The fertilizing trees in the Yagma garden, Burkina Faso

In 4 years, the fertilizing trees of the Yagma garden have grown enormously, some of them now measuring more than 10m high.

In the principle of agroforestry, the trees are initially planted every 2.5 meters.  When they start to grow, they are pruned to recover the biomass produced by the branches and foliage. These are used to feed the soil, animals (fodder), and humans (some leaves are edible). As the trees grow, their roots fertilize a wider area. Over the years, it is possible to cut down every second tree or even every fourth tree (as can be seen in the photos). This way, the trees will grow back quickly with young shoots. The moringa will then produce a regenerated foliage that provides more nutrients. 

The garden is now self-sufficient: the wood produced is used for building and for cooking, the foliage is used as compost, the soil is fertilized and the trees provide protective shade for vegetable production


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