Hi, you all - little announcement - I am in the process of making a mini-course on stratification or plant layering. Meaning the way plants arrange themselves in nature according to their needs of light and how we can use this principle to accumulate the most energy, - photosynthesis therefore biomass therefore topsoil in one's system. These videos will be "whiteboard" style teachings with clear examples and identifications of plant stratas. While in the process, I am still open to receive feedback to make this course even more valuable for you. Any suggestions, any doubts for some of you that still have an issue understanding the basics of stratification properly ? Share them here and we can have a good talk about it !

After a design lesson I taught to some Spanish students a few days ago, I thought I’d share some insights: 7 lessons for beginners when it comes to designing. From the start, people often think designing is some complicated process only consultants can handle. I’m here to call bullshit on that. There’s too much of it in this space. Designing is something we can do ourselves -without paying someone half your monthly salary for a single day of their time. Let’s empower each other to design! Anyone who gatekeeps this knowledge, making it seem more complicated than it is so you remain dependent on them, is a con artist. I’ve dealt with those people and I don’t want you to. They stunt progress in this space and actively disempower others. That’s where I come from when it comes to designing, and yes, a bit of a rant - but it matters. With that in mind, here are 7 lessons for beginners: 1 – Design should be practical, not theoretical. Start with what’s actually around you. What plants grow in your area? Don’t assume you need one perfect species - especially if you haven’t seen it thrive in your conditions. Experience matters far more than fancy spreadsheets or theoretical plant lists. Don’t get bogged down in the theory - learn by doing. That's difficult for us nerds out there - and yes I'm a big nerd to when it comes to technicalities. Step away from that even though it's hard. 2 – Use powerhouse plants. Don’t shy away from fast-growing plants. Eucalyptus, acacias, or other “aggressive” species are often the most effective for your system. Growth rates in the Mediterranean are much slower than in subtropical regions so keep that into account too . If you’re hesitant because a plant grows quickly, that’s usually a sign you should use it. 3 – Focus on early-stage species, not later succession species; Your main concern should be the placenta and early secondary species. Later succession species can be planted once you understand your site better. Trying to plan everything at once often leads to frustration and failure. Early-phase gaps have a bigger impact than gaps in later succession.

Olive groves are everywhere in the dry Mediterranean zones. And yet many ancestral groves still keep this 10x10m spacing. Now it's going more towards the 6x6m or 7x7m spacing but still it shows that this idea of planting at maturity spacing is highly unefficient. You're not gonna get any return from this planting for decades. We can use these spaces in a much smarter way ! Here's what we've done on a 150m row !