What is

Permaculture?

The word permaculture comes

from a combination of the words

permanent and agriculture.

Permaculture is 0ften thought of as a method of farming but the

principles of permaculture also work very well in your backyard

garden. Rather than keeping a garden for a few months and then letting

the soil lay empty the rest of the year, one permaculture principle is to

work with the soil all year round to keep it healthy. Another principle

is to grow vegetables more than once (succession planting) which

increases your yield and continues to feed the soil if you rotate

your crops.

Organic Backyard Gardening

(using permaculture principles in your backyard garden)

Intsead of making a garden for a few months of the year and then

leaving the ground empty for the rest of the year, permaculture gardening

is year-round, with some intense periods, but also many mellow periods.

One of the main principles of permaculture is building and

maintaining healthy soil. This is an ongoing task, but often this task can

done in easy ways. It is accomplished by using natural fertilizers (such as

homemade compost) and natural pest control (such as certain flowers,

onions, garlic, and herbs) to repel insects and deer. And by growing crop

covers during the winter to prevent erosion and drying out of the soil.

Another important permaculture principle is using successive and

companion planting for more yield and to help fertilize and cover the soil

all year.

While permaculture is a process, there is a lot of flexibility. Because

permaculture is a more complex system of gardening, it is good to have a

plan in mind. For the best yield, it is helpful to have a plan for each part of

the year, spring, summer, autumn and winter. A permaculture-style

garden is most manageable when the design is implemented in stages

which build uponone another. Some types of produce will overlap, others

will grow for many months. Therefore, planning is very important. Later,

I will share my plan for this year.

The first thing I do, though, is ask myself the question, “What do I

want to eat this year? What produce do I need for my favorite recipes?

When to Begin

I begin my spring soil prep as soon as I can stand to be outside.

Digging weeds under and mixing in biomass (leaves, stems, dried grass)

can be done in cooler weather. It’s great to be outside with my hands in

the soil and it starts me thinking about what I want to grow.

The First Step: Preparing the Soil

Do you need to fertilize the soil? It always helps to feed the soil, but

there are a lot of things you can use to build the soil; things you can find

in your kitchen like cleaned, dried eggshells, coffee grounds, and

vegetable scraps. You can get by without using petroleum-based

fertilizers or a compost pile or bin. Dried leaves and grass also make

great compost. I mix these with the soil. When I thin my plants,

I pull out as part of my compost mixture.

When I use vegetable scraps from my kitchen, I cut the scraps

into very small pieces, then dig a trench at least 8” deep where I intend to

plant later and drop the veggie scraps into the trench. Cover the scraps

well. Do this 2 months before you plant your seeds or starter plants, and

by the time you plant, you will have some nice soil to plant in. **It is best

to avoid meat in your compost. It can draw animals.

When you trim trees and bushes in your yard, you can use some of the

dried leaves as mulch in your garden or around fruit trees, as well as vines

that are dying after you harvest the fruit. Cut everything up as small as

you can. You can even compost paper. Tear some unwanted paper plates

into small pieces and add them to your soil. Anything made from wood

or fiber will decompose.

Hügelkultur (from Eastern Europe and Germany), is a way of creating

natural garden beds using small logs that you have cleared from your yard

(trees and bushes) as a base. As the wood rots, it nourishes the plants,

while providing an aesthetic way to use the wood rather than hauling it

away.

When to Plant

Each growing region will have its benefits and its challenges, so it is

good to know what those benefits and challenges are in your region. I live

in Port Townsend, Washington where we get a lot of rain and wind. So,

I pay attention to the weather forecasts and often refer to my regional

planting guides. You can find a regional planting guide online by entering

the term “regional planting guide (for your state or region)” into your

browser.

Because the warm temperatures do not last long up here in the

Pacific Northwest, some things that I could plant any old time in Southern

California have caused me a lot of frustration here. Tomatoes, for instance,

are very difficult to bring to fruition in this region, unless they are grown

in a greenhouse. Cherry tomatoes, however, produce better. Basil likes

very warm temperatures, so I grow it on my windowsill rather than in the

garden outside. Kale, which I hardly ever ate when I lived in Southern

California, grows like crazy here and can be planted early in the spring

and it can also be planted as a winter ground cover for your garden to

keep your soil from eroding.

Permaculture is good for the soil and good for the earth. Biomass

(plants, flowers, and leaves) sequester carbon. Plants use a lot of carbon

to grow and survive. Permaculture is also good for the soil because it

creates healthier soil. Therefore, many climate change experts

recommend permaculture style gardening and farming.

The Size of Your Garden

The size of your garden depends on how much space, time, and energy

you have. I plan my garden carefully so I can use the space very efficiently

and I harvest food from the garden over much of the year.

I don’t think in terms of huge harvests, which I wouldn’t be able to

consume anyway. I think in terms of what can come out of the garden and

be put on the table that night. I do still get an abundance of different foods

at different times of the year. I share that food with my neighbors and

freeze or dry some of the abundance.

Eating Seasonally

Another important lesson I have learned is to eat seasonally. For

example, peas grow best in cooler weather, so I plant them as soon as the

soil is warm enough. Spinach grows in cooler weather, so I eat a lot of

spinach salads during the spring and eat different types of lettuce during

the summer and autumn. *Note: spinach can be planted again in the

autumn when the weather cools if you live where winter doesn't start until

November.

Even though I suggest eating seasonally as much as possible, I do a lot

of freezing. It is January as I write this, but yesterday I had zucchini soup

and today I added a big handful of onions to a stew – all from my garden.

Oh yes, and we had strawberry syrup on our waffles this morning because

I always freeze berries and make jam when the berries are in season.

No-till Planting

There are two ways to plant. One way is to dig up all the soil in the

garden, add fertilizer, and then plant your seeds and starter plants in

rows and mounds. Another way has become popular these days with the

need to pay attention to how our actions affect climate change. It is called

no-till planting. This is a good idea for farms, but it is also good in your

garden. Instead of digging up all the soil at once (which can cause dryness

and erosion) just plant right into the soil. You can use a stick, or even your

finger to make a small indentation and plant your seeds. drop in a seed,

put some soil over the hole and then water regularly. Before long, I will

have lovely plants.

With starter plants, I use a small trowel to dig a hole just big enough

to put the starter plant into.

Yield and Patience

We all think in terms of yield, and for a good reason. Gardening takes

time and energy, and we want the most for our efforts. Another view,

though, is that anything we get is special. It’s fresh, tastes like what is

meant to taste like, and it’s nutritious. So, it’s good to send lots of

appreciation to our garden, and to be patient.

Vegetables grow better at certain times and can be very difficult to

grow at others. For example, spinach loves cool weather and will go

to seed very quickly in warm weather. Below you will find some

information about what works best at what time of year.

Vegetables and Herbs to Plant in Spring

**Normally, I would plant my lettuce and spinach starter plants but the

weather has stayed colder longer these last couple of years, so now and

I am waiting a little longer to let the nights get warmer. By mid-April, I

will start strengthening the roots of my starter plants (called hardening

off) by moving the pots outdoors during the daytime and bringing them

back in (or covering them with plastic) during the night – just to give them

a better chance.

I planted green pea seeds and onions early because they go directly

into the soil, which is warmer. When it gets to around 40 degrees at night,

I will plant Romaine Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Chives, Leeks, Garlic, Green

Beans, Mint, Radishes, Beets, Potatoes, Broccoli, Rosemary, Marjoram,

Thyme, Tarragon, Oregano, Sage.

Vegetables and Herbs to Plant in Summer

I start my Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Summer Squash

(crooked neck), zucchini, pat-a-pan) and Dill around the first of June.

These plants all like warmer soil and more sun.

Vegetables and Herbs to Plant in early August

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Kale, Potatoes, Parsnips, Turnips, Carrots,

Onions, Garlic to harvest next Spring), Acorn Squash, Small Pumpkins,

Potatoes and Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

Ground Cover (for winter) Kale, Winter flowers (check the internet for

the flowers that will grow during the winter in your region).

Crop Rotation: Another way to Maintain the Soil

Some vegetables are heavy feeders meaning they take a lot of nutrients

from the soil. Others are light feeders. To keep the soil full of nutrients,

you need to rotate your crops each time you replant. If I plant one of the

heavy feeders one year, or in one season, I plant beans or peas because

they feed the soil. I also plant peas with my broccoli, winding the peas up

the stalks of the broccoli.

Heavy Feeders Light Feeders

Corn Carrots

Tomatoes Garlic

Beets Leeks

Cabbage Parsnip

Broccoli Potatoes

Brussels sprouts Onions

Companion Planting

Many vegetables, herbs and flowers can be planted near one another

to enhance the flavor of plants, and to attract or repel insects, such as:

Basil with tomatoes to repel aphids and horned tomato worms.
Plant chamomile, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage near brassicas.
Onions and garlic will help keep the deer out of your garden.
Plant carrots with beans, brassicas, chives, leeks and onions.
Chives enhance the flavor of carrots and tomatoes.
Dill improves the health of cabbages and other brassicas.

Succession Planting

Succession planting is a way to increase yield by making efficient use of

space and timing. You can plant one crop successively by putting in a

row or two of carrots or lettuce, then a couple of weeks later, planting

another row or two. This is also known as relay planting. This way you

will have crops that ready to harvest for a long time.

Another way to plant in succession is to use the same space to plant

another round of similar plants after the first crop is harvested. This

method will depend on the crop as cool-loving plants won't grow well

in warm weather. Another way is to use the same space to plant a different

crop. Here is where you would want to alternate heavy feeding plants with

light feeding plants or plants that feed the soi, such as beans or legumes.

Pest Control

There are numerous flowers that will repel beetles and nematodes.

Marigolds repel nematodes and deer don’t like marigolds either. Daffodils,

foxglove, and poppies are some other flowers that dear don’t like. Plant

these in your garden with your vegetables. They also add color to your

garden.

Deer do not like the taste of most herbs, so planting herbs around the

edge of the garden helps protect your other plants. Onions and garlic also

keep deer out of the garden.

Crushed eggshells make it hard for snails to get through the garden,

but just to be safe, I do cover most of my garden with netting. I do not like

to purchase plastic, but I did purchase one bag of aviary netting and I

reuse it year after year.

Pollinators

There are several kinds of flowers that attract butterflies.

Zagreb Coreopsis attracts butterflies.
Echinacea Purpurea is a magnet for pollinators.
Wood Sage is another.
Alyssum comes in many colors and is very attractive to butterflies.

Saving Seeds

If I have a good result with a particular plant, I save the seeds. There

are fancy ways to do this, but I just put them on a paper towel, dry them

out, and fold and mark the paper towel so I know what is in it. It’s easy to

put the paper towel in an envelope and send it to someone. You can plant

the seeds by cutting pieces of the paper towel and putting them, with the

seeds, in the ground. The paper will decompose and be good for the

garden. I use plain white paper towels.

Lay Out Your Garden Plans

As mentioned earlier, it is a good idea to lay out a plan for your garden,

not just one plan, but one for each planting season – Spring, Summer,

Late Summer/Early Autumn, Winter. I sometimes draw it out on paper

a pencil. That way I can switch things around if I change my mind.

My Garden Plan for each season:

As early as February, I begin to dig in composting items (discussed above)

into the soil, a little at a time. I want the soil to be rich and full of nutrients

when I start planting in March.

March

Windowsill pots: As soon as you get plenty of sun in the window, you can

plant basil, dill, chive seeds and red lettuce seeds. I often plant dill, basil,

small spinach starter plants and maybe a cherry tomato plant and some

red leaf lettuce seeds in the windowsill in my living room, where I get the

most sun.

In the ground late March: onion sets (I like white and red), garlic, and

potatoes (depending on the weather, you can plant potato eyes even

earlier).

Early – Mid April

Lettuce, Spinach, Peas, Beans, Radishes: In the ground: Red Leaf and

omaine Lettuce starts, Spinach plant starts, green pea seeds, organic

pansy seeds or starts, radishes, green beans (long beans), broccoli,

scallions. Also, Herbs (thyme, marjoram, parsley, sage, oregano, tarragon).

Note: Leave room for planting more lettuce when the lettuce you just

planted starts to go to seed. (Tip - you can pull off the seeds/flowers

at the top of plants, and the plants will not continue to bolt - for a while).

Note: When I plant the onions and garlic around the edge of the garden,

I leave spaces in between for planting herbs. All of these keep deer and

some insects out of the garden.

Note: I plant the beans and peas on teepees made from wooden dowels.

I also plant them next to the broccoli and let the wind up the broccoli, as

I mentioned earlier.

May

Lettuce and Spinach. By late April, you can be harvesting lettuce and

if you are willing to eat small leaves. Just pull off enough leaves for a salad

or two from your various lettuce plants and let the plant continue to grow.

You can harvest many times this way.

Cherry tomatoes from starter plants grown on my windowsill or

purchased at the nursery or farmer's market. (Tip - "Harden off" the roots

of the tomato plants by watering them less and placing the pots outside

during the day but bringing them at night for about a week before putting

them int0 the ground.

Summer Squash: This is a good time to plant squash (yellow or pat-a-pan.

Squash takes up a lot of room, though, so plant away from your other

plants and plant on a trellis, if you can. When it gets nice and warm, add

cucumbers to your trellis.

Carrots: Around June, when the soil is getting warmer, you can plant

carrots. I plant one or two rows, depending on how much space I want to

use, but leave space to plant successive rows of carrots every two weeks.

This way I have a steady supply of carrots. *Carrots like to grow in warm,

loose soil (not clay).

More Lettuce: I might start new lettuce plants at this time. Not spinach.

Spinach is a cold-weather crop and will not tolerate much heat. Some

lettuce is the same but, in the Northwest, I can plant lettuce all summer

and fall.

Mild-July

Pumpkin: Pumpkins take 90-120 days to mature so this would be a good

time to plant pumpkin seeds if you want a pumpkin for Halloween. If you

don't need a jack-o-lantern, you can wait a month and have pumpkins for

Holiday meals. Pumpkins take up a lot of space so plant away from your

other plants.

Other winter squash: Acorn squash, Delicata squash, butternut squash

also take about three months to mature so it's best to start early with

them, too.

August

You can probably harvest quite a few of your herbs unless you want to

leave them in the ground and just snip a little each time you need it.

This is the time to plant a second round of potatoes.

You might begin to harvest your onions at this time. If the leaves have

turned brown and are falling over, this is a good time to harvest. Also, if

your onion bulbs have broken the surface and the leaves are turning

brown, this is a good time to harvest them. You can also leave the onions in

the ground for a couple of months and pull them up as you need them.

September

You can start more broccoli plants if you have some room for them. You

can harvest broccoli all winter in milder climates. It will probably have

small florets, but they are very flavorful. I love to put them in quiche or

add them to a vegetable soup.

You can plant spinach again (as well as bok choy) because it will be

getting cooler again - if it's not too cool. But Kale and Arugula can easily

be planted now and will live all winter long in milder climates.

Have fun with your permaculture backyard garden!

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