V. ZONES
Learning Objectives: In this unit you will consider each zone, from zero to five. Zones are an essential methodology of the art of Permaculture. It is how we, as designers, place all the elements, house, energy systems, gardens, animals, etc. on our land-base. The first zone (0) is where our home sits, the place we frequent most. Zone one is where we place our kitchen gardens and the areas that we visit most after Zone 0. As we proceed through Zone 5 we tend to visit each following zone less than the previous one in our daily rounds. It is important that we identify habitat and bioregion type, by climate, topography, soils, etc., before we proceed to map out zones.
A. Zone 0: The Homesite (refer to unit XI: Planning the Homestead for methodologies and references)
1. Siting the house
2. Orienting the house (sun, wind, weather)
3. Behavior and needs
4. Tools and construction materials (earth, wood, straw, etc., insulation)
5. Energy (heating and cooling, electricity)
6. Water and waste treatment
B. Zone 1: Gardening and Small Farming Practice (also applies to zone 2; see also units on plants and soils)
Themes
Rampancy (species which become troublesome by occupying large areas or occurring in great number)
Plants: Reasons for Rampancy
• Response to damaged or vacant niches in environment
• Often species which are efficient & drought resistant
Specific response:
• To grazing: lantana, Patterson’s curse, thistle
• To fire: Erechthtites, fireweed, bracken
• To chemical changes in soil: sedges, sour-grasses
• To exhaustion of soil: bracken, moss, pioneer species such as blackberry, thistle
Dealing with rampant species with assisted evolution:
• Use succession plants, e.g. groundse/wattle/gum. Help succession by slashing/fertilizing/
planting of suitable species and spreading seeds
• Interplant fruit trees and cattle grazing (extensive); goat/pig grazing (local); carpet mulch on
small areas (garden); e.g. blackberry/bramble.
• Slash and interplant, e.g. lantana, especially shade species (pigeon pea, plantain, mango) and
vines (chayote, passionfruit).
Rampant species protect and mulch soils, provide bee forage, and protect subsequent evolutions/
successions.
Practical Establishment Problems
Losses in establishment often greatest cost to client. Design to minimize.
• Water (critical factor) needs first priority
• Wind shelter may be critical in the case of citrus, avocado, etc.
• Nutrients: e.g. phosphates for young pines; leguminous trees recommended
• Soils: better to rehabilitate and lose a year than to move forward with poor soils
• Species choice, especially in grassland competition, e.g. tagasaste, pines, oaks more successful than cultivated fruits
• Protection needed from browsers (thorn, fence, stone, electric barriers
Garden Strategies
These are some important approaches to food supply:
• A series of small, intensive gardens, vines, and tree crop areas closely associated with water
use in settlement, and sometimes irrigated (Domestic food).
• Corridors or dependable local niches for adapted, hardy drought-tolerant yams, cucurbits, vines, palms, and trees along dune bases, sandy river beds, valley floors, and in boulder fields or rock strew areas (extensive and semi-wild food).
• A series of flood fields in standby to sow quick crops of grains, oil seeds, grain legumes & catch crop for long term storage as a famine or drought buffer (Opportunistic cropping)
Garden Beds
Raised Beds:
• Preferably 0.5 meters above paths or grade
• Fill with sands, organic matter, and add gels (artificial) to hold water
• Mulch surface with “hard” mulch to shade soil; also mulch paths.
• Lay “leaky” pipes 15cm down in beds & time the flow to wet 0.5-1.0 meter depth of soil (to 1.5m for trees)
• Give beds deep watering to flush salt to below root levels.
Circle Beds (raised):
• Deep pit filled with organic matter and manure
• Plant on edges of pits.
• Stack stones for low windbreak on windward side
• Drip irrigate under mulch
Garden Plans:
• Plan garden to be very compact; few paths
• Use all domestic waste water in soakage pits to grow trees, bananas, palms
• Light (sun) excess can be reduced by vine shading of up to 70% shadow, and trellis over garden (grape, passionfruit) can run north/south to overshade garden.
• Thin foliage acacia can be set out in crop for shade
• Shadecloth needed over nursery areas, slatted or frond (palms) cover to seedling beds.
• Maximize fruits, root crops; minimize green leaf crop if nitrate levels are high in the water.
• Add zinc, iron, trace elements to water if these test absent.
Supply of Nutrients: soils lock up many minerals that can best be supplied:
• In aqueous solution, to foliage, or as drip
As seed coatings for broadscale planting
• As broadscale additives in soluble form
• As slow-release “frits” or pellets
• In perforated plastic bags at root level
• From mulches & organic material, composts, & manure
Mulch Sources in Drylands:
• Tumbleweeds & wisps of plants blown by wind which will settle in pits, swales, or be trapped by
fences
• Grown mulch in gardens and orchards
• Derived from plants such as casuarina, bamboo, tamarisk, comfrey, and some species of acacia on dunes and hills
• Forage grasses and legumes that have been planted for their mulch value or nitrogenous soil fixation in specific situations
• Some desert vines and hedge species which also provide good mulch from trimmings
• Household and town wastes (a major source of mulch)
• Grazing animals on range (if regularly penned), providing mulch-manure resources.
• Old clothes, mattresses, paper wastes
Corridor and Semi-wild Planting (very important in deserts)
Hardy trees (palms, fruits, nuts) can be set out along river beds, dune bases, and in shaded valley niches. Figs, mulberries, olives, dates, mango, chestnut, etc. placed in highly selective niches will become perennial after 1-2 years of care and will yield for decades. Use every seepage, spring, and shaded deep soils. Develop useful local species, vines, and shrubs for corridors.
Human and Animal Nutrition
Vitamins and Minerals: Dangers include mineral deficiencies in irrigated areas, poisoning from bare water and rapidly grown, leafy plants. Very common diseases arise from:
• Gross lack of fresh food: leaves and fruit. Leads to lack of vitamin A & C
• Lack of meat protein (for iron uptake and B vitamins)
• Excessive nitrates & salts in water or leaf
• Low blood levels of iron lead to anemia and stunted growth
• Poisoning by fluorides, radioactives, water-borne nitrates & pathogens
• Processed food adds to health problems of dietary diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, liver failure from alcohol
• Animals on browse may be poisoned by oxalates, prussic acids, nitrates, sodium fluoro-acetate in fast growing vegetation. Toxemia common in pregnancy, breeding, young animals. Watch for lethal effects of Botulinus from blue-green algae in desert lakes, and for water-borne diseases.
Dust and Water:
• Dust carries several pathogens, cysts, spores, sometimes harmful minerals or radioactives, encephalitis,
etc.
• Dryland borne waters can contain salt (sodium salts), radioactives, fluorides, nitrates, boron, and mineral salts
• Many desert diseases are water transmitted, showers are preferred to “swimming holes” especially when disease is endemic.
Laying Down the Garden
Approach #1: The Instant Garden
a) Sprinkle some manure, nutrients on the ground (or grass) to encourage worms to come up. Water fully.
b) Lay down thick wet newspaper, cardboard, carpet underfelt, or carpet (not with plastic backing).
c) Cover with thick layer of mulch (straw, old compost, any seedless mulch). Water fully.
d) For transplanting potted plants, uncover mulch, cut through cardboard, and fill area with a couple of
handfuls of soil. Transplant and water fully.
e) For large seeds (broad beans, sunflowers, peas, etc.) simply plant under the mulch and water every
day.
f) Small seeds: prepare area of soil, plant, water and lay board over the area. Remove board and water
daily.
g) Potatoes: simply plant under the mulch.
Approach #2: Rows, Pipes, and Mulch (for large area market garden)
a) Make level beds
b) Lay ¾” pipe down the bed and drill holes every 4 feet. Wrap stocking around hole
c) Mulch entire area, even the footpaths.
Needs very careful design, particularly focusing on access and schedules.
Starting from kitchen steps:
1) The Herb Spiral: 1 meter high. Contains plants which are constantly used. Herbs- mints, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, sage, basil, etc.
2) The Lemon or Lime Tree: must be close to the house as it is often used; can stay ripe on the tree a long time.
3) The Clipping Beds: for small salads: chives, parsley, mustard greens, corn salad, garden cress.
4) The Pathside Plucking Vegetables: Long bearing vegetables for salads and cooking that can be cut or have leaves pulled for months of yield. E.g. Chard, Brussels sprouts, celery, kale, dill, bell pepper, bunching onions, broccoli, spinach, zucchini, rhubarb.
5) Narrow Bed Plants: Must be able to move easily around the bed for easy harvest. Vegetables include asparagus, peas, beans, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes.
6) Broad Beds: here are planted the basic brassicas, lettuce, root crops that are closely spaced, self mulched, and are block planted to be cut over a period, E.g. beets, turnips, leeks, kohlrabi, onions, melons, parsnips, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, globe artichoke, potato.
7) Broadcast Sown Grain & Pulse Crop: here can be planted successions such as rape-sweet corn-buckwheat.
8) Vine and Trellis Crop: e.g. cucumber, pumpkin, passionfruit, jicama, beans, and peas.
Intensive Animals
• Pigeons
• Guinea pigs
• Bees
• Quail (can be in glasshouse to control insects)
• Rabbits
• Worms
1. Seeds and Crops: bio-intensive charts, seed selection and seed and plant care information
a. Seed selection (look through catalogues)
aa. Annual and perennial crops
bb. Needs (personal food choices)
cc. Schedules, planning and calendars for the growing season
dd. Crop and plant rotation
ee. Companion plants
ff. Planting and transplanting
gg. Seed saving and storage
Seeds and Nurseries
• Seed saving: collection and exchange (Kent Whealy system)
• Perennializing annuals: how to reduce the need for seeds
• Need for specialized permaculture nurseries for unusual
plants, e.g. bamboo, palm, cacti, and for forage species
• Seed companies (buy from small, non-hybridized stock)
• Seed legislation (P.V.R. in U.S.)
hh. Plants as heirlooms
1. Functions of plants
2. Plant species diversity
3. Identifying plants to use in Permaculture
(perennial culture)
4. Plants for humid, temperate and dry land climates
ii. Medicinal herbs, utility plants, food crops, food forestry
jj. Orchard management and edible landscaping, small fruits
kk. Foliar feeding schedules: seaweed, fish emulsion, herbal
ferments
ll. Biodynamic field spray and preps
mm. Organic fertilizers and their application, beneficial
insects and animals
nn. Sheet mulching, Fukuoka and Natural Farming, eco-
agriculture (Acres USA)
oo. Edge effects, keyhole beds, herb spirals, stacking of
plant guilds
pp. Fence and trellis crops (vines, espalier)
qq. Tools and equipment
b. Greenhouse Design and Operation
aa. Types of soil used
bb. Schedules
c.c Transplanting
dd. Tray types, planters
ee. Construction, coverings, heat, shade cloth, ventilation,
ideal temperatures
ff. Cold frames, movable greenhouses, row covers, shade
fabric
gg. Pests and diseases
hh. Solar greenhouses, mass, water walls, etc.
c. Watering
aa. The work and duties of water
bb. Water pollution
cc. Permaculture principles for water management
dd. How much water do we use?
ee. Reducing water consumption
ff. Reusing domestic water
gg. Storing rainwater
hh. Trapping and storing water on the land
ii. Drip irrigation
d. Edible Landscapes/Agro-forestry/Forests and Windbreaks
aa. Functions of a forest
bb. Windbreaks
1. How they work
2. Design
2. Tools and machinery
3. Plant Care
a. Watering: amounts and timing, quality of water
b. Weeding
c. Transplanting
d. Pest and disease control: row covers, companion planting, sprays and amendments, sterilization, radionics, etc.
e. Soil preparation (see soils section)
4. Food Preservation
a. Processing
b. Canning (canning kitchen operation)
c. Drying (on screens)
d. Long-term storage (root cellar)
e. Fermentation
f. Freezing
References:
-Altieri, Miguel, Agroecology, Harper Collins, Boulder, Co., 1989.
-Campbell, Stu, Let it Rot, Storey Communications, Pownal, Vermont, 1990.
-Campbell, Stu, The Mulch Book, Storey Communications, Pownal, Vermont, 1991.
-Coleman, Eliot, The New Organic Grower, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction, Vermont, 1989.
-Demerow, Gail, Barnyard in Your Backyard, Storey Publishing, North Adams, Mass. 2002.
-Fukuoka, Masanobu, The Natural Way of Farming, Bookventure, Madras, India, 1985.
-Hemenway, Toby, Gaia’s Garden, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction Vermont, 2001.
-Hupping, Carol, Stocking Up III, Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania. 1986.
-Jeavons, John, How to Grow More Vegetables.
-Mollison, Bill, Introduction to Permaculture, Tagari Publications, Tyalgum Australia, 1991.
-Mollison, Bill, Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual, Tagari Publications, Tyalgum Australia, 1988.
-Mollison, Bill, Ferment and Human Nutrition, Tagari Publications, Tyalgum Australia, 1993.
-Shapiro, Howard-Yana and Harrison, John, Gardening for the Future of the Earth, Seeds of Change, 2000.
-Steiner, Rudolf. Agriculture. Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Kimberton, Penn. 1993.
-Storl, Wolf D, Culture and Horticulture, Bio-Dynamic Literature, Wyoming, Rhode Island, 1989.
-Tompkins, Peter and Bird, Christopher, Secrets of the Soil, Harper and Row Publishers. NYC, 1989.
-Walters, Charles and Fenzau, C.J., Eco-Farm, Acres USA, Kansas City, Missouri, 1996.
-Young, Richard and Glover, Thomas, Handyman in Your Pocket, Sequoia Publishers, Inc., Littleton, CO, 2001.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpkiQHvmkII&feature=related