Oddbean

reforestation mostly: almond, oak and anything else i can find. but first observing to prepare the design for earthworks. have some chickens and had pigeons (taken by predators). farmOS is fun too. taking images for observation logs helps me remember how things went. and where i planted seeds which may sprout 2years later.

Last year I counted 40 "new" trees on the property that had nothing to do with me. Olive, almond carrasca, pine.. I'm looking at what I spent on purchased starts like cherry, it really is a dismal hit rate and learnt in first season not to buy anything from nurseries. I'd consider year old starts, but my overriding observation is to start from seed, the most practical, least costly. Just need patience, but it looks like from seed, a sapling will soon enough overtake a 3-5 year old nursery bought sapling and be very robust.. What's your experience on that front? I've got a couple of Queensland bottle trees to take from seed, same requirement as olive, and in third year its looking positive,, but I can't get a pear that cost me €15 to produce for love nor money growing in a groasis box, another option that promised much but same issue, if it isnt started in the right spot a new tree aint working even if water is not an issue. Keep going, I guess.

i noticed a hughe difference in tree/plant strength/health deoending on nursery. some really sell sad plants. We only plant a couple of nursery bought trees which will be used to take grafts from, and these are being spoiled or they die. From seed is key is our experience. So the other trees and perennials are all planted from seed, and after 2 summers we see what survived and keep planting. depending on your region carrasca may be quercus ilex, which is one of my favorite oaks, they are incredibly strong. But here an animal is specialized at finding the acorns and stealing them. Kermes oak quercus coccifera is also a nice oak, similar to ilex but stays mostly bushy, have seen some trees of 10m/32ft. Heavy fruiters sometimes 2/year Am trying to establish some pinus piñonero, the one with the big pine nuts. The regional pine tree is pinus halapensis which is one of the more flammable species so of course the gov planted then out... go figure. I want them all gone as they are sort of a non-agricultural mono-crop. Also heavily infested with mistletoe and many dying or dead adding to the fuel. Just as their needles do. Almond and apricot are incredibly good at surviving as seedling. An almond will be makijg a tap root of around 30cm/11" deep for a month before showing its first leaf, incredible! Pommegranate (had no luck yet), quince, some date palms, pear, carob, nettle tree, mulberry, are all on the list and do work once they sprout from seed. again, nursery trees are our "houseplants" planted in zone1 and get taken care of. Though had some luck with our own nursery seedlings but the time and effort and water is just too much. Also there is a permies.com thread about reforestation on large scale. I have seen this work in abandoned almond fields and gives hope. Thats why I seed many almonds. They all help breaking through the heavy concreted dirt and add biomass. https://permies.com/t/14353/Reforestation-Growing-trees-arid-barren Besides this: broadbean survives, alfalfa survives and is a perennial. #permaculture #forest #reforestation #farming #regeneration

Very cool. You speak Latin! I'm not too hot on remembering names in any language. Great project,as you say, Govt do one thing, you have to put it right. I'm not one for townie v rural and it really baffles me about Spain, because most people are still pretty clued up about the Campo. I'm sure the forestry policies are not the best reflection of what Spanish on the ground are advising. Dont know where that came from haha. Almonds are kind of "weedy" trees to my mind. They do grow well and it's super food, but I gravitate to olive and oak, which last and last. It's my star sign I think. We plant trees we will never see mature! Anyway, you sound pretty well clued up and on a good direction. I'm trying to work out where you are. Mentions of pine I'm thinking Andalucia, especially as you mention no joy with chestnuts which are a northern Spain tree. But it could be anywhere. It doesn't really matter, it's all good here. :)