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!
