Forest Farming vs. Forest Gardening: What’s the Difference? | Farming the Woods Steve Gabriel In our pursuit of discovering forest farmers for the writing of our book, we’ve received a lot of responses from folks around developing forest gardens. This post describes the difference between the two practices. We are absolutely supportive and encouraging of forest gardens and see the two practices as companions. The topic of forest gardening has been well articulated in Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier’s 2005 book, Edible Forest Gardens Vol 1 & 2. (EFG) Definitions With many agricultural and horticultural practices out in the world, there are many lines that one can draw in the sand; some useful and some less so. Forest Gardening: mimicking the structure and function of forests in the way we garden, or using the forest as a model for the way we garden. Dave Jacke and others advocate that in Forest Gardening we want to mimic mid-succession forests and woodlands with a 40 – 50% canopy cover. As Dave Jacke says, this is This is gardening/farming IN the forest. Like this:
Come Hither Kale, Mr. Candyland Game, Seductive Books and a Black-Eyed Gnome My kale has apparently been sending out pheromones and/or seductive telepathic vibes to my non-kale eating friends! Today, while out to tea with me, my non-kale-friendly friend, Suzanna, happened to mention with a gleam in her eye, “I just keep thinking about your kale! You know I don’t really like kale, but I keep thinking about yours.” She smiled a dreamy smile. “That’s kind of strange,” I said, “because David’s sister sent me an email last night about my kale, and we have never known her or any member of her little family to eat kale, either! “Three non-kale-eaters,” Suzanna replied, then added with another gleam in her eye, “that we know of!” She mentioned having seen some photos of kale on my blog “awhile back” and I asked if she had seen my horizontal kale. She wasn’t sure she had, but when I described how this one had decided to stretch out across the newly opened garden bed, we both started laughing. “I’m the only Game in town,” he said. “Yeah, all the rest are Jokes!” “Just go!
Permaculture Articles This section of the online library contains an expanding offering of permaculture articles on concepts, techniques, practices and related skills. The word “permaculture” was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren and describes a system of design that integrates all aspects of sustainable living, including polycultural systems of perennial and self-perpetuating plant and animal species useful to humankind. Permaculture is understood as an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecological systems. The principles of permaculture provide a framework that enables people to provide for food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs. The permaculture articles often include references to excellent books, resources, and classes on permaculture. Medicinal Herb Gardening Medicinal herb gardening is a wonderful way to begin incorporating permaculture into your life.
Wave goodbye to global warming, GM and pesticides Updated 25 August 2013 09:56 AM The technology – radio wave energised water – massively increases the output of vegetables and fruits by up to 30 per cent. Not only are the plants much bigger but they are largely disease-resistant, meaning huge savings in expensive fertilisers and harmful pesticides. Extensively tested in Ireland and several other countries, the inexpensive water treatment technology is now being rolled out across the world. Developed by Professor Austin Darragh and Dr JJ Leahy of Limerick University's Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, the hardy eco-friendly technology uses nothing but the natural elements of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide in the air and the minerals in the soil. Speaking about the new technology, Professor Austin Darragh says: "Vi-Aqua makes water wetter and introduces atmospheric nitrogen into the water in the form of nitrates – so it is free fertiliser. "We can also make water savings of at least 30 per cent. Sunday Independent Read More
Keyhole Gardens Keyhole Gardens First made popular in Africa, keyhole gardens are catching on in Texas and other hot, dry places. Keyhole gardens hold moisture and nutrients due to an active compost pile placed in the center of a round bed. Although most helpful in hot and dry locations a keyhole garden will improve growing conditions in just about any climate. From a bird's eye view the garden is shaped as a keyhole. Keyhole Garden in Central Texas, Deb Tolman uses keyhole gardens as the main source of her own food supply, and is working on ways to keep them producing throughout multiple seasons and conditions. Keyhole garden in Lesotho by Send a Cow, who first popularized keyhole gardens in Africa. Keyhole garden. Keyhole garden by Send a Cow. A keyhole garden in Ethiopia. Keyhole garden in Uganda by Send a Cow. Keyhole garden scheme. When it rains or when you water your compost, the nutrients will seep into the surrounding bed. Step by step photos of a keyhole garden build. libertygarden.us How to:
Building Earthworm Boxes: Making Worm Composting Bins For Home And Garden By Bonnie L. Grant Worm composting is an easy way to reduce landfill pollution and provide juicy, rich soil for your plants. Worm Composting Bins for Home and Garden Vermicomposting is the term for worm composting bins. Old wooden boxes with holes drilled in the bottom would also work for building earthworm boxes. Types of Worm Bins Bottomless bins are one type of vermicomposting system, which is used for building earthworm boxes. The most basic types of worm bins are single layer. For an even fancier set up, install a spigot at the bottom to collect the compost tea. Make Your Own Worm Bins You can make worm composting bins for home and garden use yourself using the following steps: Start with the container and drill twenty ¼ inch holes in the bottom.Set another container under this that leaves a gap for the worms to move into after they are finished with the contents of the top layer. Feeding Worm Composting Bins Feed the worms your food scraps slowly until you see how much they can eat.
Cultivate's Permaculture Blog | Cultivating sustainable lifestyles and resilient communities Bacillus Thuringiensis Products – Tips For Using Bt In The Garden By Jackie Rhoades You’ve likely heard the numerous recommendations for using Bt pest control, or Bacillus thuringiensis, in the home garden. But what exactly is this and how does using Bt in the garden work? Keep reading to learn more about this organic form of pest control. What is Bacillus Thuringiensis? Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is actually a naturally occurring bacterium, common in some soils, that causes disease in certain insects, most notably leaf and needle feeding caterpillars. Controlling pests with Bacillus thuringiensis is dependent on its ‘active ingredient’, a crystal protein, which paralyzes the digestive system of the insect. All in all, controlling pests with Bacillus thuringiensis has become a marvelous tool for eliminating certain insect species from both the commercial and home garden. Controlling Pests with Bacillus Thuringiensis First and foremost, read the label. For those specified insects that do ingest the Bt product, be aware that starvation can take days.
Permaculture Magazine - Inspiration for Sustainable Living | Permaculture Magazine Fulvic acid Benefits - A detailed overview of the benefits of Fulvic acid Fulvic acid is rapidly being recognized as one of the key elements in many outstanding health and scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century. More and more scientists and doctors throughout the world are discovering fulvic acid, and are recognizing its extraordinary potential. Interest in the medical community has been escalating rapidly. In the past only very small amounts of fulvic acid had been available for scientific testing. Most of the studies to date have been done on plant cells. “the building blocks present in the metabolic machinery of human beings are, in the great majority of cases, exactly the same as the building blocks contained in the metabolic machinery of other organisms of extremely different types.”Roger J. Accumulating testimonials from regular users continue to substantiate the fact that the same beneficial properties related to plant studies and cells, hold true in relation to animals and humans as well. Back to Top Fulvic Acid Major Attributes Dissolves Silica
Bullock's Permaculture Homestead Start a Permaculture Nursery A How-To for Starting a Permaculture Nursery and Why You Should by Douglas Bullock My brothers and I grew up in a small California town with abundant open space, some large lots and horse pastures. Down the road from our place lived a man we called Crazy John who had a modest house on a big lot packed with unusual trees he had collected from around the world - almost a jungle. John also had a small nursery where our parents would occasionally take us to buy trees for the yard. Sometimes John would give us kids a big sack of seeds to plant. Most people thought John was a bit "touched" because he often carried on about international conspiracy theories and the like. If you want to make a positive impact on the world as John did, I encourage you to start a home nursery. Save money and get the right plants In addition, you may not be able to get the best plants for your site through local or mail-order nurseries. How do I start? Where to put it? Grafting 1.