Permaculture principles

G’day, thanks for stopping by! SkyPerma is all about becoming more self sufficient and sustainable using practical solutions. This article will explore the 12 permaculture principles and provide some examples of how you can use them practically.

Permaculture principle 1 – Observation First

Observe First, then interact. Do not make massive changes without first understanding the system; for example sunlight plot or shade diagrams, you must observe the light patterns in your garden so you can grow the most appropriate plant for that level of shade / sunlight.

Permaculture principle 2 – Energy

Catch and store energy wherever possible; for example solar energy can be both actively captured using solar panels, regulators and batteries. It can also be passively used through passive solar design; an example is house shading in summer with a deciduous grape vine which in winter drops its leaves and allows sunlight to come through and warm the house.

Permaculture principle 3 – Yield

Grow to obtain a yield; this can be a physical yield such as apples from an apple tree, or a yield effect such as pollination of food crops from planting a flower bed.

Permaculture principle 4 – Self-reflection

Self reflection means observing over a longer time period and then evaluating what has and hasn’t worked. It is important to undertake self reflection to avoid repeating mistakes, and also so you can tweak and optimise your system.

Permaculture principle 5 – Renewables

By switching to renewable resources we are removing the reliance on finite resources; for example using your own ‘green fertiliser’ by sowing and slashing lupins into a field you are able to fertilise the area without relying on harsh chemical fertilisers which may have second or third order unintended consequences. Similarly, by using interlinking principle 2 (Energy) to use renewable energy sources like solar, wind or hydro to provide our electricity we can avoid needing to use coal, gas or oil powered electricity.

Permaculture principle 6 – Recycle

By recycling we can dramatically reduce the waste we produce. Similarly, using principle 4 we can reflect on our own resource use and shift our consumption towards more sustainable practices. A simple example may be recycling planter punnets we use to germinate our seedlings, or reusing jars to store our food. One way I choose to recycle is to chip my orchard pruning / off-cuts and use this as the base for my garden paths and base of the orchard – this recycles the wood and keeps the carbon locked up (rather than burning it) and slowly it decays and turns into amazing soil. It also supreses weeds.

Permaculture principle 7 – Holistic design

Holistic design means looking at the bigger picture before getting bogged down into the details. This might mean trying to think more ‘out of the box’ and focus on what the system inputs and goals are before looking at specific design solutions. For example, before starting to plant out an orchard it would be prudent to consider what you are trying to achieve; how many people are you trying to support, what are the risks and local pests (and how will you protect them), what is your target fruit production, when do you want to harvest the crops, what will you do with excess production etc.

Permaculture principle 8 – Integration

Integration means having your systems work together. For example you may choose to create a compost heap on your property; this allows you to integrate your waste disposal (such as food scraps or green waste) system with your growing systems – as good quality broken down compost can be used to fertilise and provide organic matter for your garden. Another form of integration is I run the chooks through the orchard; the chickens keep pests, weeds and excess fallen fruit at bay, and provide the orchard with an ongoing source of organic compost – chook poo!

Permaculture principle 9 – Increments

Increments means valuing small progress or doing things with small, frequent changes rather than massive sweeping overhauls. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and in a similar concept neither will your system. Incremental change works with self-reflection to continually tweak and make minor adjustments to your systems. This provides much lower risk – For example when starting a chook run, perhaps you should just start with only a half dozen to test and adjust the process, and not a few hundred chooks! This can also apply to adopting the other 11 principles; don’t rush out to drastically change your lifestyle and drop everything – you will probably be overwhelmed and give it up, so just start with one small change at a time – when that works safely, you can incrementally change something else. Slow and steady progress!

Permaculture principle 10 – Diversity

similar to the principle of integration, diversity means to value a poly-culture. Mono-cultures such as fields of corn are susceptible to pest damage because the pests can easily find the scent of the corn and then gorge themselves. Inter planting with a diverse range of species improves the suitability and yield of your crops; for example companion planting Tomatoes with Basil has been known about for hundreds of years. Many herbs can be used as a natural pest repellent, and flowering plants interspersed with food crops allow for increased pollination and yield; which is why we often see roses or other flowers planted along and within orchards

Permaculture principle 11 – Zero waste

Permaculture means moving toward a zero waste lifestyle. This works in conjunction with principle 6 (recycle) but also refers to principle 9 (incremental change). An example could be a shady garden spot which is difficult to grow a particular sun loving crop; we can avoid wasting this space by selecting a shade loving plant that might need a bit more shelter (for example I plant out rhubarb in my shadier spots and they do just fine)

Permaculture principle 12 – Change

There is a funny quote about change that goes “There is only two things I don’t like – change, and the way things are”! Change is an inevitable fact of life, and understanding change is possibly one of the biggest parts of permaculture. We as custodians of the systems work to subtly mold the outcome of this change, and we can watch it unfold from day to day; weather patterns, plants growing and animals maturing. Permaculture means valuing change and accepting that our lives and systems will change and mature over time; including our knowledge, understandings and beleifs.

Summary

The 12 principles of permaculture can be used practically when designing and setting up your garden, growing or living space. By working with the natural environment and its strengths rather than trying to force it into something, you can unlock masses more potential and efficiency from your space; boosting your yield and cutting your operating costs.