short-term results. Stay patient my dude!

[@lindabonomi7274]

yes, don't give up on the agave...they may poke their heads up next season!!!

[@vanessaoconnor5000]

Setbacks and failures are rough-especially with plants. I’m glad your cactus project has been successful. Don’t lose vision or determination-this is just the learning curve. I love what you’re doing!

[@AndreasKitzing1337]

Win some, lose some, I guess. Would love to visually see how the cactus are doing!

[@trevorstewart8]

Shaun here are 2 suggestions for you. In Geoff Lawtons early work in Jordan, he used ripraps with fairly large rocks to break up and slow the flood waters they were getting in their "wadi", similar to your arroyos. These helps retain the loose soils behind these to minimise erosion, plus it also kept some of the water back to soak into the surrounding soils much as you have done with your small dams, but these are easier and less formal than an actual dam.No.2 in his later videos he has deduced over time the need to cover the soils with any kind of ground cover to COOL THE SOIL so it will support the new growth shoots rather than fry them in the open. His later work does this by growing and pruning fast growing trees that flourish in the hot climate, such as the Paulownia tree. This tree has proved ideal to grow fast on nearly no resources and can then be pruned to provide large branches to just cover the ground as well as any growing basins and gardens. It is valued as a grazing tree or livestock and breaks down quickly into mulch and composted topsoil. Jordans causes were the same as yours, from over grazing by not managing the stock (goats and sheep). By managing the grazing by rotating the stock through segmented areas you can still run the same stock numbers, but not over taxing the grass growth, letting the grass rejuvenate over a week or so before you come around again. To get started you might ask your urban tree pruners/arborists in Austin, Tx for their cast-off branches to get your mulch started and cool the soil.

[@gbizzle4355]

Really good idea to ask locals for their waste product whether that be pruning or dung

[@guillaumelacerte]

Geoff Lawton is a GOD

[@Nphen]

Yes! This, this, this. Shaun already saw evidence of the boxes and wood mulch in the latrine. It's a lot of fuel to haul 3000 lbs of sticks & shredded wood, but it will greatly accelerate growth where it's properly applied.

[@trevorstewart8]

@@Nphen The point I was making is NOT using shredded greenery, but to use the branch whole to provide SHADE. The heat imbedded in the soil is what is killing his seedlings. The SHADE is also what attracts and multiplies any ground moisture and keeps it there. FYI moisture is everywhere in the air all over the world, yes even the Sahara and Death Valley has moist air at certain times of the day and that needs to be conserved and stored, ALL YEAR ROUND.

[@tmmle7]

Try to germinate in pots before planting, leave out baby plants so they adjust in temperature. Plant when temperatures become temperate. Layer on compost and manure to reduce evaporation in soil, water little so roots are encouraged to grow deep in soil.

[@winnipegnick]

I was thinking the same thing,

[@charmingb9157]

PH of water for plants is very important. Your human waste is acid PH which balances out in the high base PH of limestone. I feel like part of the issue is your ground PH being too high probably 7.5 or higher. Most plants like PH 6.5-7.2. For example plants absorb nitrogen better at PH 6.4 where magnesium at at around 6.8. Just a thought…test your grounds PH and compensate by adjusting the water you give your plants.

[@uhhuuhhuhuhhh]

It's also high in nitrogen, which plants use as well

[@andreaaiello8445]

You should try ginestra, I'm from Catania in Sicily and here we have entire fields of lava rock and nothing else, this plant is one if not the only that can survive the heat and the lack of water of this environment. You are dying great, keep going!

[@topazdixon2089]

A couple of suggestions. I live in the desert outside Phoenix, so I totally understand the heat and lack of water. Plant aloe wherever you plant trees or other plants. The aloes absorb as much water as they get. They work symbiotically with the tree. The tree shades the aloe, and the aloe provides a constant source of water for the plant and fertilization. The aloe multiplies like crazy, so can be decided in a short amount of time and used to do the same for other plants. In most towns in the southwest there is always someone ripping out aloe and either giving it throwing it away. Also if you are allowed to grow them there, Mexican morning glories thrive in the heat. Plant them in the wash areas and as you get more growing expand to putting them in some of your bathtubs. They bring in pollinators. I used them to create huge hedges that shade our home on the south side. They also can be used to shade your more delicate trees or plants allowing them time to grow. They have huge tuberous roots that absorb all the water they can get doing a similar thing to the aloe. Not that you would eat either plant, but they will make growing what you want easier.

[@ASophieGarden]

Would the Mexican morning glory be Mexican Petunias perhaps? Also called Ruellia? Im curious because your comment perfectly describes it. The thing is hard to kill. Like a beautiful bushy flowering weed with long stems up to 6 ft tall, pink, whites and purples. - Also- does your aloe survive the frost? My seedlings keep dying, I can’t seem to get the roots established enough during the year for them to return after frost without covering them.

[@topazdixon2089]

@@ASophieGarden no, it's a different plant. Much bigger

[@danielannan4797]

Many breweries have spent grain that they want to get rid off. You may be able to fill and bring a large drum of spent grain and deposit a chunk in a few bathtubs at a time, Then cover with cardboard to keep the moisture in and sun off.

[@redrangerrr558]

They do? Why would a brewery want to get rid of grains they need for their production?

[@danielannan4797]

@@redrangerrr558 Spent grains are what is left after the mash and is generally a waste product. In some areas it goes to compost or animal feed but in many areas it just goes to the landfill.

[@redrangerrr558]

@@danielannan4797 fair enough. Sounds useful, especially if it's cheap.

[@tasog1234]

The success of the latrine pit suggests that regular applications of compost tea or other liquid amendment rich with beneficial microbes will help your plants grow. Because it's not just 'water' that the moringa are receiving. You are effectively creating in-place compost. Do more of what's working and keep going! You're awesome!

[@johnowens5342]

I just got back from 6 weeks in Northern México. The local tall grass grows reaches 6 ft with one or two large water events and makes a lot of carbon for your soil. My Orange Grove is 4 hectors and I cut it with a bush hog 2 times a year. The soil is richer and it absorbs water much more efficiently. Something like that might work for you. The agave seeds may still grow, they can lay dormant for years.

[@debbunn9645]

Seeds can stay dormant for a long time

[@jrkorman]

That's what I was thinking as well. Desert seeds can wait for the "right" conditions.

[@danforthrhodes8960]

I recommend a greenhouse to get seedlings started and ready for planting in the early Spring, before the heat comes and later in time for the monsoon rains in the summer. I also recommend composting dead grass and maybe using a woodchiper with dead branches or dead trees.

[@alexkha]

@@jrkorman I guess, drip irrigation is a must for a desert. It's not cheap though :-(

[@knoll9812]

Another idea A cheap way to get shade is to build tents from used parachutes. They are huge and cheap. High centre pole and ending 6 feet above ground so you have ooen sides You could have one above ever little building you have. Protect the whole building from heat and provide veranda space around.

[@alexanderredmond7398]

if its only 6 ft at its highest and decending lower on all sides it would turn into a sauna in the desert sun

[@WimsicleStranger]

@@alexanderredmond7398This is true. He’s be better off just stringing a camo net between the buildings so he could block the sun AND still get wind passing through the sides and the top

[@alexkha]

@@WimsicleStranger what about some type of fake trees? Is that a thing? Trees have the shape that allows them to withstand strong winds.

[@jenniferpolk962]

I hope you'll be able to post a video of the next big rain so we can see how the dam and swales are working. Hopefully that rain will coincide with one of your trips to the ranch.

[@dustupstexas]

Yes, but a heavy rain isn't likely until July

[@jenniferpolk962]

I've been watching these systems coming in off the west coast and hoping you don't have to wait that long! Maybe we'll get lucky and one of them will dump some moisture on you!@@dustupstexas

[@psuedotsuga]

This may not apply in a desert climate, but you can potentially enhance recruitment of plants if you create perches for birds on the site. They hang out there and poop out seeds, this has been demonstrated to increase the rate of reforestation after trees have been harvested for timber.

[@mselkee]

The "juice" is in the process. We have spent the last 30 years killing plant and meadow grass varieties in a three steps foward 2 back process. Progress can be incredibly slow yet every season turn brings renewed optimism for results. Truly a character building exercise. Side note. Cattle can undo a lot of work in a very short time.

[@nekononiaow]

Cattle and deers can reduce tree cover to zero, which is why it's important to have predators around like wolf, which cull the deer population and thus allow trees to grow. Obviously, the lack of wolves in Texas is not the most pressing issue 😂 but it's important to keep in mind that an ecosystem requires a lot of concurrent factors to flourish and stabilize. Removing even just one of them can throw off the balance.

[@markselkee2205]

Well.....I've lived on this particular 70+ acre parcel for over 30 years now. Walking the property, and adjacent lands on a regular basis, I have yet to see trees damaged by deer. I have seen a few damaged by Elk and a very occasional Moose. Cattle are manageable to a point. We selectively graze Yaks which seem to be the best fit for Alpine meadows. Wolves and the terror they bring to families with pets, small stock, children will be a non starter with me unless I see them running in urban parks on an equal basis so the folks that sent them can experience the same ecological diversity as rural folks. Besides, they decimate the Mtn. lions which seem to deal with our deer population nicely.@@nekononiaow

[@Alliebutt]

@@nekononiaow That's why Yellowstone suffered so much after all the wolves were killed, and then flourished after the were returned as balance was added back into the park. A key-stone species was removed, and the environment suffered as a result. Same thing with a lot of places where beavers were killed off, since they did essential work towards making their eco-systems work as well as they did.

[@willbritton133]

Is planting a bunch of non native agaves really inline with your project? As a biologist who has worked in the Texas Chihuahuan desert I don't like the idea of that.

[@Barskor1]

Tree services will drop truck loads of wood chips at your home for free and then you can take them out to the ranch used as is or make biochar. You can make barb wire pens sized to budget to keep cattle out of targeted areas to establish grasses or trees and so on. Human urin is basically Ammonium Nitrate so you could bottle it up at home as well to take out to the ranch. Wishing you the best of luck and hope I helped in some way.

[@lyssaloux3]

I live in texas. The only way to liven up our sandy loam/sand is to integrate organic material for at least 1 season. Compost, hay, rabbit manure. Also lasagna layers, no tilling. Don't use wood chips, over time out here, they end up robbing the moisture instead of retaining it in the soil.

[@tesha199]

Filling the bathtubs with woody material is a great thing. There's a saying, you need wood to grow trees. Can't wait to see this place in 10 years, and hopefully visit some day. I believe you need more batteries

[@conradk]

My dad taught me holistic gardening. As a respected physician he believed in treating the whole to cure the specific. We moved to San Antonio in the 70s and he had to re-learn how to garden. He found out that the environment is much like the Middle East. It's dry, harsh with torrential rains. So he would use the techniques for farming that worked in those climates. My dad would talk about 'tipping points' where the decline of an environment is 'manageable' until a specific point and then the environment dies. Regaining the health of the environment is much more work obviously. For an example, if you drive North of Bend Oregon, you drive through a bleak area that has seen timber removal and over-grazing. You eventually cross a bridge into a National Forest and it's like walking into a room - it is crazy the transition from one to the other - and a great example of what happens to an environment when it is taken advantage of and destroyed. Obviously native specie activity supports the health of an ecosystem. A you point out, the non-native species can create havoc and prevent native success. Then the environment declines. So anything you can do to benefit the native species will attract them.

[@milesbilleter4782]

I've watched several videos and forgive me if you've mentioned this previously. You could try installing a small greenhouse on your developed lot to germinate and establish varieties of native and drought resist plants. Since your top soil is nutritionally deficient and runoff is evident, creating a controlled environment and establishing your agave in ideal conditions with imported soil and materials will give your native plants an increased chance of taking. If nothing else, a greenhouse will allow you to keep your donated greenery alive & growing while you experiment with what works with your specific soil composition. I'd compel you to take a more controlled and "small" approach to native vegetation growth. Focus on keeping your plants alive in your environment FIRST before you introduce them to your native soil. Consider taking a plot next to a greenhouse and dig it out. Fill the dugout hole with imported better quality soil. Try various native plants and drought resist plants in the imported soil. Establish drip irrigation to your controlled garden area. Use the greenhouse to test germination of native plants to your local soil samples, as well as imported soils. Log nutrient values and record what works. Take what seems to be working and test it outside in the controlled plot, then separately in your native soil. Record what works. You're fantastic!

[@JoeBlack14]

If I were doing what you are doing, I would start with some very draught resistant trees. Maybe a handful or two trees with a dump truck worth of compost. Plant your trees and layer a foot or two of compost around each tree. Then I would have a huge water barrel that holds a few thousand gallons to drip irrigate those trees. Since it is so few trees, the water would be possible to drip to them while you are gone. Your biggest problem is the plants and trees dry out after a few weeks of being neglected. Can't really plant seeds or plants and expect them to survive without any water for a month, until they are established with deep roots. After you do that, you will have an area with shade that will hold the water longer in the soil. The falling leaves will provide more organic matter, plus a cover for the soil. If needed, you could pin down netting to stop the wind from blowing the compost/straw/wood chips/ leaves away. When you get a few small areas to grow, you will be able to expand and use less water after years of establishing deep roots and soil that retains water. Looks like you are starting to learn after a year of struggles. Go with the trees and really take care of them.

[@janshuster1426]

I suggest you start a few in pots you can water till they are big enough to pland out. Plant in a small area intensly so you can make sure it establishes.

[@mrMacGoover]

Have you researched air wicking water? 💧 There are tree mosses and even fog nets and other artificial structures that you can build that pull moisture right from the air, the water collected accumulation is stored at a slightly higher evaluation than your plant's and is distributed via drip irrigation lines

[@daviswallace6351]

Cow patties. There should be a cattle stock yard somewhere near you that would gladly give you all the cow dung you want....which, when mixed with soil, give it hummus and fertilizer for your plants.

[@sandormccann2546]

I try to grow rhubarb here in Japan and it REALLY doesn't like the incredibly hot, humid summers that we get here. Out of probably 90 seeds over the years, I have only three plants growing again this spring. I just bought another lot of seeds and, to germinate them, put a piece of folded up kitchen paper in a ziplock bag, wet the kitchen paper, place the seeds on the paper and seal the bag. Within a few days, the seeds had germinated. They are now in tubs in my coldframe and have already started sprouting leaves. The entire process has taken less than two weeks. Please try that germination method. Rhubarb also forms risomes. Grow them on at your house in pots and then transport them to the ranch, as someone else already suggested.

[@Bieginator]

Often seeds with hard shells have a seperate coating wich keeps them from germinatig. This coatig is meant to protect them when eaten by animals( or sometimes from fire). You can grind of this shell and your seeds will germinate. A good example is the flamboyant tree or the canna plant or the baobab tree ( all of wich i tried to grow and it did not work)

[@pk7088]

condensation from the A/C is a great source of water.

[@yuryblinov8474]

Establish a pond with plastic linen first, to keep the rain water. Make small drainage slopes to it from the hills. Connect dripping irrigation from the pond to your plants.

[@dustupstexas]

I don't want surface water. I want ground water

[@hugendubel17]

Maybe consider adding biochar to the soil to improve water absorption and retention. Also a really good way to fight toxins in your latrine

[@janshuster1426]

I have seen someone use two 40 fr shipping containers spaced 15-20 ft apart and put a roof between them for shade in a hot desert area. To do something similar, you could put one of your sheds at each corner. A roof between them would give you a large shaded living area in summer and come in under the roof in winter. You could eventually glass in ( or wall in on the north / east /west with adobe / cob ) to temper the climate further . Put kitchen, bath, bedrooms , in your pods. Put your solar panel (s) on top of your pod or as a portch / door overhang. With a 600 watt panel you could have 3-6 12 v 100amp batteries even up to 12 . If your batteries are being fully charged but you are running out of power, you need more batteries. If you are running out of power but the batteries are not being fully charged, you need more panels.

[@sheilam4964]

The cob suggestion can be used in so many ways but will need a "few" tanks of water brought in. I like the suggestion because it would work for so many things like a privacy wall around the privy, wind breaks, cob oven(s) for baking/cooking/roasting, all kinds of shelter and utility uses.

[@l.p.boudreaux1548]

with rain barrels and collect water

[@matthewmonsees8288]

The only thing I wouldn't agree with would be the shipping containers. They do have benefits, but when I was in Afghanistan the conex's we had turned into space heaters. I would haul out some telephone poles or pole barn post and some pole barn trusses and build an oversized carport.

[@janshuster1426]

@@matthewmonsees8288 Which is why I suggested he put his INSULATED containers one at each corner.

[@matthewmonsees8288]

@@janshuster1426 by the time you insulate containers they have a greatly reduced interior space or you have completely built a structure around them. Containers are great at storage, but that's it. There are better ways to make buildings than containers.

[@ajlj2964]

Hey Shaun, Growing stuff in the desert can be frustrating. However, when you finally get some plants established, it’s really rewarding. It’s truly amazing what will actually grow and do well there. Of course having water or utilizing well what water you actually get is key (👍 for your dozer). I’ve successfully grown moringas in the desert with summer highs from 104 up to 113 F. In the winter, my trees would freeze back and I’d cut them off at the base at the end of Feb or early March (chop n’ drop). The established ones always grew back. I’d just have to shape them. You can then use that refuse for organic matter. From my experience, Moringas need care (water regularly) until they are established (1year-plant Feb/Mar to Nov or freeze). What I’d suggest is plant them when you don’t expect a freeze in the early spring. So maybe in February or March based on what your conditions are there. Scavenge some of the local cow pies as another form of fertilizer like another viewer recommended. Might as well use the waste the cows are leaving behind as they’re grazing across your land. Plant them in a depression like your tubs or plan out and create a depression in areas by your tents. So when it rains, water can accumulate and store there. Provide some sun protection too (I lost many trees like peach and figs because I didn’t) and mulch them well; using card board works as you’ve found out. Taken care of, they can grow ridiculously fast I had one grow about 2.5 meters in it 1st year and it was maybe 1.5 feet when I got it. My advice is, use the Moringas strategically. What I mean is, plant them in an area and at an angle so that they can in the future provide a natural dappled shade from the sun (11pm-4pm) for the other more expensive trees you want to establish. So you’d need to plan out those spaces/depressions in relation with the suns direction well. Good luck!

[@rossmcgregor3364]

Build a small cabinet on the side of one of your dongas (dog houses) keep your batteries and solar set up in it. Don’t keep them where you sleep. Just run the power to your distribution board. Add batteries as you go. But don’t keep them in a living space incase of fire or other which is unlikely but still a good safety precaution and keep your space inside.

[@nekononiaow]

Yup, good point. Lithium batteries are too dangerous to keep in a living space.

[@masman414]

I would attach a shade sail to the corners of the buildings for an inviting courtyard with plants/trees in planters or burial pods.

[@Technoanima]

Love the work you do!! Sorghum Grasses grow much faster than Agave, I hope you can visit Edge of Nowhere farms and learn how they raise turkeys with it. I bet you can have a significant operation and cooperation with them!!!

[@GHumpty1965]

They brought in pigs to that area they grow the Sudan grass. Then planted in the space after they harvested the pigs from. That was a good start for the soil building. .

[@apezucolabooster]

Biochar for the win! Little deposits of humanure all over the place should provide some good nutrition and soil activity.. Just keep changing the place of the lavatory and you'll have massive growth all over the place.

[@Nalu3-0]

Greetings from Europe! So great to see a ‘Texan’ breaking the stereotype image! Love that you speak fluent Spanish and learning from your neighbors! You are setting a great example for how we all should be ! 🙏🏼🌸

[@OzkAltBldgCo-bv8tt]

You've got a mulch with a light layer of straw whenever you sew either seeds or plant plants

[@KhanhTheLearner]

I am so in awe with your project. Every single bit of it. I came across your vids about a few months ago and have been binge watching every one the moment they come up. I wish you all the success you deserve, man. Really hope the desert forest will come to fruition. I want to start a similar quest in my country as well since there are a lot of deserted areas, and cacti happen to be my favorite plants to grow and to look at. Best wishes from Vietnam.

[@andreas5563]

Its always a good day when you post a video :D

[@anotherbluenova6358]

Here since the first vid. Havent missed one yet. Im rooting for you.

[@andreasherzog2222]

Failures are 'unscheduled learning opportunities'. It's a very good idea and important to document them *well*, so others can learn from your mistakes or even turn your failed good idea into success with a little modification.

[@valentynzadoiannyi5652]

I pressed like at the begining just bcs I know - its Shaun. That's gonna be a great video!

[@davebond4451]

I dont get how you get so much done. Oh and I was at the farm an lerned about these plants, installed some solar panles etc., all while having 3 Kids and keeping to such a frequent upload schedule. Keep it up, in love with every part of this journey!

[@scottbillups4576]

Looking at your process to plant the Agave Americana - I think you need 3 things: 1) More organic matter - put 2-cups of soil in a hole, and plant the agave seedlings in the dirt 2) Lots of mulch - put a ½-bag of woodchips in each hole, to shade the soil, cool the soil, retain moisture, add a little organic matter 3) Slow & steady water - your video shows you watering the plants, but I think you need a drip irrigation system, adding water 4-times per day for 2-month, and then 3-times a day for 2-months, and then less and less after that. Merringa experiment - steady watering, with organic matter (wood shaving), and mulch (the cardboard). That’s why they worked.

[@Wiretalker]

You can replace the 10amp fuse for a 10 amp thermal breaker. It will trip when it needs to trip. When the circuit cools the breaker will reset and restart the system.

[@wingama]

Edit: I just had to finish watching the video haha. You should set yourself up a dedicated nursery space like they had at the farm you visited. Much more efficient energy input and many less steps! One of the first things I encourage setting up for larger projects. You could also set up some wind and/or shade cloths to help. Get some plants propagated and some roots under them, then transplant in time for the rain.

[@danforthrhodes8960]

A good idea but a greenhouse is even better idea because of temperature extremes in the desert and frost events in the winter. Healthy seedlings could be transplanted to a nursery space, thereby improving success.

[@wingama]

@@danforthrhodes8960 A greenhouse could be good for some species. Any space that can concentrate the effort/make work more efficient. Plants to end up outside are going to have to be frost tolerant species anyways. The effort to acclimate from a higher humidity warm greenhouse may or may not be worth it. Greenhouses that can take care of themselves also need a lot more bells and whistles. Id lean towards growing a smaller amount of the toughest stock in a low tech way.

[@danforthrhodes8960]

@wingama I have been a gardner for while and I can tell you it's not easy growing in the southwest, especially in the high desert. A greenhouse isn't necessarily "high tech." Grow lights, for indoor growing, are high tech in my view but that's not what I am recommending. Of course plants need to be frost resistant, but I wrote that you can grow the plants in the greenhouse in the winter, which will protect them, and plant them in the Spring. You can also "harden" plants by exposing the plants (in containers) to the cold (not frost) before planting them outside. If done that way, later on the plants will be about a year old and should be established enough to survive the following winter's occasional high desert frosts. What would do you mean by "low tech"? 🤔 I think he tried two or three low tech ways with only little success. If low tech ways were easy or very successful don't you think many other ranchers or farmers would incorporate them in Texas or the southwest?

[@wingama]

@@danforthrhodes8960 Fair, It’s a pretty unforgiving environment! Maybe intensive/high input is a better word than high tech. Greenhouses need attendance once or twice a day. Usually for watering and checking any sort of temp control systems. An outside nursery bed may not have as high survival but does not need as much attention. With good soil amendment and mulched in (high initial input) they can be left unattended. Seed is usually much cheaper than time

[@danforthrhodes8960]

@wingama watering and temperature control can be done via WiFi. There's a company called B-hype that makes an outdoor wifi watering system that might be able to be adapted and I have seen watering systems specifically designed for indoors for people that travel. I traveled to Asia for several months and the B-hyve system worked great. The batteries need to be changed after a few months but that shouldn't be a problem if someone is visiting the ranch monthly or so. I am sure temperature control can also be automated with warnings set to someone's cell phone if something serious arose. This is 2024, not 1984, and technology has come a long way and pretty affordable. 😀

[@texanfournow]

¡Buen trabajo con tu español!

[@aradawg]

I would suggest putting as much organic matter and crushed charcoal as you can in the bathtubs, even if you trialled a select area

[@CormacHolland]

You should create a shaded space for propagation, like a nursery, with irrigation to start your plants

[@davidphan6499]

I’m no expert at growing plants.but I strongly recommend covering the ground as one of the first steps before you grow anything. Bath tubs are good but you still need to mulch your plants. You can put down shredded paper then a layer of wood chips on top in the bath tubs. Do your bio business in there. The wood chips and paper will filter water for your plants. Wood chips and paper can be easily pulled back to plant and they are easily accessible.

[@chrismcnulty2119]

Why aren't you bringing compost out as you come little by little compost will bring nutrients for plants

[@BabyRuth1028]

In many states of Mexico, Ranchers are starting to feed Cactus to cows in place of feed & they are getting great results.

[@darinfisher989]

Build a half underground Greenhouse. Run 10-in piping Underground all around your property and use the solar just to run return fans to suck the constant underground temperature back into the greenhouse.... look up Nebraska underground Greenhouse and think about putting your office completely Underground for a constant year round temperature and no need for AC or Heating..

[@MrSimonious]

Loving this channel Shaun , keep up the great work!

[@norfolkflyingboyz2404]

You attitude is why you succeed. You’re honest and OPEN. We are all invested in your success. Just great stuff!!!! Thank you ❤❤❤❤ we love you!

[@dianewomble527]

Every time you visit your site bring wood chips from your local tree company and dump chips everywhere. It’ll start improving the soil and aid in water retention. Rent a tow behind dump trailer and start dumping wood chips a lot from the local tree companies.

[@dustupstexas]

There are no local tree companies. It's a town with 600 residents and maybe 50 total trees

[@adventurehawksancientharmo3519]

Jerusalem artichokes, which is a tuber, will also grow in pour soils

[@Gregg29407]

Fantastic episode, Shaun! I'm glad you were able to sit down and review some of your mistakes (as well as lucky "discoveries"). I love the basic information about your buildings you've purchased, your sleeping quarters, where do guests stay, your solar power hook-ups, A/C and heat, and, yes, even the part about the latrine! These are all questions that come up when watching your videos ("Hey, I wonder how he does ______ out there."). Best channel on KZbin!

[@dustupstexas]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@johnconrad4013]

I agree just a great episode! Can see some of your thinking of why you went to the TexasA&M meeting probably learned that you need to have a return on your farm in vestments to help! Loved you going to near Ocaxaca, Mexico learning about the different agave plants and the preparation for them! Others who commented and myself I know recommend the Daylirion wheeler which makes Sotol which is like mezcal or tequila near Driftwood, Texas not to far from you. Which could bring in revenue and sour sauerkraut for the cattle feed! Thank you for showing all wiring of solar panels. Your learning the farming way- how farmers and ranchers have been learning to solve problems and make things more efficient for themselves for years!!!!!

[@geewah9736]

Just FYI, when we luved in Tacoma WA, the city took our solid waste, aka crap, and mixed in sawdust, compost, etc, and gave it back free to whoever wanted topsoil for their lawns and gardens. It's called Tagro and stuff grows crazy if you use that, i even thought i might put some on my head....

[@maikeruu1491]

😂

[@jamesthomas1967]

It is only hardy in USDA zones 9b and 10. The Blue Agave plants are a stunning plant that can reach a height and width of eight feet. When mature, this monocarpic plant sends out a fifteen-foot high, edible asparagus-like flower stalk and produces large numbers of pups at its base.

[@herbfromhouston1960]

You might want to use some erosion fencing to help keep the water from washing out the dirt at the bank of your wadi. If you will notice: the parts that didn't wash out had more vegetation and rock in the soil.

[@philipbutler6608]

Shaun those seeds may germinate when the conditions are right. That place you went obviously gets a lot more rainfall. I suggest you throw all the used dish water, half drunk water and beer. Around the maringas as well. I think you should only plant before the rains and in the fall. Also you can’t fense in all the 320 acres but with solar powered electric wire fence you could keep the cattle out of the gullies where vegetation is growing. If they can’t get to the vegetation they may go elsewhere. It is a common practice on riparian restoration projects to fence the vegetation in you may be surprised but the results without having to make more dams in places Two or three electrified wires can keep cattle out and won’t be washed out. Maybe you could get a sponsor for a test plot. I still say you should try a plot with a 40 lb bag of 21% ammonium sulfate. It might actual be cheapest way to improve your land quickly.

[@markodeen4105]

I'm enjoying watching your challenge and suspect there will be a huge change with your water catchments in place this year

[@jameswest4819]

Please try using sandbags for the base of some of your dams, starting with a keyway and building up. They can be made of burlap or possibly loose weave canvas. You can poke holes in them and plant grass and bushes. The bags will gradually biodegrade, and the roots will interweave down into the ground. Rocks will help hold the bags together and hold them down, as well as help add moisture from condensation and their shade will help retain the moisture. You can load the bags with gravel, sand and clay. Adding compost to them will also help.

[@sophieb8666]

It’s not just the nourishment from amendments, it’s also the moisture retention. The human deposits were probably frequent enough to create the effect

[@MrJoat]

Hey in case you haven't researched yet don't keep solar batteries inside ESPECIALLY where you sleep !

[@Richard.VanDyke]

I've enjoyed following your journey over the past few months. This video really ties everything together. Man, you're killing it out there!

[@makingsenseofourworld]

Your moringa is doing well, not just from all the humus, but also from the heat protection provided by the boxes. You might also get results by planting in the shady side of existing plants. The desired trees/plants will benefit from sharing nutrients and water from the other plants from the beneficial fungi.

[@martine5716]

Soil prep is the most important thing you can do every time. Plants need food just as much you so give them the best start possible ❤

[@ThoneJones]

Try mulberry trees for your courtyard. They’re super hardy and fast growing.

[@user-pm6yk7tu5b]

Prickly pear will grow almost anywhere. I had bluestone with very little dirt covering the end of a culvert. I got a half dozen pads, laid them on the bluestone secured with 9" gutter spikes. My husband thought I had lost my mind, but 30 years later they've spread and are thriving. Brilliant yellow flowers every May. I am thoroughly enjoying following your progress.

[@StevieWonders2020]

How about raised [3 to 4 feet deep] beds in the "patio" made by the doghouses as you call them. You can control the soil/organic matter, and use ollas [or large punctured clear soda bottles, buried in the soil to water or even a big olla in the center. Start with opuntia and some xeric plants and moringa and see if this might work. LOTS of mulch too. Have you consulted a local or somewhere nearby ag extension center for that chihuahua ecosystem?

[@bringtheideas460]

GOSH how mich I love your channel your videos and this idea. Not many such passion projects on the internet nowadys, This is so awesome, pure and unadulturated, un-sould-out like other channels. I am literally willing to fly to Texas from Europe for one of the volunteer events.

[@dustupstexas]

I'd love to have you out

[@threeriversforge1997]

Ha! Hate to say I told you so.... 😁 Seriously, even though everyone doubted me, at least we can now say there's proof on the ground. The dirt bath tubs are designed to collect water and wind-blown organic matter. If we let nature take its course, the wind-blown organic matter will take a decade or more to accumulate. What the WBO does, aside from breaking down to add nutrient to the soil, is to shade/cool the soil and hold moisture. It's a sponge that slowly releases its water content, effectively shortening the time between rains. As such, it make sense to truck in organic matter to speed up the process. It might only be one back of wood chips at a time, but that's better than nothing. And the latrine shows us this in real-time. Of course, the organic matter would have to be deep enough, at least 6" and preferably closer to 12". Where the latrine shines is in getting the organic matter well down below the surface so it's out of the sun and wind. This keeps the regular 'watering' in place, slowing down the evaporation so the moisture has a chance to percolate into the soil. The enzymes and bacteria added are certainly nice. Human waste is very rich in nutrients, and it's undoubtedly helping the wood chips break down. Since the dirt bath tubs aren't sheltered from the sun and wind, the mulch would have to be heaped on a bit thicker. That will insulate the bottom layer that's in contact with the soil so it can stay moist for longer and help cool the ground so the biome can activate. Remember, the latrine is getting regular doses of water but the bath tubs won't be. That's why the chips have to be piled on thick. They'll pull in moister from the dew, but that takes time. Still, anything is better than nothing, and the more organic material you add..... the better.

[@grgotreci3]

When we were doing afforestation on a hill in a rocky Dalmatian terrain, it was several seasons failure, as the successive years were dry, especially the harsh summers, until a wet year came, and most of alepian pines and cypresses planted survived.

[@abdulrouf9363]

We are always here to support sir...

[@Michaeloftheland]

Hey Shaun, at one of my past properties in the chihuahua desert we put in a ton of spineless prickly pear and American agave and I will say if you have roaming cattle you will need to fence these two particular plants. We had a few American agave get really big after a couple years and one swoop of a small herd of cattle completely took them out. We did moringas as well (as well as about 70 other trees all of which died after two years except for one lol) and we did have a well and watered the moringas pretty liberally- from seed in spring to about November the base of the trunks would get big enough that I couldn’t get my hand around some of them. In the chihuahua desert moringas won’t survive most winters unless they get cut back to around a foot high, then need to be insulated with straw and some type of wire to hold the packed straw around the trunks. We found we could get the trees to survive that way through winter- and then when the next growing season begins the moringas blast off from their trunks and by the second year they were over our head. We had a well and we’re able to water everything regularly but I have found that in super alkaline lime soil like what you have in some of your videos (the light grayish colored really messy soil that gets crazy dusty when it’s tilled up, sometimes called ‘poof dust’ ) usually sitting over lime caliche- is very difficult to keep most trees alive in. That’s what our whole 20 acre property was around the Bisbee AZ area- (very similar to yours mostly ocotillo, acacia, some native bunch grass, some native agave, chaparral, and very short mesquite trees) was composed of. The only tree that stayed alive after two years in our lime soil was Arizona Ash. All the afghan pines, apple, peach, tangerine, oak, cottonwood, mulberry, elm, and other trees that I can’t remember just couldn’t hack it after a couple years in our soils. It was just too alkaline. Just thought I’d pass that along. Our current property is in SW NM, still chihuahua desert, but in an area with really lush soil and after a few years we have about two acres of full on forest. Mostly cottonwood and black walnut and Siberian elm. I will say- we had neighbors back at our old place in the drier chihuahua ecosystem- that has different soil. I basically think there’s two different soil types in this type of desert- the grey lime dusty stuff and the red clay like dirt that seems to support naturally taller native mesquites and can host a much higher variety of planted trees. I don’t know if there’s anywhere on your property where you see that grey lime soil give way to areas with red clay soil and slightly taller mesquites. Once your ready this might be the place to plant your first trees. But seriously - I wish I would have fenced my agaves back in the day because cows love to rip them up. They can’t bite off any chunks off because the fibers are so strong (natives made rope and even crude sandals from processed agave and yucca fibers) so they end up yanking the entire plants out of the ground to chew on. Once they are big enough obviously they wouldn’t be able to do that, but it is quite annoying when the same plant is dug up and chewed on 3 times in one week.

[@knoll9812]

More to do with video on preparing to capture the seven year rain events. Prepare dry clay balls with humus and a seed and sprinkle them waiting for rain event

[@lesliebrannon2191]

Now you have a more or stable base. Try setting a nursery to help get the plants you want started for seeds. Plus from the local town if you can get there organic waste for a compose tip.

[@AM-rb4ps]

there's an idea out there among anthropologists that actually the first agriculture humans did was essentially accidental selective breeding of undigested seeds that are transplanted into latrine areas. Last year's latrine suddenly looks really yummy this year when it grows up the offspring of the best and most delicious seeds you ate. Do that for 5,000 years and suddenly you have really robust grains and vegetables.

[@stevejohnstonbaugh9171]

The only place to start agave from seed is in your suburban backyard where you can tend them every day. Plant them at the ranch at the beginning of the wet season as once they are in their fourth year in on-contour bathtubs or swales. You can start them in your backyard nursery at any time of the year because you can water them. If sorghum grew well in the bathtubs - plant lots more sorghum for chop and drop.

[@douglasanderson7301]

1/2 way through but wanted to comment. The agave you were planting at the project in Mexico was in soil. You've got dirt. Love the ROI concept it does help mentally, even if it's a million year return. Speaking of mentally, this was exactly what I needed today, something positive. Some days, this old world will make me feel like Cassandra. Nice to see the good side of humans!

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

Yes! I tried planting 50 Aspen trees in a dirt meadow, and they all eventually died. Most plants need soil to grow well.

[@d36williams]

my wife uses freeze covers in the summer on the ground, and it really does help the plants. (we live in austin). The seedlings aren't vaporized. It says it allows 70% of sunlight through. We got it for freezes but its really ace in the summer

[@evaulrikajansson62]

You should try the waterbox , after putting seeds in a growing house you know, grow your seedlings in green flower pots , first. The waterpot will gather water from the air. Then you can try diffrent kind of native trees.

[@Spacexioms]

you're living the dream man, I pray for your success!

[@guillermodelnoche]

Would it be possible to get a pickup truck full of cow manure and put a layer in each bathtub allowing the rain to melt the nutrients out into the soil in a slow release supercharging the immediate environment? I love the cow sauerkraut idea! Brilliant!

[@gustavocatani]

Have you tried Opuntia cochenillifera? People in Brazilian desert uses It as cattle food with great sucess...

[@leiladarling4495]

Hello, Shaun! Congratulations on your disposition to make a difference in the environment. Allow me to suggest something to improve the seeding of Agave. My experience is with planting grass seeds in clay, mind you! I loosened the clay a bit before I watered well. Then I used some top soil and...I covered with transparent Plastic! I put some rocks to firmly hold the sheet of plastic.IT WORKED! After 15 days I could see the grass growing. Here is what happens: The plastic works like protector.The light passes tru, the moisture does not evaporate, it condensed during the day and the water goes back to soil during the night. The birds cannot eat the seeds,, the wind will not blow them and flooding runs over the plastic without over soaking. The new grass keeps green, without clorosis. After two weeks I removed the plastic sheet added a mist of extra water.In 3 weeks the grass was established. Maybe you could use this method to use in your project. In the desert you might need stablished plants! It is too arid ! Consider also planting Fruit trees, figs, olives, or any other fruit plants native of Texas. Keep up with the good work! God Bless.

[@NatureLoverBooks]

This is a perfect spot to build Earthships. Homes that don't need air conditioning or heating. They collect rainwater, process sewage, and grow food. A self-contained home. That's why they call it a ship.

[@PsychicIsaacs]

Hi there Shaun, Greetings from North Central Victoria, Australia! It's great to see the progress on your projects. You know I grow Agave americana at my place, agaves have a really low germination rate and baby agave rhizomes split from the mother too early will probably die. I wait until the plants are at least 12 inches to 18 inches tall before I transplant them, actually 2 feet is better! Three feet is a bit big and heavy to handle, and the roots are usually too deep to dig up easily! I'll be looking to make some agave sauerkraut at some stage, so would be interested if you post videos on this topic. I have been putting in earthen gabion dams on valleys and gullies on my place, together with generous spillways for the overflow. I mulch these earthen gabions with used stable hay (I have a horse) and sow them with sorghum, buckwheat and beans. This has gone really well, although the kangaroos and wallabies have been pruning the top shoots off the buckwheat. It is flowering and setting seed, though, which is the whole point. We have had a wet Summer and these gabions have formed wetlands on the upper part of my land which is an absolute delight to see! I've posted videos on this topic on my channel, so if you want to check them out, that's where they are! God Bless You in your Work, Guineith

[@Atlas2040]

There is a gentleman in California who lives off the land. He has built an outhouse so so to speak which he uses as compost to great effect.

[@TheRozylass]

So interesting!! The Law of the Harvest is at work here--it takes patience to see a huge project through start to fruition (i don't think there ever is an end point). You're doing a great job, thanks for sharing your ups and downs. I appreciate realness and honesty much more than glitzy perfection and glossing over the hard bits. It's people like you that give me such hope for the future! Keep up the great work.