Introduction To Permaculture Weekend Course
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An introduction to Permaculture Course first given at the Hawkesbury Earthcare Centre in April 2009 http://www.earthcare.org.au/intropermcourse by Penny & Karim http://caughtintheart.blogspot.com/ & Kat http://twitter.com/katska The course is based on Bill Mollison's "Introduction to Permaculture" http://www.tagari.com/item.php?itemid=156
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- We would respectfully like to acknowledge the Traditional
Owners of the land on which this event is taking place.
- The local Mob for this part of the country are the Darug
People.
- They inhabited the Cumberland Plain : They didn't consider
themselves owners of the land, rather custodians.
Welcome Message
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Environmental, Social and Health Issues
- Why Permaculture? The Stages of Change Model After DiClemente,
2003
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- Permaculture (Permanent Agriculture) is the conscious design
and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems which have the diversity,
stability & resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the
harmonious integration of landscape, people & appropriate
technologies, providing good, shelter, energy & other needs in
a sustainable way. Permaculture is a philosophy and an approach to
land use which works with natural rhythms & patterns, weaving
together the elements of microclimate, annual & perennial
plants, animals, water & soil management, & human needs
into intricately connected & productive communities.
Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against
nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than
protracted & thoughtless action; of looking at systems in all
their functions rather than asking only one yield of them & of
allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions.
- Permaculture draws together the diverse ideas, skills and ways
of living which need to be rediscovered and developed in order to
empower us to move from being dependant consumers to becoming more
responsible and productive citizens.
What is Permaculture?
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- Patterned after the natural & diverse systems of nature,
Permaculture is a design science that weaves together our
individual human needs with the microclimates, plants, animals,
micro-organisms, water & soil management, thus allowing us as
individuals to take responsibility for our life-styles & design
our way out of unsustainable cultural patterns while meeting the
realities of the 20th Century.
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- Permaculture is a term used to describe the application of
ecosystem design principles to design sustainable human habitation,
including supply of water, food, energy, shelter, income,
aesthetics, community & other needs, & amenities.
Permaculture stresses careful observation & integration into
natural design for each place as an alternative both to the
drudgery of continually labouring & to excessive reliance on
complex technologies, which are inherently unstable.
What is Permaculture?
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- Care of the Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue
and multiply.
- Care of People: Provision for people to access those resources
necessary to their existence.
- Sharing Surplus: By governing our own needs, we can set
resources aside to further the above principles.
Ethical Basis of Permaculture
- Permaculture Principles Observe & interact Catch &
store energy Obtain a yield Apply self-regulation and accept
feedback Use & value renewable resources & services Produce
no waste Design from patterns to details Integrate rather than
segregate Use small and slow solutions Use and value diversity Use
edges and value the marginal Creatively use and respond to change
Diversity Energy Cycling Edge Effects (microclimate) Multifunction
Back up your major functions Relative Location Energy Efficient
Planning Accelerate Succession & Evolution Small Scale
Intensive Systems Use Biological Resources Attitudinal Principles
David Holmgren Bill Mollison
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- Diversity on several levels:
Principle 1: DIVERSITY By designing a diverse system we can achieve
stability. However, its not the number of elements we have in a
system which creates stability, but the functional connection
between the elements.
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- Monoculture vs Polyculture
Principle 1: DIVERSITY Monoculture: A sole crop referring to a
component crop being grown alone and, unless otherwise indicated,
at optimum population and spacing
- yield decline and instability
- declining economic returns
- difficulties with pests and disease
- poisoning of food, atmosphere, soils and water
- non-renewable resource use
- the decline of rural culture and land management expertise
- Principle 1: DIVERSITY Polyculture: Using multiple crops in the
same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems,
and avoiding large stands of single crops. It includes crop
rotation, multi-cropping, intercropping, companion planting and
beneficial weeds.
- avoids susceptibility to disease
- increased yield per unit area
- increases local biodiversity
- year-round ground cover (soil protection)
- better use of available nutrients and water in the soil
- evenly distributed provision of food (for self-reliance)
- evenly distributed provision of products (for market)
- lower production risks, if one crop fails the other(s) still
provide a harvest
- improved microclimate, water balance, and internal nutrient
cycling when tree crops are included
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- The total amount of energy in an isolated system remains
constant
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- Energy is not created or destroyed
- Second law of Thermodynamics
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- Entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will
tend to increase over time
Principle 2: ENERGY CYCLING scientific principles
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- Energy cycle in Australian natural ecosystem
Principle 2: ENERGY CYCLING: observe natural system Photosynthesis
(in green plants) Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight Carbohydrates +
Oxygen Respiration (in plants and animals) Carbohydrates + Oxygen
Carbon Dioxide + Water + Metabolic Energy
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- Food production linear system
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- Requires continual replenishment of external inputs
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- Unwanted outputs generates waste/pollution
- We can design a system in which
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- Energy can be captured and cycled within the system
- Use the energy cycling principle in system design
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- External inputs and unwanted outputs generates waste
Principle 2: ENERGY CYCLING scientific principles
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- Edges are where two ecosystems meet and overlap
- Forests or orchards at the edge of meadows or paddocks
- Edges of rivers and ponds
- Shoreline where ocean meets land mass - tidal pools, coral
reefs
Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS - Observation
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- Energies or materials accumulate at edges attracting a wealth
of diverse inhabitants!
- Dust debris and food litter dropped by people outside a
restaurant, attracts insects and wildlife from neighbouring
street.
- Soil, seeds & debris are blown by wind against trees,
shrubs, fences. Provide food and resting place for animals and
birds.
- Seashells and seaweed form a line at the tide-marks on a beach,
small creatures washed up, food for seagulls and crabs
- Logs or rocks in the river trap mulch, microbes, fungal hyphae,
worms attracted to this nutrient rich environment
Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS - Energy Capture
- Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS - summary
- By paying attention to and designing edges we can :
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- Define Areas and microclimates
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- Positively capture wild energies and nutrients
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- Increase diversity and yields
- Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS in design We can use our observations
to create positive advantages and increase productivity and yields
in our designs.
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- www.greenpatchseeds.com.au
- www.daleysfruit.com.au (fruit trees)
- Honey Suckle Nursery (KurraYong)
Tour of the EarthCare Garden
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- Vilmore Australia (French seeds Company)
- New Gippsland Seed and Bulbs
Tour of the EarthCare Garden
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- Each element in a permaculture system is chosen so that it
performs as many functions as possible
- NFP analysis (Needs/Functions/Products) on each element
- A deficit in inputs creates work, whereas a deficit in output
creates pollution
Principle 4: MULTIFUNCTION
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- The functions of each element will be considered when placing
them in the permaculture design
Principle 4: MULTIFUNCTION
- Principle 4: MULTIFUNCTION
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- Ensure that each major function is provided for by more than
one element if one fails, the system will still be resilient:
Principle 5: BACKING UP MAJOR FUNCTIONS
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- Make connections between the inputs and outputs of each
element. When this occurs, the elements are working together, which
is work you dont have to do.
- Base our linking strategies to these questions:
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- Of what use are the products of this particular element to the
needs of other elements?
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- What needs of this element are supplied by other elements?
- It becomes clear that many components provide the needs and
accept the products of other elements.
Principle 6: RELATIVE LOCATION
- Principle 6: RELATIVE LOCATION
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- Placing elements according to how much we use them or how often
we need to service them.
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- If an element that requires 2 visits a day is placed an extra
10m away you will have to walk an additional 14.5km a year
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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- Zone 0: Home or centre of activity
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- Zone 1: Most controlled and intensively used area
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- Zone 2: Maintained with dense plantings, drip irrigation
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- Zone 3: Un-pruned/un-mulched orchards, larger pastures
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- Zone 4: Semi-managed semi-wild
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- Zone 5: Unmanaged or barely managed wilderness
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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- We can look upon an urban setting in the context of the five
zones:
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- Zone 2: street-scapes, parks & playgrounds
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- Zone 3: shopping centres, playing fields & golf
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- Zone 4: Road, river, railway, industrial areas
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- Zone 5: National and state parks or urban fringe
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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- How can we categorise Energy as it relates to our site?
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- Energy that runs through site
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- (wind, water, sun light & fire)
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- Energy that is available on site
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- (people, animals, machines, wastes & fuels)
- How do these Energies relate to Permaculture as a Design
Science?
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- Harmonising, slowing, pacifying & multi-use
- What Priorities do we set for site Design?
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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- Sector Analysis deals with Wild Energies:
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- Rain 10, 50, 100 Year Floods
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- Rivers, streams, creeks & springs
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- Hot Summer Winds Bushfire
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- Cold Winter Winds & Frosts
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- http://www. susdesign .com/
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- Desirable & Undesirable Views
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- Access Roads, Paths & Tracks
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
- Topology or Relief Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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- Slope Analysis deals predominantly with Water
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- Sun Angles for growing areas
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- Winds, Fire Hazards & Frosts
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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From Introduction to Permaculture, Bill Mollison Principle 7:
EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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- Once the analysis is done, we know that every element is in a
good place for three reasons:
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- Relative to site resources ZONE PLANNNG
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- Relative to external energies SECTOR ANALYSIS
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- Relative to slope or elevation SLOPE ANALYSIS
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
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- Principle 2: Energy Cycling
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- Principle 3: Edge Effects
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- Principle 4: Multifunction
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- Principle 5: Backing up Major Functions
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- Principle 6: Relative Location
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- Principle 7: Efficient Energy Planning
SUMMARY DAY 1
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- Air pockets - forms a spongelike consistency, provides
ventilation for roots (root tips wear out if soil it too
compact)
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- Holds moisture - because of its spongelike consistency, it
holds moisture, whilst allowing drainage, meaning soils dont get
waterlogged
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- Binds soil - binds particles together, making it easier for
water and air to penetrate, and prevents erosion
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- Holds nutrients and minerals like a magnet, they catch
positively charged ions such as potassium, iron, calcium, copper
and ammonium
SOILS
- SOILS - initial observation With simple tests we can get some
ideas about the nature of the soil we are working with. Take a
handful of soil how does it feel, smell? Does it hold together, is
it wet? Put some in a jar with water, give it a good shake, and let
this settle for at least 15 minutes. Leave for 24 hours for clear
results The soil will settle into layers in order of particle size
and density, and can be surprising sand - large particles do not
bond, does not hold water silt - organic matter, holds moisture
& nutrients clay - minute particles which trap water
- SOILS Soil types by clay, silt and sand composition. Image by
Richard Wheeler Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
License.
- SOILS
- Humus particles hold onto the nutrients which plants need, so
they can pick and chose as needed. Healthy organic soils can
provide the perfect balance of food that plants need.
- Soluble fertilisers force-feed the plants, so chemically grown
vegetables are un-balanced in nutrients.
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- Add nutrients and minerals in small scale systems with:
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- Manures, food waste, animal bodies, seaweed, water plants, rock
dust, urine, legumes, dynamic accumulators (the weeds from that
garden)
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- Rock dust (replaces exported minerals), legumes and green
manures, animal manures
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- Tests sent to SWEPS Melbourne $140
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- To be healthy, plants need access to the full range of macro
and micro-nutrients from the soil .
SOILS
- Some are needed in larger amounts (nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium), others are needed in only tiny amounts, but each plays
a vital role in the health of the plant.
- If one nutrient is missing or in excess, it can cause others to
be locked up and unavailable also.
Molybdenum Sodium Boron Copper Cobalt Manganese Zinc Iron Nitrogen
Phosphorus Potassium Sulphur Calcium Magnesium Micro-nutrients
Macro-nutrients
- SOILS
- Testing PH, testing Nutrient availability in the soil
- In general, a pH between 6-7.5 is good.
- As the pH moves away from the desired range nutrients become
unavailable
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- Low pH = leaching of heavy metals
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- All dissolves at 3.5 = plant poison
- Add alkaline materials e.g. crushed limestone, gypsum,
dolomite, chalk, shells, egg shell
- SOILS
- Testing PH, testing Nutrient availability in the soil
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- High pH = heavy metals unavailable
- Add a high nitrogen source i.e. manures, sulphur
- Sulphate of ammonia is often recommended but this will kill
earthworms and other soil life
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- The best option to correct pH is to add organic matter
- If soils contain plenty of humus, there will be different
pockets of different pH ranges all over the place and the plants
can seek out the conditions they desire.
- Humus is neutral, so it takes all soils toward a neutral
pH
- Mulched gardens rarely show deficiencies.
- Maintain the structure (dont compact the soil)
- Continue adding organic matter
SOILS
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- Reduces landfill problems
- Makes great food for your garden
COMPOSTING
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- Japanese term that means fermented organic matter
- Bran based material that has been fermented with EM liquid
concentrate and dried for storage
- EM is an abbreviation for Effective Microorganisms
COMPOSTING
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- Add any kitchen organic waste including:
- Cooked and uncooked meats, and fish
- Cheese and eggs, bread, coffee grinds, tea bags
COMPOSTING
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- Collect food scraps in a closed container on the bench and only
open the Bokashi bucket once a day (or every 2 nd day)
- Begin by evenly sprinkling the EM Bokashi into the bottom of
the bucket
- Put in the food and sprinkle more EM Bokashi on top (one
handful per 3-4 cm of food)
- Press contents down to remove any excess air (a container lid
works well) then reseal the bucket properly
- Repeat this process until the bucket is full and then top up
with a generous coating of EM
- Leave to ferment for a minimum 10 days
- Bury the food waste under 2 inches of soil
COMPOSTING
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COMPOSTING
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- On existing garden or house plants - use 1 teaspoon to 1 litre
of water
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- Directly to the soil - for trees and shrubs use 2 teaspoons to
1 litre of water
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- Directly to foliage as pest control use 1 teaspoon to 2 litres
of water
- Pour the concentrated liquid directly into your kitchen and
bathroom sinks, down drains, toilets or septic system.
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- Bucket should smell like pickles or cider vinegar
- Food should look the same as when you put it in (food has been
preserved)
- Occasionally, particularly for longer fermentation periods, a
white cotton-like fungi growth may appear on the surface.
- Smell: A strong rancid or rotten smell indicates a poor batch
of compost
- Visual: The presence of black or blue-green fungi indicates
that contamination has occurred and the process has not fermented
but putrefied
COMPOSTING
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- Not adding enough Bokashi
- Opening the bucket too often
- Not replacing the container lid tightly after every use
- Not draining the juice frequently from the bucket (preferably
use within 2 days)
- Prolonged and direct exposure to sunlight and extreme
temperatures (too hot or too cold)
COMPOSTING
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- Goal is Carbon to Nitrogen 25:1
COMPOSTING
- Compost calculator:
http://www.milkwood.net/content/view/47/30/
Weeds 19:1 Sawdust 450:1 Food waste 15:1 Shredded office paper
129:1 Grass clippings 15:1 Newspaper 54:1 Cow manure 13:1
Straw/wheat 53:1 Poultry manure 10:1 Dry fallen leaves 47:1 Urine
7:1 Fresh leaves 37:1 Greens (Nitrogen Sources) Browns (Carbon
Sources)
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- What should I leave out of the compost?
- Woody garden clippings branches, roots (unless chipped)
- Manure from animals recently wormed
- Materials that kill the composting bacteria fat, oil, salt,
disinfectants, antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides (or waste
recently sprayed with pesticides)
COMPOSTING
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COMPOSTING
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- Building the compost heap:
- Start building the pile, mixing the carbon sources with
nitrogen sources, with an activator in the middle (e.g. comfrey,
nettles, urine, old compost, seaweed, manure)
- Wet the pile so that if squeezing a handful, moisture appears
between your fingers but doesnt drip off (or one drip falls at
most)
- Cover with plastic to deter rodents and protect from the
rain
- Turn on the 4th day, then every 2nd day for 18 days, keeping
the moisture right
COMPOSTING
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- Correcting the compost heap:
COMPOSTING
- Too wet if its still too wet after forming a tunnel, add a
carbon source such as shredded paper
- Not hot enough add nitrogen source (e.g. 1 handful of manure on
every pitchfork during the turn, or urine)
- Too hot add carbon source (if over 65 o C)
- White film is an anaerobic indicator that its too hot - add
carbon source
- Bad smell add carbon source (all compost releases some smell
when turned)
- Losing too much volume add carbon source
- Vermin - Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the pile, secure the
tarp with bricks
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COMPOSTING
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COMPOSTING
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COMPOSTING
- Use the juice regularly (dilute up to 20:1), dont leave it
lying around
- Flies: add lime, newspaper
- Food not being digested, smelly; too much food
- Ants ; add water, lime, isolate
- White worms: too acidic; add lime ash
- Going on holiday? Feed worms generously before you go- they
will survive 3-4 weeks. For longer periods consider manure
- Can feed some of the worms to chooks to raise egg
production
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COMPOSTING
- After 3 months the castings are ready to use (should be
black)
- Move the cover and excess scraps
- Put something like a sloppy mango in one corner and only cover
that corner
- 2 days later 95% of the worms will be in that corner
- Put them in a bucket to remove the castings
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COMPOSTING From Wormpost Northeast
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- Natural ecosystems: develop and change over time, giving rise
to a succession of different plant and animal species :
- So what do we mean by Succession & Evolution?
- Consider for a moment an Abandoned Pasture
- Conventional agriculture fights this process: by attempting to
keep the ecosystem at the weed/herb level (e.g. vegetables, grains,
legumes, pasture)
- This is done using energy to keep it cut, weeded, tilled,
fertilised and even burnt.
- So how can we apply the Natural Process to our advantage?
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
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- Basic layers in every forest:
- Vertical layer (climbers)
- In some climates other layers may exist:
- Emergent palms (wet tropics only)
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
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- Layers in a productive forest:
- Canopy (large fruit & nut trees)
- Under storey trees (dwarf fruit trees)
- Shrubs layer (currents & berries)
- Herbaceous layer (comfrey, beetroot, herbs)
- Root layer (sweet potato, carrot, ginger)
- Ground cover (strawberries)
- Vertical layer (beans, pumpkin)
- Introduction to Permaculture book has an index of useful
species at the back
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
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- Instead of fighting the process we can direct and accelerate it
to build our own climax species in a shorter time
- Use what is already growing
- Introduce plants that will easily survive
- Raise organic levels artificially
- Substitute our own useful species at all levels
- Weeds play a significant role correcting soil problems
- Many weeds are dynamic accumulators
- Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
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- This was until the Green Revolution
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS Human beings (like all
other animals) draw their energy from the food they eat. Until the
last century, all of the food energy available on this planet was
derived from the sun through photosynthesis. Either you ate plants
or you ate animals that fed on plants, but the energy in your food
was ultimately derived from the sun. Eating Fossil Fuels by Dale
Allen Pfeiffer Energy (in Calories) 1 cal. 7 - 10 cal.
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- Agricultural energy consumption is broken down as follows:
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- 31% for the manufacture of inorganic fertilizer
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- 19% for the operation of field machinery
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- 08% for raising livestock (not including livestock feed)
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- 05% for pesticide production
- Energy costs for packaging, refrigeration, transportation to
retail
- outlets, and household cooking are not considered in these
figures.
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
- Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS Sustainable
(Permaculture) vs. Industrial (Agriculture) Cyclic & renewable
Linear, non-renewable Hand tools & small machinery Large
machinery, heavy processing Minimum, Efficient use of space
Maximum, Inefficient use of space Economical, low energy Costly,
energy intensive Kind on the environment Ecologically invasive
Analogous to: Aikido Karate
- Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
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- Efficient garden design strategies:
- Use vertical space (beans, peas, pumpkin, grape, fruit)
- Regular pickings close to paths
- Bed width = reach, long reach = single pick
- Broccoli boxes (50c from green grocer)
- Mulch (the golden rule no matter what soil type)
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
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- Expand space upward rather than outward
- Create different microclimates ranging from shady moist areas
to warmer drier areas
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS Herbs that prefer moist
conditions Herbs that prefer/handle drier conditions Plant near the
bottom of the spiral facing the softer morning sun Plant facing the
summer sun and on top of the spiral Coriander Lemon balm Garlic
chives Lavender Cress Tarragon Marjoram Oregano Ginger Mint (in
pot) Rosemary Yarrow Parsley Rocket Society Garlic Thyme
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- Select a small patch of grass, weeds or concrete near the
house
- Trample on grass or weeds
- Put down a double layer of cardboard, overlapping it well (or
10 layers of newspaper)
- Alternate layers of high-nitrogen with high-carbon materials at
1:10 thick, watering as you go, until 80cm high
- Place a layer of hay on top
- Sprinkle with dolomite/lime and water well
- Make holes, pour in half a bucket of garden soil and plant
seedlings
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
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- Dig out a circle patch of lawn
- Place potatoes (sprout up) 30cm 1ft apart around the outer
edges
- Cover with soil (can be lawn that was dug out placed upside
down)
- Fill the central hole with mushroom compost
- Cover the whole circle with 30cm 1ft hay
- Potato plants will end up covering the circle
- Cut out tire walls with sturdy knife, place one on ground
- Place potatoes on top of a bed of Lucerne hay, cover in compost
& mulch
- When green leaf of plant pokes through, place another tire on
top and cover so only tips are visible.
- Continue until you have 4 tires stacked up. Harvest when green
leaves die off completely. Yield is much greater for smaller
surface area.
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
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- Select a relatively flat piece of land, preferably that
collects water run-off
- Dig a hole the size you want the pond leave ledges for
submerged pot plants
- Cover the hole and garden edges with 10 layers overlapping
newspaper
- Cover the newspaper with pool lining or butyl rubber
- Put some rocks on the bottom to anchor the lining placing the
most beautiful rocks around edges and slightly hanging over the top
of pond
- Immerse large, soil filled pots with aquatic plants (lotus,
taro, water lillies), in particular oxygenating plants
- Place a log in the pond for frogs to get in and out of the
water
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
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- Plants and Animals provide:
Principle 10: USING BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
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- Solar & Solar Hot Water Systems
- The different systems available
- Standalone or grid interactive systems
- The advantages & disadvantages of each option
- What else you need (e.g. batteries, inverters etc)
- Costs and Government rebates available
- What are RECs (Renewable Energy Certificate) and how do they
relate to MRET
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOLUTIONS
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- Pests repel them, trap them, mystify them, and attract
predators that eat them
- Weeds outgrow them with natural herbicides
- Fertility let it accumulate naturally with nitrogen-fixing and
deep-rooted plants, and with garden debris and leaves that decay
into rich soil. Healthy soil = healthy plants.
ORGANIC GARDENING
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- Companion planting works because:
- One plant attracts predators that eat the pests of its
companion
- One plant repels anothers pests
- One plant produces substances that help another plant in
various ways
- The growing habits of one plant fit in with the growing habits
of another
ORGANIC GARDENING
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- Inter-plant as much as possible
- Mix flowers, natives and vegetables together
ORGANIC GARDENING
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- Long-flowering native plants:
- Astroloma conostephioides 1x1m, red: autumn, winter,
spring
- Banksia attenuata up to 10m, yellow: spring, summer,
autumn
- Banksia spinulosa 3x3m, cream to yellow: autumn, winter,
spring
- Banksia speciosa 3x4m, yellow: spring, summer, autumn
- Callistemon citrinus 2x3m, red: spring, summer, autumn
- Correa alba 2x2m, white: summer, autumn, winter
- Correa pulchella 30cmx1m, orange-red: autumn, winter,
spring
- Epacris longiflora 1x1m, red and white: most of the year
- Grevillea poorinda constance 3x3m, red: most of the year
- Grevillea poorinda queen 3x3m, apricot-orange: most of the
year
ORGANIC GARDENING
- COMPANION PLANTING
- COMPANION PLANTING
- PLANTING CALENDAR
- PLANTING CALENDAR
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- Garlic (garden or pots/broccoli box)
- Potato (garden or potato tyre)
- Lettuce (garden or pots/broccoli box)
GROW NOW
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- Consider Permaculture Principles:
- Small scale intensive design strategies
DESIGN AN URBAN PERMACULTURE SYSTEM
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- Consider Permaculture Principles:
- Energy efficient planning (Zone/Sector/Slope)
- Small scale intensive design strategies
DESIGN A RURAL PERMACULTURE SYSTEM
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- Every resource can be considered either an advantage or a
disadvantage, depending on the use made of it
- Think of everything as being a positive resource rather than a
problem
Principle 11: ATTITUDE
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- Consider reducing / re-using / recycling
- Design a productive garden for friends and family
- Join a local community garden or Permaculture group
NEXT STEPS
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- Volunteer / WWOFF on a Permaculture farm
- Do a Permaculture Design Certificate
- Investigate Accredited Permaculture Training
- Join a Permaculture aid project
- Become an intern at the Permaculture Research institute
- Do a practical course at Bill Mollisons farm
NEXT STEPS
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- Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison
- Permaculture: A Designers Manual by Bill Mollison, Reny Mia
Slay
- Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation Report:
Polyculture Production
- The Permaculture Home Garden by Linda Woodrow
- Jackie Frenchs Guide to Companion Planting
- The Healthy Soil Handbook, an Earth Garden publication
Reading List
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- How Can I Use Herbs in my daily life
- Teaming with Microbes: A Gardeners guide to the soil food
- Smart Permaculture Design by Jenny Allen
- Natural Farming: A practical guide
- The Transition Handbook from oil dependency to local resilience
by Rob Hopkins
- You Tube Path to Freedom -
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q
- Subscribe to www.goodlifebookclub.com for a range of
publications relating to Permaculture/Organic Gardening
Reading List