I wanted to share a comparison between two physalis lines: One growing under trees (with castor as support) VS One fully exposed and twice as much water. The difference is striking in the video. Physalis is frost-tender in my climate - they would survive albeit burnt new branches, but they would not thrive. With protection, growth stays vigorous instead of getting knocked back. Same applies to pepino melon here - although even more frost sensitive. This is where the syntropic dynamics really matters : you can push the limits of what grows in your climate. Even species like avocado or cherimoya could establish with protection from tree canopies - although they’ll need more water here. Don't go too crazy with zone-pushing experiments. I saw a guy trying to plant jackfruit in Portugal...everyone want these subtropical to tropical fruits so stick to what's at the edge of your climate. Physalis, on the other hand, is tough - more drought-resistant than tomato. Microclimate and timing can allow you to zone push - Don't plant these in Autumn if you have frost, they won't have enough time to establish before that, plant in Spring instead !

Hey y’all! I wanted to share a video filmed by some friends of mine who were here about a month ago hosting a course on the property. It’s mostly in Spanish, but you can turn on the auto subtitles ! This gives you some great drone footage and a better look at the growth of the lines and management of the grasses this spring - across the trial line and almond grove about 1.1 km linear in total. Hope you find something valuable in it! 🌱

Hey you all ! I'm really excited to share the progress of the oldest syntropic system I’ve designed and planted. One of the biggest lessons from this site is that trees don’t always thrive right away - even the toughest species (such as casuarina, false pepper or eucalyptus) On highly degraded land, there are a couple of key limiting factors: - Compacted or poor soil can prevent taproots from penetrating deeply - Strong wind exposure can limit tree growth. Because of this, it’s essential to plant a good density of your placenta 2 to secondary bushes such as tagasaste, tree alfalfa and your typical Mediteranean herbs. They play a crucial role in : - breaking up the soil and create channels for roots - reducing exposure and create microclimates - preparing the space for your main trees to eventually take over This plot has been a really valuable trial for me, and I highly recommend doing something similar on your land. Start with your poorest soil on site. It gives you a true reference point and shows you which species can actually handle extreme degradation. And work from there !

Hey you all ! I've been super busy planning out some interviews lately and working on developing my Instagram account to draw more members to the platform, while planting out the last systems for this year on the farm. Over time I'll cover them all here ! This interview with Scott is a gem, Scott is a really practical guy with a real proficiency with Syntropic ag, he's been installing many syntropic systems in Central America over 16 years of practice ! Enjoy the conversation !