Hello from Pomona California Starting this process in not traditionally asthetically pleasing and it takes time to create great soil for your trees and plants to thrive. Your urban food forest is living proof that mulching benefits the plants. Appreciate your video's!
Wow....... I am sold on applying mulch to my garden, as i am in the process of removing the lawn one section at a time and apply mulch after removal of grass. Thanks for the info.
Still on the soil topic but I burn my pruned branches to make charcoal as Gary's Best Gardening states 5% of ideal soil should be charcoal . So i recycle my branches to make ash and charcoal that goes in my vegetable containers and around my trees . People are still bbqing and use their fireplaces, so i dont feel guilty with my small burns
It's funny that your jujube has rooted into the ground... I've done experiments over the years and found that you can actually plant a fruit tree without ever digging into the ground. I made a mound out of compost last year on gravel and planted a bareroot apple tree and it has amazingly grown really well over the year. It makes me think that anyone can transform any land even if they think it is marginal and barren.
Deciduous trees reabsorb the nutrients from leaves in preparation for winter. The tree essentially go into hibernation during winter, not needing any warmth.
Yeah, trees can grow in just about anything, some are just pickier (think mango trees). As long as the growing medium or soil has sufficient darkness, pH, nutrients, oxygen and water, trees will have no problems growing.
I also live in the central valley. My backyard is pretty bare and im dealing with this central valley soil. Should i mulch my backyard to get better soil for growing things?
Yes, I would do a quick Google for the term “Visalia tree service”. In my case, there were more than 50 local companies that showed up. I simply called some of the first ones on the list.
@@TropicalCentralValley a few tree cutting companies in my local area that use to give away free wood chips now charges. I asked why the change, apparently since Covid and with inflation so bad they have to find other ways to make another source of income.
How do you deal with rising soil level? I find that my fruit trees are putting a lot of root not in the soil but in the mulch layer. Are you finding the same with your trees?
This is normal behavior as the roots of the trees search for and suck up nutrients, some of which are broken wood chip. This is a sign of a healthy tree. That said, the majority of the roots unseen are under the ground.
It depends on the tropical in question, but generally, yes. Most tropical fruit trees are semi deciduous, however, it’s hard to tell when they shed their leaves, as the process isn’t as dramatic. Here’s a video I did that touches on the topic: ua-cam.com/video/xugEdAlOwdc/v-deo.htmlsi=eMxB2F83y8B3W2Bu
Luckily, I don’t have any mole or ground pest issues. That said, I know bubble gum works wonders on controlling their population as they are unable to digest the gum. As for termite, the conditions in my yard do now allow them to live. The mulch is too hot when applied and the winter is too cold. Furthermore, other insects in my yard makes good meal of any termites. It’s all about a balanced ecosystem that, when combined, helps to foster the growth of the trees.
Hello from Pomona California Starting this process in not traditionally asthetically pleasing and it takes time to create great soil for your trees and plants to thrive. Your urban food forest is living proof that mulching benefits the plants. Appreciate your video's!
Thank you. Luckily, I’m not in an HOA and am able to mimic the natural landscaping environment of the Amazon rainforest and jungles of Southeast Asia.
Very valuable information! Thank you for taking the time to make these video's and pass on the knowledge you have learned over the years.
You’re very welcome. Just bear in mind, your mileage may vary, but not by mulch…much.
Wow....... I am sold on applying mulch to my garden, as i am in the process of removing the lawn one section at a time and apply mulch after removal of grass. Thanks for the info.
Yeah, totally. Specific to your situation, I would do sheet mulching to suppress and kill off your lawn.
Y'ALL'S quite good 👍 in your tropical garden! I do like 👍 thats! And have a great 👍 holidays too
Thank you.
👍nice!
Thank you.
Still on the soil topic but I burn my pruned branches to make charcoal as Gary's Best Gardening states 5% of ideal soil should be charcoal . So i recycle my branches to make ash and charcoal that goes in my vegetable containers and around my trees . People are still bbqing and use their fireplaces, so i dont feel guilty with my small burns
Nice. You’re mimicking the natural cycle of forest, which can get some wildfire.
@@TropicalCentralValleyand the farmer's in the 1800s who used wood stoves to cook with and put the ashes back into their food gardens
That’s a neat trick, adding lots of carbon back into the ground.
Maybe that's one of the reasons deciduous trees drop their leaves, too... to keep them warmer during the winter??
It's funny that your jujube has rooted into the ground... I've done experiments over the years and found that you can actually plant a fruit tree without ever digging into the ground. I made a mound out of compost last year on gravel and planted a bareroot apple tree and it has amazingly grown really well over the year. It makes me think that anyone can transform any land even if they think it is marginal and barren.
Deciduous trees reabsorb the nutrients from leaves in preparation for winter. The tree essentially go into hibernation during winter, not needing any warmth.
Yeah, trees can grow in just about anything, some are just pickier (think mango trees). As long as the growing medium or soil has sufficient darkness, pH, nutrients, oxygen and water, trees will have no problems growing.
I also live in the central valley. My backyard is pretty bare and im dealing with this central valley soil. Should i mulch my backyard to get better soil for growing things?
The mulching and therefore, the long term creation of healthy soil is an absolute requirement for the growing of tropical fruit trees.
Hi do you now how i can contact the company that droped your woodchips so I can get a drop I'm central valley as well
Yes, I would do a quick Google for the term “Visalia tree service”. In my case, there were more than 50 local companies that showed up. I simply called some of the first ones on the list.
@@TropicalCentralValley thank you
You’re very welcome.
This place gives free mulch when they have it near your area. You do have to take the full load.
I’m not sure which place you were referring to, but just about every tree servicing company will drop off a load.
Where are you getting your mulch from?
Local tree service companies. I’d look them up and give some a call. They’re more than happy to stop by and drop off a load.
@@TropicalCentralValley a few tree cutting companies in my local area that use to give away free wood chips now charges. I asked why the change, apparently since Covid and with inflation so bad they have to find other ways to make another source of income.
I don’t know if their rational makes sense, as the dump sites charge them for disposal of the wood chips.
How do you deal with rising soil level? I find that my fruit trees are putting a lot of root not in the soil but in the mulch layer. Are you finding the same with your trees?
This is normal behavior as the roots of the trees search for and suck up nutrients, some of which are broken wood chip.
This is a sign of a healthy tree. That said, the majority of the roots unseen are under the ground.
What are your thoughts about using natural compost versus mulch as a cover around your trees? Or do you use both?
I use both. Assuming you are referring to fresh compost that you made, it’s likely not going to be enough.
I do the same about once a year.
It’s a labor of love.
Question, is it normal for tropicals to throw their leaves? I noticed 4 of my trees decided to throw a fraction of their leaves
It depends on the tropical in question, but generally, yes. Most tropical fruit trees are semi deciduous, however, it’s hard to tell when they shed their leaves, as the process isn’t as dramatic.
Here’s a video I did that touches on the topic:
ua-cam.com/video/xugEdAlOwdc/v-deo.htmlsi=eMxB2F83y8B3W2Bu
How do you take care of moles or voles and ants with the mulch and termites from mulch?
Luckily, I don’t have any mole or ground pest issues. That said, I know bubble gum works wonders on controlling their population as they are unable to digest the gum.
As for termite, the conditions in my yard do now allow them to live. The mulch is too hot when applied and the winter is too cold. Furthermore, other insects in my yard makes good meal of any termites.
It’s all about a balanced ecosystem that, when combined, helps to foster the growth of the trees.