Monday, August 9, 2010

Summer Garden Getting Improved

I don't want to use any chemical fertilizers or bug sprays in my garden, but that has caused a problem. I only get a very small amount of produce every year. Not nearly as much as I want and need. So, here I am limping along for the third year now with another small yield. I enjoy what I do get, but I definitely need to increase it.
Along comes Peter from Australia, nice, nice Peter, and he tells me about permaculture. What is permaculture I ask?? Permaculture embraces self reliance and self sufficiency in food production from your garden. That's right up my alley because my goal has always been to raise as much of my own food as I can.
OK, Step one, ( I like steps ) build healthy productive soil. I will be doing that through sheet mulching. I have always used mulch, but not nearly enough. I will be putting down 8 to 12 inches of mulch. WOW, that's a lot, but it's easy enough and my soil needs HELP! Things I will be layering as mulch are cardboard first, then dead leaves, boan meal, wood chips, pasture scraps,(dead) green scraps, (live) and straw. Water well after each layer.
Here is a list of benefits for using permaculture. Totally chemical free food and soil, YAY!! Uses less water. Produces more food in a smaller garden. ALL GOOD. I'm sold. Stay tuned. and I will let you know how it goes. Happy Homesteading Becky

3 comments:

  1. Have you thought about installing a bee hive? Bees can drastically increase produce yields and they have the benefit of providing honey too! :) I recently went to a bee keeping course and can't wait to get started.

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  2. Do you do this in the fall or spring?

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  3. I have been offline due to moving and having the new internet installation get messed up twice by the company...

    but its a good explanation, but to see a lot more in depth, another example of garden implementation can be seen with the complete coverage of bare planting area with nitrogen fixing plants while your vegetables are growing at the same time.

    http://permaculture.org.au/2010/09/20/how-to-establish-a-small-space-intensive-food-garden/


    Bee hives can be made for a few hundred dollars and not require the $1,000 to $1,500 in initial equipment by using the top bar hives. Free plans for the horizontal top bar hives can be found at the site below and free forum for all those questions you are dying to ask about keeping bees the simple way:
    http://www.biobees.com/

    I run quite a few horizontal top bar hives (KTBHs) and a Warre Hive that I'm trialing.

    Cheers,
    Peter

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