Today I am showing you an example of Chop and Drop, widely used in permaculture practice to mimic nature and continuously improve soil fertility. The plant I use is Mexican Sunflower(Tithonia Diversifolia), the best selection of a dynamic accumulator plant in a tropical or subtropical area. If you live in a temperate area, the best selection for the dynamic accumulator is Comfrey. Remember that a dynamic accumulator has a long tap root to extract minerals from the subsoil.
As you can see in the photo, the plant that almost reaches the roof is a Mexican Sunflower plant, which has grown from a 2-foot cutting to 7 branches over 8 feet in only 3 months! It's a perfect plant for Chop and Drop!
After I cut down all 7 branches, you can barely see it behind a Cassava plant. Don't worry - it will come back within the next few months with even more growth.
I remove the leaves from the branches I cut down.
I drop some leaves around my newly planted Navel Orange plant.
I stick 3 branches into the ground here.
I stick one branch into the ground here. In the background from left to right, you can see a Papaya plant, a Cassava plant, two Mexican Sunflower plants, a Mango tree, and another Cassava plant. The ground cover plants are Sweet Potato Vines.
In another 3 months, I can harvest them for Chop and Drop again. And the cycle repeats!
Although I live in a desert area, there's a lot of this plant, and it grows fast, and it has a nice shape.
so nice friend @cheneats
Thank you, my friend @yagoub! You can definitely chop and drop the plant that grows fast. There are some techniques you can use to harvest rainwater in the desert. Do you know how much rain you get a year?
sweet, your garden is a beauty! I live in a cooler area, I wish I could grow sweet potatoes and stuff. Do you know about mullein? Is that a dynamic accumulator? It has a long taproot and big leaves, and what about dandelion?
Thank you! Do you by any chance to have a greenhouse? If so, you may be able to grow sweet potatoes, too. For dynamic accumulator, you can certainly use mullein as it can extract 4 different minerals. Dandelion can even extract 8 minerals!
woah that is super rad! Do you know what minerals?
A greenhouse is in this years plans for sure, but gotta build one. I tried sweet potatoes last year since we get a lot of heat in the summer, but too much smoke in the sky so not enough sun and not long enough season so I just got like 5 tiny ones haha.
Definately will be growing them when the greenhouse is up tho, I love them!
Please check this link for minerals: http://oregonbd.org/accumulators/
When the weather is right, it only takes 3 months for sweet potatoes to be ready for harvest. I let one stay too long in the ground and harvested a 16-pounder!
I probably could have grown them bigger if there wasnt smoke in the sky pretty much all the time then probably! That is good news. And thanks for the site, very helpful.
You'll welcome. Was the smoke from wildfires?
Everything is a dynamic accumulator. Deep taproots are more effective. Some plants accumulate more of certain minerals than others. So the theory goes.
hmm intersting, thank you!
i chop and drop mullein! especially cuz she's so prolific and easily roots, sometimes i don't want her going to seed. i also use her leaves as mulch and weed supression :)
Thanks for the reply! When there is mullein in my garden I do that as well, but there is so much around our property that I make ear oil and smoking mixes with some too :P
I’m super interested in permaculture, but haven’t had the occasion to visit with anyone who practices it, and most of the books I’ve looked at are pretty vague. I’m happy to have found someone to show good examples with good explanations. Thanks!
You're very welcome! I am so glad my post has helped you. :-)
Can’t beat hands on experiences with permaculture.
Permaculture really is a great way to steward God's creation. Thanks for the post.
That's my belief, too. I believe that the first garden, the Garden of Eden, is a permaculture garden. :-) Thank you for your comment!
love it! we're doing similar things with a great North American plant called Wild False Indigo. It really thrives where i live and grows SOoo tall, plus is a nitrogen fixer. It would grow way up and crowd out plants, but i'll be chop and dropping before that can happen. I even added some in with my annual gardens.. Chop and drop while i sow my seeds :)
Thank you! Very smart - together we can put fertilizer company out of business. ;-) Thank you for your comment and sharing what you do!
You are an excellent steward of mother earth. I am learning so much.
Thank you so much for your comment :-)
I have noticed that your smileys are different than mine. :))))) vs :-). Is that because yours is American? lol
You got it. We all have a long nose here. ;-)
This is great... I love chop and drop! It is just so satisfying and you get instant rewards!
Very good demonstration! I love how chopping and dropping is virtually effortless and that you needn't haul the material to a compost heap :)
It's a win-win-win for you, for the plants, and for the environment! Thank you for your comment!