Re: [-Tree Tribe Mail-] permaculture
M-L
following with us all:
>i would like to add a very valuable source to your list about he power
>of water: the garden watering kind.
>
>Anything by Viktor Schauberger but definitley Living Water.
Hello Roni,
Thanks for drawing our attention to that book. It's good of Steve to
post the list of books of his choice others might like to add some
books to the topic.
I like a no dig garden, but the principle of smothering everything on
the ground and then planting only the plants that you want to grow
sounds efficient, but not certain it's the best way to go.
I have used sod seeding on some broad acre farms upon which I worked.
Where the pasture is not ploughed, but rather the drill cuts a line
through the pasture about 300mm apart. Cuts and tips the grasses over,
and runs a tyne over the clear ground and drops in a seed of "other"
grass, legume or pulse every 50 or 60mm along the line as it goes all
in one operation. This so that grasses that need it can be put in place
and take advantage of better conditions but not remove the native
pasture which is considered not as productive. But will survive in
the worst conditions, where the new grasses will perish.
This method of pasture improvement was used even in high rainfall areas
that I worked, by landowners who would listen to me at any rate.
[laughing] It's a minimal disturbance tillage and created a cover crop
of high productive pasture for grazing or hay, but left the natural
grasses intact and thriving. There are many benefits to this kind of
tillage, including less use of machinery, soil not exposed, and
vulnerable [bare earth] to erosion by water or wind, better
moisture retention and a permanent pasture all year round.
So our vegetable garden is not even tidy, the rows grow many different
plants, and when there isn't water, we just leave anything that will
and can, to grow there. We are not into monoculture even in our vegie
patch. I did read in Fukuoka's book, The One Straw Revolution that he
actually practised traditional vegetable gardening practices though. I
recall that because it seemed strange to me.
In our vegetable garden there is a row of Budaleia, a small carob tree,
a couple of small walnut trees, roses and all manner of other plants,
including grasses that survive without water, and are companion plants
to vegetables we plant when there is water.
Be well,
Charlie
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Steve
Thanks for that book suggestion, Roni - Viktor Schauberger came up in
the permaculture design course.
Charlie, are you talking about the keyline plough? It seems like it
would be at least a close relative of the one you're using.
I am a big fan of perennial polyculture for broadacre - seems like the
only sustainable way, actually.
On the subject of no-dig, I like it for establishing a garden quickly
on top of lawns and other surfaces. Especially in Bermuda, where we
have about 3 inches of soil on average, it is great to just build your
garden on top of existing ground.
Cool, talk to you again soon (kids are clamoring)
Peace and love,
Steve
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Charlie
alltrees-allpeo...@googlegroups.com put these thoughts to
the keyboard and sent:
>Charlie, are you talking about the keyline plough? It seems like it
>would be at least a close relative of the one you're using.
Hello Steve,
Yeoman's keyline plough and the system that he pioneered, is more for
water penetration of the soil, breaking up the hard pan, and a dam
system that keeps water higher up on slopes.
The system that I describe, is simply a seeder that remove the grass on
a small width line, scarifies the ground that's been cleared of the
grass and places the seed, all in one go. I think they also have such a
thing that does only one row at a time and can be pulled by a camel or
a horse or ox. The type I'm writing about is one that does 8 to 16 rows
or maybe more in this day and age, at a time, and is pulled by a
tractor. It's called a sod seeder.
be well,
Charlie
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Registered Linux User:- 329524
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There is no remedy for love than to love more. ....Henry David Thoreau
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M-L
following with us all:
>I have a cesspit so all our waste dreains out inot the field but if
>you haven't I advise a compost loo and the use of hunanure.
Hello Roni,
With regards to humanure as you appropriately call it, we have a toilet
bucket that we empty when it starts to fill. This is one of the best
manure collectors. When people said they would come for a visit from
the city, I always jokingly asked them to eat organic food for the few
days prior to arrival so they would have less heavy metals in their
digestive tract. ;-)
We don't use this fertiliser directly on vegetables and such, though I
realise they do this in some other countries. Ours goes into the ground
and grows pasture in what could hardly be called soil, but more likely
be described as powder. This grows pasture that animals eat and their
manure is value added. We have and do, prepare a hole for a fruit tree
or something similar and place the contents of the latrine bucket in
that, cover with soil to about half the hole depth. Then in the spring
we plant bare rooted trees into that prepared site.
Nettles that grow on the areas where the toilet bucket has been buried
are cut and allowed to lay where they fall, they are then eaten by
sheep after the sting has gone out of them.
You are quite right about the benefit to the soil organisms of humanure.
Stay well,
Charlie
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Registered Linux User:- 329524
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Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were
written. .......................................Henry David Thoreau
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Debian GNU/Linux - just the best way to create magic
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