press like so the algorithm will recommend this to people great info

My grandad said he looked at where the puddles chained together and he "evened them out" until it made a way for the water to slowly flow from puddle to puddle without things staying wet for more than a couple days.

@RyRy2057

10 ай бұрын

you'd think that'd be 'common sense', but it turns out things like that are a _technology_ , an innovation that has to be spread! how amazing human minds in society are...

@Gongall

10 ай бұрын

@@RyRy2057 You'd be more correct to put common sense in quotes tbh. Common sense is common from your point of view, but the degree of basic understanding we have now about the way our world works today is so unbelievably ahead of even 50 years ago. Not 500 years ago, "common sense" in parts of Europe was that certain things created certain animals; moldy bread would literally CREATE ant trails.

I understand this better now that you added a few details I hadn't caught before.

Great info. Swales are truly a great thing! However not for all properties and not for all climates. I’m implementing permaculture design in both Sweden and Kenya and while Kenya swales are enormously beneficial it's rarely the case in Sweden. I have removed a few swales in Kenya as well as they are blocking access and sometimes I need water catchment in other areas and not necessarily on a long contour line. I would say that water catchment is the key and sometimes other methods than swales are more useful.

@daarrrkko

10 ай бұрын

💯 Unfortunately these videos rarely talk about downsides. I was suprised that Jeff basically said swales can be built anywhere apart from steep slopes. Yet swales can disrupt local hydrology downstream, and in some cases they're just not effective or needed. (E.g. sandy soils that drain fast leaving your trees without much benefit)

@granvisio

8 ай бұрын

​@@daarrrkko I've heard that argument about disruption of local hydrology before I think from Richard Perkins (but not too sure) and I really don't get it. The point of the water management in Permaculture is to slow, spread and sink water which swales really help achieving. Why wouldn't we want to "disrupt" the local hydrology which leads to the quick loss of water to river, seas and oceans? And putting swales doesn't cause any disruption as water falls at 90-degree angle to contour line anyway whether you have swales or not since swales follow the natural shape of the landscape. You just get more water stored in the landscape for longer. That's it. The trees growing on swales help regulate that water and distribute it with their roots where it’s the most needed. If you have enough rainfall the whole year and don't need to irrigate then you can skip swales, but swales work even in the most humid climates. This is because they take all that stormy water in and the water gets distributed downhill evenly after the big rain events just when the soil downhill is drier and can absorb more water. Without swales the soil gets saturated quickly and rainwater runs off quickly to the valley sometimes with erosion effect. That's why I think Geoff is 100% right here, especially when he said that in wet conditions swales become chinampas which is such a cool way of growing food in places where it would be normally impossible to do so. And swales are super beneficial if you have sandy soils because you can improve the drainage issue by laying organic matter on the bottom of the swale. So by establishing legume trees first, chopping and dropping all the material to the swale and adding manures you convert the sandy soil to nice spongy rich top soil and have less evaporation and drainage issue. The cover crops and legume trees obviously help with establishing good soils around the swales but having sandy soil is definitely not a reason to not try them, otherwise Geoff's projects in Jordan wouldn't work but they did. All the best, Eva!

sounds so common sense when you explain it... Certainly easy to understand :) Thank you so much for all you do!

Outstanding! Easy to understand. Thank you very much!

We are in drought in the south west of WA. We put in three swales to grow a windbreak with fodder trees. Lots of shallow rooted plants and 95% pasture dead but the trees on swale are doing great ! Wattle, silky oak and tagastaste

Hi Jeff, that's good to hear, I live in the Netherlands and a swale on a flat terrain can hold a lot of water. On my terrain there is a very small height difference and I have already made 2 small swales.

@daarrrkko

10 ай бұрын

Are you near large water bodies? Your water tables may already be very saturated and so swales may not do much, or worse even lead to waterlogging.

@Annazelfvoorzienendleven

10 ай бұрын

@@daarrrkko I live in an agricultural area and in our country the water level is kept artificially low so that heavy machinery can go on the land, so a period of drought is quickly a problem. The soil is not quickly saturated due to the low water level.

@octane7047

9 ай бұрын

@@daarrrkko If you have too much water, then the swales turn into canals for aquatic plants and animals. Chinampas is great.

@daarrrkko

9 ай бұрын

@@octane7047 Chinampas is great, but that's not swales. Different design and purpose. But it would be fun to create chinampas instead of swales if the location allows. I just wouldn't think that ineffective swales immediately become chinampas. You have to design them as either one or the other.

Sir you are a great teacher. Thank you

always a pleasure listening to you go. I've been trying for a while to grab some land to create a food forest in LA. one to try greening. one that can be shared with wild life. you inspire me.

@JamesG1126

5 ай бұрын

Land in LA is scarce and extremely expensive. Try your idea elsewhere.

@atruefreethinker1944

5 ай бұрын

I think you are right. Time to broaden the search.@@JamesG1126

Great info! Loved the video. Now just to put it into practice.

thank you. Swa;es slow the water so water soaks in is the way I look at it as well,

tks for making new videos

Great. I like

Our entire slope is a meter height, a low spot in a river valley, so the earthworks are just cute lines in the ground, but it makes a good difference moving the water to where we need it.

Lol thats my question from the pdc :D Love from Uruguay, Inti

@estebancorral5151

10 ай бұрын

Que fue el problema?

I've always been confused why most people seem to use builders survey transit levels instead of regular laser levels to build swales. My laser level wasn't expensive and does 60 feet plus at a time and I can paint swale lines or set stakes in minutes. I understand pros using survey kits but not regular people.

@marcogallazzi9049

10 ай бұрын

Exactly, I put my laser level on a tripod at noon and mark the line with gypsum or calc. Works great.

@BryceGarling

10 ай бұрын

@@marcogallazzi9049 I wait until evening then get it ready for the next morning.

@insAneTunA

10 ай бұрын

A simple A frame with a water level works just as accurate.

@BryceGarling

10 ай бұрын

@@insAneTunA Used to use them but laser level way faster. Got tired of putting it in the shed. Laser level goes in the closet and mounts on my cameras tripod.

@insAneTunA

10 ай бұрын

@@BryceGarling hahaha fair enough 👍 And they are not that costly anymore anyway.

Nice

Great, unique Berry to note: Thimbleberry

For dimension of a swale I look at the catchment of the first swale I would eventually want to dig and calculate how much water I can potentially have to manage. That gives you an amount, I the calculate width, depth and length and that's a volume and you can understand how much water can be harvested, but especially how much water has to go through the overflow

@lorenzocosta3951

5 ай бұрын

Then on an second swale you calculate catchment from under the first swale down, plus the overflow of the first, and you go down the slope like this

Swales are extremely invasive for the land. You can test mini-swales to see how they work and if necessary. I would not embark on a full-scale swale program for the entire plot of land.

Best to regenerate the pasture and soil before considering a swale. Swales are not always neccessary to retain water.

@gillsmoke

10 ай бұрын

In drylands it is. In degraded or desert areas water and soil retention is the first step then getting the biology going. As always the problem is the solution. Work with the volunteers and study the site to see what's happening before making changes.

@zmavrick

10 ай бұрын

you are correct in many areas, as the swales can only collect the water that runs off. In my region the only place you get water running off is where the soil is poorly managed. It is just a tool in the tool box. Many regions even in dry and desert areas can have the problems fixed with livestock and managed grazing. If you don't use livestock then swales are another tool. In regions with serious monsoon seasons swales may be the only answer.

Hugelkult swales work best for dry drought land in compact Aus clay bushland slopes they hold water like a wicking bed to help establish trees. Common Swales like these failed me but so did the weather cycles.

@Meadowarc

10 ай бұрын

Good to know. Am from a semi desert lots of drought.. not Australia… but in Fresno Ca. Not a lot of clay tho … sandy loam

@daarrrkko

10 ай бұрын

Watch out with hugel swales. If the wood core becomes saturated it can damage the structure and even collapse. Further, if it becomes saturated but keeps receiving water, it can create waterlogging conditions, risking root rot. As it decomposes, it creates cavities which work fine in a hugelkultur bed, but in a swale it means again structural problems. Combining the two sounds like a cool idea but in reality they serve different purposes and sometimes, adding two good ideas does not lead to an even better idea. Still, this may work for you depending on your local conditions. Sandy soils could make a better candidate for a hugel swale, because waterlogging risks are minimal. But even then, be careful where you place the swales to avoid any damage downstream if they ever collapse.

@happytrader4828

10 ай бұрын

@@daarrrkko Hi Yep, true for non slopes or flat land clay loam you would never want hugelkult anything on that!!...but on a slope dry clay with restricted rain I will give it a shot, I always have my swales drained with a trench out, so no chance of sitting water, the process of decomposition logs is so slow and the hugel is only meant as a sponge wicking bed holding water, sitting next to the tree planted on the high side of the swale that water logging is no issue. Thats for slope clay dry conditions only.. that's what I got to work with here on the cheap.

@happytrader4828

10 ай бұрын

@@daarrrkko On another note: if it rains for weeks or more the clay gets waterlogged and holds for many weeks after anyway and kills plants like avocado and sensitive rooted trees so there is no other options the main battle we have here is lack of water holding capacity in the soil and over the long run adding more organic matter under the ground dry or wet, will win true,I do know this

In what situations should terracing be done?

@shannavin

10 ай бұрын

Terracing is mostly for farming in steps on a slope right? That is different from a Swales function?

What would be appropriate if not swales for my food forest. Slope on one spot of property is 35-40+ but other parts of property are around 20-25...

Looking to build swales in a hay fields

👍

Would swales in flat grounds help to get the soil less marshy in rain season, containing the water below ground level?

@louisegogel7973

10 ай бұрын

If you have swales which allow the tops to be above the highest water marks, then yes where the earth is fairly well above that water table…. that is also why people have raised the foundations of their homes in areas which are seasonally wet.

@SHANONisRegenerate

10 ай бұрын

There is a happy balance between drainage and Percolating water.

Could one make use of a steeper slope by placing 30cm-50cm lengths of split logs on contour as a foundation for holding soil and plant fast growing support trees immediately down slope as 'living posts' to anchor them, metal/wooden steaks if necessary. I'm currently constructing such a system on a 25°-30° slope with an area of 12m by 8m, north facing in southeast Wisconsin. Not ideal, but better northern exposure isn't an option on the property. For reference we get 760mm to 860mm of rain annually, usually evenly distributed throughout the year with any heavier events in spring and late summer. Is this a foolish endeavor or a potentially viable experiment?

@shannavin

10 ай бұрын

If you get logs of wood on site, I believe the energy needed for digging might be less, and you can build something of a hugelkultur bed on the berm side for better tree establishment… my thinking

@ninemoonplanet

10 ай бұрын

Think terracing on that slope. Small flattened area then swale so your not cutting into the bank on the upside slope. Rocks, etc on the downslope will help until you get plants growing enough roots to stabilize the berm.

@stevejohnstonbaugh9171

10 ай бұрын

If you have surplus logs available absolutely use them to create a berm. Don't worry about tree supports or splitting the logs. stake them in place with 2"X4" stakes (or round wood from branch trimming) and any rocks you come across on the downhill side. The bottoms will decompose fast enough and become one with the earth. Any rainwater you encourage to infiltrate your aquifer on grade is a benefit for downhill/downstream. 😊

@daarrrkko

10 ай бұрын

Don't use hugel swales please, it's not safe. As wood decomposes, your berm structure will collapse. If wood is already saturated, any extra water will lead to waterlogging, and your trees may not like that. Also as the tree decomposes it creates cavities in the berm and that is not what you want. The berm needs to stabilise, not collapse. Otherwise the next heavy rain and watch all the mud and debri rush through your property. It has happened before. An exception may be sandy soils as water drains quickly so your trees get the extra moisture from hugel. But even then, other water retention methods may make more sense.

@gardengatesopen

Ай бұрын

​@daarrrkko "other water retention systems" On a steep hill, other systems such as what?

Anyone else hear the cat purring in the background? 😂

What about properties prone to landslides?

@louisegogel7973

10 ай бұрын

Hmmm, how to stabilize the land. Deep rooting plants would be my guess.

@Kalpapada

10 ай бұрын

@@louisegogel7973 I've heard weight of the trees makes landslides worse 🤷‍♂️

@louisegogel7973

10 ай бұрын

@@Kalpapada There are smaller plants which dig deep too. Comfrey is one that I know of. Harvest indoor website has this list from their website: [_] “Shrubs With Deep Roots That Are Drought Tolerant Japanese Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus) Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) [_] Shrub Houseplants With Deep Roots For Asian-themed Gardens Fullmoon Maple (Acer japonicum) Amur Maple (Acer ginnala) Maule’s Quince (Chaenomeles japonica) [_] Shrubs With Deep Roots That Pollinators Love Mountain Pine (Pinus Mugo) Chinese Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum) Butterfly Bush (Buddleja) [_] Shrubs With Deep Roots As Home for the Butterflies Flowering Almond (Prunus glandulosa) Broadleaf Lilac (Syringa oblata) Canadian Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)”

@estebancorral5151

10 ай бұрын

You are going around in circles. Land that is prone to landslides have no no trees or vegetation. Geoff has clearly stated that swales are tree producing systems. The trees and other vegetation will stabilize the slope. I

@urallwyz3498

10 ай бұрын

They not for sloping places with that kind of tendancy.

I feel like swales also don't make since in my Mediterranean climate with my sandy soils. My sandy loam and loamy sand soils can infiltrate our heaviest days worth of rain in 30 minutes (according to my basic perc test, 6-22 inches infiltration in an hour. Only a few days a decade over 3 inches of rain in a day). Minimal runoff along roads, but not enough to cause any visible erosion over past five years.

@shannavin

10 ай бұрын

May be you can put lot of organic matter to create a sponge?

@dabigwilli

10 ай бұрын

@@shannavin it’s not an issue so far. The trees are growing absurdly fast in the shady areas. My current theory is that there is subsurface water flow keeping the area hydrated and the high sand content doesn’t extend deep. I had a Douglas fir put on 50 inches of growth in a season, that’s over double the expected for the species.

@markus_selloi

10 ай бұрын

@@dabigwilli John Kaisner probably has a situation similar to you. I don't know exactly about the soil, but he did youtube videos in the drought last year, which his garden survive pretty good :)

@stevejohnstonbaugh9171

10 ай бұрын

So you are saying that no water flows downhill and off your property? In my opinion, the objective in the situation you've described is to capture the water you can at the highest elevation to infiltrate your soil and feed your aquifer. At the lowest elevation, to capture all runoff to feed your aquifer. That is a service for your neighbors and those living downstream. You all share the aquifer and you are reducing the likelihood of flooding downstream.😊Everyone wins.

@dabigwilli

10 ай бұрын

@@stevejohnstonbaugh9171 yes, I’m saying the rain infiltrates the soil and doesn’t run off. It’s 100% vegetated sandy soils. I dug a 22 inch deep hole while it was raining, filled it with water came back like 90 minutes later filled it again and it drained completely. We’re not a monsoon climate with super intense rains. Just tons of regular rainfall except for during the summer.

What if I have really deep sand, like 30m deep? The water kind of goes right down.

@ninemoonplanet

10 ай бұрын

Geoff put wood chunks, leaves in the bottom when he worked in Jordan. Those act like sponges, especially if you mix them.

@joebobjenkins7837

10 ай бұрын

@@ninemoonplanet so, the question I have is how does the water move with deep sand? In theory it all rolls downhill, slowly irrigating the rest of the land. With deep sand would it just retain a little and the rest just drop down to the aquifer? I dont have a lot of slope so while it certainly cant hurt, I wonder how much it helps.

@SHANONisRegenerate

10 ай бұрын

Waste of time. Dig a pond and line it with clay.

@urallwyz3498

10 ай бұрын

It's also about super floods, every so often a place with such a long drought may experience flood.

@urallwyz3498

10 ай бұрын

It's also to create an edge effect... Using natural shapes and changing the landscape from 2 dimensional to a more rippled effect. Raised beds in rainy season grow in dug outs during dry season. Even lining the sand underneath with plastic, orange peels, all kinds of things can retain water.

Bummer... My entire property is way more than 18 degrees, so I guess I'm shit out of luck on taming the run-off and raising the aquifer. Well, maybe a portion of the 5 acres is 18.. I'll have to measure it. Damn.. you just burst my bubble big time..😕😭

@thepolycerateblacksheep

10 ай бұрын

the keyline design still works on slope. you doesn't need to dig a swale though. a berm or mound on contour also prevents erosion and water run-off. this can also be done with branches and twigs, somewhat like a beaver dam.

@ninemoonplanet

10 ай бұрын

Think "terracing" using rocks, soil, making a berm across the slope. A shallow swale may work on part of the slop, but even a flat area upslope from a berm will doe what you need.

@SHANONisRegenerate

10 ай бұрын

^^terraces change your slope to what you like and therefore can use swales

@estebancorral5151

10 ай бұрын

Terracing. Prime example is Machu Picchu in Peru. One man in Guatemala rescued scap tires from mechanics garages, diverted them from going into landfill, and used them to terrace a hill. I suggested that he plant coffee, and start an apiary. Now instead of living under threat of landslide, he has a stabilized hill side, and several streams of income for a otherwise impoverished Guatemalan villiage.

show us don't tell us

Crush on...

Tell us you believe the globe theory without telling us

@cletushatfield8817

10 ай бұрын

Saturn is also flat. The rings are an optical illusion.