DESIGNING SWALES - Geoff Lawton visits The Weedy Garden - Swales Part Two.
Summary
TLDRIn this educational video, the host invites Jeff to demonstrate the creation of a swale in a garden setting. They discuss the purpose of swales in water management and nutrient distribution, emphasizing their importance in permaculture. The step-by-step process of marking, digging, and planning the swale is shown, including tips for ensuring water retention and tree placement. The video also touches on the ecological benefits of swales, such as supporting frog habitats, and ends with a call to support the host's Patreon for more in-depth content.
Takeaways
- 🌳 Building a swale helps in managing water flow, spreading, soaking, and sharing nutrients across the landscape.
- 🚜 Jeff demonstrates the hands-on process of creating a swale, emphasizing the importance of getting it right the first time.
- 🪓 The best footpath is located right down the middle of the ridge, ensuring even water distribution.
- 🌿 Swales are essential for tree growth systems, as they enhance moisture retention and nutrient distribution.
- 🌱 Acacia trees serve as green manure in the landscape, fertilizing the soil but dying when their job is done.
- 🌾 The back cut of a swale should be stable, with a gentle slope to prevent erosion and falling apart.
- 🍃 Planning space is important for where the water will sit and how it will spread across the garden.
- 🚶♂️ Swales should be designed for practical use, such as making sure wheelbarrows can easily navigate them.
- 🌧️ Overflow points should be carefully planned to ensure no erosion and proper water distribution to other swales.
- 🐸 Shallow swales create habitats for frogs, adding ecological benefits to the garden.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of building a swale in the garden as described in the script?
-The main purpose of building a swale is to interrupt the water flow running off the property, spread it, and soak it into the soil to share nutrients throughout the system. This helps in growing food and retaining moisture in the landscape.
What is the significance of the ridgeline in the context of swale construction?
-The ridgeline is significant because it is the next most stable to contour tracks, and it helps in directing the water flow evenly from the footpath, which is essential for the swale's effectiveness in water and nutrient distribution.
Why is it important to avoid disturbing the ground at the overflow point of the swale?
-It is important to avoid disturbing the ground at the overflow point to maintain a stable and erosion-free area. Keeping the grass mowed like a lawn ensures a nice even stream of water without causing any erosion.
What is the role of the a-frame in the process of building a swale?
-The a-frame is used for surveying and marking the location where the swale will be dug. It helps in ensuring that the swale is built on the correct contour and at the right depth to effectively capture and distribute water.
How does the swale design benefit fruit trees, such as the mango tree mentioned in the script?
-The swale design benefits fruit trees by providing them with a source of water and nutrients. The water from the swale soaks around the tree, enhancing the soil and providing the tree with the necessary moisture and nutrients for growth.
What is the purpose of the 'level seal' in the swale construction?
-The purpose of the level seal is to control the height of the water in the swale. It ensures that the water overflows at a specific point, preventing the water from running off the property and instead spreading it across the landscape.
Why is it recommended to walk along the marked line before digging the swale?
-Walking along the marked line before digging helps in visualizing and feeling the swale's layout. It allows for adjustments and ensures that the swale is comfortable and practical for use, such as moving a wheelbarrow along it.
What is the importance of decompacting the soil before building the swale?
-Decompacting the soil is important because it allows for better water absorption and root penetration. It prepares the soil for the swale by ensuring that the water and nutrients can be effectively distributed and utilized by the plants.
How does the swale contribute to the overall permaculture design of the garden?
-The swale contributes to the permaculture design by integrating water management and nutrient cycling into the landscape. It helps in creating a self-sustaining system where water and nutrients are efficiently used to support plant growth.
What is the role of green manure in the swale system as mentioned in the script?
-Green manure, such as the acacia mentioned in the script, plays a crucial role in fertilizing the landscape. These plants are allowed to grow and then decompose, adding nutrients to the soil and enriching the swale system.
What is the significance of the 'back cut' in the swale design?
-The back cut is significant as it provides stability to the swale. It should not be too steep to prevent soil from falling in due to clay swelling and shrinking in different weather conditions. A stable back cut ensures the longevity and effectiveness of the swale.
Outlines
🌱 Introduction to Building a Swale
This paragraph introduces the concept of building a swale in a garden to manage water flow and improve soil fertility. The speaker invites Jeff to demonstrate the process, emphasizing the importance of doing it right the first time. The video aims to provide a hands-on demonstration of constructing a swale, which involves creating a level footpath that directs water evenly from the footpath to the surrounding area, including fruit trees. The speaker also mentions the use of an A-frame for surveying and planning the swale's location.
🔨 Practical Steps in Swale Construction
The paragraph details the practical steps involved in constructing a swale, including the use of pegs and an A-frame for marking and leveling. It discusses the importance of decompacting the soil and the strategic placement of the swale to capture and utilize runoff water effectively. The speaker also touches on the role of green manure trees like Acacia melanoxylon in the landscape and their purpose in fertilizing the soil. The process of digging and preparing the swale is described, highlighting the need for a comfortable width to accommodate a wheelbarrow for ease of transportation.
💧 Water Management and Soil Preparation
This section focuses on the water management aspect of swale construction. It explains how the swale is designed to capture and retain water, allowing it to soak into the soil and enrich it with nutrients. The speaker describes the process of creating a soft mound in the swale filled with a mix of topsoil, weeds, and grass to facilitate water absorption and root penetration for nearby trees. The importance of the back cut for stability and the level seal to control water height are also discussed, along with the strategic placement of trees to benefit from the enhanced moisture in the subsoil.
🌳 The Benefits of Swales for Tree Growth and Water Retention
The final paragraph emphasizes the benefits of swales for tree growth and overall water retention in the landscape. It describes how the swale enhances the area for tree roots, providing them with access to water and nutrients. The speaker also talks about the importance of creating a level seal to ensure water overflows in a controlled manner, preventing erosion. The paragraph concludes with a creative idea of using a rubber duck to demonstrate the swale's water flow and mentions the speaker's Patreon page for additional content, inviting viewers to support and explore more behind-the-scenes videos from the garden.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Swale
💡Permaculture
💡Water Harvesting
💡Ridgeline
💡Contour
💡Green Manure
💡Decompaction
💡Level Seal
💡Mound
💡Overflow
💡Fruit Trees
Highlights
Introduction to the concept of a swale and its importance in garden design.
Jeff demonstrates hands-on how to start a swale in the garden.
Explanation of the benefits of building a swale for water and nutrient management.
The selection of the right location for a swale based on the ridgeline and footpath.
Strategic planning for water flow and swale placement to maximize garden productivity.
The use of an A-frame for surveying and marking the swale's path.
Importance of balancing the swale to avoid overshadowing fruit trees like mangoes.
Techniques for decompacting soil to prepare for swale construction.
The role of swales in capturing overflow and directing water to fruit trees.
Discussion on the benefits of swales for moisture retention and garden footpaths.
Jeff's experience learning the importance of swales from his teacher Bill Mollison.
The function of trees as green manure in the landscape and their role in fertilization.
Instructions on how to properly size and shape the swale for optimal water retention.
The concept of a level seal and its role in controlling water overflow in swales.
The importance of maintaining a stable back cut to prevent soil erosion.
Strategies for marking and measuring water levels in the swale for even distribution.
The long-term benefits of swales for tree growth and soil health in the garden.
The role of swales in creating a sustainable and self-fertilizing garden ecosystem.
Invitation to support the creator on Patreon for additional content and insights.
Transcripts
[Music]
g'day and welcome back to the weedy
garden
by now you should have a really good
idea of what a smile is
so i called jeff up the other day and i
asked him if you'd like to come out to
my garden and demonstrate
i bet you know what he said yeah he said
i'd love to
so here he comes up the hill it's a
lovely day
today to start a swale i reckon because
i was trying to listen and learn
i didn't put the full weedy garden
photography department magic on this
video
i'm saving it for the last and the final
video on this swale series
which will be coming out about this time
next week
so building us whale is easy you just
got to get it right the first time
and here's jeff again to give a hands-on
demonstration
welcome to part two of the swale series
so i need a hammer and a medic
i can use the back of an axe i'll have
to
i know which side's the right one
because your your best footpath here
is kind of like there right down the
middle of the ridge going to that
big post because then the water goes off
evenly from the footpath it's
you know ridgeline tracks are the next
most stable to contour tracks
so for you to get over the swell or get
past the end of it
you either overflow here or you put a
pipe cross in and continue to swirl
around to where it finishes and this
is a little pipe crossing footpath so
you're coming over here with your
wheelbarrow
and then you're coming down to your next
one there's another way we could do this
and let's start from the extremity of
the ridge
yeah because that's
the longest swell on this patch
is that ridgeline
but you're walking straight down any
overflow is going to get caught by these
swales
and spread and soaked into fruit trees
it's all going to get to the creek in
the end but on the way it's going to
grow our food
yeah i'm just gonna get the uh uh the
a-frame and see where i go from here
just seeing whether we missed that mango
if we missed that mango we're right
yeah yeah
yeah we want it just to be nicely
balanced i could slightly
wobble back forwards but that'll do
i'm just doing a rough well water or
level it later
we'll miss that mango that's the main
thing we will miss that mango is that
good or bad
oh it won't really matter to the mango
it's a big tree
well it's going to benefit from the
swell water but generally the water is
going to soak all around here
and i'm i'm surveying here with this
a-frame
where i'm going to dig back into the
hill so it's just going to be sitting on
the back of the swale
and there'll be a whole load of fruit
trees on this side mango's like a dry
period and we're in a very humid
landscape
so it doesn't matter that's just on the
top side uh there'll be stuff
underneath the mango you'll probably
have coffee and and
five corner fruit carambola brazil chair
other things will grow
under this giant mango over time and
they won't be as productive in the sun
but they'll take up the space
and you'll be walking along this whale
with your wheelbarrow full of mangoes
all the way around on a nice level so it
needs to be level because it'd be such a
big mango
you know wheelbarrow full of mangoes i
wouldn't want you going up daniel
[Music]
oh yeah right so we're going to miss
this mango
we're going to go just below it which
will fit in really nice with that giant
tree
and the mango tree is looking really
nice it's going to have a lot of
nutrient because i know that mango's got
nutrient underneath it
and that's going to be draining into
this whale and it won't be just running
down the ridge
it'll be going all the way around the
garden
so why do you build swales yeah well we
build swells to
interrupt the water flow that's running
off the property
to spread it and soak it and share the
nutrient through the system
now we can place our nutrient
above the swell and
any water flow that starts to run on the
landscape
we know it's running at right angle to
contour
the swell runs exactly on contour stops
it
spreads it soaks it with the nutrient
that we actually position
the swell to receive how many more of
those pegs you got
can i get some more yeah
you might want to you might want to
time-lapse me putting these in
[Music]
thanks for doing all the hard work yeah
it's all right
it's probably all there anything i'm
really good at
might be a little bit of root zone going
around this uh acacia
do you reckon i should chop it out um
you're probably going to kill it with
kindness anyway
well you'll shorten its lifespan because
the job will be done these trees are
the green manure in the landscape so
their job is to fertilize
that's actually the fertilizing green
manure of the landscape acacia
melanoxylon
so if it's if it gets too fertile it's
going to die because it's job's done
um my teacher bill mollison yeah
and uh i didn't really pick it up
as clearly as i should on my
permaculture design course but when i
went to visit his property he he's
putting swells all over the place
and then i got to realize how important
they were you can use swale
type design in gardens as garden
footpaths and
moisture retention but the definitive
swale is a tree growing system
you can have vegetables in there for a
little while while there's enough sun
yeah when i've drawn the line i'm
literally drawing on the landscape here
so when i've pegged like this i don't
just jump in i just
walk it i walk along it see what it
feels like
see what it looks like yeah it feels
kind of nice
you could put you could put three but
it's getting to be a bit
crammed you definitely couldn't put four
it's not to look like terraces
and that's not the idea
[Music]
i think two more would be nice you're
looking at something that's going to be
permanent so you want to get it right
i like this one definitely need this one
ridge line position
lowest point on the ridge line defines
that line
and picks up all the nutrient of the
garden just about all the nutrients
right on the middle of the ridge because
that that spreads the water
away from the overflow point dissipating
the energy
now the idea is it's got to be picked up
on this whale we're about to put in
so we don't let the water go or the
nutrient we use it again we spread it
and soak it
i'm going to put the soil on top of
there so i want it
de-compacted first so i'm going to start
digging
and i'm going to just do a little bit of
de-compaction here
i'm just going to prize here
all i want to do is prise it up a bit
relieve any compaction
i'm just going to move over this section
you can hear it ripping
so i want to be able to get a
wheelbarrow inside this whale
and comfortably pull it down flat
so this is the height that i this is the
width i want
and that gives me an uh
an idea of how wide this whale's gonna
be
so the bottom of the swell is gonna be
as wide as that wheelbarrow
i know it's going to be that wide
now i need to go down
you haven't got a little spirit level
have you we do
yeah we might use a little spirit level
in a minute
this is going to take you a while to dig
all my swales okay
yeah i reckon i only do about five
meters a morning
before breakfast that's my usual system
with little swirls
yeah lion's got a good breakfast ready
for me
yeah i need beef bacon eggs and tomatoes
if you haven't got the beef bacon i'll
bring it
it's not it's not the only thing you
need to do
so let's just size this up
here's our wheelbarrow and our
wheelbarrow needs to sit in there
it sits down there that the legs of the
wheelbarrow sit in there comfortably a
little bit of leeway
so when we're coming around with our
wheelbarrow full of compost
mulch or coming back with our
wheelbarrow full of mangoes
it's going to be nice and level right so
we've got a nice level
this is our base here and on my spirit
level
it's more or less level water will level
the rest of it
so that's our base now the water comes
in
and goes through this soft man that's
soft look look
look it's soft bitters bit of topsoil
in there and all the weeds and grass is
all mixed together we've got a nice
smooth mound
the water is going to sit on here and
it's going to soak in that way
a right angle to contour it's not going
to soak in there much can soak in here
and go into the subsoil that i i
decompacted
the top soil originally and then put
this top soil on top so i've weighed
that much topsoil
originally which i decompacted now we've
got that much so now we've got that much
topsoil from there
to the base we've doubled our topsoil in
this section
that's good news for trees they can go
through this soft mound
with the water going in under their
roots and they can go through the
decompacted
subsoil all that grass on the bottom is
going to die and all the vegetation
above the surface that was above the
surface and all their roots are going to
be compost corridors in the soil
tree roots are going to follow them
through if you
really want to know where you'd like
the water on your trees and you thought
about it
so i'd like the water right at the roots
of my trees and that's where it's going
to go
right through the roots of the trees now
this mound is nice and soft
it's got a gentle bank and it's got a
gentle bank
all of this is great planning space just
to where the water is going to sit which
is i predict the water's going to sit
about there
that depends where we set our spillway
and then from there
over the mound all the way down and
below is going to be enhanced for quite
a few meters
so that's the advantage of the swell
mound on the
upside this is what we call the back cut
now you can't leave it steep because the
clay in the soil will swell up and
shrink
in different weather conditions and
start to fall in you
want at least one to one and a half
slope on most soils
if it's unstable so even shallower
so as you get in the steep country with
the one and a half to one slope you're
going to have more back cut
because you're in steeper country you're
going to have more
angle to lay back it'll be the same
angle but it will go further because the
steepness of the slope
so as we go around in this whale the
other end down there
is steeper this is the security back cut
you don't want this being a mess you
don't want this falling apart
you want this stable back cut base
mound is plant the trees from where the
water sits
up over the mound down to the other side
and below
they're all enhanced so i think from
here
over premiere spot but also right down
here
you're still getting plumes of extra
moisture in the subsoil
yeah you want to hold a certain amount
of water in that swale right
so we could move up here and go from
there i want to hold that much
right so i could get my pen
now and mark that as a secondary mark
we're roughly level there right so we're
going to go
up about so high
all right so what we'd do is we'd mark
it like that with our bit of mud
can we see that mud yeah
so we want to come that high that's the
water we're going to have in our swale
yeah
we want this water to overflow
and pick up our next well we don't want
to go too far along there because it
gets steeper
so we're going to go along here
and we're going to go uphill
to the mud line right
and we're going to put another peg in
here it's going to be great when you see
this happen
and you put the water on and then we're
going to do that again on this one
yep okay
now we know right that is
about that much higher than the bottom
right we know it's
yeah we're going to sit that much water
in the swale so we bring our swale
up like this
so we've got a straight edge along here
we'll come up like that
and our swell trench is going to go
uphill and go
white out here and go back down again
and we're going to leave the mound off
here and that
will set the height of the water in the
swale so this is called a level seal
now here i don't want you to disturb
this ground i want you to keep that
that's an excuse for a little bit of
lawn
yeah so that you want a really accurate
cut there
a really accurate cut sharp edge and
leave this grass and keep mowing this
like a lawn and when the water gets up
to that height that we just measured
it'll come over here as a nice even
stream
no erosion ever none never never gone
out
ever never never no none whatsoever
so this will be an overflow point and
that water will go down there
and it'll hit that swell which will
block it from going off
and we're going to do it again so it
hits that last well
and this one up here is going to come
round from the weedy garden on that side
and have a little level so on this end
right near the
middle of the ridge and that's going to
level still over there
and one day you're going to do a movie
and you're going to take a little little
rubber duck boat or a little little
plastic duck and you're going to take
him down here over the level seal go and
hear down that one take him on the
journey down there
and count all the mangoes on the way for
our video by itself freestanding
just feed it up but the sand is fake
and another one you come out here and go
listen to the swells at night
very different from
because it's surprising they love
shallow swells
it's an orgy that's why they really
really can breathe shallow is what you
want
for a frog it's a disco man
and if you come out at one o'clock two
o'clock in the morning there's one last
frog
like the one drunk on the dance floor
you can't get the girl and it's just one
left out they're going wow
wow like once they get a root and finish
they stop
yeah they gradually go off as the night
goes on
they're rooted they've done it all
job done
see the little symbol down there it says
skip ad it doesn't work
this one is my ad for the weedy garden
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there and you guys
know what it is i'm on patreon new
beauty and if you don't know what at any
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because that's what it is it's on
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check this out it's sort of my life's
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source of my creativity it took me 42
years
to find out where it was and you know
what
it's the same place for everybody
and i want to share it with everybody
that goes and supports me on patreon
[Music]
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have a nice day and i'll catch you later
you
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