Mark Krawczyk in Coppice Agroforestry, Ch. 1, pg. 31 wrote:Imagine what a horticultural society might look like in the modern world and what it would take to internalize a worldview that inspires us to tend rather than dominate nature.
Cristobal Cristo wrote:Kim,
I just read "David advises planting as wide a diversity of species as possible, always including eucalyptus, melaleucas and acacias".
So basically he plants native Australian species, but I and I think Abraham also, are interested in fruit trees. I already have over 500 eucalyptus that I consider weed on my property and I want to eradicate them. It grows super fast, when cut to the ground it will regrow 3m per year. Not bothered by drought, freezing, wet mud of winter, nothing. I'm cutting them now, because the weather is perfect for such a heavy labor.
David’s Auria Arid Region Forestry Project near Minnivale, in the Western Australian wheatbelt, has planted nearly a million trees in trials that began in 2001.
Some of David’s techniques are counter-intuitive, but after a million trees, there is no question they work.
Just before planting, trays of trees are placed in water, until the root-balls are fully saturated. The trees are then planted with the root-balls 20 centimetres below the surface. With just a few leaves exposed, the transpiration rate and evaporative loss from the root-balls are reduced.
Contrary to expectations, the trees do not suffer from collar rot. They produce roots from the buried trunk in the same way that cuttings do. David also plants late in the year, after winter weeds have died off...
...Dead weeds are slashed and ploughed in, adding vital organic matter to the soil, stimulating microbial activity, and improving the heat-insulating and moisture retention qualities of the soil. Trees planted in this way, over the months from September to January, have proved to have outstanding survival rates, even when planting is undertaken on days when the temperature is well over 40 degrees celsius - and despite the fact that trees are never watered.
David says that watering destroys the insulating qualities of the dry soil that encapsulates the stems of the seedlings. If the trees are watered, the water on the surface evaporates away quickly due to heat, wind and low humidity, which then draws all the moisture out of the soil and root-balls via capillary action. Belts of trees reduce evaporative loss from sheltered crops while elevating the humidity of the air – both of which benefit crop yields. David advises planting as wide a diversity of species as possible, always including eucalypts, melaleucas and acacias, to create more effective windbreaks while capitalising upon the symbiotic relationships that exist between them.
In the infertile soils of the arid zone, planting a diversity of trees in a shelter belt minimises competition between them for scarce nutrients - another important factor in survival and growth rates.
Kym Orrock wrote:Tagasaste Tree Seed Available End of February - Apologies for the delay - The world is upside down when trying to get anything done. But getting closer now
Alton Helm wrote:This has become a great revenue stream for us. Our property is just west of Missoula, Montana, and we have a section of the property that is more difficult to farm, but is perfectly fine for tent campers and small rigs. We have about ten sites (dry sites with a fire ring) that we rent out for $27 a night, and we sell firewood, beef, pork, etc. that we drop of with campers when they check in. If you’re interested in doing this, check out our site: https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/montana/primrose-meadows/primrose-meadows-unfurled I think we have probably 600 positive reviews in two full years, and the camping revenue is pushing 30k a year. It’s not completely passive, but it’s low overhead AND a lot of the people that stay with us are local, so we get the added benefit of meeting people in our community and acquainting them with our farm. If anyone is interested I’d love to chat about Hipcamp, setting up the sites, liability, revenue potential, etc, it’s much more interesting than talking about alfalfa…
Michael Helmersson wrote:
Kim Goodwin wrote:so you have to as they say "kiss a lot of frogs to get your prince".
I've been following this guy for years and in my understanding of his endeavours, he has shown that the idea of complete randomness in apple seeds is a myth. He has successfully cross-pollinated trees with desirable traits and produced trees with a blend of those traits. He deserves a lot more notoriety and praise for his work than he gets. Nice guy, too.