Permaculture Design Practice

This post is an invitation to anyone interested in practicing or learning their permaculture design skills. The details below correspond with the first part of a 2-part YouTube video series. The second part is a suggested plan for the featured land (that belongs to someone else) who gave permission for this practice exercise. If you are interested in sharing your plan ideas, please leave a message in the comments of the video (NOT here). You will get a link to the private part 2 if you submit a plan.  

-- INTRO --

A professional permaculture design should always follow an extended period of observation. Typically, this period is sufficiently long to provide designers with insight into all of a property’s useful seasonal patterns and changes. However, this is a quick design exercise for practical educational purposes, as often précised by students a permaculture design course (PDC). Consequently, the observations are provided in the forms of a video and supplemental notes below.

-- TASK --

Prepare a design proposal for the farm. It should be a snapshot of the farm in the medium term (roughly 3-5 years into the future) and proposes ways of meeting needs at the functional level (and NOT the detailed level of elements). For instance, to propose your various guilds by function, you may propose one guild to safeguard against soil erosion (its function) but not list the names of individual species (perhaps other than say, plant only and plants with deep roots). Using the video and supplemental notes below, the presentation should specifically address each of the following items one at a time: Water; Access; Structures; Plants and; Humans & Animals. The presentation should address each item with suggestions superimposed over the master map along with accompanying notes.

Design objective: 

• To produce food for Ed (the owner), his community and the market.

Key design strategy: 

• To plan work out of the design, ie to minimize Ed's output of resources (time, work and money).

NB The proposal does NOT need to include an implementation plan (with ordered stages). However, if you wish to provide an implementation plan, it should be provided as a separate presentation.

-.General -

• Climate

• Tropical,  13°10' north of the equator

• Farm is ‘moderately wet’ in the generally dry tropical country. Significantly higher humidity from mid-October to November.

- Water -

• Ed's weekly water needs require approx 1,488 litres / 392 gallons (drinking & cooking, showering, laundry (by hand), dishwashing, toilet & miscellaneous). The past 10-year average suggests a monthly water deficit of approx 98 gallons / 371 litres during the dry season using his 20*10 foot roof runoff alone.

- Access -

• Create zones. 

• Include considerations of elements that are to be allowed and or blocked.

• Unobstructed Atlantic Ocean winds from the East. The aerial distance from the ocean shoreline is roughly 2 miles.

- Structures -

The small hut has hurricane straps from the ceiling to the ground.

- Humans, Animals & other non-plant species -

• Animals

• Ed wants ONLY dogs and free range chickens

• Major pest (country-wide) is the giant African snail

• The country-wide problem of ‘bungie top’ was uncharacteristically not apparent in Ed’s neighboring home property, possibly because it was in a small gorge.

• Human life

• The owner’s / Ed’s 

• daylight hours are largely spent at a full-time job and various small moonlighting personal

• is a devout Christian and does not like or speak with his Rastafarian neighbors.

• Personal life circumstances has changed since preliminary observations. He got a girlfriend for whom you should cater. For instance, double any calculations like water.

• Ed has a 4-wheel drive pickup farm truck. 

- Other Considerations -

• Ed’s finances

• Ed makes minimum wage

• Ed is debt-averse. 

CONTENT RELATED TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN PRACTICE

• YouTube video that corresponds with this exercise.

How I Grow Sweet Potato From Slips in my Tropical Organic Garden

As you may recall, I grow sweet potatoes because their leaves are edible either raw or cooked. Since I did not explain how to grow sweet potato slips in earlier posts, I will do so now.

How to grow sweet potato slips

15 Sep: Growing sweet potato slips from store bought sweet potatoes

Sweet potato slips are small sprouts that you can grow from sweet potatoes or sweet potato vines. Some weeks ago, I did not have ready access to larger sweet potato vines and therefore bought non GM organic sweet potatoes to start growing slips. (See how to identify non GMO produce). 

As you can see, I placed one end of 2 potatoes into water. Ideally, I should have used toothpicks to suspend about half of the sweet potatoes in water. In that case, the sweet potato in the cup just sat in water to roughly half of its body. As you can see, the clear jar was too narrow for the second potato. However, the growth rate was comparable with that of the other potato. See the roots for both cases below.

15 Sep: Roots for the sweet potato in water in the jar

15 Sep: Sweet potato roots for the sweet potato in the cup. 

How to grow sweet potatoes from slips

I decided to pluck off some short slips of roughly 6 inches. It is simply a matter of plucking them off the sweet potato. It would be better to use a knife or, better yet, a pair of scissors.

16 Sep: Sweet potato slips of roughly 6 inches

I then planted the sweet potato slips into moist earth. In the case immediately below, this single sweet potato slip is in shade.

In the next image below, these 2 slips are in a container in more sunlight. Unfortunately, the heat appears to have stressed them too much. Although I actually covered them at night with a plant pot, slugs and or snails still devoured them within a few days. One did not last more than 24 hours. Interestingly however, the one in the shade has survived without any protection at all. This was unexpected because, in addition to being unprotected (by plant pots or any other measure), the single slip was much closer to the ground and more accessible by snails. The moral of this story appears to be that the more exposed slips might have been planted too soon and could not yet handle the stress caused by intense heat and light.

In light of the above mentioned 'loss of life', I resisted further  temptation to plant the sweet potato slips too soon. Consequently, I allowed the slips to grow for a longer period indoors. 

I digress! As usual, the Natural Law of Correspondence carries life lessons in nature. One lesson might be that parents need to protect their young for a while before prematurely letting the young out into the world. I have long come to feel like my plants are children. I know I am not alone in feeling guilty over carelessness in my gardening. After all, your plants depend so heavily on your level of care which makes an enormous difference in whether they survive and how well they grow if they survived at all. I suddenly recall a Youtuber's inability to understand why we personalized an aloe plant in a 'how to care for aloe' video. I had also recognized that there was a symbiotic relationship. Specifically, that aloe plant was in turn caring for me by providing healing properties and many other personal care uses. Though they do not talk (a limited way in which humans recognize communication), plants react directly to their treatment. In short, there is no doubt that a relationship exists between humans and their plants.

25 Sep: The sweet potato slips look like a bouquet

Anyway, back to gardening! 

This photo above does not do justice to them. However, these slips started to look so much like a pretty green bouquet that I began to like displaying them in the dining area. I plucked off one slip. It measured roughly 1 foot.

25 Sep: The sweet potato slips look like a bouquet. I plucked off this slip. It is roughly 1 foot.

In the following photo, you will see what happens when the sweet potato slips can no longer stand tall. Notice below how much more developed the roots developed.

4 Oct: Growing sweet potato slips indoors. 

4 Oct: Growing sweet potato slips indoors. 

The following was a shocker to me. Look closely at the image below. Can you see those tiny black specs on the leaf and tiles? Guess what they are. No, they are not food crumbs of any type. 

4 Oct: Growing sweet potato slips indoors. Caterpillar droppings.

 I have not yet figured it out. How on earth did caterpillars develop on my indoor potato slips. The windows are all meshed. Could this have occurred because I left them outside for about 1 day (when I was cleaning) or perhaps the nearby open top compost bin in my kitchen? How did this happen?

RELATED POSTS:

• Greens and Vegetables that are Tolerant of the Dry Season
• You can Grow Greens and Vegetables from Several Store Bought Produce
• How to build a DIY Vermicompost Bin

Why I grow Seminole (native American) hanging pumpkins in my tropical organic garden

After hearing about the Seminole hanging pumpkins, I became convinced that I would enjoy growing them in my tropical organic garden. Among my various motivators were its long shelf life, taste, practicality and historical interest.

I was impressed by the unusually long shelf life that Seminole hanging pumpkins are purported to have. It is said that, thanks to their exceptionally tough shell, Seminole hanging pumpkins can remain unspolit for as long as a year.

I am always happy to learn about edible flowers that could be added to my salads. It was therefore delightful to know that this pumpkin's flowers are edible. I have found this to be typical of pumpkins with which I am familiar. However, Seminole hanging pumpkins are differentiated from other types of pumpkin on the basis of taste. Specifically, Seminole hanging pumpkins are widely considered to be the sweetest pumpkin.

Regarding appropriate times to harvest, I generally believe that it is best to wait until nature is ready to deliver fruits, ie when they are fully ripe. However, I love the option that I have with Seminole hanging pumpkins. The fruit may be removed prematurely to allow it to ripen otherwise if natural ripening is unfeasible (or not preferred for whatever reason). The greatest foreseeable factor that may encourage me to harvest Seminole hanging pumpkins when they are still quite green is the risk of pest damage.

Quite apart from these interesting benefits of growing seminole hanging pumpkins, I find the history of this species very interesting. Seminole hanging pumpkins were almost made extinct by European who tried to destroy this crop as a means of starving the Seminole Native American communities.

I do recognize however that, although this plant is native to Florida where the Seminole native americans lived, I might encounter some challenges in the hot tropics. Specifically, Seminole hanging pumpkins are known to produce better in cooler months and slow down production in hotter Summer months in Florida.

In light of that, I have already determined my workaround - a microclimate that exists between two closely spaced structures. The structures block both East and West sunlight. Further, a fence that runs between the structures can make a great trellis.

Overall, I think that this plant will be fun and productive.

LINKS RELATED TO GROWING SEMINOLE HANGING PUMPKING

• How I grew Seminole hanging pumpkins from seed in my tropical organic garden
• Update - Growing Seminole hanging pumpkins

My gardening journey & garden tour

Since early childhood, I recognized my unmistakable attraction to the outdoors. At around 9, I leisurely toured a highly innovative self sufficient home farm. It was clear to me even at that tender age that those few hours had left an indelible mark on my mind.

Later, as a teenager, I spent innumerable hours with friends dangling my legs from low hanging branches in a beautiful garden at home. When surrounded by nature, it had such presence that I never felt alone. I so enjoyed it that I found myself mentally snapping photographs of the minutest 'green' detail.

Growing zucchini can be a joy as it is a very prolific plant. Notice how, in the top right portion of the frame, a flower has a tiny 'zucchini' at its base. This is the sign of a female flower. The zucchini at the base is much like an egg; it is awaiting pollination. If successfully pollinated, it would develop into a beautiful zucchini. Otherwise, it will eventually shrivel up and fall off (which is what happened in this case)

As I explained in the introduction of this blog, I was overjoyed by the idea of starting a tropical organic garden just outside my door. I love pets and, although I still consider the sound of paws running through the corridor in the early morning unrivalled among simple life pleasures, I believe that caring for a garden had to be a high priority on my bucket list. It is like caring for pets except that plants, despite their silence, let me know that they are alive with 'loud' responsiveness.

Perhaps my poetic way of describing my garden might prepare you for my confession. Before my gardening journey, my perception of my endeavours was very romantic and unrealistic. Please, what is said in this blog post stays in this blog post! My confession is that I truly thought that all I needed to do was love my garden, provide plenty sun light and water to all of the plants every day, even talk to them occasionally as a bonus and then struggle to keep up with a bountiful harvest.

Anyone who knows anything about gardening knows how uninformed this thinking is. Hopefully, the lives of the plants that I have killed will not stack up as karma against me. Several epiphanies bridged the gap between those initial challenges and the successes that I currently enjoy. However, my key turning point occurred as I watched a video in which an organic gardening guru reiterated the mantra-like saying that "the secret is in the soil". (I laugh when I think about how I had been buying dead top soil for my kitchen garden for several months before I saw that light.)

When I applied that knowledge, the improvement in the health of the garden was absolutely phenomenal. However, I had to learn much more: companion planting, plants with very variable needs regarding water, sun light, pH and nutrients ... not to mention the different organic pest control methods. One day I was so overwhelmed by it all and exclaimed the basis of my epiphany 'Wow! Gardening is a science.'



Walks through my garden are such a celebration of just how far I have come along my gardening journey. I am certainly not a guru by any stretch of the imagination. However, I am just happy to enjoy often abundant harvests of healthy greens, flowers and fruits from my garden. When I harvest, I think of the vibrant colors and patterns as mother nature's wrapping for her gifts. ... And every day is like Christmas. Despite the science of gardening, that 9-year old child still stirs inside me. 

Needless to say, I still have much more to learn. So I just keep plodding on through this gardening journey.   

Aloe vera (barbadensis)




It took a while before finally learning that the name of these beautiful peppers is jalapeño peppers. Their shape reminds me of old time Christmas tree bulbs.

Beautiful dill flowers emerging from a salad bowl.



Salad greens & herbs

Yard long beans

The long story about the beans

I pick these yard long beans only when they are about 1.5 feet long. If not, something else starts to nibble at it. I've heard that they can get as long as 36 inches.



Why I want to grow moringa oleifera from seed in my tropical organic garden

Claims regarding the (below mentioned) health benefits of moringa are among the most impressive that I have ever encountered. If I had my way, Haitians who still struggle in the wake of the 2010 earthquake would be gifted at least a few moringa seeds (and large pots). Since moringa thrives in poor soil and prefers infrequent watering, planting it in some parts of Haiti may be a manageable feat.

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NAMES

Moringa; Drumstick tree; Horseradish tree; Miracle tree; Moringa pterygosperma (archaic); Moringa oleifera

==> BUY MORINGA & OTHER TROPICAL SEEDS  <==

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MORINGA 
The leaves are purported to be many times more nutritionally dense than many renowned health foods. For instance, moringa is said to have many times more vitamin C than oranges, iron than spinach, vitamin A than carrots, protein than yogurt, potassium than bananas and calcium than milk. Furthermore, moringa contains all 9 amino acids along with other nutrients that include Magnesium, Copper and Zinc. Despite its powerful potency, it is even safe enough for lactating mothers and their babies.

==> Steps showing how to germinate moringa seeds 

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==> BUY MORINGA & OTHER TROPICAL SEEDS  <==

How I grow gotu kola from seed in my tropical organic garden

As you will remember from my experience with germinating kang kong seeds, I tried 2 different methods. For the gotu kola seeds, I did something similar since gotu kola also likes very wet conditions. 

However, I did not soak the seeds overnight and did not put either of them in direct sunlight.

See details below.

NAMES:

Gotu kola; longevity herb; pennywort; centella asitica

HEALTH BENEFITS OF GOTU KOLA INCLUDE:

Anti-inflammatory; antiviral; antibacterial, a mild adaptogen (ie gotu kola is a regulator that may enhance the body's ability to better avert harm by appropriately adapting to variable environmental factors); a cerebral / brain tonic; a circulatory stimulant & may help to better control anxiety and hypertension.

This is what I am hoping to achieve - healthy looking gotu kola leaves.

 

 

HOW I GROW GOTU KOLA

Date I sowed gotu kola seeds: 31 March 2012. I took this photo on 1 April 2012.

Germination container for my gotu kola seeds: This container does not have drainage holes at the bottom. I chose to do this since gotu kola plants like very wet conditions and its soil should never be allowed to dry out.

Date I sowed gotu kola seeds: 31 March 2012

Germination container for my gotu kola seeds: Unlike the photo above, this container has drainage holes at the bottom. However, it is sitting on the ever moist soil of my kang kong planter. (The kang kong planter has a saucer that always has water. That water can be wicked up whenever the plant needs water. Both kang kong and gotu kola like very wet, swamp conditions.) This planter is really a recycled food container that I might have tossed.

Why I grow gotu kola in my tropical organic garden

 One day, when I was searching for a solution to one of my gardening questions about tomatoes, I ended up on a page about gotu kola. Don't ask how I got to gotu kola! When I read about it, I realized that promising research findings regarding the health benefits of the gotu kola herb had been emerging for some time.

I am including the link to a Youtuber's video regarding the health benefits of gotu kola because he essentially repeats much of what various gotu kola proponents and health food stores were saying.

As time progressed, I also learnt that gotu kola has more recently been discovered by the Western world in such a big way that, in some places, consumers are prepared to pay top dollar for gotu kola products.

I thought that gotu kola would be worth my time, money, care ... and consumption. See photos of how I started my first set of gotu kola plants from seed and questions regarding gotu kola and vitamin B12.

Here is a quick summary of the gotu kola herb.

NAMES:

Gotu kola; longevity herb; pennywort; centella asitica

HEALTH BENEFITS OF GOTU KOLA INCLUDE:

Anti-inflammatory; antiviral; antibacterial, a mild adaptogen (ie gotu kola is a regulator that may enhance the body's ability to better avert harm by appropriately adapting to variable environmental factors); a cerebral / brain tonic; a circulatory stimulant & may help to better control anxiety and hypertension.



My question about gotu kola

In his Youtube video, InNaturesClassroom suggests that gotu kola provides vitamin B12. I immediately thought of the vegans who are concerned with vitamin B12 deficiencies. I wonder the extent to which gotu kola can contribute to fulfilling one's requirement based on the suggested daily intake of 2 to 3 leaves.

How & why I grow kang kong from seed in my tropical organic garden

As my kang kong seed germination experiment showed, there are different ways in which kang kong seeds could be germinated.

However, an abriged version of best germination practices for my tropical organic garden is below.




Kang kong seeds

NAMES

Kang kong; Water spinach; Chinese spinach; Water morning glory; Swamp cabbage; Bamboo leaf; Ipomoea aquatica; River spinach; Pak bong; Phak bung; Water concolvulus

WHY KANG KONG?

kangkong is ideal for raw food diets; Kang kong is great for treating diabetes since it lowers glucose levels and inhibits the absorption rate of glucose; Kang kong is great for encouraging probiotic growth (in the ease out period of a cleanse program); Nutritionally similar to spinach; Kang kong may reduce hypertension; Kang kong may even remove heavy metals from polluted water ways (This suggests to me that kang kong may have a similar healthful effect on heavy metals in my body.) Useful for pregnant women needing an iron boost.

To sow and germinate kang kong seeds:

1. Put a kang kong seed in luke warm water and allow to soak overnight
2. Fully dampen potting mix in a small plant pot
3. Sow a single kang kong seed into a hole that is 1 inch deep. Back fill the hole.
4. Always keep the potting mix moist (because kang kong plants thrive in very wet conditions).
5. Place the germination pot in a sunny location. My kang kong seedling pots were in full bright and hot tropical sun. However, I made sure that the potting mix never got dry. (I sowed my first and second batches of kang kong seeds in mid to late February. The wet season may be a better sowing time).
6. Wait for the seeds to germinate! My kang kong seedlings started out by resembling 2-pronged forks. (This is the nerve wracking part! My thoughts were: "I'm only seeing dirt!" ... then ... "Is that kang kong ... or a weed?" "Hooray! My kang kong seeds have all germinated!" ... "They all germinated but how will I handle all these fast growing kang kong plants!")

See me sow the kang kong seeds. I will be giving updates on how the plants grow. (One month old kang kong seedling update).

Please share your kang kong growing experiences. Subscribe to keep updated with not only my progress but also to see about other (tropical) organic gardeners' experiences with kang kong.

LINKS ABOUT GROWING KANG KONG IN TROPICAL ORGANIC GARDENS

• • My kang kong seed germination experiment - Part 1 (Sowing seeds)
  • My kang kong seed germination experiment - Part 2 (Results)
  • Grow grow seed with a high germination rate. See examples of growing favorites like moringa, mango, citrus fruits and more.
  • How I grow kang kong from seed
  • My kang kong one month old seedling update
  • Kang kong pests & organic pest control
  • Garden update: Difference between kang kong plants in partial tropical sun and kang kong plants in full tropical sun (Pending)
  • Blog introduction to my tropical organic garden