THE RAIN IS BACK. WHAT HAVE WE DONE SINCE OUR HOMESTEAD FLOODED LAST YEAR? PLUS SOME NEWS.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for landing on our channel and this video! We release videos every week at 6pm GMT. We are making some changes for next week's video - please subscribe :)

[@JoseRomero-qg3fw]

Very good you hace your company and Im Happy you two live here Iberia good look you are welcome same day Will visit u

[@dariuszszu3648]

Pls consider planting trees in larger distance. Now trees are small but it will change and they will grow very quickly after 3 years distance should be over 5 meters. you can always place fruit bush between the trees

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for the comment and your view. Might be controversial to some but i'm actually doing a lot of research on agro forestry and planting very close together. Our climate, very hot and dry summers (one of the hottest regions in the Iberian peninsula) we need shade, mulch/biomass and good soil to retain water. Planting trees so far apart doesn't give us this at the scale we need it. The goal is to create a thriving and in the future to be a self sustaining ecosystem - it makes more sense for us to replicate forest conditions

[@jimdotcom1972]

i think you're right, the miyawaki forest method seems to favour dense planting that causes them to grow much faster, you can always thin them later. will need to cover the berms in grass seed quickly though to prevent erosion whilst your trees are taking. do you know the channel Polyculture Farms? their berm planting has been so thick and the result are great.@@rootsdownhomestead

[@kjellarnepersson239]

Please observe- do not plant too deap. It looked that you plantet the cherry-trees a bit to deep. The root-system will also sink further on... Btw Great to follow your effords!😊

[@haram2163]

@@rootsdownhomestead I was actually going to suggest a look at syntropics before you planted out more swales. I have dug some small swales in our top olive grove. They look a tad odd as they do not line through with existing olive planting. I have been planting with fruit seedings I already had, but for further swale projects will be growing support frees and using 1m spacing. Always nice to see your swales fill for the first time and know you are catching some water. Well done.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great point@@jimdotcom1972 , important to keep the structure of the berms :) Haven't heard of that channel but will check them out! Thank you!

[@maracohen5930]

Perhaps you can plant and grow out some comfrey, Then you can use and spread the plants around the Trees for cover, and the other values that comfrey brings, along with making comfrey liquid fertilizer from the plants.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great idea and one we've looked at a lot. Apparently it's toxic to animals/dogs, atleast that's what the internet seems to say!

[@mumstheword8]

Hi! When planting trees they need to be buried at the same level as when in the pot. If you put them in deeper you risk covering the graft and they can rot. Could be why your other tree's didn't make it. I did notice you planted your lemons a bit deeper than they were in the pot they came in.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much for the tip, when we were planting the potted trees, we tried to keep the same level in line with the rim of the pot, i checked them and they looked ok :)

[@srantoniomatos]

Check the base of the trunk...sometimes its just covered by compost, too deep in the pot. "Plant high wont dry, plant low wont grow". Also, usually its better to resist add compost in the hole. Sometimes its even better to take the compost in the pot out, plant directly in the soil you have, or even add some sandy soil, because compost in the hole, if its in caly soil, will rot, cause metane, soemtimes rotting the roots too. And, as it compost and drys the tree tends to setle down lower then it should. Its better to plant higher, even in a mound, and cover with compost, above soil.

[@srantoniomatos]

​@somerandomperson1503 i learned the hard way too. Specially In dry areas with hard poor soil its hard to resist putting something inside... but compost dont had nutrition to the trees at first, its still to rough to nutrient absortion. But if its really weel mixed with the dirt (the mineral soil) can help with aeration and soften the soil to root penetration. Its still not adviced by professionals. Just cover on top of the soil... by experience and profession advice belive that most trees prefer to be planted on a small mond, a few cm above soil high. Advocatos in dumped soil really need that, at least 20 cm higher, for drainage.

[@irili100]

hi Mark. When planting plants, trees, even though the soil is wet and soaked with water and certainly when it is dry, you must water well immediately after planting to remove the air trapped between the roots. It is better to water than to tighten with your feet. According to my experience as a gardener for many years, this is the difference between life and death for a planted plant. In addition, when you plant a tree, take into account its future size. It is impossible to plant a tree that will be 30 or 40 meters high at a distance of one meter from another tree. Regarding the irrigation system. You should only invest in places where you plant annuals or vegetables/flowers that need help in the summer. In the rest of the area, it is better to invest in a system of metal pipes sunk into the ground that will lead water to important points in the area to enable extinguishing fires if necessary.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you for the tip Iris, i didn't know that was the reason (removing trapped air). I will certainly take this advice forwards, thanks! As i mentioned to some others, due to our climate, it makes more sense to plant closer together. Our super hot summers (one of the hottest regions in europe) and our very cold winters, mean many trees struggle to get to full size. More important for us to build soil and create shade :)

[@irili100]

@@rootsdownhomestead I also live here in the area and the weather conditions are very similar. This does not change the fact that every tree needs a suitable living space. Between the trees you will plant medium bushes and low perennial plants as well as edible plants and annual plants. Everyone will enjoy the water that is stored in Sawal and the shade that the big ones give to the small ones.

[@margarethill1137]

Marc when you plant anything the soil should be below the graft joint of your tree. If your plant is in a pot, plant in soil at the same level. You can also spinkle the mycro onto the roots of your plants . The land is looking good it shows that your hard work has been worth it .

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for the tip there! Will be cautious of this next time :) It's coming along, we shall now see whether new thing we introduce has a big affect :)

[@shadowort2287]

Another tips is to check that the roots have have not started to spin around in the pot. If they have and you plant them they’ll keep growing in a circular way and will eventually choke itself to death. You can spread out the roots and cut the ones that are growing circular.

[@Carpe_the_F_Diem]

Awesome job! I'm sure you already know him but i find the 6 part serie from Andrew Millison about water retention really helpful.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much! Yeah Andrew Millison has some great videos and i've got some inspiration and knowledge from him!

[@vickiwalker3486]

“We can only do that by continuing to observe.” I appreciate your focus on taking things step by step as you learn how your land, the water and gravity are behaving.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :) Taking small steps as an impatient person can be challenging but it's the best approach :) "I just want to fix everything now"

[@Drhiggythered]

Congrats on the 10k subscribers Marc. You're doing a great job managing the water with limited resources.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you so much 😀 We're trying our best :)

[@rhondadorey1723]

Wow Marc what a tremendous amount of work to get your land in shape. I enjoy watching your process in tackling it all. It's clear to see you are enjoying it all.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Aw thank you so much! Thanks for supporting :)

[@nisaford]

I've had most success in planting trees where I don't disturb the roots. I notice that you shake off all the potted soil before putting the tree in the hole you dug. I try to completely maintain the soil the trees are potted in, in the formed shape from the pot. Typically the potted soil needs to be a little drier to maintain the shape and come out whole. Drier, but not completely dry. That seems to reduce transplant shock and the tree roots find their way to where they need to go later. Wishing you the best of luck!

[@1234OopsyDaisy]

The channel called Simple life in Alaska just made a chicken coop out of a used tunnel they had some great ideas too.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

thanks :)

[@christinelanham1936]

Hi Mark..everything is looking good..the swales are a mighty job. Don't get discouraged by them not being full of water..it just means theyre working because the water is seeping through them into the soil ..it's not that they don't catch the water but it percolates into the soil faster in those areas...like the stoney..parts. Also you might want to replant the chestnut tree....we had one that grew as big as our house.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much Christine! Yeah you're right there, they're doing their job :) I think because the guy used the bucket with the claws, it disturbed the soil more, so there was easier paths for the water to soak! Oh wow, we actually don't have any chestnuts! Although in the summer we met someone who used to live on this land when she was a child and she said it was full of chestnut and cherry trees! When we moved here, not a single one of either

[@christinelanham1936]

I'm sorry I thought you planted a chestnut

[@wrenwest4887]

It really helps to see the aerial maps just to see the lay of the land and where the water must go and must not go. Love your vitality and conscientiousness about keeping things green as well as productive. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours even if you never met the Pilgrims! We are thankful they came here and gave us a covenant form of government. Lol!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks, it definately does help - sorry about my bad diagrams haha. Hope you had a great thanksgiving :)

[@VickyMarinho]

It is always a pleasure to see the love and dedication the farm receives from you guys. And the beauty is, you get the love back from the land and from mother nature. Great!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you very much Vicky! It's our piece of land we chose to call home, we want to do whatever we can to ensure we have a lovely home but also a thriving ecosystems so we can give back to nature :)

[@portugalitis]

you achieved so much and learning so fast :) hope olived harvest went ok and you got your oil !!!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Aw thanks sos much! Hope you guys are good - video on wednesday you'll see ;)

[@simonpannett8810]

Besttime to dig is when the land has absorbed a lot of water ie now-November! Good to deepen those swales. Amazing how much "run off" you have!!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Excellent point Simon! Hoping to get a bit more ground work done in some other areas but have loads of planting to do :)

[@evelyngorfram9306]

So glad to see the new swales and your other improvements working so well. I'm really impressed with all of the thought and hard work you're putting into water management and the farm in general; and with your dedication to "learning from the land" even when its lessons are harsh as last winter's. The only thing I might do differently is to pay a little more attention to that ancient waterway, clearing it more thoroughly & trying to learn more about how water was/is directed into it (apologies if you've already done that last part).

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much Evelyn :) We're trying to think through things as we learn, i was trying to do everything all at once and didn't really work out. The ancient waterway is a great indiicator of how was was managed "back in the day" :) However, due to land being abandoned, there are many cork oaks growing alongside and now inside the waterway. I would need to get our natural park authority to agree for me to cut the problem trees down :(

[@marybarnett9645]

Very wise to watch what happens with the seasons which helps you understand how the weather affects the land . So much to do 💪 your doing a great job

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot, it's a struggle to do things slowly being i like to just get things done but it's quite satisfying observing the land :)

[@jimdotcom1972]

now that you've moved your polytunnel and the area is prone to flooding, perhaps you might think about creating a wetland down there with a dam to hold the water back.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

That's a great idea, we were thinking "pond" but that could make more sense. Our summers are super super dry so unsure how wet a wetland would stay - willl look in to it :) Thanks a lot :)

[@jimdotcom1972]

you can always dig out one part of the wetland deeper than the rest of the flat area, that way it can be a pond during dry summer and then it fills and spreads into a wetland during the rainy season. judging by how much water you were getting a pond will undoubtabley overspill at some point, and having a mini flood plane/wetland for the heavy down pours that your pond can't handle could be a good way to store that extra water. think of it like a large swimming pool with a deep area that serve as your pond and a shallow area that serve as your flood plane for the heavier rains.@@rootsdownhomestead

[@jimdotcom1972]

this might be a bit ambitious for what you've got available, but andrew millison's channel had a video recently of a farm in oregon with a cascading pond design down a valley stream that look very cool. not to put ideas in your head, lol. looking forward to see what you do with the land.@@rootsdownhomestead

[@rootsdownhomestead]

@@jimdotcom1972 I saw that on his channel, looked amazing! A lot of work over many years but the landscape was so green and full of life 🍀🌳

[@danielpope]

I've been saying "modularly" to myself since you said it and it sounds less and less like a real word the more you say it, you're doing a great service to the land

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Haha, it's one of those words i can't normally say, unsure why some words come out sometime shaha. Thanks a lot Daniel!

[@isabellevince5174]

Love your swales! When planting trees the top of the root ball should be level with the soil. If the tree 🌳 sticks out of the soil like a pencil, then it's too deep and over the next up to four years it will rot and die. You should be able to see the top of the roots.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much, we love them too! Thanks for the tip, will bare that in mind as we plant new trees :)

[@Adnancorner]

I think you should plant native bushes and trees on the trenches, especially fast growing ones that will create shade and biomass

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great idea, that is absolutely what we're factoring in to our planting plan :)

[@felicemiller1101]

I enjoy your blogs so much! Thank you 🤓

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Aw thank you, we really appreciate you following along :)

[@polgarauk5606]

So glad the new swales are working well for you so far. It takes time to know the land to know the best place for areas and water problems. I did mention this channel in the live but Ben from Hollar Homestead has some great ideas for trees and companion planting (he explains it I just never remember it sorry) he also does a compost heap within his chicken coop that has a turnover of months rather than taking a year+ if that's of any interest. Not sure how well it would work as obviously he is in the US but he is in a hot part of the country. Anyway just a suggestion as he seems to have a good understanding of some of the things you mentioned in the video

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much, glad they're already proving it was worth the investment :) Exactly, takes lots of time to observe, we probably should have spent more time doing that but i can't sit still and love getting on with stuff ;) Yeah i'll check that out - companion planting is always a great idea - can always take great things from others, thank you :)

[@danyoutube7491]

I hadn't watched a video for quite a long time, it's great to see the progress you've made. Good work guys!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot and welcome back ;) hopefully our videos have improved a bit too haha

[@juanitakauffman6336]

Thank you for the video. Love to see your improvements and how the swales and trees are helping improve your property.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much! We're getting there and learning a lot :)

[@DianaB-q2k]

Thank you for your answer!! I know it sounds very logical, but many people don´t think about it. Water always runs down! Water always will find its way to go the lower part of the land. I know you are trying to locate the lowest part of your land, not only looking with your eyes, but also trying to follow the "paths" and puddles that the water has made. As you said, building your two ponds will be a great idea, may be you can interconnect them by canals and locks (sluices? I don´t really know the name). As you said, one pond can be used for more practical things like watering your plants by canals and locks, may be you should reorganize your fruit and vegetables near this pond. On the other pond you may plant useful plants like bamboo, wicker and other plants that are practical to use in the garden, even plant some weeping willows that absorb a lot of water. You are both hard workers, you deserve a beautiful house and a fruitful land!!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah exactly, you make some great points there. The water shows us, so it's nice when it rains so i can see where it's choosing to go. That's the idea, create some water catchment areas and connect them to manage overflow. It's a cool project but has been very difficult for me to get my head around as i've never done anything like it before! Thanks so much :)

[@alexanderbutros9958]

If I would recommend one thing it would be to check the season for each fruit you are growing. For example, fig trees there are early, mid and late season fruiting. Just to make sure that you can harvest during a longer period. I mention figs as I really love the taste of fresh ripe figs 😁😁😁

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you - that's a great point, spreading the harvest makes lots of sense. The variety of plum already on the land only are here for 2 weeks and they all fall off the tree. So we already tried to plant more variaties! PS, we love figs too :D

[@shar71on]

Congratulations 🎉 on 10K subs guys 👍 great progress on the land!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot Sharon and thanks for supporting us!

[@brenmuk]

I would recommend planting the trees further apart... either at least 5m apart or look at the labels which might give an indication of their eventual height and spread. I know you are trying to achieve dense planting but this is achieved through getting plants that will occupy the different layers of an agroforest.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks :) I get this comment a lot, but after much research on dry climates, it's not the way to do things, they need to be much closer. Here we must fight drought half the year so shade and mulch trump all :) I'll explain in a up and coming video my view on this and my planting plan :)

[@TheEmbrio]

Cheap orchard : All trees do better if sprouted in situ. Save all seeds and pitts, perhaps make a wirecloth ’tunnel’ to protect 10 to 20 in a spot, see who comes up ! Cheap hedge row : a taught wire, some posts, protect from grazing (brush pile / fence/wire). Birds come on the wire and posts, poop, plant a hedge. Cheap manure : human manure.

[@pauline-bc-com-missp]

THANKS FOR THE AIRAL VIEWS, REALLY HELPS PUT IT ALL INTO PERSPECTIVE, NOT MANY CHANNELS DO THAT, AND ONE ENDS UP TRYING TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT AND IT BECOMES CONFUSING. 👍👍👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much Pauline, the drone shots look cool, so glad you liked them :)

[@lacyoflittlerobincottage1403]

Looking forward to the next video with all of the changes that are happening. Question: Do you research each tree's needs, i.e. water, soil, location, etc. before you plant them? Not all plants or trees can be planted just anywhere. 🌴🍌🥝🍒 Your future plans for your land sound great. I do hope you're keeping a journal of some sort so you can remember what it is you want to do, when it was done and how it was executed. Also what was planted and where is always a very good idea. Hope you both and the pups are well. Take good care of yourselves. ~ Lacy, Mike & Hamish🐾💖🤗

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much! :) We try to get a rough idea but i wouldn't say in great amount of detail. This is actually why, in this climate, it helps to plant things close-ish together to create more shade (so trees that usually struggle in full sun, actually don't do too badly). Planting on swales always works well for hydration and water is soaked further down, so roots are less likely to get too wet and rot. A Journal sounds like a great idea too! Especially as my memory is terrible, perhaps i should start adding some of my plans in to the videos more and that can be our journal :) Thanks so much, we are well. Hope the 3 of you all are well too :)

[@TheEmbrio]

Artichoke is a great windbreak, chop and drop, ioaccumulator, and of course delicious superfood. They multiply from the stump, so before long you have more than you need.

[@christurner4994]

You’re doing great just take your time. What a difference a digger makes !

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :)

[@lindagage7315]

The chickens will love it, hope all your tree make it!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :)

[@seagaivo8513]

I absolutely love your videos and your hard work, knowledge and resilience. And this channel, with so much great feedback and suggestions (though I like placing trees closer as well, for shade😂). It's becoming quite a nice community of people, I'm learning a lot. So looking forward to seeing all the other projects, but you cannot tell us about them and then say they will take a long time, I'm impatient😂😂. See you next week!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much, really appreciate it! Yes we are on the same page there, although i do get told i'm wrong - this climate NEEDS the shade. Trees rarely get to maturity with the harsh summers and cold winters. Shade and biomass is our friend ;) It's becoming a lovely community, i agree. 99% of all comments are lovely or have good intention including advice and suggestions - we have fostered many ideas from our subscribers :) Haha i am too impatient, video out on wednesday is a longer one but i think a good one :)

[@suefeatherstone5329]

Still doing an amazing job 💯....you definitely seem to have a flow going now Mark...no pun intended 🙄! 😂! Seriously you just seem to go with it and apart from a few hiccups it's going swimmingly 🧐another unintentional one😉....your backs will soon be sore from all the patting🌟well deserved too💯 ..... can't wait for the next vid....have a great day guys 💚🙏🏼

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so mcuh Sue :) Haha punderful! Trying to, i find it hard to explain things sometimes, but i'm trying to go with the flow ;) Thanks, so kind of you :) Really appreciate your support and lovely comments

[@madelinegoldingay6440]

Your love of the land comes across and you will benefit from observing the land. I like your presentation and your likeable personality comes through. Best wishes

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Aw thanks so much, very kind of you! We are trying our best to make this land a thriving ecosystem, seeing the subtle changes gives us much joy :)

[@bigbruffy1976]

Brilliant progress again 👏 thanks for sharing

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :)

[@RuthKrippner]

Mark, I Love how you think out and plan in regards to the water flow, you have a great connection to the land , the cherry trees will make a spectacular display in spring…….

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much! Sometimes when i think about it, it gets overwhelming but taking small steps makes it more managable and means i can continue to observe. The cherry trees are going to look great :D

[@melanieshields3048]

Oh I agree about spacing out the trees. If you are going to plant fruit or nut trees you plant a nitrogen fixing plant either every other tree or every third. This could be a variety of herbs bushes vines or trees. This will give more support to the other plants while still helping with the water and soil issues. Consider a few plants that love lot of water like in my area willow trees. You should also consider planting flowers grass or medicinal weeds along the slopes and bottoms of your berths otherwise the flow of water will erode what you dug. Also the extra plants will help soak up more of that water. Your doing great keep it up.

[@melanieshields3048]

For drive way have a slight conture so that the water runs off the road into deep ditches. Around buildings have higher areas against with a gradual decrease in slope that ends in a deep ditch with the deepest part of ditch further away from the building. This decreases how much water will soak in toward building. For close to building ditch lay down plastic or pipe to move water away from and minimize soaking into ground. You may need to start a smaller version pond early. That looked like more than an acre totally under water this is really dangerous. A heavy truck can hydroplane in those conditions. If you had to leave due to emergency situations it could be fatal. For your steps that go down to the drive you can build a hard wood grate that would allow water drainage onto ditch but can support weight.

[@paulbrowne1665]

Don't try and move the rain work with it the best thing that could have happened to you You now know where the water wants to go so use it to your advantage 😊

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Absolutely - the only way we can learn! Especially in this super dry climate during the summers, every drop of autumn/winter rain is precious!

[@veronicathecow]

Hi mate, thanks for sharing. I think you might find that the pipe behind your car port will easily get blocked, you will be best off with just an open channel. Good luck.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :) Yeah that was the plan but with small dogs, they will be able to get out easier. it seems to flow ok at the moment, we shall see if it remains that way! :)

[@mariesalway91]

if you don't mind a dark area for the poly tunnel, look for secondhand vinyl sides from semis, Project Kamp used some to make things out of, it is uv resistant

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks, that's a good idea! :)

[@thegiggler2]

The amount of runoff seems to imply that you need a lot more soil percolation (till the soil if possible) and a lot more swale surface area. Sounds like a pond would really do wonders for year round growing.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great point, it's just we get ridiculous amounts of rain in one go, we want to try and avoid tilling unless the soil is overly compacted, most of the areas we have thick grass now so don't think it need to be tilled :)

[@HylanderSB]

Have you considered a pond at the top of the land?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Good question, it was actually in our initial plans but the area we did the swales is too steep. The top of the opposite valley is much bigger, so we hope when we clear it we can identify a couple of places for a pond :)

[@HylanderSB]

@@rootsdownhomestead Thanks!

[@neutonrenda2303]

Done just in time, great seeing it working. The view of next door shows just how effective it is.👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much! Absolutely!

[@soh.Ilanka]

You can dig a small lake and have it on your land. You can secure the bottom with some larger and smaller stones.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :) We are working on some plans for it but our land is super hilly, so choosing a location has been tricky :)

[@marklehmbaecker8899]

Hi mate, love the work you’re doing! You talked about your big swale projects, planting and irrigating it etc. it sounds like a lot of unsustainable work that need coming back to.. Look into Syntropic agriculture (syntropics) and you won’t have any hassles with irrigation and dying trees. It works everywhere in the world and it’s the fastest way to create healthy spongy soils/forests. You basically just mimic natures way of creating a forest with the species of your choice and support species. you get to be the „storm“ and chop & drop plants to stimulate root growth. Anyway it’s an amazing technique and as simple as observing the land :) Hope that gave you some inspiration. If you have any questions about it, just shoot! Keep up the good work, Mark

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot - great points - swales are (long term) temporary structures, eventually they will fill up with soil, silt and biomass and blend in to the landscape. Irrigation is also short term, i'd like to think it could be removed in 3-4 years once the ecosystem is up and running. Syntropic agro forestry is exactly what i'm swaying more towards - it still requires some set up but it's the method that most resonates with me. Do you have any creators or material you recommend researching? Geoff Lawton is a great resource but wondering if i am missing some other great teachers? Thanks so much :)

[@marklehmbaecker8899]

@@rootsdownhomestead hi Marc, thanks for the reply! Sure, I can recommend two, apart from geoff, who’s great also. I actually had the pleasure to learn from his successor! Anyway first is the man who made it famous „Ernst Götsch“ and his channel agenda Götsch. And the second one is „Byron grows“ also on KZbin. A guy from NZ that’s just straight to the point in every video, making food forest in the syntropic style. He also takes you on a journey to Brazil, where he shows how advanced the research has gotten in agroforestry over there. Again the channel is loaded with all the info you need to know! Have a great weekend & I’ll see you in your next video :) All the best, Mark

[@TheEmbrio]

Edible acres and flock fingerlakes did a video to capture runoff from roads and avoid erosion. Simple but efficient

[@myitaliantherapyginafiore4414]

That is a brilliant plan. I just made an offer on a piece of property In central. I will be arriving a week early on Dec 2nd. Sooooo exciting....cheers. Thanx for that suggestions to start from the top down. Because my land is tiered not flat and has water on it...Looking forward to seeing your progress. Gina in Upstate New York moving to Portugal

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Gina that''s amazing news. congratulations! Much land in portugal is very hilly - but i guess that what makes the beautiful landscape. Thanks for supporting the channel!

[@rolandtb3]

Check tree planting spacing recommendations based on maturity size. Cherries can easily grow to 15 ft to 25 ft depending on variety and pruning. The chestnut will be even bigger. May want to relocate or re-space some of your recent plants before they fully set. Your current spacing look around 9 ft. Great that you could salvage some of the covered garden pieces. Try using smaller pieces of pilpe or wood as an internal support brace. If not broken, place a close fitting spring on the outside of the pipe and slowly reshape. Tarps can be cut, stiched or glued depending on material condition. Or replaced with a substitute matetial. May want to consider graded raised beds/foundation to avoid future flooding.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for your thoughts :) Naturally i prefer different planting methods will explain is an up and coming video! Conventional methods here are not so long lasting, trees need a forest like ecosystem to combat the extreme summers. As i mentioned i'll explain :)

[@jeanettenicholas2863]

You have done well it will be easier to dig your Wells good luck to you both

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks :)

[@annalinekennedy1027]

Interesting video.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much - hope you're good :)

[@celiapereira5223]

Great job on those swales and congrats on the 10k🎊🎉👏👏

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot :) The swales came along nicely :)

[@lauriewhitlock8137]

Great video

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot Laurie :)

[@wildstanleyclan]

Really Interesting to watch. We are in Castello Branco region and looking to do similar when we are back out mid December

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ah amazing, hope your move goes well. We are in the district south of Castelo branco :)

[@arjanvogel6444]

Thanks for your vid 😇💟💟💟 Love and bless you guys, tree's need to be 5 meters apart or they are going to grow in to each other, good work 👍😀👌💪👏👏👏

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much Arjan :) We have a different planting plan but i'll explain my logic in a future video :)

[@Mostafa...............]

Bravo tu as beaucoup de courage tu as s assure c'ést une bonne bonne continuation

[@rootsdownhomestead]

merci :)

[@mafish7962]

Interesting video, tfs, Laura

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for watching Laura ! :)

[@5joost]

maybe put your first fruit/nut trees close to older trees that give them shade in the summer. you can also use bushes and herbs to cover the lover parts of your trees. The lonely fruit trees are very susceptible to the weather.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great point there, why a lot of young trees fail in these harsh climates, they don't have enough shade. Exactly why we are looking at more planting methods that are closer together :) Thanks!

[@GiuseppeAudino797]

Hi Mark your property looks very good on this time of year You doing a great job I have suggestions for when you need to doing work with the escvator for terrace I think a grade blade macchine would be best and faster for that tipe work thanks for the good video 👍👋🍻

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :) Really appreciate it. Grade blade, is that for the tractor? If so, i looked in to it, but because of the gradient, the tractor can't go sideways (centre of gravity is too off to maintain balance). Great suggestion though, thanks

[@GiuseppeAudino797]

@@rootsdownhomestead Hi Mark I didn’t meant the small tractor with small blades I meant the big Grader machine with big blades that’s only type of machine that does that type of work or The big bulldozer with the Grader blade I wish could send a foto cheers

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ah yes sorry@@GiuseppeAudino797 i know what you mean now! Our guy who does the work can get access to some of those machines but they are too big for our lane :( Great suggestion though, thank you :)

[@GiuseppeAudino797]

@@rootsdownhomestead no worries Mark 👍

[@bluesmoke8714]

you have to make a lemon trees area, the outdoor mans standup, if you know what i mean, they like a different chem microclimate .

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Need to check this out :) thanks!

[@cybermumsue]

your trees are too close. i would consider moving some of them now. many trees like yours can grow into the size of a house . also kiwis are usually given a huge pergola to climb over as the fruit normally hangs free. but great news with the swales. we love the updates . your dead lemon tree... we re sorry to see that. were the roots too saturated ?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

I get that a lot, i disagree about them being too close ;) I will explain in a future video. We live in one of the hottest regions in Europe, we have to do things differently here. I actually wanted to save some of the polytunnel structure to create an arch for the kiwi's but it was more damaged than i thought! The swales are working very well! They weren't, it was actually doing really well, then all of a sudden the leaves fell off and went black, so not sure what happened there!

[@jenniferpolk962]

When you add the mycorrhizae and then shovel dirt or compost over it before putting the tree in the hole, it's not able to do any good. Mycorrhizae only survive where there are roots for them to attach to. It would be better to dust the mychorrhizae over the root ball just before you pop it into the ground. Then at least some of it is in contact with the new plant's roots and it can start doing its thing.

[@clearingland]

So that polytunnel really took a hammering ! The water running down the road - won't that wash awsy the road, create ruts? Natural pool a good idea for Portugal.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah it didn't stand a chance! It will, that's why we created a ditch taking most of the water away from the road. However, a lot of the road is now down to the rock layer so perhaps it won't wash away too much!

[@miriammuskal5402]

So much work uh🤩

[@rootsdownhomestead]

thanks so much :) so much work = so much progress :)

[@simonparkinson5454]

Trees a bit close 4to 5 m apart use a boad to get trees above the graft big holes yes fill more retain water in the summer

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot Simon, we get this suggestion a lot (tree spacing) but we follow a different approach whcih i will explain in a future video! Great tip there thanks :)

[@keithjervis-c8s]

watched a few of the videos, and like what you are doing. it looks like your soil is very much like mine. very stony and a high clay content. it was very difficult to get anything to grow at first, but over the four years i have been making many amendments to the soil, by making lots of compost, and adding manure. i found filling the soil with plants of many different types, and growing worms. you have lots of trees, maybe you should be harvesting that recourse to create mulch to add to the local area of your new trees, to leach nutrients into to establishing root systems, and add to the bio diversity of the soilk

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for the info :) Really good to know

[@tomrobertson3236]

Will hazelnut work for you? Multiple stems and coppice Turkey is now a big producer Pasture and forests have different fungal needs When i plant a tree in a pasture I put a couple of shovels from the woods in the hole

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Hazlenut could! We should atleast try - coppicing sounds a good move too. Funny you mentioned Turkey are someone said to us there is a shortage at the moment!

[@paulettebarber7219]

Observation is not be of the most important things we can do. It can save you time money and mistakes in the long run. I may of suggest before don’t remember, Comfrey is excellent to plant between your trees as it has extremely deep roots that bring nutrients up where trees can access them. They shade the soil can be chopped down to make mulch for other plants attract pollinators etc.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Absolutely Paulette, observation is key and something i didn't appreciate as much to begin with. Comfrey, yes, sounds great adding it to our research plans :)

[@patrick_laslett_allotment]

What I didn't know years ago is just how successful growing fruit trees from seed can be. Plum stones all have one seed inside as do peaches, apricots etc. and they can all be grown into a tree. Apples have several seeds - so several trees per apple. I used to think that only one in a hundred would be worth keeping. Maybe if I wanted to sell the fruit in supermarkets around the world then that would be true - but for you own consumption it isn't. I have been watching KZbin channels of apple growers who are having great results from a modest number of seedlings. What you do need is time and space. It seems to me that you have both. Propagating gooseberries, blackberries, and raspberries is again simple once you have good stock to start with - now you have!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks Patrick - that's great points. Most trees nowdays are from grafts so not sure of the longevity. Makes sense to try and grow from seeds. Earlier this year i planted almost 75 tree seeds and only 2 came up! Not sure what i'm doing wrong. We also had some successs with papaya trees which grew a 1.5 meters tall but the cold killed them :( Will continue to try though as this is natures true way of growing a tree!

[@victormpmac]

Parabéns pelos 10 mil subscritores.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Muito obrigado Victor!

[@mishap00]

The area with the path could be diverted to be caught by the swale rather than digging further ditches. small diagonal very shallow dips could direct the water to the area caught by the swale they don't need to be more than a few inches deep just enough to intercept the water and direct it. Several of them across the path might be enough to solve the problem without a large expenditure of time and/or money.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks a lot, which part do you mean sorry? We are routing as much water in to the existing swales but due to the slope on our land, it's not always possible to do that. Plus we see the swales as a method to be able to plant new rows of trees, so some swales may be smaller, but will catch water where others don't :)

[@mishap00]

@@rootsdownhomestead There was a slope with a walking path that you said, "all the water runs down the path rather than hitting the swale down slope. I believe it was towards the top of the property.?

[@louiseswart1315]

How is your girlie doing now? Because of your sloping land, if you haven't seen those videos already, I believe the earth works John Kaisner did on his steep Sicily land would provide very helpful ideas on placing of ponds with your swales in managing your rainwater runoff.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

She's doing great now thank you for asking :)

[@markocosic5617]

Kiwi is heavy. It will break you fence very fast. Looking nicer and nicer. Keep on going.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

I guess we shall see how strong the fence is :) Thanks a lot :)

[@nigelbrooks3606]

Yes as stated previously you should plant your trees at least 5 metres apart as the top spread of the trees will touch each other in years to come and you will have to prune them back which on some fruit trees you do not want to do severely and lower crop yields.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks :) Naturally i disagree, will explain is an up and coming video! Basically, we are less focussed on crop yields and more focussed on building an ecosystem :)

[@elainemcgran8828]

Don't forget to dig the tunnel frame into the ground especially with the chickens. l

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Absolutely! Going to try and anchor it down as much as possible too! :)

[@sandraking3384]

May I suggest you get some Comfrey ( herb ) and plant them around your trees ! The leaves can be used as fertilizer , also tea for you !💁🙏🥰🇺🇸🐾👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Excellent suggestion , thank you! I will try and find some!

[@rosaescairo2872]

Bom dia, adoro a maneira como tu pensaste em resolver o problema das inundações és muito inteligente nota se que sabes bem o que fazes... Gosto muito como resolves as coisas . Um abraço para ti e para a Alice ❤❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Muito obrigado, agradecemos imenso :) Estamos a esforçar-nos por fazer as coisas certas e devolver à natureza :)

[@DianaB-q2k]

Just an idea, but why not guide the water to a big pond? I hope you will not have these heavy rains and you will not have more floods, but in any case a big pond will benefit the environment and also collect the excess of water. Everything is looking beautiful, you are really working hard and it shows!! I love to see your progress and I lo ve watching your videos.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

That's a great point, the challenge we have is finding a point on our land that makes sense. Of course, as mentioned, we have the big pond idea at the bottom of the land, however, we want to try to create one at higher points. To create a place of wildlife, whilst rehydrating the land and potentially using water for emergency irrigation should our wells happen to run dry again :) Aw thanks so much, we are really trying and thanks for your kind comments :)

[@user-toped]

Don't plant the trees too close. Think of the size of the mature tree and allow that plus space. Enjoy your video and journey.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks :) Naturally i disagree, will explain is an up and coming video! It's very difficult in our climate with the heat, dry summers and cold winters. Hope you can understand my thinking when i explain in more detail :)

[@victormpmac]

Como alguém falou aí atrás tem que dar mais espaço entre a plantação das árvores , se ficarem muito juntas não irão crescer normalmente, só se quiser uma cerca viva.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Obrigado, Victor - explicarei o método subjacente às nossas técnicas de plantação quando realizarmos o projeto de plantação de árvores de grande porte :)

[@mikefiatx19]

Buy a laser level and plan the swayles at night. It's a lot easier and quicker.

[@kodavidkoko]

Try to create a water map to make progress clearer and understand how much water you are storing.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great idea, thanks!

[@mikepowell8611]

Thats right teach that water table a lesson!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Haha yes!

[@dariuszszu3648]

trees when young you can protect with carton and cover then from the bottom and a bit soil . then in the summer they will not be treated hardly by the sun burn

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for the tip :)

[@maretteschulz8898]

Whoa - are those trees not planted a bit close. They grow into very large specimens.🤔🤔

[@rootsdownhomestead]

In normal terms yes, but we live in one of the hottest regions of Europe - planting close together works well here, creating shade and biomass is more important than trees growing to full potential

[@fincalavita4842]

Great to see progress Yes about the trees too close, but that is easy fix. Question Do you do 2 fruit then 1 nitrogen fixer? So each nitrogen is beside a fruit. Great help together with comfrey. Just an idea/ question.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for the comment and suggestions. We try to add nitrogen fixers, generally speaking Comfrey was also suggested to us a couple of times so going to try and use that :)

[@philipkimber6302]

it's good to see land being redone as it was before? If you have anybody chipping wood then get that delivered for free if possible as a base? Btw, if you don't cover the cherries before fruiting the birds will love them!! You will be able to grow peaches and other fruit we cannot in UK?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah i've tried to find woodchip but the closest i can find is pine bark. Although i did have to pay for delivery - i actually just messaged the guy to see if he can deliver some as this could be a good group cover. Ah yes we found that, we had 1 cherry from the tree and before it matured the birds got it :) Ah well, atleast we are feeding nature :) We already have peach trees yes :)

[@philipkimber6302]

Just be careful with pine. I know certain needles are not so good for ground

[@alostpilgrimsjourney5953]

I have found that by deep ripping (up to one meter deep) the fields and employing plowed terraces to create swales every one-to-two-meter change in elevation we retain the greatest amount of water. Recharge ponds also cover the lowest points.

[@JakobFischer60]

A pond at a high level would enable you to irrigate lower areas during summer and perhaps prevent flooding.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yes we have thought about this

[@johnleeman5992]

Something for you to think about. 1 inch of rain over one acre equals 27k gallons.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Oh wow, that's a very interesting fact and puts in to perspective how much water this valley could catch, thank you!

[@johnleeman5992]

@@rootsdownhomestead The next time you get a large amount of rain like that it would help to mark out the upper perimeters of the flooded, Then, you can measure several different ways to figure out how much you can retain for regeneration and storage.

[@louiseswart1315]

I wonder if disturbing the rocky bottom of the swales didn't make it much more penetrative for the water. I hope it would feed the water table which could benefit the large oaks.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks!

[@bradfeatherstone1775]

The KZbin Oregon State University Permaculture Design KZbins might be usefull to you. OSU also has a couple of online design certificate interactive courses, but you have to pay for them. There must have been intensive overgrazing for a long time to account for the lack of an A horizon and B horizon in you soil. Building soil builds the farm. Always keep the ground covered no matter what. Good Luck!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you - i think i've watched a nymber of their youtube videos - it would be a good investment to learn more and more - we can experiment with different approaches on different areas of the land :)

[@nigelbrooks3606]

PS. Keep any pot ash you make by wood only fires as fruit trees and fruit bushes thrive on it. 👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great tip! Thanks

[@O.BARRABES]

In my land at the outsite gate entrace i have a bump so the water dosent run on the driveway and goes side outsite

[@rootsdownhomestead]

That's great! We get a lot of run off from a little slope which enters just before the gate (uphill) and runs down so we have to kind of accept it. The little track that goes down our land, used to take the water from the higher valleys, so it's difficult to reroute it :(