During lockdown --- Let's Grow Our Own Food
Design of the permaculture Kitchen Garden in final stage.
These are the following steps followed in making the Kitchen garden.
1. Site survey with triangulation. The central electrical pole was the common reference point.
2. Marking out the contours.
3. Bed design, keyhole and spiral herb design. The beds are on an average 4 ft wide however size differs as per contour. The keyholes are single reach (one arm length) on southern side and double reach on the northern side as there is a pathway towards that side.
4. Pathways. They are the most critical part of the Design as it is very important to have access point to each and every plant for proper care. The pathways are 6 inch swales dug in the middle of the beds filled with rough biomass ( marigold stems). Thus it creates access, stores water and provides In situ compost.
5. Fencing.- the plot is prone to raids from neighbour's chicken so fenced off from all sides. It also acts as a wind break, and trellis for creepers.
6. The garden beds are made on contour with bamboo reinforcement. The beds are 9 inches deep. The keyholes are about a foot deep amd have cardboard lining towards the bamboo barricade to keep the soil In.
7. Soil preparation- this is the most time consuming and back breaking work. The soil has been mixed with kitchen compost, cow manure, pig manure, saw dust, wood shavings, and forest top soil. The heap compost made during the PDC was also used here as brown matter as it was lacking in nitrogenous matter.
After broadcasting seeds a layer of clay mixed with saw dust was lightly applied on top, more on that later.
8. Planting strategy. Diverse planting in layers i.e. root, ground cover/creeper/ herb, shrub, creeper and small tree. The ground cover seeds were not sown in rows but broadcast over the soil. The whole bed was then topped off with a layer of soil mixed with saw dust to create a porous layer for the seeds to easily breach through and preserve the moisture below.
9. Wind break- on the southern side which has the dominant winds wild cherry has been planted out side the fence. Inside the fence mulberry, tithonia, tea, and creepers such as sword bean and flat bean have been planted.
These are the following steps followed in making the Kitchen garden.
1. Site survey with triangulation. The central electrical pole was the common reference point.
2. Marking out the contours.
3. Bed design, keyhole and spiral herb design. The beds are on an average 4 ft wide however size differs as per contour. The keyholes are single reach (one arm length) on southern side and double reach on the northern side as there is a pathway towards that side.
4. Pathways. They are the most critical part of the Design as it is very important to have access point to each and every plant for proper care. The pathways are 6 inch swales dug in the middle of the beds filled with rough biomass ( marigold stems). Thus it creates access, stores water and provides In situ compost.
5. Fencing.- the plot is prone to raids from neighbour's chicken so fenced off from all sides. It also acts as a wind break, and trellis for creepers.
6. The garden beds are made on contour with bamboo reinforcement. The beds are 9 inches deep. The keyholes are about a foot deep amd have cardboard lining towards the bamboo barricade to keep the soil In.
7. Soil preparation- this is the most time consuming and back breaking work. The soil has been mixed with kitchen compost, cow manure, pig manure, saw dust, wood shavings, and forest top soil. The heap compost made during the PDC was also used here as brown matter as it was lacking in nitrogenous matter.
After broadcasting seeds a layer of clay mixed with saw dust was lightly applied on top, more on that later.
8. Planting strategy. Diverse planting in layers i.e. root, ground cover/creeper/ herb, shrub, creeper and small tree. The ground cover seeds were not sown in rows but broadcast over the soil. The whole bed was then topped off with a layer of soil mixed with saw dust to create a porous layer for the seeds to easily breach through and preserve the moisture below.
9. Wind break- on the southern side which has the dominant winds wild cherry has been planted out side the fence. Inside the fence mulberry, tithonia, tea, and creepers such as sword bean and flat bean have been planted.
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