Five months since we started our first permaculture swale. Let’s see how it’s holding up, if the cover crop is doing its job, and how the pioneer trees are growing.
Planning and starting our first swale: https://youtu.be/6bdjZYaqxZw
Constructing a swale crossover with culvert: https://youtu.be/GrQkVhunVrQ
Level sill spillway: https://youtu.be/xZvwBE1-8xk
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9 Comments
Maybe just cut berm 3. Then you could have comparisons between no cuts, 1 cut and 2 cuts.
I don't know if the roots are deep enough yet. But ideally you could flood irrigate the swale just often enough to keep the pioneers going and promote deep roots. I have done it with success, but on small hand dug swales.
Not the right time of year, but we can’t grow mushrooms up here, so are hoping to be able to try growing them when we get down there, but come winter, could you inoculate with edible mushroom spores to take advantage of the dampness in the swale and increase ur microbiology in the swale soil?
Could you cut it but not as short? Borrow a couple of goats and let them at it for a couple of hours (with the plants well protected of course) so they can fertilise for you while they mow.
Thin out some of the cover crop to still provide some protection this year and irrigate.😊
Hi guys – I would be hesitant to chop it all at this stage with summer not far away. Maybe just chop around each of your plants to ensure they have mulch and can hold on to moisture a little longer, but leave enough around them to give protection from hot, dry winds!! That would also ensure the cover crop forms seeds and can self seed for another round of plants when conditions are right for them next year.
To cut, or not to cut, that is the question!
The really really important thing to remember when you're in an arid/hot area, is that soil temperature is everything. If you can see the dirt, the sun can see the dirt.
There can be as much as a 20º difference in temperature between the top of the mulch and the top of the actual soil with just a 4" layer of wood chip mulch. That's a huge difference that makes all the difference. Microbial life can flourish when it's protected against the heat and UV radiation, and they're the ones who do the heavy lifting when it comes to building soil and healthy plants.
At the 8:36 mark, you can see lots of bare soil on the berm and the bottom of the swale. This is going to act like a wicking point, as the hot sun and wind dry the exposed soil, moisture will be pulled from deeper in the structure through capillary action. If you're having problems with the mulch staying on the slopes, you can use 6" twigs jammed perpendicular into the slope to act as little shelves for the mulch to sit on so it doesn't slump down or get blown away. Pinning the mulch in place can make a big difference until it's matted down and some roots have grown through it.
So…. chop and drop? Yea, I'd have to say do it. I'm not a believer in leaving dead organic matter standing up in the air so it can rot away and then blow off to who knows where. That's good eating for the bugs down at ground level, and more importantly…. armor for the soil. Blanketing the soil is so very important, especially in your area where you say it's going to get super hot and dry.
All that tall grass you see in the background (1:41 mark) sure looks pretty as it waves in the breeze, but it'd do much more for the environment if you just drove over it with the ATV to flatten it down, breaking the stems, and letting it protect the ground against UV Radiation. You won't get it all, obviously, but you'll be mimicking what cattle and roos do in nature – and you know that works. Plus, it's a lot less prone to catching fire.
If you think your seedlings need a bit of protection against the sun and wind while they're still so small, maybe consider leaving a 1' radius of cover crop standing around them. The rest…. chop it down and let it become organic material that can cool the ground for the next few months until the rains return.
Yup, mulch is king. Preserve as much moisture as possible. Chop and drop. 👍
great looking farm,
how far from a town are you