I Found A Bizarre Desert Forest in my Northwest Corner of My Ranch

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👉 This is the backstory of why I challenged myself: • What is YOUR "Desert F...
👉 Linear feet of desert forest dustupsranch.c...
👉 Shaun's Amazon wish list: amzn.to/4gWzhzI
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Today’s episode is a little different. I’m taking you to one of the weirdest forests you’ll ever see, a desert forest thriving in the harshest of environments.
These towering ocotillos and rugged desert survivors have adapted to extreme conditions, and exploring this native desert forest has me reflecting on the lessons it can teach as I work to build my own desert forest on the ranch.
We’ll walk through stands of towering plants, talk about how they thrive without irrigation, and discuss what they reveal about soil depth, water retention, and desert resilience.
There’s something almost magical about this place-it’s quiet, it’s vast, and it’s alive in ways you’d never expect. Feel free to subscribe and follow along!
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#desertforest #greeningthedesert #desertlife

[@dustupstexas]

I've said it before: I’ve always struggled with tire performance and durability. What do you think about the upgrade to the Nitto Terra G3?

[@quarterpanel]

Check what border pratol uses , I bet they go through allot of tires along the border.

[@B.Duncan]

I worked with a friend in the Oregon woods and we were always driving on logging roads. He didn't mess around and always had 10-ply tires on his truck. Never had a flat from the rocky roads.

[@himarossi]

@dustupstexas Have you thought of creating D shaped or also called half moon in your land, they have been testing them all over africa and middle east and its proven to reduce flooding and replenishing under water reserves. They use them to fight against desertification. Would be curious to know if you knew about them.

[@LisaTurner-d1b]

As to the 70,000 mile warranty for your tires that is not for our environment in the Chihuahuan Desertwith which has an extremely high UV index. The UV we have will reduce your tires life by at least 25% if you do not take steps protect them from the UV.

[@mattsonnie2989]

That black stuff on the rocks is called "desert varnish." It's exact origins are still being studied, but it's thought to be some kind of chemical reaction of microbes most likely.

[@graemelliott3942]

Do the same walk for us after it rains and the Ocotillo are all green and in bloom!

[@gabrielanderson7250]

Hello, Shaun. These plants are the key to transforming your desert into a thriving forest. Try to think alongside them- the more plants you bring together, the more soil gets covered. I believe you should scale up your planting, reducing the spacing between them and allowing them to establish naturally. Always remember: a thick ground cover is more beneficial than excessive digging.

[@thehyperon5171]

Search for Miawaki Forests. Its an old Japanese city Forest expert who found out that strongly competing plants with a lot of ground coverage stimmulate way more growth up and downwards. Gardener from Germany here

[@blessbless5648]

He needs get water flowing regularly to keep the ground nice wet so the plant got something to drink, then he can more plant

[@Z0mb13ta11ahase]

Be on the lookout for lophophora (peyote) out there in your area. There is old studies that show it used to grow out there. If you find it please dont mess with it and try to collect the seeds when they flower and build up a seed bank for it as theyre becoming more and more endangered every year.

[@mattsonnie2989]

Ocatillo are considered keystone species their whole extent. Much like Saguaro they form hubs that other plants animals and insects can use for habitat to spread out from. I've been doing some rehabbing of Ocatillos where im staying in the mountains near Joshua Tree. Ive been building rock semi circles around the southern side of them. This gives their roots shaded ground to grow out into, and makes water retention easier. It also provides warmth in the winter. Ive been adding duff and soil to the inside of this ring to stimulate mycelial activity and microbiotes. And I confess ive been hand watering them occasionally!

[@Barskor1]

Is hand watering a euphemism? :) Keep up the good work thank you for it.

[@simonsays2774]

I'm so excited for it to rain. Now you can hardly see any green at all. I can imagine that no matter how dead everything looks at the moment, when it rains the whole desert will blossom.

[@Albanach-je1nk]

You and I both,I really want to see the difference. 😊

[@texasranchadventures]

I’ve carefully uprooted about 15 small ocotillo from my property in Terlingua to propagate in North Texas. They take special care to grow here but it’s easy once you know what they need. I also took about 20 branch cuttings that I’ve got rooting. They’ve taken hold and now have my own ocotillo army here at our home. Have them growing in expanded shale mixed with a little of potting soil and just tiny a hint of terlingua dirt..

[@chrismcnulty2119]

If you can grow that stuff around your camp and keep it watered with your shower water etc it will cast a pretty good Shadow maybe you could grow smaller plants underneath it and that could be the key to starting your Forest just start in a small area and see what happens it really is all about learning

[@carnivore_scalper]

Have you ever heard about the stone lines they are using in East Africa (Kenya)? It's simple on-contour lines of stones (no digging required). The biggest ones go highest and smaller ones against the back. That's it. All it's supposed to do is to slow down and plant surface water coming down hills. It's something you could do any time in-between other projects or when waiting for parts when something has broken down.

[@TheAndersonster]

Sounds like a good way to prep for the next big rain event without a big investment in equipment. Have these stone lines been tried near the central wash, or elsewhere on the ranch?

[@johngault8688]

I would love to go back 500-years and see what that landscape looked like then; I bet it was much more filled with life.

[@farmerjhemp]

Back to Buffalo roamed before the Spaniards it would have been so different. Through the valley grasses as far as you could see and very large cottonwoods and oaks dotting the terrain.

[@darrylcrump2373]

I read that buffalo roamed as far south as northern Mexico, which suggests grasslands.

[@peterhight9218]

Thanks for the walkabout Shaun. It is a very beautiful landscape and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

[@esmith1771]

What a fascinating plant!! Thank you for another amazing video Shaun !! It's so wonderful to see the endless beauty in an area that some folks might call an ugly wasteland.

[@bigmatt4939]

I grew up in El Paso. I moved away 30 years ago but I still love the rain. When I was a kid, we had one epic rain storm that left huge puddles in the medians and front yards. All the kids played in it until it disappeared. When I moved to Missouri at the age of 14, there was a heavy rain when we were looking for houses and I was freaking out, I wanted to go play in it. Our realtor thought I was mental. Nope, just a desert kid who liked nature and rarely saw rain. Once you get a bit more established in the area, you should go to City of Rocks and Kilbourne Hole, both in New Mexico - they are worth your time.

[@lukasholcik]

Creating living fences from ocotillos is the way! Very little maintenance and it just gets better over time. It should be possible to propagate them from cuttings, so it is a blessing to have so many on the property. They just take a long time to grow!

[@tammyjboudreaux2836]

lovely video! i felt the peace! Thank you!!

[@markfox2922]

Ocotillo are phenomenal! Consider using them to create living fences and shade screens for the rest of your plantings .

[@m2lookmtn358]

Having lived out there, I can testify to the beauty after a rain.

[@ryanmcewen415]

Sounds like that central wash is needing some check damns. I'd also look at what plants you can plant there that might shore up the soil with good root structures.

[@stevemiller6766]

I loved ocotillos when I had a cactus garden when I was in High school. I grew up in 29 Palms, CA during the 60's and 70's. I considered your area a rain forest compared to our part of the desert. We got less than an 1 inch a year back then. watching your adventure with interest. Cheers

[@TheAcademicOracle]

I just LOVE how you bring so much passion to your goal in that environment! ❤️ Truly why so many are attached to your channel.

[@c.i.demann3069]

this was lovely, Shaun. So peaceful. You should do one of these a couple times a year.

[@timothyvanderschultzen9640]

Thanks for the tour!

[@stephenstarr6388]

It would be good to start working on retainer dams in the washes. You can start by gathering larger rocks from the immediate area of each dam. I would approach it as an ongoing project. Start on the higher altitudes first so that the water slows and spreads before getting to the lower ground.

[@BlahBlah-em2ed]

Not here to give you unsolicited advice like the other hundreds of people here. Just here to say I enjoy your videos and commentary. Good luck!

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Excellent video. Lot to learn. I bought 40 acres . You inspired me

[@Patschenkino]

Depending on how strong the flow is in the wash, I could imagine using various beaver-analog dams. If the current is very strong, it might require a deeper foundation with drilled piles. Another option could be using tetrapods to possibly slow down the runoff, though they're not exactly cheap. (One large tetrapod costs around $500.) For less intense flows, massive gabions might suffice. In any case, it would certainly be fantastic if we could slow the water down and spread it out to allow it to seep into the ground.

[@GustavoRodrigues]

Have you ever considering using the half moon for helping the native plants to start growing on some "water ponds"? They use it a lot in Africa these days to recover desertified regions. should help you.

[@tmore7364]

He talked about it in another video but said they’d need to be hand-made which would take forever. So instead he has the dirt baths which can easily be dug with equipment.

[@himarossi]

just commented the same thing!

[@imnamu7047]

I think with his small excavator it would be perfect actually. If he could dig about a dozen a day with that thing. When it rains it would be way more value for effort-time than any other thing he could do.

[@maxschon7709]

Try to make a Road to the big wasch with the dozer and build some dams. Yes they might be washed away but before that they will put thousands of gallions of Water additionally into your Ground.

[@knoll9812]

Had the same thought. Maybe make the dams 10 ft wide and 1 ft tall and rollover with dozer. Maybe will not wash away. Maybe with pipe a few inches beneath lip.

[@Patschenkino]

The upper dams, which should slow down the initial flow, need to be constructed from appropriately sized tetrapods or other substantial structures. Then, below these, it would be possible to further slow the water by directing it to snake or meander from side to side.

[@keyboardoracle1044]

dam the contributories to it first. Then dam the main wash with large rocks in the lowest energy part of it.

[@kdaviper]

​@@Patschenkinoyou're an appropriately sized tetrapod 😏

[@jeffcmcm]

Loved the cactus grabbing animation, Samuel....Keep 'em coming, Boys! Stay awesome! Jeff

[@dianaanthony2981]

Reminds me of the rambles on our quarter section west of Abilene. Same remote feel on the Devil's Backbone. A little more green with around 20 inches of rain (give or take.) We got older, and tired, and came back Montana full time. I miss the quiet.

[@HazMat1012]

There's a huge State Park in California called "Anza-Borrego." There is a section that has a good concentration of Ocotillos. I love driving/hiking through it.

[@polandk2]

Anza borrego is absolutely stunning

[@melih_gurbuz]

keep up the work and years will prove that you will be a hero

[@Spurs420]

Ocotillo Wells, a small community bear me in southeastern Cali has some pretty massive examples of Ocotillo (maybe 12 ft tall at max?) , often growing in conjunction with Saguaro cactus - quiet beautiful when in bloom

[@dwaynekoblitz6032]

A tire sponsor has to be a dream come true!! The only thing better would be Miracle Grow. Put that ISH On EVERYTHING!! I know I know I know. Guess what happens when you mix miracle grow and water?? That's right! MIRACLES!! Don't hate the player. Hate the game. If you don't think it'll work then you are missing out. Biochar my foot. Pallets and pallets of it!! Put it everywhere!! Just get a sponsor so you get it for free.

[@AMorgan57]

They are sure pretty in full leaf and bloom.

[@Rockingvideos42]

LOVE. Transformation also comes from acceptance with what is. Not fixing it all the time.

[@ConfusedRaccoon]

It gets that quiet around me, out in the country side of UK. Although a shit load more bird song and wildlife being noisy. That an the odd tractor. It's always worth taking interesting stones/rocks like that. Get um back, sit on them for a bit to see if anyone has anything to say, then crack them open one evening. I bet you got some fossils out there.

[@windirono5409]

So thank you for the Sat view. Was able to google earth and actually figure out the distance/relation of everything. I get a little disorientated watching and getting the sense of the scale and placement of it all!

[@arnoldsmith5754]

we are watching as much as we can thanks for sharing

[@lulucly]

That part of Texas is as beautiful as it is harsh.

[@JeffKnoxAZ]

We have outcroppings of a particular type of rock, or coating on rocks, that turns black in the sunshine. I've never looked into it, but it looks like the rock you turned over. Here, you can turn a rock like that over and when you come back some time later, the light side that you exposed will be char black. some places look like an oil spill or fire area. Very interesting.

[@allocater2]

When the world is in an exploited state, sustainability can be a rare and exciting thing.

[@brandencasey6761]

You could still do BDA’s in that wash. Maybe just start at the highest and closest part of that watershed. Then continue with the BDA’s on down the wash. I know it’s a lot of work but that’s gonna be the best shot at maybe redirecting some of that water. I believe in you and Brandon!

[@brandencasey6761]

I would try to start with very long range swale’s in hopes of capturing a grip of water out of that wash. To be used elsewhere.

[@mkijn999]

One stone high to minimise flood effects. Silt might grow behind

[@kentalbertawrex]

lol. experts.

[@alexanderdewit963]

Just that occurred to me: What about digging half moons, with pits in the wash? Instead of one giant dam, a series of smaller ones. They use it successfully in the great green wall project.

[@ChrisWijtmans]

he is in a drought its not going to do anything.

[@tguads23]

The height of that ocotillo is amazing

[@douglasnevill1273]

Is there any possibility that you could dig or drill deep holes in that wash to collect water, enabling it to permeate the water table?

[@hammerwirkung2570]

That was a nice Video. Ein schöner Spaziergang :)

[@polandk2]

The ocotillo patch in Joshua tree is a magical and beautiful place always but twice as much when it's in bloom.

[@russlachman4114]

Could you use your grey-water from the shower to hand water a Ocotillo in base camp to keep it green? It would be nice to look at.

[@paolirejosef3392]

The last video i see before coming to the states. Keep up the great work

[@andypowlesland599]

All I want to see is a deluge of water and for you to have a pond

[@joshuaclark1930]

I'm a bit surprised Shaun hasn't dug into his hillsides to create storage or living space beneath the ground, where it's infinitely more efficient and comfortable to put stuff. Would have thought a few truck loads of lumber could make tons of structures, along with the innumerous boulders around the property. Tell me why this wouldn't work, long term.

[@alantysinger2552]

He has talked about doing earthen structures but getting a load of lumber out there is pretty risky and harder than it looks.

[@TheDog_Chef]

He's talked about it, but that's not his main focus right now.

[@richardplass8453]

Greetings Shaun, being a grandson of farmers, forest management seems like farm management. If there is a plentiful resource the farm naturally produces which can be sold for profit or else it would be lost, it should be harvested and sold to fund the farm / forest's needs. Straw / horse manure hauled in from some dead ocotillo sales funding gas, tires, and vehicle repairs will probably be more fertile than hauling lots of dead ocotillo plants by hand to the terraces to serve as mulch. Either way, dead ocotillo go to waste just being left in that part of the ranch given how poor the soil there is.

[@msdramamusic]

That's why observation the first couple of years of your land before touching it is key. You have to let tye land tell you what it wants.

[@glenndzombar2903]

Thanks. Very cool

[@nickfosterxx]

Beautiful. Would love to know how that landscape would respond where cattle are excluded for a few years.

[@Fireballsocal]

That's a Joshua Tree at 7:00. Gotta be a rare plant in that area. I didn't know they grew that far East but the climate is right. Tons of em out here in Southern Ca.

[@Fireballsocal]

In the drone shots, I see several more so not as rare as I assumed.

[@Fireballsocal]

Maybe a Mojave yucca instead of a Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). Google says the JT does not grow in Texas period though I see mentions in forums of seeing them. I reckon either Mojave or banana yucca.

[@Nphen]

I know there's not much you can do, but the best way to try and attract rain to that county would be to try and get trees to grow as high up on the mountains as possible. They act as water towers and rain attractors. If there's a radar facility on top of that mountain then there's a road, and power. Keeping trees watered for a few years would be a big task, but definitely worth it compared to the size of government budgets.

[@backpacker2417]

So different than the forests here in Wisconsin but still awesome how everything adapts,.

[@Antisocialboomer]

I am near Yosemite. We have the oldest Courthouse in service west of the Mississippi. And we Care!

[@shephusted2714]

add a lil bit of compost to that desert forest and see it expand and do better but you want to be experimental and do a few a/b tests - digging more swales that are contoured could help - get a mtb to ride in a road you build all around the ranch where possible. do some road building, think about a manure spreader, try to automate/make it easier - i think you have a good start - it is almost springtime

[@Czarhay]

I have a question. What do you have to prevent wildfires? On one hand I know some limited fires help with biodiversity, but could also be really devastating for a project and experiment like yours. Do you plan limited burns when you have a robust, healthy swathe? Do you have firelines or rock breaks?

[@TheYendorian]

What if you did a trade system a dead tree for a live one so if ppl want it for their aquarium or something you'd have to donate a lil plant for the ranch!!

[@fart_restoration]

Hi. He's Shaun Overton and he's turning THIS into a desert forest.

[@kw770]

Yes, I've bought those kinds of wood/sticks for terrariums etc. didn't know what they were called until now

[@michaldurana4227]

Very nice walk..thank you for sharing your landscapes❤❤

[@Nphen]

People might not know: you now have footage for an epic before/after when those ocotillo bloom! On selling ocotillo: consider the cost-benefit. If you can get $1800 for a truck bed full (40 small bundles, $45+ shipping each) is that worth the time & effort to bring back 2 truckloads of mulch? Buying $85/yard mulch in El Paso and adding in the extra gas to haul material, you make $1500 for your efforts. Or put it all back into the ranch. The question is demand. If it's there, I say go for it, and if people want more, do it 2 or 3 times a year. That's 1 truckload per 100 acres per year, and you return 2 to 4x as much back to the land with the proceeds.

[@Ifyouarehurtnointentwasapplied]

The contractor is a road builder not a water control expert he would be correct if you build a road across it it would be gone i would get the water out of the water Chanel and it will slow and spread out and let things grow up on-top the banks u push Up.The flooding is what slows the water and start's the grass and shrubs that hold the next rain ✌️

[@PCMenten]

I wonder if you can cover the ground with rock as a mulch to reduce the transpiration. Also, maybe add lime to soil that you have disturbed with walking, etc., and then never walk on that soil again to allow it to seal up.

[@leeboyko9019]

thanks, i really enjoyed this episode

[@Technoanima]

Sounds like you have the perfect AirBnB setup 😂

[@MrOgdenc66]

You've mentioned how the camera doesn't show how your desert appears in person. From that walk, it seems that the camera you were using struggles with the lighting. The colors were often washed out or over saturated and make it difficult to watch sometimes. If you continue to put out these videos and eventually earn enough money from them, hopefully you can invest in a better camera, or one that can handle the difficult lighting conditions.

[@speedysteve9121]

Pistachio trees do well in arid terrain. They'll cast shade on watercourses.

[@DaveNagy]

Dude, the YT algorithm eats this video for lunch, but if possible, on the full res version it is gorgeous. Very jealous of your views, enjoy!

[@rachelpeacock6674]

Always love he scenery!

[@rachelpeacock6674]

I have never heard of agarita. Going to research, sounds interesting

[@chuxmix65]

I really hope the collab with you and "underpaid plant pros" happens!

[@ingeniando3d219]

For improving infiltration could you take that drizzle to a stronger flow by a kind of funnel? Maybe for plant that you plant to help them keep moisture in their roots 🤔

[@dwaynekoblitz6032]

Absolutely LOVE what you're doing!!!!Almost as much as I love your energy and spirit. Only to be met by what has to be your most hated comment. I've put my money where my mouth is and I'm not even about to stop my support. Here we go... WATER WATER WATER!! I absolutely love that you're concentrating on infrastructure. I couldn't possibly agree more. I'm just being a fly in your ear. No reply necessary. Thank you for the walk. And your continued efforts at achieving our dream. I swear that I will make it to the ranch. One day. You're a great person. #waterwaterwater 💯🙏🏻❤️ Stay safe. PACK HEAT! At least a .45. Be real.

[@LisaTurner-d1b]

No ball caps in the desert. You need wide brim hats

[@herodotusofhalicarnasis2394]

I use ball cap every day but with a bandana under it

[@LisaTurner-d1b]

@@herodotusofhalicarnasis2394 You need a wide brim hay that will protect the neck and ears. I say this because you do not want to deal with skin cancer which one will acquire by spending time in this desert environment. I've had 7 surgeries so far and doing chemo now. Don't mess with this Chihuahuan Desert sun.

[@magooracing]

There’s a reason why the Mexicans wear sombreros

[@JamesRountree-t4o]

It truly is amazing what you can hear. I like to tell people that you can hear mice fart out hear and it sounds like a small bomb going off. Bearded Man

[@jmm8305]

Refresh my memory, are there places like the central wash that you are not allowed to build dams in because of the Rio Grande watershed? I feel like I remember something like that but can't remember if it was you or someone else.

[@stormlight6967]

I wouldn't buy dead Ocotillo branches, but I'd be totally down to buy a live 2 inch tall plant. I recognize that that is probably more unfathomable to sell off than a dead branch, and probably more heavily regulated, so it probably wouldn't be worth it. But I'd love to have a genuine living piece of DustUps Since watching your videos I've grown to love some of the plants you showcase and have looked on eBay to acquire my own little slice of the desert.

[@kristiangustafson4130]

Thanks so much for putting Metres in when you gave altitudes/heights. But the sign for Metre is just m, not mt, easy!

[@EZDose]

If only we could get the massive amounts of used coffee grounds, that get thrown away in the trash on a daily basis, to be spread out on the side of the freeway in the desert to help add nitrogen to the soil.

[@MusicMissionary]

My favorite desert plant.

[@melih_gurbuz]

next spring that please will be heaven

[@FuImaDragon]

I was wondering, are you allowed to cull feral cattle?

[@kw770]

Hold a magnet to that rock you found, maybe it's a meteorite.

[@jrh63200]

Happy Third Anniversary! Or Happy Condolences Day, your choice, lol.

[@taylor....]

Love your videos, the abbreviation for metres is lower case 'm' eg:- 1220m

[@marciodinizdasilva]

Very nice! Is it possible to instal a water reservoir to keep dropping along the days that you are off? Even better if add more biological matter to cover the soil and reduce the evaporation water loss.

[@danrichardson3765]

Hardcore aquarium aqua- scaper here. Ocotillo is not super popular in the industry. Manzanita is way more popular. I don't know about manzanita in Texas but it's here in Cali. Other woods in the trade are Spiderwood and Mopani driftwood are also popular.

[@yardhog]

Really enjoyed your walking video to the ocotillo forest. Are you able to propagate the ocotillo by seed or cuttings?

[@abelvalle6188]

Maybe a fence of these will help keep the cows out 😂

[@trbry.]

I cara a bit about anything from around 1920, that includes the court house

[@matrixstuff3512]

How are there no comments about the straight poetry that was that intro

[@halporter9]

Great walk.

[@southend26]

9:15 great looking tires, tbh

[@cherylsibson2529]

You might want to invest into humming birds, they help spread the nectar from flower to flower Window salesman Eric Pittman's life changed forever the day he noticed a Anna's hummingbird buzzing around his backyard in Esquimalt, B.C. in the summer of 2009. He was on the Canadian show " The Nature of things"

[@thatguychris5654]

Is there enough morning fog/moisture to be worthwhile setting up dew collectors on those ridges? If so, that would be a game changer for plants near those.

[@eligibbard1439]

If you haven't done it already you should do research on native American agriculture. Specifically with tribes like the Navajo and Anasazi. They managed to increase the water in the soil through lots of ingenious tactics that have unfortunately become scarcely known. They gave thousands of years of experience on growing food in the desert and those tactics will work for you too.