Ultimate food forest garden watering guide - part 1

[@cookingsherry8784]

Volume is a little low on this video, and I want to hear every word! Thanks! :-)

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I know! I have no idea what happened. I'm not sure if my cheap microphone is dying or not, but it is definitely quieter. It was also louder in the invididual source files, but the compiled and edited video was quieter. It was also weird, I had to redo it 4 times because one 10 second clip would randomly go 100x louder and it was terrible. Definitely some software voodoo going on in the compiler. I'm still running off a cheap editor, because I can't quite justify spending 80 bucks per month to hold an adobe premier licence. Maybe if the channel gets bigger I can consider that a cost of doing business and them make really slick videos with it. For now I am still very much in hobby territory, and just can't justify that expenditure to my family. Same with a $2000 camera. One day hopefully I can record my food forest in 4k.... although I shudder at the video size (country internet). Unfortunately part 2 may have similar issues, but hopefully I can sort it out for the next video. I found if I cranked the TV a bit, it came in loud enough to hear, but I suppose certain devices like phones may hit max volume and still be quiet. If so I totally apologize.

[@d.w.stratton4078]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy I hate that everything is license based now. Vulture capitalism. Shouldn't even be called that because vultures serve a vital ecological niche while capitalists are just parasites. So....Tapeworm Capitalism? Consider getting TOR and bootlegging a copy and a key generator?

[@Renee-cd3sm]

That was me! That was me!! Haha I cant believe you answered my question in a video. How frickin great is that!!!! You've made me a very happy novice gardener 🤩🤩🤩

[@Renee-cd3sm]

Water out? Haha so excited to see how this turns out!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thabks for the comment. It was a great idea for a video, and one that I could go take many examples of stuff I do to maximize it. Sorting out passive water systems was my first priority once I started getting into the systems based design stuff.

[@Dancing_Alone_wRentals]

This was good fun. Signed someone that can't even keep tomato plants happy. I'm looking forward to jumping into more of these videos.

[@dominiquedeveaux361]

I'm currently going through the entire essentials playlist, taking notes along the way. It's amazing how much information is contained in each video. Thank you so much for your hard work and paving the way for people new to food forests :)

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I'm glad you are enjoying them!

[@d.w.stratton4078]

Banana the biochar acts as a condensation nucleus for the water to aggregate around so it is gathered in clusters rather than distributed evenly. That allows gaps for air without the soil becoming desiccated. Biochar is sexy stuff. Got to get a drum within drum system going here.

[@pauladoherty5558]

Just discovered ur post....wow we r relocating back to NZ looking for volcanic land to grow our produce and build. Thank you so much for saving us time in the weeding, growing and being clean green with reduced footprint by casting the long shadow and by observing nature. It was a Canadian who emigrated to NZ who first introduced me to companion gardening minus the why

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Awesome! Thanks for watching

[@beebardo]

Eye & ear candy- thank you for sharing.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks! I love this tine of year, everything turns into a wonderful jungle!

[@kendylouwhoo]

I'm pretty excited to watch your forest grow 😁

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks :)

[@sandyb1184]

Great video!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks for watching Sandy

[@VK-qo1gm]

Love you videos, the valuable info is to the point & relevant to every gardener. Only thing I would like to highlight is sound, on many of your videos it fades off , as another poster wrote, it's important to hear all of the content, otherwise, your channel is an absolute must!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed, chalk this up crappy phone video editing software. I will get something better in the future for sure, especially if the channel keeps growing.

[@suebar5177]

Awesome food forest🐝

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thabks Sue.. love the bee emoji. My father in law (Poppy) popped by yesterday (today's video part 2 has them talking in the background when the duck comes). He kept commenting about how many bees we had everywhere!

[@miqf914]

Thanks l for the water breakdown. I regret that our property doesn't have a running, year-round source of water. It has a well, but that is not very deep and turns out it is seasonal.

[@Jake-nl1jm]

Long time listener, first time caller, love the videos and your reddit posts which are how I first found your channel. 3:00 discussing the lensing of water droplets on leaves; from a mechanical standpoint I agree that it is stupid, and that a water droplet wouldn't burn the leaf from heating. However, there is a biological mechanism that could explain this. With rapidly increased PAR levels like the magnifying effect from a water droplet, it can actually damage the chloroplasts by overloading the photosynthetic pathways. Photosynthesis naturally produces toxic byproducts that must be dealt with by the plants. If there's more light than the plants are adapted to, they won't have adequate mechanisms in place to deal with the byproducts which are highly damaging to the cells themselves (they can't just 'turn off' chloroplasts when there's too much light). This could cause a runaway chain reaction damaging the cells and extracellular structures. With the inconsistency of water droplets placement on the leaf and transient nature, it could create a yoyo effect where the plant is constantly having to heal damaged tissues in different spots on the leaf constantly, diverting resources from growth. Note that this is a theoretical mechanistic explanation for the water drops 'burning' the leaves, I couldn't find any studies in a brief search actually quantifying actual damage and photooxidative stress from water droplets, however it is fairly well established that mechanical stimulation (thigomorphogenesis) induces a stress response that helps increase the robustness of the plants and could actually be more beneficial than harmful. My guess is that water droplets would affect a small enough area for a short enough time that it wouldn't have any significant impact on the plants health, and it's never stopped me from watering plants in the sun, but thought it might be some interesting food for thought. Brief summary of photooxidative stress: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/1-4020-4225-6_6 Interesting article discussing the biochemical response to photoxidative damage due to increased light intensity: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4454199/ Paywalled article, but the publicly available abstract at least indicates that decreased temperature that would result from the water droplet cooling the leaf would compound the stress from increased light intensity: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1994.tb03042.x "Oxidative damage arises in high light principally when the latter is in synergy with additional stress factors such as chilling temperatures or pollution." Article about water droplet thigomorphogenesis stress response: phys.org/news/2019-10-impact-droplets-quickly-triggers-stress.html Paper it's referencing: www.pnas.org/content/116/46/23345

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

My man. These are the kind of comments I love. I just love love love diving deep into this stuff and learning more about it. Okay so the Coles notes is basically a localized buildup of toxic byproducts, almost like a localized sepsis? I had considered thenlensing of UV and cellular damage from it, but that would be long played out, almost like developing a cancer.. except the shedding of leaves would likely erase any impact. I didn't want to get too into it, because too much science makes for poor videos. Many people don't want to get THAT into it. So I cut that part out. But I definitely didn't consider byproduct buildup. And that's strange because that is basically what poisons out our nuclear fuel, so the concept is familiar to me. This is super interesting. Thanks for those links. I will delve into them after work. I'm sure there is some new information that I will gain, and could be useful down the road.

[@Jake-nl1jm]

​@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Thanks, I love your videos so figured I'd try and give back in my own way. "Okay so the Coles notes is basically a localized buildup of toxic byproducts, almost like a localized sepsis? " Pretty much, on a cellular level. The easy analogy would be that the leaf is like a wastewater processing plant. It's built for the average water flux (sunlight) for its designated area with some overage safety factor, and it can handle the average amount of waste. Water comes in regardless of what the plant does, just like light. The chloroplasts would be like the holding tanks, they can process only so much at a time. Once you get a massive rainfall or flood (large increase in PAR going through the photosynthetic system), all that waste spills over and spoils everything around it. This would add a massive strain on the cells, having to deal with all the excess waste, likely damaging many chloroplasts beyond repair before the plants have a chance to build up the metabolism to deal with the byproducts. I will add that I suspect I have noticed this effect on floating salvinia plants in my aquariums, where water droplets on the leaves will cause spots to die on the leaf and that hasn't happened once I've decreased the light intensity even though there's still water droplets on the leaves. Whether that's due to actual photooxidative stress or just mechanical damage to the hydrophobic structures on the leaf, I don't know. But floating salvinia plants can be drama queens and are MUCH more sensitive to physical disturbance of their leaves than any other plant I've ever grown, and far more than any terrestrial plant.

[@johnnypaints23]

Agreed with the comment. I could see it not being heat build up but I have definitely seen first had yellow oval drop marks after overhead watering. Figured must be concerned light/uv doing the damage

[@Jake-nl1jm]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy literally just found this article, great read and very relevant! eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/uoc--wap061820.php Paper: arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1912/1912.12281.pdf

[@st0sk1]

It seems to me that a living leaf surface will be damaged by the heat of an evaporating droplet because the water droplet will heat up to 100 C before steaming off. Basically cooking the leaf material in contact with the droplet. Many different factors could affect this, wind drying effect probably being greatest. I’m not saying the droplet will actually reach 100 C, but it could get hot enough to kill beneficial bacteria on the leaf surface, damage the integrity of the leaf cells, resulting in a response continuum from stress and yellowing, to brown spots, to black dead areas. Pretty sure this happens because I have done it to my plants. I think the droplets have to be of a decent size to cause damage, like watering in the direct sun and leaving the droplets resting on the leafs. I also think that maybe younger plants and shoots are more vulnerable to this, first couple months of growth before the leaf gets thicker and develops a protective coating? Speculating..

[@d.w.stratton4078]

If you think about it, watering in the morning mimics nature. In the spring, summer, and early fall, dew tends to form overnight towards dawn as temperatures reach a low point that his the dew point. That moisture spends a minimum of time on the leaves before mean Mr sun dries it all up and devastates parasitic fungi. So watering at the buttcrack of dawn is probably the way to go just because nature does it that way mostly. It would be cool to see what botany and horticulture have to say. Does morning water produce more photosynthesis at peak sun? Is transpiration better regulated?

[@jrdahl711]

Nature in my area during the summer means rain in the evening pretty much exclusively. 5-7PM during passing storms. So while I get the theory about early watering, nature doesn't always work this way in every area. Also very low humidity and little to no dew most days.

[@alicepettit164]

Yes if u recommend a biochar I would buy via your amazon link. Small city lot.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Unfortunately I don't sell mine, it's not economical for me to make. I'd have to charge $500-600 per batch - it takes a long time. I don't know any other suppliers enough to recommend anyone.

[@lars_larsen]

Good Stuff, comments for the algorithm.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

So grateful, thanks 😊 LOL. It works.

[@Cyssane]

Interesting! I've heard of biochar and how to produce it, but I wasn't aware it was used in compost. Makes sense though! Composted biochar would probably compare favourably with terra preta, the highly fertile soil amendment that the original Amazonian natives used to build their food forests (which are still growing tons of food today, even though they've been neglected since the Europeans wiped out most of the indigenous population when they arrived). All you need now is some broken pottery shards. Got any earthenware dishes you can smash? ;) As an aside, if you haven't yet, check out the book 1491 by Charles C. Mann. That's where I first learned about terra preta. It's not about gardening or permaculture -- it's about what the Americas were like before the Europeans arrived, and it's absolutely fascinating.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed, Terra Preta us exactly what I am trying to reproduce with the biochar. Great stuff

[@paulgutches5253]

Because it is so light and air-filled, is there ever a problem of heavy rains unearthing the biochar by it floating up?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Not really. Even if that did happen its not a problem. Untilled soils are very resilient to food traffic due to the undisturbed mushroom mycelium. So if you see any on top you can always just step on it and crush it a bit. A little footstep isn't going to cause meaningful compaction as long as you have robust mycelium network in the chips.

[@laurakolozsi1216]

Thanks for another great video. Learning so much! You sold me on the biochar. I went back to watch your initial biochar video. Would love to introduce it into my compost pile and my soil, but as I am in a subdivision I am unable to make it. Is there a way to source out biochar or perhaps a way to purchase charcoal that you could place into your compost pile? Regular charcoal from Canadian Tire, etc. would probably not do as it's source and process would be ambiguous, and probably not burnt clean. Any suggestions for us suburbanites with tiny backyards? Thanks!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Absolutely. Never use BBQ charcoal because it has carcinogenic stabilizers added to it. I know there are various companies that make biochar for agricultural applications. Actually a really big industry is golf courses... they are all moving to biochar amended soils. I can't remember what companies exactly, but I'm sure google can help you find someone relatively local to you.

[@homesteadhaven6024]

That was great and the comments back and forth about the details (science of watering) are very helpful too. As I’m new to the science (and biochar) I’d like to incorporate it to help supercharge my vegetable garden soil - if I have a fire pit, should I take out the charred pieces left, mix them into my compost pile and then add them to my garden throughout the growing season? The biochar need to be mingling with compost first and then the compost is the delivery system? Is that the way? Thank you for this watering tutorial. Thorough as usual and very appreciated.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yes, that is correct. The only problem with taking some out of a fire pit is that it is very likely that only the outside fee millimeters is charcoal and the rest is likely still wood. So it is okay to compost it and mulch with it, just careful burying it in the subsoil (say as an amendment when you plant a tree). The non char wood will tie up nitrogen. An alternative to the barrel method I use is a cone pit method. Same idea. Cram it as tight as possible. Try to keep the burn zone at the top to re-combust exhausted gases for a clean burn. Prod and poke and stomp it as it burns to have the coals fall to the bottom and help smother out the oxygen, and act as a heat source to drive more pyrolysis. With the cone pit method, just be aware that if it is dry outside that you can actually cause root fires and have fires pop up a bit away from the burn. I have a feeling that's a bit of paranoia, but that's the reason I use the barrel instead of the cone pit method.

[@homesteadhaven6024]

Canadian Permaculture Legacy thank you very much! That’s all so valuable. I’ve watched your biochar video and now understand what you mean about collecting smaller brush and producing a consistent char rather than pulling leftovers from the fire pit. I’ve also watched the pit method on edible acres and I’ve made a mental note of your warning. Can’t wait to try this out myself! A big thanks!!

[@kellytankersley1962]

I'm loving these videos and new to permaculture. Prepping for a food forest next spring. BUT hey? Do you have a name dear gardener? People would like a name. I learned this on my own etsy shop, etc.... thanks, Kelly

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Keith :)

[@salmeli5886]

do you think orientation of the beds makes a huge difference, ie North/South vs East/West (particularly in Canada)?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Depends on what you are planting in them. The taller the stuff you plant, the more it matters.

[@alessandromariani3015]

The problem with watering in the middle of the day when the sun is up is that they get stressed by the rapid temperature change. The roots will suffer a lot if you put fresh water in a hot day. At least this is what everyone say to me, why i shouldn't water in the 12 . Also the plant focuses more on the leaves and the sun, and then will not store that much water. The leaves can change structure when it's hot, making them more vulnerable to umidity and molds. If you put water with an hot sun then it will generate umidity that can also do damage.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I get that people say that, but then wouldn't rain in the middle of the day kill a bunch of plants? I find that plants are much more resilient than we give them credit for, at least when we plant them like nature does - densely. Sure, I can see why plants could struggle like this when we plant them all spaced out because that's how a human thinks they enjoy it, and we take away all their symbiotic relationships, including mychorrizal ones under the ground.

[@alessandromariani3015]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy if it rains with the sun i think it's a very small rain and also hot water. If you use much more water that is cold then i believe some plants will suffer. It depends by many other factors for sure.

[@sarahwbs]

How can you burn without oxygen when oxygen is required for combustion?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

You aren't performing combustion, you are performing pyrolysis. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysis The chemical equations of the combustion of coal are 4 main ones, oxygen plus carbon making CO, Carbon making CO2, plus Hydrogen making water, or plus Sulfur making Sulfer Dioxide. All those cannot happen in the absence of O2, so what gets left behind is the vacated carbon cell walls. When done properly, the pyrolysis of wood can be almost zero emissions (infact less emissions than mulching with woodchips which will release some carbon to the atmosphere). It is a very good way to get carbon back into the soils, sequestered for 2000+ years.

[@sarahwbs]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Fascinating! I will have to do some more learning about this.

[@lesliekendall2206]

"Put trenches parallel to contour". Unfortunately an impossibility for those of us in the city since the first thing every general contractor does is level everything. 😩

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Lol yeah, and if anything they do the opposite! They make water flow downhill as fast as possible.

[@lesliekendall2206]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy 😆 So true! Gotta get it into the concrete gutters and sewers so it nourishes nothing!

[@jennell6108]

Great content, however the excessive KZbin ads you allow make it almost unbearable to watch.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I can help explain that, not only for me but for other KZbinrs people may watch. Unfortunately the amount of adds that KZbin includes by default is extremely excessive. When I upload a video I try to immediately go in and change it. KZbin wants me to put 4 adds in a 10 minute video, not even joking. This video in particular had one at the 1 min and 30 sec mark roughly, and another at 3 min something. I immediately change it to roughly 1 add every 10 minutes. Sometimes it takes time for the adds to be adjusted, and you may have been exposed to what KZbin defaults to. If so, I apologize, but know that I do everything I can to prevent it. That amount of adds allows me make about 2 dollars per video (which take roughly 2 to 4 hours to make and edit and publish). Not a great wage for sure, but at least let's me slowly pay off the stuff I have purchased for the channel (software, drone, mic, gimbal, etc). That amounts to roughly what TV was when I was a kid. There used to be roughly 7 mins between add segments, except of course you had to watch 5 in a row and couldn't skip them. I hope that helps explain it, and that I do consciously try to cut them down quite a bit. I do like to think that people get good value out of the several seconds of skippable add they are forced to watch. However, there is also options such as adblock (I think), or brave browser. I'm sure there are others as well. To help pay people back for the inconvenience, I also try to answer every comment people post on my videos. Sometimes they do take a bit of research to look up, to verify what I think I know is correct. I do hope some of that helps, and I hope you know that I do consciously try to minimize the annoyance, but at the same time make a dollar or two.

[@jennell6108]

Canadian Permaculture Legacy thanks for explaining! An ad every 2.5 mins is crazy sauce! One every 10 is much more tolerable. Thank you! I’m in Washington state hoping to do what you’re doing on a smaller scale .5 acres. I’m so glad to have found a person to learn from that’s not in Florida!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

That's awesome you have one of the nicest places to do this, in my opinion. Cool but warm enough, and long enough season. Good amount of rain. Really wonderful spot in my opinion.