Being able to watch water being slowed and then sinking into land that needs it is so satisfying to us who get it. The work you've done to direct the flow so far is shining with the heavier rain. Awesome to see. Thank you for the work youre doing 🙏🏻
The most important thing is to stop water from flowing across your land and even more important is to stop it ABOVE your land, this will make permanent springs and small streams ON your land.
After watching the video a number of times the work you have done to slow down the water movement has been really very well proven in a 1 inch slow rain. Congratulations❤
Definitely be useful to have more pines and oaks along with the grasses. Will be beautiful and I imagine this healthy ecosystem will begin to spread naturally.
@@GrowTreeOrganics if lemon grass grows well for you use that and any Sudan grasses are helpful I’ve seen. I personally am in the middle of trying to make a video where I use worm castings as an organic polymer to make sand soil more water retaining. Long story short worm poop holds so much water weight. Hopefully any of this was helpful brother! 🤙
@@NorthFLWormWorks thank you I'm definitely getting my grass seed list together! I'm also working on my worm farms to be able to start spreading lots of castings and making teas!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics I figured you did man! I’m going to take as many notes as possible! Keep up the experiments and I’ll share my own if worth the information! 🤙
I watched the first part of your Video twice just to close my eyes from time to time and listen to the thunder and rain drops. I started to nod off it was so relaxing.
The gambrel oaks are a wonderful discovery. I hope you were able to bring a bushel basket of acorns back to the homestead to direct sow. That is my suggestion at this point in your evolution. Spend a day working the property in a grid looking for any spot with a little fertile soil, dappled shade and access to intermittent water. When you find a good spot, poke 5 holes in the ground and plant 5 acorns. I understand you don't have a lot of time to spend on acorn planting - so this is a quick impact approach. And the extra year or so that they are in the ground will pay big dividends over time. 😊 Wonderful to see your various water catchments at work. No doubt you will see sprouts emerging in your swales in the next few weeks. Let's hope the annuals get to seed before frost and the perennials get well established before winter. What you have in place will jump start the magic 👍
I'll actually be trying to make a trip back up there to gather.... samples😅 but I do want to finish the house, at least button up the outside for winter. If we can finish the house, I'll be putting full attention on the earthworks, planting, and such. There are sprouts starting in the swales and other places where I placed straw! I'll be able to highlight that stuff in a video too when it's a bit more noticeable! Thanks for your support!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganicshad a feeling this was the case. Get your house good bro. We need you in good health, long road ahead. Solid effort on the earthworks thus far. If I lived in America I'd come build some giant zuni bowls on at the bottom most parts of your land on my days off but alas, I digress. We don't have arid areas in my country so I am very interested in these greening the desert projects. Ty again for informative updates brother. Keep keeping on
Love your videos! Keep up the good work. A tip I heard from someone else working in semi arid areas is that if you are looking for rich soil for planting, you can take some from the base of established trees. You can replace it with less good soil and the tree over time will enrich that new soil. The soil removed from under a tree should be rich and full of nutrients. I am assuming the same will apply to your trees. Having said that, looking at some of the soil you have excavated for your earth works, your soil seems to be quite good relative to many desert regions. Another issue in many arid areas is that the ground is very hard packed and the water is actually unable to soak into the ground even if you do build swales. Im sure you are probably aware of that. I cant remember where I saw this, but they have developed an attachment for a tractor that actually just pierces the ground and loosens the soil without turning it. The sole function is to allow water to soak into the ground and seeds to take root. in some areas, the hard packed soil is as hard as concrete and no water cam soak and no seeds can get a foothold. In cases like this, the water just evaporates and provides no benefit to the ground. Again, looking at your videos, you may not have this problem.
Thank you and your totally right! We can actually take all the Organic material right down to where the roots started on the trunk! We've got plenty of work ahead of us!😅✌🏾
So much to say on this one, those 2 check dams between the trees u showed us 1st are gna be great for that already shaded area. The berm behind the ditch on your driveway is doing amazing things. And the zuni bowl by the road that drains into the swale that wraps around the tree, has the tallest greenest new growth(it could be just camera perspective) i could see. Before and after shots are gna go crazy for this channel. Bearing in mind this is just a part of what u have planned its a very exciting journey. Its a privilege to be able to cone along for the ride. I am taking mental before shots XD
Very cool to see all that water and that the earthworks are doing what they are supposed to do. It looks very encouraging. I can watch it for hours. The sound from the rain was very relaxing as well. I would almost suggest to seed whatever cheap seeds that you can get. It might not produce anything eatable or any flowers this late in the season, but anything that does germinate and grow even a little bit will at least be good for the soil for the next season, and it will create some extra bio mass. Today I have sown garden cress in my growbeds, because I want to extract as many excess nutrients from my growbeds as possible for the next season. They germinate quick and easy, within 3 days. They will not grow to the full extend because it is too late in the season, but any growth is good. To my opinion that also goes for your situation. Anything that does grow will be beneficial for the next season. Anyway, thanks for sharing, and a huge 👍
Thank you for sharing. I'll get more in depth with planting soon! The main efforts are the structure first then focus on the surroundings! But anything and everything helps! Thanks for stopping in!✌🏾
Thought - make "washboard" trenches across the flow of the runoff and fill them with sand / gravel to create barely sub-surface water catchments for your plants / yard. Like a barely underground set of step high terraces, but using "french drains" to slow & redirect the water instead of walls. (This should give sub-surface pooling in the "french drains", while helping to keep surface runoff from carrying off the soil you're trying to build up.)
@@GrowTreeOrganics I look forward to seeing them, thanks for sharing your project. (Sorry for the following "rant", your project is exciting and caused me to look at some of my archeology "trivia" from a practical aspect and I simply must share.) It was your rock lined trench's similarities with "primitive" water management methods that made me wonder what "primitive irrigation" methods you could hide beneath the surface that wouldn't require tending if you were trying to encourage local growth instead of crops. I came up with Apache "holy trinity" trench planting without spaces between the rows (filled washboard), and the way the ancient greeks would sometimes dig dry wells and fill them in then plant olive trees on top of them so they would hold water for the trees through the dry season. P.S. It's been fun to steer my thoughts this direction, I'm grateful you gave my ideas a first thought - if they deserve a second, or even careful consideration and research is up to you.
You're welcome and thank you for sharing your rant! I'm always looking into different ways, but I'll look into some more of the ancient Greeks and other civilizations in their farming and agriculture techniques!✌🏾
For 1 inch rain the infrastructures look good. More wok to contain a 2 inch rain event like more Zuni bowls maybe 10 more! More. Swales also to double capcity!!!!!!❤
Thinking maybe the best earthwork implement for your nearly-level plot and short cloudbursts is a sturdy metal rake, for making micro-swales. Puddles are gratifying to see, but trapping each raindrop where it falls seems better anywhere that is possible. (This is not meant as any kind of criticism, you guys are awesome!)
Well done in achieving your goals, enjoy watching the growth and all the best in your endeavours. Enough of us leave Babylon and take up the Great work, we will have heaven on earth back in track.
This is my first visit to your channel. It would be helpful if there was some minor narration of the different things we are seeing during your walk around. I love the work you are doing and the effort you are putting in to make your corner of the world better!
It's the 1st time Ive seen a swale I action with the berm on the uphill side of the ditch. It very cunning what you do here by channeling a separate flow through the ditch and the it's like a double swale both sides of the berm catching water, that berm is prime real-estate for new trees. I haven't seen this technique before. Impressive
@GrowTreeOrganics am now convinced this is the actual proper way to build a swale. dig a horse shoe but plie the dirt uphill to make a primary catch and run the overflow into the ditch, 2 catchment with 1 dig🤔
@@hirokawiti4932 exactly, zig zag the water as much as possible so that it soaks more area with water, to grow more vegetation! Its definitely another design, the concept is solid, the design is flexible!✌🏾
once enough of the area is covered in trees and grass cover, it will effectively conduce the weather patterns to shift causing more water vapor in the area hints more affective rain... it would be interesting to see large swaths of desert areas be re-greened to see just how much it affects these areas.
Exactly! There is science behind what happens with more trees and vegetation! And it shows how we can bring the rain to our area and how what we do here can spread out beyond us!✌🏾
I'm currently looking at property in Arizona and your channel and a few others are inspirations on what I can do to change it into something beneficial.
You must be a local to me so I am extremely interested in your project. You are documenting what I plan to do with acreage I plan to acquire soon in our area. Your failures & successes will all result in valuable lessons & information that'll prove helpful, if not a map, to successfully managing my property. Thank you for all your efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
@@GrowTreeOrganics I'm so very excited for you. You may not see the results for a few years, but everything you did this year will make such a large impact on your property. Its proven that you can create an oasis in a small area when you're surrounded by desert.
I wonder if some lawn care company in a nearby town will have bags and bags of cut grass that they throw away every day which you could haul away for them for free and spread on your land like you did the wood chips.
I'm actually looking into that! Strange enough a couple companies I contacted said I would be a liability in some way and they'd need permission from the property owner to be at their place to pick up the material the landscape company is cleaning up....? Gonna keep contacting companies, but strange responses from the couple I called. ✌🏾
I love earthworks in the rain. I just recently had a "tall cow" rain event that exceeded all capacities, which proved my delusions that I can get the water up out of the main wash and on to the game trails that roughly follow the contor. (Gorilla landscaping... so no breaking dirt, only small checkdams)
@@GrowTreeOrganics I live on open range, so the cattle trails are abundant and super easy to convert into mini swales. That's where I find the most success
At least it would have given you some good ideas about how a heavier rainfall might affect different parts (and water retention / slowing down) structures you have made
We have very sandy loamy soil, and sediment. The water soaks into the ground well, but when the water comes so quick the sheet flow happens. But definitely very nutrient rich soil or mineral rich. We just gotta add more organic material to make it more sponge like!✌🏾
I really like watching these videos of you going around during the rain. Thank you for that. Q: Do you know how deep the bedrock lays? If it is very deep you might want to consider using charcoal in the soil to keep the moisture near groundlevel where you plant things.
At the bottom, lower portion of our property the rock is maybe 15-17 feet down, but you're right, we'll be doing plenty of mulching and getting organic material in the ground to make this soil more of a sponge! Thank you!✌🏾
this is amazing work! The only niggling problem is the junipers, which are invasive and will out compete the grass, will take way too much of the water
@@GrowTreeOrganics I have zero problems with trees in a savannah landscape just junipers. considering they are classified as invasive that will be hard sell, but I look forward to being proved wrong that would be awesome!
@@GrowTreeOrganicsyeah bro, am seeing green grass growing under your evergreen juniper. Adding diversity and disiduous trees like u were saying could be the solution. The juniper are helping shade the earth and new growth for now. Disiduous trees for passive mulching systems. Big brain op strat bro
Hi Brandon, At 17:05 there is loads of water here. But few things have more value than water stored on high ground. Is there a way to cheaply move water from here and into a pond/cistern on higher ground? Cheers. Bill
We do want to show some water to soak into the ground. I also have calculations on how much water we need on the farm, so there will be an appropriate amount of rubber lined basins. Appreciate your suggestion though!✌🏾
Fascinating rain in an arid region. In a week, the ground will be covered with grass. Well, your region seems less "desert" than mine, south-east Spain, on the other hand we have irrigation, to "green the desert". I would not have done like you, bring straw. Cut everything you can from the trees and shrubs, all their branches that are not useful to them, then roughly break them, bury them in the first centimeters of soil.
Do pines not contribute to the drying of the landscape? I would guess that deciduous trees are much better for water conservation as they are dormant when it is dry.
Bio diversity is key to a healthy ecosystem. But it doesn't hurt to start with species of which you know that they will grow with your local condition so that they can create some shade, and provide bio mass to enrich the surrounding soil. If a certain pioneer species is no longer needed, for example when other productive species have an established root system, the non productive species can be cut down and used for the bio mass or as building material, or as any other useful resource.
It's the funniest conundrum, because most people say cut the juniper because they're "water hogs" but then promote the pine growing... one does take more water than juniper... but I'll be showing how we're creating biodiversity and healthy soil that will contribute greatly to holding more water on the property!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics i don't know if oaks/pine for juniper will do much for water, but juniper for grasslands should do a lot. also i think juniper roots are allelopathic and kill off a lot off the surrounding grasses in a way that oaks shouldn't. not a botanist though, so don't take my word for it.
It is always fun walking around after a big rain! You have done a lot of work on your property. 😎🌿🏜️ We have a video coming out soon showing our big 3 inch rain storm. 😊
It would perhaps be helpful if you could provide a little narration describing where on your property each site is that you are filming and what earthworks etc. you constructed in each place and whether your goals in establishing those structures seemed to be advanced by them as you receive these rainfalls. Just a thought. Thanks for your efforts.
I'll keep that in mind for sure! Partly I was just getting back and unpacking and the storm hit, so I didn't have my microphone to narrate! But you're right I need to explain a little detail about the whole system!✌🏾
A little map from Google maps would help wonders ! Or even better from a drone shot so you can de before and after shots during the seasons and over the years. That will teach you a lot how the structures actually work ! Just get a cheap drone...don't need 4k60fps for that
Really enjoyed the rain ASMR!! Feeling very relaxed now. you've been really busy with all those swales. very nice. is there a plan for digging a big pool/pond to connect the swales? Its awesome how much rocks there are to build with. Curious if you've done any teas to inoculate and start building your soil? If the junipers could just hop in a chipper eh? love what your doing. living the dream of sustainability and living free. looking forward to seeing u develop your homestead.
Thank you! Definitely more ponds and Bains in the plans, we're just not quite at some of those stages yet!😅 but I did a couple videos a week or two ago going over how we're laying compost, cover crop seed, straw and spreading compost tea around. Mainly when we get the rains do as to soak the microbes more effectively into the soil!✌🏾
26m of walking around looking at puddles in the desert, what am i doing with my life? 🤣🤣 anyway, in a previous video you said you weren't interested in juniper removal, did your visit to the pine/oak forest and grasslands make you want to revisit that idea?
I didn't say that completely. We won't be simply cutting juniper down right now and all in one sweep, but it will be a slow progression of taking and replacing trees for more diversity. My first and foremost plan is to start building the soil and everyone else comes along after that!✌🏾
Hello again brandon, im just wondering if your neighbours are joining in the effort to raise the water table. Or are you 2 filling this mountain alone? Im trying to get my questions in before you get so big u wont be able to respond to everyone xd
No worries. Our neighbors next to us are also doing some earthworks to help with raising the water table. But we're working on our own 10 acres, as they will be working on theirs! Thanks for asking!✌🏾
@GrowTreeOrganics that's is awesome! 20 acres of restored land. If I was rich I'd buy u a drone for before and after shots fr. You'll have all your goat dung washing down into your silt traps more too now I'd imagine. I'm sure nature will fill in the gaps, also can't wait to see ducks in your ponds. I always try not to skip ur ads btw it's the best support I can show right now unfortunately. Take care bro I'm in this for the long haul💯
So ... its a desert ... and your flooding it and changing it ... isnt that man made environmental damage ... what if i wanted to do the opposite and change a rainforest into a desert ??? Is that OK ???
Aboriginals in Australia changed Central Australia from rainforest to a dssert .... and they pat themselves on the back and call themselves "caretakers of the land".
Flooding a Desert and changing it back to what it was doesn't sound damaging to me! People have already done what you say you would do!... Big Agriculture and Big Ranching come to mind. What's happening here is restoring what was stripped away from man made environmental damage. You've got things a little backwards. ✌🏾
Desert classifications are based on annual precipitation for the most part, which we're classified as semi-arid Desert, since we do get a little cold in the winter, but our average annual rainfall is between 10-14 inches here, so we're right on the end of the spectrum for Desert classification. You'd be surprised how many places in the world are labeled as "deserts" and you look around thinking what Desert? But looks aren't everything!😅✌🏾
Even with what you have done now, just think how much water you have put back in to the ground! Another great vid, a bit jerky and spinny on some of the rain shots, I think you were a little too excited 😅. No offence meant as I am no vlogger or videographer so have no experience or background in that sort of thing.
Sorry for the jerk around, I was caught off guard and still unpacking when the storm came in! But nonetheless thank you! I'm sure we've definitely started to put a lot more water back into the landscape already as well!✌🏾
Being able to watch water being slowed and then sinking into land that needs it is so satisfying to us who get it. The work you've done to direct the flow so far is shining with the heavier rain. Awesome to see. Thank you for the work youre doing 🙏🏻
You're welcome! It's very satisfying to see! Thank you for supporting the Project!💚✌🏾
Pew it stunk like ass today
The most important thing is to stop water from flowing across your land and even more important is to stop it ABOVE your land, this will make permanent springs and small streams ON your land.
There's nothing more satisfying than physical proof that your earthworks were well designed. Congrats!
Thank you very much! Plenty more evidence to gather!✌🏾
Totally agreed!
Excellent documentation. And a real nice bet on scattering straw and seeding. Thank you very much. Who loves rain videos?
So nice of you😅✌🏾
After watching the video a number of times the work you have done to slow down the water movement has been really very well proven in a 1 inch slow rain. Congratulations❤
Thank you!😅✌🏾
Can't wait to see what a few more years of progress looks like.
I'm right there with ya!✌🏾
Definitely be useful to have more pines and oaks along with the grasses. Will be beautiful and I imagine this healthy ecosystem will begin to spread naturally.
Definitely what we're striving for!😁✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics if lemon grass grows well for you use that and any Sudan grasses are helpful I’ve seen. I personally am in the middle of trying to make a video where I use worm castings as an organic polymer to make sand soil more water retaining. Long story short worm poop holds so much water weight. Hopefully any of this was helpful brother! 🤙
@@NorthFLWormWorks thank you I'm definitely getting my grass seed list together! I'm also working on my worm farms to be able to start spreading lots of castings and making teas!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics I figured you did man! I’m going to take as many notes as possible! Keep up the experiments and I’ll share my own if worth the information! 🤙
Nice appreciate it!✌🏾
Great to see all that water that would have just run off down the hill stored and allowed to soak in. The benefits will show soon.
Is very nice! I think results are already starting to show!✌🏾
I watched the first part of your Video twice just to close my eyes from time to time and listen to the thunder and rain drops. I started to nod off it was so relaxing.
Same here. I'll watch again tonight to fall asleep to.
😂😅💚✌🏾
😂💚✌🏾
@GrowTreeOrganics it is good,but I enjoy the commentary more, ill come to this video for asmr xd
Awesome update! Your progress in such short time is amazing man! Keep it up brother!! 🤙
Thanks! Much Appreciated!✌🏾
Wow! It looks amazing. Great video work. Can't wait to see the greening this rain will provide.
You and me both!😅✌🏾
Peace, love and intermittent rain showers. ✌🏻💝& ⛈🌞⛈
Danke!💚✌🏾
Enjoyed listening to the thunderstorm. Very relaxing.
Right! Very relaxing sounds!✌🏾
The gambrel oaks are a wonderful discovery. I hope you were able to bring a bushel basket of acorns back to the homestead to direct sow. That is my suggestion at this point in your evolution. Spend a day working the property in a grid looking for any spot with a little fertile soil, dappled shade and access to intermittent water. When you find a good spot, poke 5 holes in the ground and plant 5 acorns. I understand you don't have a lot of time to spend on acorn planting - so this is a quick impact approach. And the extra year or so that they are in the ground will pay big dividends over time. 😊
Wonderful to see your various water catchments at work. No doubt you will see sprouts emerging in your swales in the next few weeks. Let's hope the annuals get to seed before frost and the perennials get well established before winter. What you have in place will jump start the magic 👍
I'll actually be trying to make a trip back up there to gather.... samples😅 but I do want to finish the house, at least button up the outside for winter. If we can finish the house, I'll be putting full attention on the earthworks, planting, and such. There are sprouts starting in the swales and other places where I placed straw! I'll be able to highlight that stuff in a video too when it's a bit more noticeable! Thanks for your support!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics You bet👍 You must be so happy to see the sprouts. ♥
There are improvements to be made, but happy nonetheless!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganicshad a feeling this was the case. Get your house good bro. We need you in good health, long road ahead. Solid effort on the earthworks thus far. If I lived in America I'd come build some giant zuni bowls on at the bottom most parts of your land on my days off but alas, I digress. We don't have arid areas in my country so I am very interested in these greening the desert projects. Ty again for informative updates brother. Keep keeping on
Love the vibe you bring to this channel. keep up the good work guys, I’m rooting for yall!
Appreciate it!! Thank you for the support!!✌🏾
Seeing a few areas you could label a swamp 😂. Great job !! 🎉
Probably soon!😅✌🏾
Love your videos! Keep up the good work. A tip I heard from someone else working in semi arid areas is that if you are looking for rich soil for planting, you can take some from the base of established trees. You can replace it with less good soil and the tree over time will enrich that new soil. The soil removed from under a tree should be rich and full of nutrients. I am assuming the same will apply to your trees. Having said that, looking at some of the soil you have excavated for your earth works, your soil seems to be quite good relative to many desert regions. Another issue in many arid areas is that the ground is very hard packed and the water is actually unable to soak into the ground even if you do build swales. Im sure you are probably aware of that. I cant remember where I saw this, but they have developed an attachment for a tractor that actually just pierces the ground and loosens the soil without turning it. The sole function is to allow water to soak into the ground and seeds to take root. in some areas, the hard packed soil is as hard as concrete and no water cam soak and no seeds can get a foothold. In cases like this, the water just evaporates and provides no benefit to the ground. Again, looking at your videos, you may not have this problem.
Thank you and your totally right! We can actually take all the Organic material right down to where the roots started on the trunk! We've got plenty of work ahead of us!😅✌🏾
Invaluable wisdom
You’re probably thinking of the Yeomans plow. I also saw that there was a subsoiler attachment for walk-behind tractor at BCS America.
Can't wait for this to became an amazing and lush oasis.
Same here! 😅✌🏾
I have always wanted to purchase land up slope or drown slope next to other restoration enthusiasts to share resources and expand the biome. 🐺
Do it!😅✌🏾
Yeah do it where you want
At 17:15 the swail has captured a very good amount of water and needs a little bit of work for a 2 inch water event!!!❤
We need more swales, basins, and Zuni bowls as well, so one or two swales or earthworks aren't taking the full brunt of water!✌🏾
So much to say on this one, those 2 check dams between the trees u showed us 1st are gna be great for that already shaded area. The berm behind the ditch on your driveway is doing amazing things. And the zuni bowl by the road that drains into the swale that wraps around the tree, has the tallest greenest new growth(it could be just camera perspective) i could see. Before and after shots are gna go crazy for this channel. Bearing in mind this is just a part of what u have planned its a very exciting journey. Its a privilege to be able to cone along for the ride. I am taking mental before shots XD
Everything will definitely slowly progress and we've got plenty more earthworks to do! Thanks for getting apart of the journey!✌🏾
Very cool to see all that water and that the earthworks are doing what they are supposed to do. It looks very encouraging. I can watch it for hours. The sound from the rain was very relaxing as well. I would almost suggest to seed whatever cheap seeds that you can get. It might not produce anything eatable or any flowers this late in the season, but anything that does germinate and grow even a little bit will at least be good for the soil for the next season, and it will create some extra bio mass.
Today I have sown garden cress in my growbeds, because I want to extract as many excess nutrients from my growbeds as possible for the next season. They germinate quick and easy, within 3 days. They will not grow to the full extend because it is too late in the season, but any growth is good. To my opinion that also goes for your situation. Anything that does grow will be beneficial for the next season.
Anyway, thanks for sharing, and a huge 👍
Thank you for sharing. I'll get more in depth with planting soon! The main efforts are the structure first then focus on the surroundings! But anything and everything helps! Thanks for stopping in!✌🏾
it would be great to design areas to have a long term stream...just lovely to see the deepness of rain water too!*♡*
Just you wait... I have some design plans that I haven't talked about yet!😅✌🏾
Thought - make "washboard" trenches across the flow of the runoff and fill them with sand / gravel to create barely sub-surface water catchments for your plants / yard. Like a barely underground set of step high terraces, but using "french drains" to slow & redirect the water instead of walls. (This should give sub-surface pooling in the "french drains", while helping to keep surface runoff from carrying off the soil you're trying to build up.)
We've got a few things up our sleeve for a lot of the finer details of our landscape. Just taking one step at a time!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics I look forward to seeing them, thanks for sharing your project. (Sorry for the following "rant", your project is exciting and caused me to look at some of my archeology "trivia" from a practical aspect and I simply must share.)
It was your rock lined trench's similarities with "primitive" water management methods that made me wonder what "primitive irrigation" methods you could hide beneath the surface that wouldn't require tending if you were trying to encourage local growth instead of crops. I came up with Apache "holy trinity" trench planting without spaces between the rows (filled washboard), and the way the ancient greeks would sometimes dig dry wells and fill them in then plant olive trees on top of them so they would hold water for the trees through the dry season.
P.S. It's been fun to steer my thoughts this direction, I'm grateful you gave my ideas a first thought - if they deserve a second, or even careful consideration and research is up to you.
You're welcome and thank you for sharing your rant! I'm always looking into different ways, but I'll look into some more of the ancient Greeks and other civilizations in their farming and agriculture techniques!✌🏾
For 1 inch rain the infrastructures look good. More wok to contain a 2 inch rain event like more Zuni bowls maybe 10 more! More. Swales also to double capcity!!!!!!❤
I agree! We've got lots more to do!✌🏾
Weekend update from Brandon, with bonus extended ASMR thunderstorm. Perfect!
😅😂✌🏾
Great to see your berms in action. I can’t wait to see your project 5 years from now,,,,I’m certain it will be amazing
You and me both!😅✌🏾
Thinking maybe the best earthwork implement for your nearly-level plot and short cloudbursts is a sturdy metal rake, for making micro-swales. Puddles are gratifying to see, but trapping each raindrop where it falls seems better anywhere that is possible. (This is not meant as any kind of criticism, you guys are awesome!)
Oh we'll be doing something similar between a lot of the bigger earthworks. All In due time!✌🏾
in boomhauer voice "dang ol off grid lazy river man"
Nice!😂✌🏾
Absolutely fantastic! You've been busy! I loved seeing the bright green grasses flourishing around the swales. So satisfying.
We're definitely gonna start seeing some major results soon!✌🏾
God I love your energy Brandon!
Thank you for everything you do☀️
Thank you!😅✌🏾
You're welcome, thank you for your support!✌🏾
i hope all that hay proves to work as a great start for the mulch layer that we need in the desert so badly!
so many capture points! good stuff!
I think things have already started to show progress where straw and hay have been laid!✌🏾
Plenty more to create! Thank you!✌🏾
Well done in achieving your goals, enjoy watching the growth and all the best in your endeavours. Enough of us leave Babylon and take up the Great work, we will have heaven on earth back in track.
Plenty more goals to set and achieve, we're just getting things started here!😅✌🏾
Thank you for the silence while you walk. I can soak in the beauty as well as the progress. I subbed for this.
Awesome! Thank you!😁✌🏾
I am so pleased for you,the water slow down catchment is working,but obviousle with monsoons coming need work,well done,great content❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you, really appreciate the support!✌🏾
This is my first visit to your channel. It would be helpful if there was some minor narration of the different things we are seeing during your walk around. I love the work you are doing and the effort you are putting in to make your corner of the world better!
Thanks. My other rain videos I do narrate, I kinda flip flop with the narration, but the newest video I narrate! Thanks for your support!✌🏾
Nice property
Thank you very much!✌🏾
It's the 1st time Ive seen a swale I action with the berm on the uphill side of the ditch. It very cunning what you do here by channeling a separate flow through the ditch and the it's like a double swale both sides of the berm catching water, that berm is prime real-estate for new trees. I haven't seen this technique before. Impressive
Thank you! Definitely trying to maximize our water catchment here... we'll be planting trees soon enough!✌🏾
@GrowTreeOrganics I've been trying to catch up with your earlier videos and wow. Those areas looked much differently now. Doing God's work🙏
@GrowTreeOrganics am now convinced this is the actual proper way to build a swale. dig a horse shoe but plie the dirt uphill to make a primary catch and run the overflow into the ditch, 2 catchment with 1 dig🤔
@@hirokawiti4932 exactly, zig zag the water as much as possible so that it soaks more area with water, to grow more vegetation! Its definitely another design, the concept is solid, the design is flexible!✌🏾
@GrowTreeOrganics you know your stuff bro respect
once enough of the area is covered in trees and grass cover, it will effectively conduce the weather patterns to shift causing more water vapor in the area hints more affective rain... it would be interesting to see large swaths of desert areas be re-greened to see just how much it affects these areas.
Exactly! There is science behind what happens with more trees and vegetation! And it shows how we can bring the rain to our area and how what we do here can spread out beyond us!✌🏾
Awesome water retention, so happy for you!
Thanks so much!✌🏾
In Australia we would say "Marge the rains are here!"
😂 maybe I'll use that for the next intro when we get another storm!😅✌🏾
I'm currently looking at property in Arizona and your channel and a few others are inspirations on what I can do to change it into something beneficial.
Nice! Good luck on your venture! Glad the channel can be a point of light of inspiration for you!✌🏾
You must be a local to me so I am extremely interested in your project. You are documenting what I plan to do with acreage I plan to acquire soon in our area. Your failures & successes will all result in valuable lessons & information that'll prove helpful, if not a map, to successfully managing my property. Thank you for all your efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much! We've got plenty more to do and document! Thanks for being apart of the journey!✌🏾
I was so excited to see how well the Zuni Bowl was working - great job!
I was too!✌🏾
I forgot to look for the zuni bowl what number is it by?
@@carolwright7503 start at 16:00 😁✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics beautiful amount of water...
That's a lot of water. You guys even have a little river going. So much water, it's time to start thinking about a boat!
That's for sure! We'll need floaties too!😅✌🏾
Plant ur oaks along the water catchment structures 🍂☺️
That's the plan!✌🏾
Finally some big water gains
Exactly!😅✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics how you noticed water content brings more views.
@@rm6857 that seems to be the case doesn't it!😅✌🏾
The sound of the rain is so beautiful.
It really is!😅✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics I'm so very excited for you. You may not see the results for a few years, but everything you did this year will make such a large impact on your property. Its proven that you can create an oasis in a small area when you're surrounded by desert.
@@carriebishop8838 thank you, lots of evidence out there showing we definitely can do it here!✌🏾
Брендан, защищай свою кожу от лишнего солнца!
We take frequent breaks under shade. We try our best! Thank you for mentioning that!✌🏾
I wonder if some lawn care company in a nearby town will have bags and bags of cut grass that they throw away every day which you could haul away for them for free and spread on your land like you did the wood chips.
I'm actually looking into that! Strange enough a couple companies I contacted said I would be a liability in some way and they'd need permission from the property owner to be at their place to pick up the material the landscape company is cleaning up....? Gonna keep contacting companies, but strange responses from the couple I called. ✌🏾
A few spillways need additional reinforcement or’s Stone supports to handle a 2 inch rain event.❤
Naturally!✌🏾
Your catchment systems are working well.👍
Thank you so much!💚✌🏾
Also a number of places need reinforced check dams when the water flow overwhelms them in a 2 inch rain.❤
Exactly!✌🏾
Asmr rainy day in this video.❤
💚✌🏾
This video helped me focusing.
Relaxing rain does wonders!😅✌🏾
This is so impressive man. Great job!
Thank you! Cheers!✌🏾
I remember foraging Pine nuts in Flagstaff.
Wonderful progress 🫶🌿
Thank you so much! We'll keep it up!✌🏾
I hope you brought back home some of the acorns of those oak trees after the camping trip.
Indeed, we have plans to go back up there and collect more!✌🏾
With all that rain the soil is still bare. May want consider micro basins just to jump start some growth of ground cover.
Plenty more to do and only so many hours in a day!😅✌🏾
I love earthworks in the rain. I just recently had a "tall cow" rain event that exceeded all capacities, which proved my delusions that I can get the water up out of the main wash and on to the game trails that roughly follow the contor. (Gorilla landscaping... so no breaking dirt, only small checkdams)
Oh nice! Yea you can still do minimal landscape changes and still get massive results!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics I live on open range, so the cattle trails are abundant and super easy to convert into mini swales. That's where I find the most success
I see. That's awesome!✌🏾
Good work - excited to see the progress!
Thank you very much!✌🏾
Look you need oak yes but you also need nuts and sugar maples. Maples reach high to grab moisture from the atmosphere not only from the aquifers.
Nice. Yes I have a list of other trees we need to acquire here and some maple varieties. Thank you!✌🏾
Water water everywhere and the plants will drink!
Lots for plants to drink!✌🏾
At least it would have given you some good ideas about how a heavier rainfall might affect different parts (and water retention / slowing down) structures you have made
You're totally right!✌🏾
Please tell me that you are planning to go back in the fall to collect some acorns?
Oh you know I will be!😅✌🏾
A lot of that ground looks like glacial till.
We have very sandy loamy soil, and sediment. The water soaks into the ground well, but when the water comes so quick the sheet flow happens. But definitely very nutrient rich soil or mineral rich. We just gotta add more organic material to make it more sponge like!✌🏾
I really like watching these videos of you going around during the rain. Thank you for that.
Q: Do you know how deep the bedrock lays? If it is very deep you might want to consider using charcoal in the soil to keep the moisture near groundlevel where you plant things.
At the bottom, lower portion of our property the rock is maybe 15-17 feet down, but you're right, we'll be doing plenty of mulching and getting organic material in the ground to make this soil more of a sponge! Thank you!✌🏾
It's working!
😅✌🏾
this is amazing work! The only niggling problem is the junipers, which are invasive and will out compete the grass, will take way too much of the water
Thank you.... I may be able to show you otherwise that the trees aren't the issue!.. 🤔 😅✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics I have zero problems with trees in a savannah landscape just junipers. considering they are classified as invasive that will be hard sell, but I look forward to being proved wrong that would be awesome!
Plenty more progress to be made, but I'll keep documenting the progress!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganicsyeah bro, am seeing green grass growing under your evergreen juniper. Adding diversity and disiduous trees like u were saying could be the solution. The juniper are helping shade the earth and new growth for now. Disiduous trees for passive mulching systems. Big brain op strat bro
@@hirokawiti4932 yea buddy!😅✌🏾
Use a trencher, and just let the land settle naturally.
I think we're doing that! Just with cool landscape designs!😅✌🏾
Impressive!
Thank you!✌🏾
What is your end goal for the water?
To capture as much of it as we can and soak as much into the ground. We're planting the water first!✌🏾
Hi Brandon,
At 17:05 there is loads of water here. But few things have more value than water stored on high ground. Is there a way to cheaply move water from here and into a pond/cistern on higher ground? Cheers.
Bill
We do want to show some water to soak into the ground. I also have calculations on how much water we need on the farm, so there will be an appropriate amount of rubber lined basins. Appreciate your suggestion though!✌🏾
And most of our catchment is at the higher point on our property so we can gravity feed!✌🏾
saw some dig out around one of the rock dams better reinforce that.
Appreciate that. One reason why I film or try to film everything. So I can look back later and see where improvements are needed and such! ✌🏾
Awesome brother
Thanks ✌🏾
Fascinating rain in an arid region. In a week, the ground will be covered with grass. Well, your region seems less "desert" than mine, south-east Spain, on the other hand we have irrigation, to "green the desert". I would not have done like you, bring straw. Cut everything you can from the trees and shrubs, all their branches that are not useful to them, then roughly break them, bury them in the first centimeters of soil.
Exactly!✌🏾
Ive watched this video 10 times so far lol
😂✌🏾
So in your area what does the local government say about holding water on your land. Great video.
No problems here, actually it's encouraged! Thanks for popping in!✌🏾
Do pines not contribute to the drying of the landscape? I would guess that deciduous trees are much better for water conservation as they are dormant when it is dry.
Bio diversity is key to a healthy ecosystem. But it doesn't hurt to start with species of which you know that they will grow with your local condition so that they can create some shade, and provide bio mass to enrich the surrounding soil. If a certain pioneer species is no longer needed, for example when other productive species have an established root system, the non productive species can be cut down and used for the bio mass or as building material, or as any other useful resource.
It's the funniest conundrum, because most people say cut the juniper because they're "water hogs" but then promote the pine growing... one does take more water than juniper... but I'll be showing how we're creating biodiversity and healthy soil that will contribute greatly to holding more water on the property!✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics i don't know if oaks/pine for juniper will do much for water, but juniper for grasslands should do a lot. also i think juniper roots are allelopathic and kill off a lot off the surrounding grasses in a way that oaks shouldn't. not a botanist though, so don't take my word for it.
Thats a darn good nice of puddles there. Expect much more rain this season?
Hopefully we get a few more significant storms!✌🏾
Hopefully we get a few more significant storms!✌🏾
It is always fun walking around after a big rain! You have done a lot of work on your property. 😎🌿🏜️
We have a video coming out soon showing our big 3 inch rain storm. 😊
It really is! But thank you, plenty more work to do!✌🏾
It would perhaps be helpful if you could provide a little narration describing where on your property each site is that you are filming and what earthworks etc. you constructed in each place and whether your goals in establishing those structures seemed to be advanced by them as you receive these rainfalls. Just a thought. Thanks for your efforts.
I'll keep that in mind for sure! Partly I was just getting back and unpacking and the storm hit, so I didn't have my microphone to narrate! But you're right I need to explain a little detail about the whole system!✌🏾
A little map from Google maps would help wonders ! Or even better from a drone shot so you can de before and after shots during the seasons and over the years. That will teach you a lot how the structures actually work ! Just get a cheap drone...don't need 4k60fps for that
I'm definitely looking into a drone! Just need to save up the money!✌🏾
Really enjoyed the rain ASMR!! Feeling very relaxed now. you've been really busy with all those swales. very nice. is there a plan for digging a big pool/pond to connect the swales? Its awesome how much rocks there are to build with. Curious if you've done any teas to inoculate and start building your soil? If the junipers could just hop in a chipper eh? love what your doing. living the dream of sustainability and living free. looking forward to seeing u develop your homestead.
Thank you! Definitely more ponds and Bains in the plans, we're just not quite at some of those stages yet!😅 but I did a couple videos a week or two ago going over how we're laying compost, cover crop seed, straw and spreading compost tea around. Mainly when we get the rains do as to soak the microbes more effectively into the soil!✌🏾
Flagstaff is the mountain top, your place is lower
It is but we can still grow gamble oaks! With other species that grows in flagstaff.✌🏾
26m of walking around looking at puddles in the desert, what am i doing with my life? 🤣🤣 anyway, in a previous video you said you weren't interested in juniper removal, did your visit to the pine/oak forest and grasslands make you want to revisit that idea?
I didn't say that completely. We won't be simply cutting juniper down right now and all in one sweep, but it will be a slow progression of taking and replacing trees for more diversity. My first and foremost plan is to start building the soil and everyone else comes along after that!✌🏾
I'm with ya on watching the rain and puddles though that's all I'd be filming if we got more rain!😅✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics i bet a wood chipper and some excess juniper trees would go a long way to building soil
Where is the desert?
Slowly being reversed!😅✌🏾
Hello again brandon, im just wondering if your neighbours are joining in the effort to raise the water table. Or are you 2 filling this mountain alone? Im trying to get my questions in before you get so big u wont be able to respond to everyone xd
No worries. Our neighbors next to us are also doing some earthworks to help with raising the water table. But we're working on our own 10 acres, as they will be working on theirs! Thanks for asking!✌🏾
@GrowTreeOrganics that's is awesome! 20 acres of restored land. If I was rich I'd buy u a drone for before and after shots fr. You'll have all your goat dung washing down into your silt traps more too now I'd imagine. I'm sure nature will fill in the gaps, also can't wait to see ducks in your ponds. I always try not to skip ur ads btw it's the best support I can show right now unfortunately. Take care bro I'm in this for the long haul💯
So ... its a desert ... and your flooding it and changing it ... isnt that man made environmental damage ... what if i wanted to do the opposite and change a rainforest into a desert ??? Is that OK ???
Aboriginals in Australia changed Central Australia from rainforest to a dssert .... and they pat themselves on the back and call themselves "caretakers of the land".
Flooding a Desert and changing it back to what it was doesn't sound damaging to me! People have already done what you say you would do!... Big Agriculture and Big Ranching come to mind. What's happening here is restoring what was stripped away from man made environmental damage. You've got things a little backwards. ✌🏾
What kind of desert is this?
High mountain Desert! ✌🏾
@@GrowTreeOrganics I thought deserts are treeless and rainless, so I'm a bit confused now.
Desert classifications are based on annual precipitation for the most part, which we're classified as semi-arid Desert, since we do get a little cold in the winter, but our average annual rainfall is between 10-14 inches here, so we're right on the end of the spectrum for Desert classification. You'd be surprised how many places in the world are labeled as "deserts" and you look around thinking what Desert? But looks aren't everything!😅✌🏾
Thank you for the clear explanation and for your time.
@@ribarimore8805 no problem!✌🏾 thank you
Even with what you have done now, just think how much water you have put back in to the ground!
Another great vid, a bit jerky and spinny on some of the rain shots, I think you were a little too excited 😅. No offence meant as I am no vlogger or videographer so have no experience or background in that sort of thing.
Sorry for the jerk around, I was caught off guard and still unpacking when the storm came in! But nonetheless thank you! I'm sure we've definitely started to put a lot more water back into the landscape already as well!✌🏾