What is permaculture about??

[alldigging]

Both these posts make me sad, am glad that my lottie site doesn't have pointless rules about what you can and can't do on the site. Really don't understand what that has to do with allotmenteering.

Sometimes sheds have to be in certain places to appease planning rules.

Most people don't want seeds on plots next door floating about.

I've got huglekulture on my plot, and it's often really packed with plants so looks untidy. No neat tidy rows. I know I get frowns off certain people.

Most of the permaculture stuff I've read includes stuff about forest gardens.

If permaculture is going to be used because the plotters don't have much time then there's even more potential for upsetting plot neighbours.

I've heard many times that pumpkins smother weeds and they don't. The weeds can get to seeding stage before they're visible which isn't good.

Mulching is good but not as an option instead of coming more than twice a year.

[alldigging]

We struggle on our site to define cultivation because how can you include how often people come on to the their plot?

We've had one lady give up after not being on from July when she strimmed.
Another plot holder comes on when he has a letter and goes away again. He picked some of his blueberries this year but not all. Then the birds then learn they like the taste of fruit so are more likely to hunt down the other bushes on site.
He dug up last years carrots and left them to rot.
By the time you're asking people to sort out issues the chances are the plot has run wild for 6-8 weeks. That's a long time in terms of seeds blowing across lots of other plots.

We don't have lots of rules about what you can and can't do. Some sites do want plots dug over in winter though which would be a direct conflict with permaculture maybe.

[veggiechicken]

Well that has opened my eyes to a larger extent.
The reason I asked the question is because two people have expressed an interest in taking on a plot at my allotments. Before I see the prospective tenants, I wanted your take on the subject.
I am sceptical too about the relevance of such an undertaking on an allotment site particularly as we are expected to work against naure to a large extent i.e. banish slugs/snails, dig up and destroy weeds, no planting of non-fruit bearing trees, dig over the soil regularly to prevent pests and diseases etc etc.
I shall be testing the applicants to see what their plans are and will report back when appropriate.
Once again thanks for the time you have taken in answering.

Going back to the reasons for the initial post.
If the applicants had said that they garden organically, want to grow perennials like asparagus, rhubarb, fruit bushes and, once the ground is prepared will aim to use No-dig methods by mulching bare patches - would you have been concerned?

[Bigmallly]

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[Jay-ell]

Going back to the reasons for the initial post.
If the applicants had said that they garden organically, want to grow perennials like asparagus, rhubarb, fruit bushes and, once the ground is prepared will aim to use No-dig methods by mulching bare patches - would you have been concerned?

I'd be more worried about the ones who say that they want to use chemical sprays to kill off all the weeds, chemical sprays to kill off bugs, chemicals to feed the plants, chemicals to stop fungus and leave lityle dalls of poisons all around their beds. Those who would want to remove wild life from the plot, contantly disturd and kill off soil fauna, grow monocultures, use plastic absolutely everywhere to smother weeds, concrete over the paths.

Obviously I do some of those actions from time to time but not constantly and in fact not all of them.

as for weeds, well to most beautiful fragrant rose can be a weed if it's growing in the wrong place. Dandelion, nettles, chick weed are only weeds if you don't want. them otherwise they are salad plants, spring greens, dye plants, fible plants, coffee substitutes.

Comfrey is inedible and invasive but is grown by alot of allotment holders because they use it as a plant feed/potato fertiliser - would you not let someone on the plot if they said they wanted to use plants to fertilse others (which is one of the parts of permaculture)

[muddled]

This is a lively thread and one that I am very interested in.

One thing though....can I just remind folk of the original point?
John was asking what the word means in order to understand potential plotholders.

I don't believe he ever suggested refusing these people a plot, but rather wanted to grasp what they were talking about.


Okay, I'll shurrup now

[Bohobumble]

Hi John,

Did you decide to let them the plot in the end? I wondered if their plans would be consistent with the 'rules'.

I just stumbled across this link, the icons at the top describe how the thought process works much better than my description earlier: Permaculture Design Principles

[SkyChild]

This is a very interesting thread. I recognize aspects of permaculture described here in the way I garden. It's cool, think I should look into it. Maybe I'll come back wearing a turban and doing a raindance instead of using a watering can *waggles eyebrows*

[veggiechicken]

John, the OP, hasn't been back since the 28th January so he won't have seen all of the discussion
Would be nice to know what was decided

[Snadger]

Just got round to reading this thread and the answers definitely 42!

As with gardeners, give 100 permaculturists a similar plot and you'll get 100 different renditions!