Summer Observation

So this is our first summer with the swale and the swale plantings and the irrigation in place. It has been a steep learning curve. We have discovered several things:

1. We need to chop and drop more aggressively during the Spring and early Summer next year.
2. When the trees look haggard it means they aren't getting enough water. It's not the wind or deer or grasshoppers but WATER.
3. Checking emitters and line filters more often is wise. Our filters were clogged on both our lines and we didn't know it and couldn't initially figure out why stuff was looking so dry.
4. Often connectors from different irrigation stores will not fit interchangeable. This is very annoying and a waste of precious water when leaks occur.
5. We need to cage some trees from deer damage. The two pears trees which happen to be nearest the little bridge are getting pounded by deer. They were kind of iffy trees for our area to begin with and so its extra hard on them.
6. Putting chickens on the swale is a good idea. We tried this out and it worked very well. They don't seem to bother the trees much. Probably get another eight chickens next year for swale duty. The electric net fencing is working great with it's solar battery.
7. The NOLO bait did seem to lower the density of grasshoppers in certain locations. But not all. We definitely have them but no biblical damage yet. I have heard yet again that Turkeys are the way to go with grasshoppers but they pose their own issues. We are thinking about it.
8. The Scotch Broom were swallowed by vetch and yet they survived. The Russian Olives did not all survive but those that did look great. The Red Buds were a big disappointment and we would not plant them from sleeves again. Most of them either died or got accidentally cut during chop and drop sessions. Just too small and fragile.
9. The Olives we planted from liners fared poorly. They were too small. We planted them in very tough conditions with not enough water initially and lost many. The Bottlebrush from liners seemed to do better. But liners in general may not be a good option for us until our site has more protection. Gallon sized pots seem to be best.
10. In an Extreme Mediterranean climate the importance of water cannot be overstated. Until the system is more mature at maybe 5 or 10 years out, the irrigation will be of utmost importance.
And finally when plants are described as "tough" this does not mean a universal toughness. Often it refers to a particular environment in which they excel. For example, the Seaberry and Goji berry bushes were both labeled as tough. But I think they meant for cold, windy climates, like Russia. They are struggling in our heat even on water. But as I have mentioned many desert plants can't take our wet soggy winters either. So it's a constant search; a constant refinement of what works and what doesn't. Permaculture at its best.