Beginning Your Organic Garden
Permanent Agriculture (Permaculture) and intensive gardening are the ways to combat the ongoing and growing infiltration of genetically modified organisms into our homes. These are techniques where various plants share the same space in support of each and where no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used.
Most permaculture techniques begin with healthy soil. There are many ways to create a sustainable garden bed. One way is to:
Ø Prepare the site by loosening the soil
Ø Dig out a few inches below ground level for the entire bed area – about 4 ft. wide
Ø Line the bottom of the bed with dead leaves as compost and pest prevention – the larger the leaves the better
Ø Add a large amount of compost and bio-char as a layer on top of the dead leaves
Ø Mix in some other soil to build a small mound with a flat top for the bed – the more compost the better
Once the beds are made, they should never be opened or tilled again. If the soil gets compact, lightly fork the top layer. Now you are ready to plant:
Ø Mix many types of crops: leafy, bean, root, tomato, herb
Ø Avoid planting two of the same type of crop together to limit pest damage and competition
Ø Maximize production by giving the crops just enough space to grow
Ø Replace plants that are no longer yielding output with a different type of crop
Ø Plants and weeds that are taken out can be left on top of the beds as mulch, just remember to remove their roots so they don’t begin to grow again
Thank you for reading!
Permanent Agriculture (Permaculture) and intensive gardening are the ways to combat the ongoing and growing infiltration of genetically modified organisms into our homes. These are techniques where various plants share the same space in support of each and where no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used.
Most permaculture techniques begin with healthy soil. There are many ways to create a sustainable garden bed. One way is to:
Ø Prepare the site by loosening the soil
Ø Dig out a few inches below ground level for the entire bed area – about 4 ft. wide
Ø Line the bottom of the bed with dead leaves as compost and pest prevention – the larger the leaves the better
Ø Add a large amount of compost and bio-char as a layer on top of the dead leaves
Ø Mix in some other soil to build a small mound with a flat top for the bed – the more compost the better
Once the beds are made, they should never be opened or tilled again. If the soil gets compact, lightly fork the top layer. Now you are ready to plant:
Ø Mix many types of crops: leafy, bean, root, tomato, herb
Ø Avoid planting two of the same type of crop together to limit pest damage and competition
Ø Maximize production by giving the crops just enough space to grow
Ø Replace plants that are no longer yielding output with a different type of crop
Ø Plants and weeds that are taken out can be left on top of the beds as mulch, just remember to remove their roots so they don’t begin to grow again
Thank you for reading!
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