Permaculture

Permaculture is a way of gardening that creates a sustainable and self-sufficient environment. To understand permaculture we have to look at what nature does with no human interaction. If nature sees a bare spot of land it will fill in the land with any plant that can grow there whether that plant is native or not. If nature sees a problem like polluted water it will put a plant that can help fix polluted water there. Some gardeners pull weeds and plants that are not native without a second thought, but take a closer look maybe that plant is there to fix something that’s wrong. If you want an abundance of crop  you should think about permaculture because not only is row gardening inefficient but it is actually less beneficial. But you can’t just plant any plants next to each other you have to think about there needs and also how they benefit your environment. For example tomato and basil grow really well together because basil helps keep away bugs that are looking for tomato seeds. Another great example that you have probably heard of is the three sisters. Many Indian tribes used this method of planting. The three sisters are corn, beans and squash. Bean plants can take nitrogen from the air and bring it to the soil and that helps all three plants. A case of two plants that do not get along is walnut trees and tomato plants. These plants don’t like each other because walnut trees produce juglone. Juglone is a chemical compound that stunts the growth of other plants. Permaculture doesn’t just involve plants though animals and insects can help too. Chickens can really help with bring up the soil and bees pollinate plants. Rabbit poop is also a exceptional fertilizer. Permaculture is an efficient and beneficial way of gardening and I encourage all of you to do more research on it or just try it yourself.