REGENERATING AN ABANDONED PLOT, WE PAID €9k FOR NEXT TO OUR HOMESTEAD / FARM

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Welcome to a new video! We release videos every Wednesday at 6pm GMT. Say hi in the comments, we read and reply to them all :)

[@joketendam5806]

Mimosa is an invasive plant as far as I have understood. Beautiful though.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@christinelanham1936]

Im from Australia and what you call mimosa trrees are golden wattle...i know you are talking about pioneer trees but make sure you get them out as fast as you can...they pop up everywhere...see ( Frankie off grid) and ( Portugal it is ) they had one large one...now they have thousands of tiny ones. Also your Aloe Vera is frost tender. Also you have to have two apple trees to produce fruit .I really love what you are doing.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@LifebyBertie]

Great work you two getting the trees planted, looks absolutely amazing!!! Cheers Bert 🙏🏻❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much! :)

[@bonitabowles6725]

You better get those mimosa cuttings out of the ground asap...they are very invasive...and you cannot get rid of them!!!! Quick run!!!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@evabloecher]

This is going to be the most wonderful fruit paradise. I hope you gave your dog a great birthday, a good occation to take some of the day off. 🥰

[@rootsdownhomestead]

It is, excited to see how it pans out :) Im enjoying the process! Yes she had a lovely day - lots of walks and cuddles :)

[@JoyfulWisdom]

I love watching you developing this beautiful spot of land. Gives me inspiration to take on such a project myself some day. Best of luck and success in creating your bountyful oasis of joy!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much , very kind of 😊 It's great to see things move forwards, can't wait to see it in 10 years!

[@ColinMacharia]

So much good work and learning, with all the natural mistakes sprinkled in. This looks like it'll bear such a bounty of rewards, and not just the fruits and veggies, but the awesome satisfaction that's in the offing. Bravo To you all !!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you very much - i'm really enjoying the process but can't wait to see how it looks in 5, 10 years and beyond :)

[@chriseverest4380]

You are dead right to be satisfied - especially with the swales : water is sooooo valuable and any and every method of water retention and soil biome diversity is incredibly valuable. Have you used Biochar at all. That dead oak tree would be recycled as biochar or woodchipped. Great work and highly inspirational.❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

It really quite satisfying - even more so when you can visually see the differents it's making. Certainly going to continue to put more of these in place :) Biochar, not so much, we tend to use most of the things people ususally burn as mulch. Although we are using the wood ash from the fire :) Thanks so mcuh!

[@davidstoddard9160]

If you have access to any sawmills that would either give you their sawdust from the mill or pay a small price would be great for your needs

[@rootsdownhomestead]

We get our pine bark from a sawmill but they have other channels which i believe they sel their sawdust for. I will continue to look :)

[@anniemac3075]

Wonderful planting so many trees, look forward to seeing them maturing in years to come.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :) Also looking forward to it - equally enjoying the process too :)

[@annalinekennedy1027]

O man this looks good. Can't wait to see this trees matured. Good job You worked very hard to get it up to this stage.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :) Can't wait either, we've actually done quite. abit more since this video too so excited to share it :)

[@assuncaomeireles198]

Olá Mike e Alice vocês é que sao uns verdadeiros agricultores gostam muito das terras. Fico feliz que tenham platado muitas arvores de frutas mais tarde vao se sentir orgulhosos de terem tomado essa decisao. Espero que a Gigi tivesse um optimo aniversário a melhor coisa é liberdade que possam correr e apanhar ar puro é o melhor para eles e claro tambem comerem bem e o que eles gostam. Excelente vidio Thank you very much 👍👍👍 🐕‍🦺🐕🐈‍⬛🐈

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Obrigado :) Mal podemos esperar para ver as árvores frutíferas daqui a muitos anos. Fazer trabalhos ao ar livre é perfeito sob o sol da primavera :) Obrigado por assistir!

[@jpennturner]

Thanks for the video, I enjoyed watching it.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

And thank you for watching it 😊

[@marybarnett9645]

It’s going to look Incredible and how satisfying picking your own fruit 👍🏻 happy birthday Gee gee 🎉😂hope you baked a yummy cake 🎂

[@rootsdownhomestead]

We hope so too :) Thanks so much 😊 gigi says thanks too :)

[@isabellevince5174]

The important thing is if the newly planted tree sticks out of the ground like a pencil, then it's too deep. The top of the root ball should be just above ground. Otherwise the tree will eventually die, within a few years.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for the tips, i've been told that quite a bit. What about trees that have no ball as such, the roots just seem to be running down?

[@srantoniomatos]

Almost all trees prefer to be planted higher, then to buried down. Most professional orchards are planted higher then grade. As you aplied lots of organics it will probably sink a bit after planted. You said that it drains badly... You have irrigation, so, even less worries being a bit higher. You can always put more soil and or mulch... its specially important to advocatos (i plant mines about 30 cm above level). As you are trying tropical trees there (you have frost and its dry in summer), i would plant them in the upper levels, as high as possible. Advocatos can handle a bit of frost, but mangos and bananas..no. Smaller trees are less expensive, easier to plant, establish better,and after 3 or 5 years the grow is almost the same as a bigger tree.

[@colinhead284]

Mimosa ?? are you sure ? i thought they were classed as an invasive species in Portugal , can they even be planted in your area ?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@edwinafox979]

Baton down the hatches..slot of rain on its way!!! Good stuff!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

It was a lot! And much more today!

[@odonnellsaussiehomestead8257]

Love planting trees ,keep it up

[@georgepapastergiou9917]

Good Selection of fruit trees, I love Mulberry!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you - same, they're delicious! When we were vegan we used to use white mulberries as a white chocolate substitute, not quite the same but close ;)

[@traceysmith288]

I enjoy this young couple in their hard work and adventure. I would really enjoy if they could get drone footage while describing different projects, plantings and areas of their land. At times I lose interest and wander away cuz I'm lost.... Mind you I mean to take nothing away from the amazing job being done!! it's sadly more my attention span, but Drone footage would be amazing!!!!!!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you Tracey! We try and get the drone up, sometimes its just too windy as it's only a little drone. Other times we are squeezing in projects in between our work. We will try to explain more about what we're doing with aerial shots to make it easier to understand/follow :)

[@teresaedwards3659]

Good work, beautiful land, wonderful couple, gives hope for the future!!!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you so much! We hope to inspire others to improve the land around them, no matter how big or small :)

[@polgarauk5606]

Feel free to update I personally love to hear/see how it is going. You are doing a wonderful job of getting that land back in order 😊

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Aw thanks so much :) really appreciate it!

[@answatkins4677]

I really ❤ what you are doing. Fabulous. I love gardening but I am old and can't do what I really want to now a days. That's why I am enjoying your video s so much. Blessings

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you so much 😊

[@101life9]

Did I miss you mentioning CHERRIES 🍒?? Got to have more than one specie 😅...some early season and others later😅😅😊❤. Appreciate you being interactive with the viewers; allowing us to "direct," "suggest", and "supervise" your work 👍 😅😅😅. We are having fun 😀...

[@rootsdownhomestead]

I did indeed :D We planted 4 (2 of 2 different varieties!) on the land near the polytunnel, so trying to get more variation :) No worries, it's nice to have some input as frankly, sometimes, i don't know what i'm doing haha

[@101life9]

@@rootsdownhomestead You're good. Working very hard.

[@neutonrenda2303]

So you did get a guava tree, awesome. How cool is it seeing the swales in action, it looks to be working great. Normally that water would be causing problems. Great progress on the hillside, can't wait to see how well it grows.👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :) Yeah we did get one :)

[@anitabooks888]

Love all those fruit trees. Have you planted grape vines

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :) We have, check out our polytunnel video, or the one after :)

[@vargasjal2232]

Every time you buy something, t5ree, pipes, gravel, whatever... Can you also write the price of the things you buy/invest?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah probbaly should do that haha!

[@vargasjal2232]

@@rootsdownhomestead - The reason is, that the majority of your viewers are interested to, or at least dream/plan to do this on their own, and its good to see prices. It can be nice plan for future, and it can also be a nice "reality check" so people don't go all in, and realise that things cost way more then they thought and they are ruined, so IMHO, display prices on things. Specially since prices in even mundane things change from country to country.

[@keithjervis-c8s]

lime, for acidic soil, raises the ph level. and gypsum for breaking down the clay

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Lime yes! Although right now we're using wood ash. Need to do some tests and get some lime for the worst areas :)

[@answatkins4677]

Some of the trees are tree's that get very big and the roots are massive. Just remember that.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks :) Yeah i guess eventually they will be competing but that actually helps them grow faster :)

[@deborahbasel184]

Why have you planted Mimosa Trees? I thought they were an invasive weed in Portugal.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@LorrieMello]

Everything is looking fabulous guys ❤❤❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :)

[@chriseverest4380]

Mark and Alice playing with their trees. K I S S I N G Happy Birthday Gigi😂

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Hahah brilliant :) Gigi said thanks too ;)

[@havvashenol6777]

Mimosa are very invasive and grow very quick and catch fire easy not a good idea to plant. Most people in Portugal struggle to get rid of them due to fire risk please take note

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@lindagage7315]

Wow your property is going to be beautiful and fruitful! Good job!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :)

[@Reet64]

A lot of hard work that will pay off when you have your own food forest!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Exactly, we are enjoying the journey but can't wait to see how things will look in the coming years :)

[@projectportugal]

Loving your methodology, great work guys❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :) Hope you're both good x

[@mumstheword8]

Wow so many good fruit trees! Yay, I'm so excited to see them grow and watch you harvesting from all your hard work! It will be so rewarding :). Keep up the great work!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :) excited to see it come together :)

[@suefeatherstone5329]

Very belated HNY🎉...and belated birthday 🎂 love to you Judy😊....5 stars to you guys as always🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you Sue! 🤗 Hope you're all good :)

[@sandrajohnstone5813]

Gypsum will help with drainage and break down clay soil (we have to use it a lot in Australia) ❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Interesting! Thanks - i'll check it out! :)

[@neutonrenda2303]

Great variety, you'd never find all of that on a shopping trip. It's going to be exciting to see how it looks in a years time.👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah trying to keep it diverse :) I should really share my plans, conscious i haven't done that yet :)

[@albertdias5630]

looking good guys. Cheers

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :)

[@CynthiaEvans-i2f]

Great progress!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you :)

[@raymondkyruana118]

Using some starter fluid spray for that Auger might go a long way. I use it for a few of my stubborn tools and it works wonders!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you! Need to check it out :)

[@davecleggett9371]

Hope you guys had a good walk around the little village with 'Birthday Dog' - think you deserve a walk and a couple of beers after that graft. But how satisfying to know that a lot of the hard work has been achieved! thank you for the videos!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you Dave, really appreciate it :) We certainly deserved the little break - been so busy recently

[@ronguille9721]

Have not seen your videos from the onset about the land. Lovely job with all the trees, plants and vegetabesl. Do you not a have a problem with wild boars and deer or is your property completly fenced? So many other homesteaders in your country have lost a lot of their efforts to those animals.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :) So far, no deer or wildboar. We fenced our land some videos ago. All the land around us is fenced and then the land around that has small roads, with more fencing, so this little part is well protected :)

[@edwinafox979]

Difficult to find bales of straw these days .. people make big bales these days not small ones like they used to, plus a shortage.. i love mimosa..yes invasive but not too difficult to keep in check, and it does burn pretty well. Happy birthday gigi?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah i think i found someone a friend recommended, need to call them but they are big bales - 350kg+ :) Gigi says thanks :)

[@miriamgiraud4383]

How satisfying for you. Great job

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thank you! 🤗

[@suzzie5164]

Do you need 2 of any of those for pollination? I'm no gardener but my parents had a huge garden and they often had 2 of each in their orchard otherwise you don't get fruit - some of yours I've never heard of... Doing a great job though and how amazing it will be in a few years time 👍👏👏👏

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yes we do! In our full plans we have atleast 2 - 3 of each variety, some do require cross pollination and some self polinate :) Thanks so much, can't wait to see how it looks in 10 years time!

[@antoniocarvalho6160]

FRIEND LINHO E FIBRA NATURAL QUE SUBSTITUI O TEFELON

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Obrigado Antonio!

[@theresalloydevans4862]

I am not sure if I've missed it, but have you planted elder (sambuca)? It grows very well in portugal, especially in shadier areaswith poor soil . Loved by insects and birds, elderflower and berries.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

It was in my initial plans but i've not actually been able to find any! Perhaps i should fine one and take some cuttings perhaps :)

[@robertlee6479]

You are taking a great risk in that area. I am in Guarda county and that is a challenge, even I think I should have been further north where the water supply is more reliable and the heat a little less. I have been here 4 years now and have a fair knowledge of what to pland and when. Have been o pro, gardener for over 40 years and a D.I.Y. enthusiast for nearly as long, so if you need and help or advice, don't be afraid to ask.. The sun is coming back at the weekend and 21 c +.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Well, i like a good challenge ;) Alentejo, is a tough region to do anything - cold winters and very very hot summers. What would be your top 5 trees you'd like to plant if you were doing such a project? Thank you for the offer of advice, very kind! Good that the sun is coming out for more spring jobs to be done :)

[@robertlee6479]

So do I, but I prefer the odds on my side. Trees for food, Orange, grapefruit, fig, Armand and for the hedge row Quince as it is delicious when cooked.@@rootsdownhomestead

[@cybermumsue]

Get rid of the mimosa! You will regret it and the thousands of seeds it sheds will be on your land for years to come. It’s also illegal to propagate . Furthermore did I hear you plant fig amongst your trees? Fig should be on it own. The roots are so invasive . Great work . Am envious as we can t spend so long on our land in Vila nova de poiares as must share our time in U.K.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@insAneTunA]

You guys did a great job 👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :)

[@duosiris34]

Loquats are really really easy to grow and almonds also would do great there

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Loquats are great, there are some MASSIVE ones in our Parish village, i couldn't believe how big they were. They are in my plans also :)

[@miriammuskal5402]

So much to do trees veggies etc Great stuff best of luck🌻

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much :)

[@lesboucher542]

Just be aware as you plant all of those trees, that many of the fruit trees require another variety for cross pollination, EG. I noticed that you only planted one plum and one apple. Depending on the variety, they will require a completely different type if you are to get the best out of your trees...... With plums for example I have a Santa Rosa and a Mariposa.... Apples I have Granny Smith with Pink Lady and a Magnus Summer Surprise (a new variety here in Australia)...

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks Les, great point! In this, what i'm going to just cal an agroforest (which is what i hope it turns in to). We have at least 2-3 of each fruit tree in the plans, so there will be more :)

[@terrygauvin3961]

Happy new years lol😂❤❤love your videos 🎉

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Haha thanks Terry, you too :) Shows how much i don't plan my videos, wishing people happy new year in February ahah :)

[@IvanKinsmanSDP]

Interesting that ash makes acidic soil more alkaline. Do you get any threat ftom animals to the newly planted young trees? White mulberry is the best fruit for diabetics!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah it's great, i only found this out a few months. ago! We don't now fenced some videos ago. The only threat was the local fruit. Ah really? Didn't know it!

[@paulhowarth6782]

You mentioned you had a Mimosa cutting. Warning: they are extremely invasive.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah i misnamed another cutting though, so all good

[@raymondkyruana118]

Wow what hardiness zone are you? IDK if Europe has an equivalent to USDA hardiness zone but it seems like you can grow so many warm climate fruits!!!!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

We are Hardiness 10b! Our summers get super hot though - so it makes it tough for the plants for 2 months in the cold winter and 2-3 months of very very hot weather :)

[@raymondkyruana118]

wow that is so warm!!! Like SoCal haha@@rootsdownhomestead

[@chrisis9030]

@Marc Pro Tip: Get your plants, soil etc. at nurseries, not garden centers!!!! May save you hundreds of Euros per visit, believe me ;)

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Nurseries kind of are garden centres here, we tend to get most from the local markets, although always more established. And most of them are 2-3+ hours away! Maybe i'll start my own nursery ;)

[@irili100]

Hi Mark, are there any carob trees among the new trees you planted? They are known to be fire resistant. Let's hope that the carob tree you planted is female because in order to bear fruit you have to plant a male and a female, or one tree with a combination of both sexes.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

There are indeed :) They are a great choice - fire resistent as you mentioned and also drought tolerant once well established. Didn't know they needed to be male/female, i will need to do some research! I'm not bothered if they fruit but it would be nice to be able to harvest :)

[@irili100]

Better several females with one male. It should be planted first in the direction of the wind for two reasons. 1. The powder is good. 2. The male tree in bloom has a strong smell. For this reason it will be far from your home.

[@kisandracolon2331]

The eucalyptus tree must be eliminated from the roots, it is an invasive tree and it reproduces from the same stem that you leave and it is a driver of increasing fires, which is why they recommend eliminating them to reduce the risk of fire in your area of your property x security

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks - they can be eliminated without the need to dig up the root. There are so many properties here with one big tree and no others around. They can be managed, the bad name comes from the intense plantations across the country, which hardly get maintained. They're not as bad if managed correctly

[@timsavage7886]

Would love to take the plunge into this life! I have been growing lots of my family’s food in the uk. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[@rootsdownhomestead]

That's so nice to hear, it's so empowering to do it! I would love to give you tips but i'm still learning, i think it's easier to grow things here, perhaps in the Uk it's all about timings!

[@timsavage7886]

@@rootsdownhomestead how did you find your land in Portugal? Were there any unexpected challenges to move there?

[@eugenecourtney1778]

Lime Tree

[@neutonrenda2303]

One fruit trees you don't see people planting, that I absolutely love, is the guava. I love eating and juicing them and you can smell the fruit from a mile away. They are also prolific producers.👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah i don't see that many around too! We planted one when we first moved in but it died (i don't think i planted it very strategically!) Excited to see this one come up :)

[@kathydoran6176]

That is Agave, not Alove Vera.

[@Mygardencraftcabin]

❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

💚

[@Cathy-ty3fp]

You will be making wine before you know it ha 😊

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Haha yes, we hope so :)

[@seanslager5919]

Mimosa is an absolute wrong choose. It's a good tree for Bush fires

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Ok so it turns out I got the name of Mimosa confused with another type of tree I took cuttings for, I don't know the actual name but it sheds a lot of biomass in the summers. I will try and the find name before i misname things again! :)

[@ciprianoneves7246]

Plant CORK oaks man. We need cork to cork all the chit that is going on in the world. BTW i am Portuguese…..

[@davidstoddard9160]

I wonder why you use such a fancy truck to use daily on the land, instead of an old model that is not even required to be licenced, or insured, and just use on the land only ?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

We only have 3 hectares, trucks are not cheap here. Even 30+ year olds are €5k plus and not even 4 wheel drive! Given our land size it wouldn't be worth getting an unregistered one, we only use it to take stuff up to the top from time to time. Plus we did have a tractor for that.

[@sandraduffield9481]

I just have one question I always see you in the videos. I never see your wife I don’t understand why because I thought this property was for the both of you. It’s just a question it’s nothing negative. I’m just trying to figure out why she’s never in the videos.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

We have different things and projects we like to get on with. Sometimes we prefer to do things together and sometimes we prefer to do things separately. We also have a company we run online, which takes up a lot of time. Viewers only see what we decide to film and we only have one camera. So if I am doing something then it usually gets filmed as I’m doing stuff more relevant for the channel. We both work hard on different things and there are plenty of things behind the scenes that we do on the property plus our own company and Allys volunteers for a charity also.

[@Alvaro4034]

Regenerating with invasive species?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Which is invasive?

[@Alvaro4034]

@@rootsdownhomestead​​⁠​​⁠prickly pear and mimosa, that I can remember from the video. I don’t know if there are any more.

[@SonyaTainton]

🌳🌴🎋🪴 YAY.... 🎵🎼🎹🎶 👏👏👏👏👏 It is going to be soooo fab

[@rootsdownhomestead]

It is :) really looking forward to seeing how it turns out :)

[@Melicoy]

Why would you run over those hoses on rock soil and a 4000lb f150? Oh to save walking 200 ft. Well mister you might be walking more than that later lol If you keep saying this is tough work then it will feel like tough work. Its just work. Try smashing stones all day. You will be ok. Great vids. Thanks Isn't mamosa an invasive tree? Also. Isnt it cheaper to get a cubic meter dumped in the back of your truck rather than those bags... Say more possitive things like i love the full swales. my hands are warming up feels good

[@karipreston1204]

Sarcasm at its best….why do you watch if nothing pleases you?

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Is this a load of questions or a rant? Can't work it out. Thanks for commenting anyway, helps the channel :)

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Some people...