Rovira Regenerativa: Drought resistant agroforestry

After the incredible success of our tree-planting last year, in which we tagged over a thousand agroforestry trees that have survived and thrived, we did a small tree-planting this year to be eligible to participate in the “Tree Planting Day” and to demonstrate the very best of our tree-planting techniques.

We created a photo gallery of 10 innovative and fun, science based, micro-techniques we use when planting, to give the trees a fantastic chance of living and producing, without irrigation, on the borders of our vineyard.

These are the ten techniques we share with you:

1) Choose your spot: Within the planned area we chose a spot under a deep layer of natural mulch where the soil remains humid for longer

2) Biochar: We add a small shovel of activated biochar in the hole to increase microbiology and it acts like a sponge retaining water and nutrients.

3) High quality compost: We mis the natural soil with some high quality organic cow manure and mushroom substrate compost from “MyceliOrganic”

4) Smart watering: ⅔ of the water is added to the bottom of the hole, while the tree is loosely in place

5) Add a worm: We added one to each tree!

6) Donut: A small circular ditch at the drip line helps water infiltrate where the roots need it most

7) Compost Tea: We mixed a about 20ml of compost tea with the remaining 2 litres of water for the final watering

8) Cone: This takes the water away from the trunk to encourage roots to grow outwards and be more wind resistant.

9) Seeds: We add perennial cover crop seeds around the tree to create a syntropic relationship.

10) Mulch: We add a light mulch which lets the seeds grow, but keeps direct sun off the soil.

Event Organiser:

Come and join us in the Vall Rovira, close to the town of Calaceite in Spain on Sunday 22nd December. Contact Anna via Instagram @roviraregenerativa