Before adding more plants, cover the soil. Use sheet-style layering on top of the soil: - compost - leaf litter - hardwood mulch No digging needed. This begins to: - hold moisture - soften rainfall impact - feed soil life - reduce stress in the system This one step changes a lot. Have you added mulch or compost on top of your beds this season?

Since I don't know the viability & survivability of my okra seeds, I had placed 3 seed in each germination tray space. I was surprise to see most of the space had all 3 seeds sprouted. ➡️Is this too crowded till I transplant them to the ground next week?

Guilds are intentional planting groups that reduce competition and increase helpful interactions. A guild asks how a small group of plants can work together because they each do different jobs well in the same space with similar growing conditions. A guild usually has one central plant or crop called the anchor, and then companions that help with things like pollination, soil cover, nutrient support, physical support, mulch, shade, or pest pressure. For example, the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) can be seen as a guild. Corn gives structure, beans help with nitrogen, and squash shades the soil. The same logic can apply in any species grouping, for example blueberries. If blueberry becomes the anchor plant, we might plant lingonberry, cranberry, wintergreen, lowbush blueberry, and pine needle mulch within that guild creating a plant community. The highbush blueberry shrub gives the primary harvest and sets the pattern for the guild. Lowbush blueberry extends the berry layer closer to the ground. Lingonberry and cranberry help fill space near the soil surface while adding more edible yield. Wintergreen adds another low growing woodland plant that fits the same acidic and shaded conditions. Pine needle mulch helps hold moisture, protect the roots, and support the acidic conditions blueberries prefer. Each within the guild can survive in the conditions blueberries demand, low pH.

What do all these words mean? Let's discuss... I see permaculture not just as a planting scheme, but a design system that mimics patterns and relationships found in nature. Permaculture attempts to arrange land, water, plants, animals, paths, light, work, and timing so all the pieces augment each other. The goal is over time is to provide less outside input with increased sustainability. In hierarchy, permaculture is a design philosophy. Polyculture is the practice of growing different species together instead of one crop alone. A guild is a small intentional plant community within one of the above larger systems. Syntropic agriculture is a type of polyculture that organizes plants by succession, stratification, timing, pruning, and function. A food forest is another type of polyculture with layered perennials.

I came across this post and seeking your suggestion. Owner is about to rebuild same style. He is also asking..... 🪲 What is a constant irritation? 🪲 What would you do differently if you were to undo redo? Would you change it's design build 5 years ago?