Photo: Milkwooders / Flickr

The word permaculture combines the words permanent and agriculture, suggesting a sustainable method of farming. Permaculture works with nature while incorporating organic, agro-forestry and other useful techniques. Poor soil, for example, can be given a boost in the beginning by introducing artificial fertilisers or by planting a green manure crop. Once the soil has been given a kick-start, there need be no further dependence on chemical supplies. A steady release of nutrients can then be supplied by compost. Read on for more permaculture principles.

Work with nature

The permaculture method of working with nature means seeing pest-eating insects as friends. It also means seeing butterflies and bees as fertilisers and earthworms as diggers of the soil. Wild areas also have value as they attract useful birds and animals. Stones have a role to play as they bring in lizards.

Inter-connectedness

Everything is connected to everything else. Take aphids, for example, which are generally seen as pests: aphids eat vegetables, ladybirds eat the aphids and birds eat the ladybirds. If the aphids are poisoned, the ladybirds and birds will be poisoned too. Without any predators, the aphids will become a more serious problem.

Companion planting requires planting groups of plants together that grow well together and protect each other. Tomatoes, for example, grow well with asparagus, celery, onions and cabbage but do not grow well with potatoes or apricot trees.

Everything is useful

Building up biological resources is the key to sustainability. Once such resources have been built up, systems can be designed to recycle all resources. Nothing should be thrown away. Rainwater can be collected and used to water plants. Garden and kitchen waste can be used to feed the soil. A fruit tree can provide fruit, control erosion, condition the soil and act as a windbreaker, and so on.

Right time and place

Permaculture encourages organising resources effectively and efficiently so that more resources can be created. A deep and well-mulched trench garden can provide a variety of vegetables throughout the year but it won’t help if the vegetable garden is not ideally placed or the incorrect vegetables are planted for the soil, season or climate in question.

Tags: gardening