How to make any tree resistant to drought - (Fichi d'India/Paddle Cactus/Prickly Pear) John Kaisner

[@prakashb8480]

Thanks John, in south india we plant aloevera plants near to tree saplings. This will create root bonding between them. Aloevera will retain water in its leaves, so when trees need moisture it will borrow some from aloevera roots. even heavy mulching near saplings will harvest moisture from air everyday. Thanks

[@gaza1677]

Nice information

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you for adding this. I'm sure many people will benefit from this information. All the best to you and yours...

[@unpopuIaropinion]

it doesnt work this way. Aloe will compete with your tree. Any evergreen plant will.

[@wildalentejo]

I use booth and they are very useful, and if I direct plant cuts from other plants I use a bit of aloe and insert the cut inside it, its a fantastic natural option for promoting root growth and preventing infections.

[@wildalentejo]

@@unpopuIaropinion been doing it for years, no competition on sight and was the way for my plants to start to thrive in this semi arid place.

[@avrahax7714]

This technic is used by my parents and ancestors since centuries here in Kabylie north Algeria ,they never watered theire plantations even during arid miditerraneen summers and trees still alive for many decades ,i'm happy that the same tech is used else where specially on miditerraneen climat

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you for sharing this,.

[@marc4687]

Interesting. Which kind of trees did they plant?

[@onechristianwallace]

I've just learnt of it. Quite interesting.

[@noahriding5780]

This is amazing... But will this work still if the buried cactus bits don't grow to have some part of themselves above the ground? And are there other plants that can do things like this to do symbiotic relationship benefits?

[@avrahax7714]

@@marc4687 endemic trees like olives, figg trees, grenades, vines🍇and some others i don't know their english names 😜

[@AndreBatistaSilva]

Thanks for the tip! While in the topic of making trees resistant to drought, here in the semi-arid region of Brasil, where I live, I'm planting these types of paddle cactus close to the trees among other succulent plants so that they can aid the saplings providing moisture through its roots. Cheers

[@barbaramccullough604]

New to Texas here and I have tons of prickly pear cactus on my property. I planted some trees last year and they all started, but then died. I will try this thanks!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Yes it should help. Let us know how it goes next Summer

[@JF-iq3qk]

Texas resident here. Plant in early fall to winter. Never plant anything in spring unless you’re pushing growing zones on tropical plants. Don’t listen to full sun/shade recommendations Texas heat can kill some “full sun” plants. Providing trees some shade while young and mulching helps a lot.

[@aaronhopkins6697]

Thanks for this important tip, i live in a dry area and i have just started on my next fruit tree row. I will definitely be giving this a go, i have a few big prickly pear cactus that i will get my fresh paddles from. Thanks again, happy gardening everyone around the world. Green love from Queensland Australia 💚🌲🌏🙏

[@rickjohnson2302]

Thank you I didn’t know about this. I have run an organic gardening company in northern Va. for 34 years. Just a comment to mention. I have found that over the last few years the growers have used fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi which is causing roots to grow above the crown and this time shortening the life of the plant. You need to also check the base of the plant where it meets the soil and possibly remove some soil from there to prevent curdling down the road, or the plant drowning because it was planted too low.

[@wildalentejo]

@rickjohnson2302 Wow, I didn’t have a clue that could happen, thanks for the tip. My place is full of biomass, and when I look under it, it’s full of fungi. Can this affect my plants?

[@MaxLemayian]

Great to see a new video from you!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thanks Max

[@MaxLemayian]

@@TheNaturalFarmer I fully belive in this idea... I have personally been digging down cactus for planting trees, making vegetable beds and mixed with manua for compost. There is something magic with the cactus that I can not explain... Your expantion is of great value! Thanks for teaching us this!

[@ArandenaHerbalist]

Such a good technique! The water succulents hold also help in hard freezes, I would imagine!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Possibly! Good thought!

[@wildalentejo]

I live in the most arid area in Portugal, been doing this for years in my system with great success, another trick I use is planting the prickle and then planting other ones around it, the difference is abysmal, then after one year I start to prune it intensively and in year two they are out of the space.

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you for sharing that. Great stuff!

[@jakesgrobler1634]

Sorry, I don't quite get what you're saying?

[@jakesgrobler1634]

I live in SA and I've hard a damn hard time get my new little trees to make it through the dry late summer months

[@wildalentejo]

@@jakesgrobler1634 sorry my English is quite weak. When Im going to plant a tree or bush I plant one prickle pear palm together with what im planting. Promotes soil health, moisture retention and is a nice windbreak. If you go around in the end of the summer take a look at the plants that are still green, that's the one you can start with, they will last the summer and help the other ones to establish, then when not needed just prune them and use to biomass. Soil needs to be always covered, or with biomass or with living plants.

[@jakesgrobler1634]

@@wildalentejo thank you for your reply.

[@dillongruber4259]

Like you did with the cactus paddle, could you do something similar with aloe or jade? Other succulents?

[@OfftoShambala]

I will be trying this with aloe… I don’t see why not unless your soil has been poisoned. Aloe is penetrating. But, slow would be a great choice to grow for this purpose. Very nice to deal with. But, the opuntia pads are nutritious to humans and may offer more nutrition for plants as well. But I have these in abundance… Will def try the aloe.

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

I always like to say....you never know until you try. Nature will decide if it works or not. Let us know...

[@noahriding5780]

This makes me wonder if you can use cactus juice similar to aloevera? Are they close enough that there would be some benefits to cuts, hurts, etc from cactus bits, juice instead?

[@donaldjhill]

I learned something new. Btw, I ordered an opinel. It arrived today, what an amazing tool!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Ah cool! I'm so happy that you like the opinel

[@VelvetandToads]

I heard mention of this years ago and despite my efforts, have been unable to learn more about the method… until now! So grateful 🙏🏻

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Good to know. I hope you can put it to use. All the best...

[@mandandi]

Thanks for the tip John. I am transplanting some cacti plants around my yard, now I will do so with more purpose since I an use them for growing more plants. At the moment, i use them medicinally for the most part.

[@this-is-slammin-549]

Thank you John! Hope you and the family are well.

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you very much ☺

[@Alvaro4034]

A good way of dealing with an invasive species.

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Haha. Yes! That's true as well

[@hailus7714]

Great to see you again. We missed your videos for a long time. Welcome back. I wish you and your family a happy and blessed life.

[@anndebaldo7381]

Love your informative videos! Hope to see YOU real soon! thanks!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Yes! Very nice

[@kablevins]

Nice video, John! Great to see you on here again.

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you

[@vintagetrishgarden]

Thank you, this is great info John. I use aloe vera in a similar way but now you have me thinking about the wide variety of succulents I could be using, like 'prickly pear' as we call it here.

[@Chemlali]

thanks for the inspiring videos 💯

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you for your nice feedback

[@luciatheron1621]

Greeting from Cape Town. So lovely to see and listen to you again. Blessings and abundance to you and your family.❤

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you ☺

[@jakesgrobler1634]

@@luciatheron1621 hi CT, nice seeing you around. I'm from Twee Riviere in the Langkloof.

[@MsAure]

Grazie mille! I have these in Central Fl. Now I know how to use these.

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Prego! I hope it works out well down there...

[@NorthernChimp]

I think you can also cook them 😋

[@MsAure]

@@NorthernChimp going to try, thanks!

[@ritapienaar7735]

Great. Going to try it on my shrubs. And veg garden. Nothing to loose.

[@capelandpermaculture5808]

Brilliant! I loved it, and will be giving this a try.

[@user-te7zz8mv3x]

thanks for sharing your method of tree planting. it clearly shows how to mulch without the mulch touching the trunk! people always say mulch but stay x inches away from the trunk and so i end up with a dip around the trunk….doh.

[@jeffmeyers3837]

@TheNaturalFarmer How long does the benefit of the buried cactus last? Wouldn't you lose the drought resistance after the first year when the buried cactus is decomposed and gone?

[@halnelson5936]

The goal is to make the roots going deep from the beginning

[@avmxkppp]

Yeah I would also be interested if this effect is only the first year, to enable deep root growth fast or if it also has a longer effect.

[@halnelson5936]

@avmxkppp it has a longer effect cause from the beginning some roots have gone to deep soil in search of moisture so after the few weeks when the cactus drought, roots continued in search of moisture deeper and wider

[@qualqui]

Thank you for sharing this COOL tip John,😊 will try this here in central Mexico, plenty of cactus pads here, you did this technique with an apple, I wonder if will work with avocado, mango and black sapote trees?🤔👍

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Great to hear. Yes, give it a try and let us know how it works. If I'm not mistaken the tree in this video is actually a type of plum. But as I said in the video, it will work with any type of tree. All the best to you...

[@OfftoShambala]

Oh hallelujah! Totally new to me! Thank You!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Haha! Good to hear! All the best..

[@t3dwards13]

Pretty neat!!! I've always composted them when I lived in Southern California. I'm not sure what I can get to survive in eastern Nebraska though. Thank you!!!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Haha. Yeah you might have to drive a bit to find one of these. Nice to hear from you

[@BakoletheGOAT]

another fantastic way to treat you plants, after you have planted the tree, is to chop the calodes up in a bucket of water and leave the over night ( i use a bread knife for this, and wear gloves), it will then produce alot of cactus sap, filter the calodes out and dilut this water, and the spray on the plants or water over the soil

[@HocusPocusist]

There's a great deal of fungal endophytes in cacti that help it survive the rigors of the desert. I get the feeling that just throwing them in the hole is one of many ways to colonize tree roots with said edophythes, bestowing their beneficial properties.

[@JMcG4U]

are calodes another name for the cactus pads?

[@carlesarjona1826]

A very interesting method. Thank you!! I will try it with pieces of Agave americana buried near the root zone of already established trees. I hope it works

[@JohnMarsing]

That's a great idea. It makes sense, thanks for the video 👍

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you John. Nice to hear from you

[@etiennelouw9244]

Nice, I am going to try that with my next tree, thank you. Cape Town is also a mediterranean climate.

[@MelanieCosta-n8d]

great video

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Thank you

[@samanthabowman6288]

Awesome. Just made my day with this, totally new info to me. Thank you. So happy to see a new video on this channel.

[@urban9361]

Thank you John😀❤️😀. Great to see a video from you againThis is a great tip I was unaware of. Hope you and your family are well and thriving 😀🙏. Thanks also to other commenters who also have experience with this technique from us in Queensland Australia 😀❤️😀

[@hhwippedcream]

Never seen this! Thanks!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

You're welcome! Thanks for your feedback

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks for the video, great reminder. We had done this in some previous tree plantings but i will admit we have forgotten to do it in our most recent ones! Is it possible to put them in a hole next where you have recently planted a tree to improve the adjacent soil?

[@BetterWorldEcosystems]

So great a new video is out! Do you know of the dryGrow foundation? They are based in Sicily too and work a lot with prickly pears, though mostly for animal fodder. I have planted many prickly pears on my land in Greece to act as nurse plants + the technique you are doing, for future tree planting. I've also planted other succulents (ice plants) and has a similar effect, with my almond tree (started from seed) growing great! Looking forward to future videos. Would love to know the list of trees you have planted.

[@JBNetBreaker]

One of the best well rounded videos I've seen on KZbin, thank you! But I have a question, how long will that cushion of hydration last for the tree?

[@Oggiwara1]

Thanks for sharing! Nice to get some new input. 😊

[@DrawingAndPaintingMeditations]

Fabulous tip!!! Thank you 🙏 😊

[@e2origamikala469]

Very nice sharing, from pune, maharashtra

[@matthewgoetzka8855]

In Michigan we have native cactus that look similar to this but smaller (they are edible too!). Maybe this can work where i live. Thanks!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

Yes of course. Give it a try and let us know how it turns out. All the best...

[@iwanaondoverbarnabas879]

Wow this is great

[@Superxtremedits]

Definetly going to try this method next time I plant a tree. I wonder if it wiol work on brambles(berries bushes)

[@wanderingmonk007]

CRAZY Cool!!!! Thanks!!!

[@simonsartium8904]

Thank you!

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

You're welcome

[@richardmeyer4406]

Thanks John . I’m going to plant a raspberry plant in a flower pot in Melbourne Australia . I will try it with am Allow Vera plant . Let you Know-how it goes

[@aimeeelliott7608]

? Question, can you use any species of prickly pear? Just Found your video and WOWZA!!!!! I live in New Mexico and we have huge swings in our temps and our moisture. I will definitely be a subscriber. Where do you live? Sometimes our climate is compared to a Mediterranean climate. Best wishes.

[@jakesgrobler1634]

Will definitely try this

[@Pc963It]

Very interesting. Will certainly try it. Just have to point out that the Italian name for that plant is 'Fichi d'India' (literally 'Indian Figs'). 'Ficchi' with two 'C's has a rude meaning in Sicily. ...just guess it...

[@humantouchfacetoface5480]

More videos please ❤

[@EmilyBranch-t4w]

Thank you so much for this amazing video! I need some advice: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How should I go about transferring them to Binance?

[@tomatito3824]

You can continue feeding / irrigating the soil with Opuntia even after the tree planting: Just bury pads into the woodchip ring! They will feed the soil biology which will feed the tree.

[@ingeleonora-denouden6222]

Hi John. I always like to see you and your land are doing well (so I follow you on instagram too)

[@entirelyseparate4621]

I’m not aware of any cactus in my country, but i do have a very large specimen of Aloe Ferox in my garden and wonder if I could chop up its very fleshy leaves and use in the same manner?

[@MistressOP]

Have you tried this step on sunken Hugelkultur Mounds used in arid climates? Probably a good setep for early year mounds.

[@lucschoonen]

what about more colder climates? Maybe softwood, like willow logs will work?

[@davidsmith9189]

This works well, if you bury them 0.5.m or close to 2' deep they don't seem make it to the surface. Good with other dead wood or charcoal. The Road Warrior was right about Hollywood.

[@ridingvenus]

Smart

[@estebancorral5151]

John, I have prickly pears myself. I use gloves and a kitchen knife. Your harvesting needs much improvement. You poked the pad where a newbies would have done. You were using a sickle, and not a scythe. There is big difference.

[@MaxSafeheaD]

You'll have a MUUUCH easier time digging a hole with a spade.

[@Hansulf]

Step first: Choose a drough resistant tree. But seriously, has somebody tried that and it worked? I live in a Mediterranean island, I only get 450mm rain/year and got a Preakly pear cactus that I need to relocate... I could get rid ofna few of pads

[@srantoniomatos]

Cherries suffer from bad drainage and lack of cold...in clay must be planted high, extra high, almost like advocatos, but in a north facing place, a cooler place.

[@TheNaturalFarmer]

We've reached temperatures of 45 C (113 F) the last two Summers. Cherries also suffer from this. I actually used this same technique of burying cactus paddles under one cherry, and did not use it under the other cherries, maybe 4 years ago? As a result, two cherries died and the one with the paddles below is still happy. Here in the Mediterranean we have a few varieties that are well adapted to the heat, as you probably know. The Temperate varieties don't really have a chance in the open here, with no canopy protection around. Also elevation plays a major role. We're at 130m but cherries do pretty well, along with chestnut, at around 500m. Our Surinam Cherry (eugenia uniflora) does fine. Anyhow, thank you for your helpful comment. Always appreciated...

[@srantoniomatos]

@TheNaturalFarmer agree. Im also in mediterraen climate. 100 m elevation. Clay. Dont even grow cherries for fruit anymore, just for the flowering. Althou sometimes still get a few cherries, but the birds get it and eat it most of it first. Also have chestnut, and they produce, and yes, they need cold too, but i see a big chestnut hill from my house, 50 m of elevation...its on a north facing shady hill.

[@JamesMahon-y9g]

Not true cactus will not make another tree drought resistant. Maybe you could provide verifiable evidence ?

[@cephalopodx7587]

This sounds like a nightmare. I can't stand cactus.

[@cameronreeley8935]

This is a big disingenuous. It isnt a cactus specific thing, you're literally just preparing the hole properly with lots of organic matter. Every gardener knows to do this and the tyoe of plant buried in the bottom is entirely irrelevant.

[@suziehartwright]

Thank you!