Six steps to create your own organic permaculture garden
(NaturalNews) Organic gardening avoids the use of chemicals to make
plants grow or protect them from insects, relying instead on natural
gardening principles used for thousands of years. Permaculture organic
gardening goes a step further and also emphasizes growing plants
sustainably, working with rather than against the grain of the natural
environment. Permaculture organic gardening is growing in popularity as
more people realize that it offers an inexpensive and relatively
low-maintenance way to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and
flowers.
Choosing a locationObserve your property at
different times of day. Consider which areas receive the most sun, which
are in shade for much of the day. Depending on where you live, if
sunshine is a scarce commodity, you will want to expose plants to
receive as much as possible. On the other hand, in desert regions, you
will not want your plants to be in the area most likely to be parched by
sun exposure. Also think protecting your garden from the paths where
strong winds tend to blow through your property. Even a small property
will have microclimates -- notice these and plant accordingly to give
different plants either more sun or more shade according to their
preference.
Selecting plantsAvoid disease-prone plants
which require time-consuming chores such as spraying and pruning by the
gardener. Select plants which will thrive in your area rather than those
which will require extra labor on your part to protect them from the
environment. As far as possible, select plants which serve multiple
purposes, such as fruit trees which will put forth blossoms in one
season, fruit to pick in another, and provide shade for when you want to
sit and enjoy your garden’s natural beauty. Native plants are also more
likely to attract local pollinators such as bees, and to draw
butterflies so that your garden contains even more natural beauty.
Making a home for your plantsRaised
beds require less physical effort on the part of the gardener and also
benefit plants, providing better air circulation, more protection from
spring chills and improved usage of water. Raised beds also mean a small
permaculture garden is an option even for apartment dwellers and others
with little available space since you can rely on containers and
vertical gardening principles.
Feeding your plantsOne of
the key concepts of permaculture organic gardening is to avoid waste.
Having a garden gives you a means of re-using natural waste such as
eggshells, apple cores, coffee grinds as well as yard waste which many
people throw away. You can either purchase or make a compost bin to turn
this organic material into gardening gold which can be used to help
your plants grow.
Watering your plantsModern gardeners
who do not follow sustainability principles tend to draw heavily on
piped-in water resources, often using hoses and sprinklers to make
plants which require abundant water grow in a desert climate.
Permaculture organic gardening tries to use natural water as much as
possible, maximizing the use of groundwater and rainwater. Rain barrels
allow you to collect rainfall and extend its use over longer periods of
time.
Protecting plants from pestsEschewing the use of
chemicals does not have to mean a garden full of pests. You can use
companion gardening principles, growing plants which deter pests near
those which attract them. There is also a natural synergy between some
plants which means planting them near each other increases your yield.
Also, just as some herbs have a medicinal effect on human health, they
also offer benefits to plants which grow near them. For more information
about companion planting, visit http://www.appropedia.org/CCAT_companion_planting and http://www.gardeningknowhow.com
If
you have space and live in an area where it is permissible to keep
poultry, chickens can make a wonderful addition to a permaculture
garden. If they are permitted free-range for most of the day, they will
consume many pests. Chicken manure also contributes beneficial nitrogen
to the soil of your garden.
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