An introduction to Permaculture Course first given at the Hawkesbury Earthcare Centre in April 2009 http://www.earthcare.org.au/intropermcourse by Penny & Karim http://caughtintheart.blogspot.com/ & Kat http://twitter.com/katska The course is based on Bill Mollison's "Introduction to Permaculture" http://www.tagari.com/item.php?itemid=156
We would respectfully like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this event is taking place. The local Mob for this part of the country are the Darug People. They inhabited the Cumberland Plain : They didn't consider themselves owners of the land, rather custodians. Welcome Message
Transcript
We would respectfully like to acknowledge the Traditional
Owners of the land on which this event is taking place.
The local Mob for this part of the country are the Darug
People.
They inhabited the Cumberland Plain : They didn't consider
themselves owners of the land, rather custodians.
Welcome Message
Global Warming
Climate Change
Peak Oil
Deforestation
Resources to Waste
Population Increase
Nutrition
Financial Crisis
Soil Loss
Environmental, Social and Health Issues
Why Permaculture? The Stages of Change Model After DiClemente,
2003
Bill Mollison
Permaculture (Permanent Agriculture) is the conscious design
and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems which have the diversity,
stability & resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the
harmonious integration of landscape, people & appropriate
technologies, providing good, shelter, energy & other needs in
a sustainable way. Permaculture is a philosophy and an approach to
land use which works with natural rhythms & patterns, weaving
together the elements of microclimate, annual & perennial
plants, animals, water & soil management, & human needs
into intricately connected & productive communities.
Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against
nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than
protracted & thoughtless action; of looking at systems in all
their functions rather than asking only one yield of them & of
allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions.
David Holmgren
Permaculture draws together the diverse ideas, skills and ways
of living which need to be rediscovered and developed in order to
empower us to move from being dependant consumers to becoming more
responsible and productive citizens.
What is Permaculture?
Dawn Shiner
Patterned after the natural & diverse systems of nature,
Permaculture is a design science that weaves together our
individual human needs with the microclimates, plants, animals,
micro-organisms, water & soil management, thus allowing us as
individuals to take responsibility for our life-styles & design
our way out of unsustainable cultural patterns while meeting the
realities of the 20th Century.
Dan Hemenway
Permaculture is a term used to describe the application of
ecosystem design principles to design sustainable human habitation,
including supply of water, food, energy, shelter, income,
aesthetics, community & other needs, & amenities.
Permaculture stresses careful observation & integration into
natural design for each place as an alternative both to the
drudgery of continually labouring & to excessive reliance on
complex technologies, which are inherently unstable.
What is Permaculture?
Care of the Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue
and multiply.
Care of People: Provision for people to access those resources
necessary to their existence.
Sharing Surplus: By governing our own needs, we can set
resources aside to further the above principles.
Ethical Basis of Permaculture
Permaculture Principles Observe & interact Catch &
store energy Obtain a yield Apply self-regulation and accept
feedback Use & value renewable resources & services Produce
no waste Design from patterns to details Integrate rather than
segregate Use small and slow solutions Use and value diversity Use
edges and value the marginal Creatively use and respond to change
Diversity Energy Cycling Edge Effects (microclimate) Multifunction
Back up your major functions Relative Location Energy Efficient
Planning Accelerate Succession & Evolution Small Scale
Intensive Systems Use Biological Resources Attitudinal Principles
David Holmgren Bill Mollison
Diversity = Stability
Diversity on several levels:
* Products
* Time
* Techniques
* Trade
* Climate
Principle 1: DIVERSITY By designing a diverse system we can achieve
stability. However, its not the number of elements we have in a
system which creates stability, but the functional connection
between the elements.
Monoculture vs Polyculture
Principle 1: DIVERSITY Monoculture: A sole crop referring to a
component crop being grown alone and, unless otherwise indicated,
at optimum population and spacing
yield decline and instability
declining economic returns
difficulties with pests and disease
poisoning of food, atmosphere, soils and water
decline in food quality
biodiversity reduction
non-renewable resource use
poor energy efficiency
the decline of rural culture and land management expertise
Principle 1: DIVERSITY Polyculture: Using multiple crops in the
same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems,
and avoiding large stands of single crops. It includes crop
rotation, multi-cropping, intercropping, companion planting and
beneficial weeds.
avoids susceptibility to disease
increased yield per unit area
increases local biodiversity
year-round ground cover (soil protection)
better use of available nutrients and water in the soil
evenly distributed provision of food (for self-reliance)
evenly distributed provision of products (for market)
lower production risks, if one crop fails the other(s) still
provide a harvest
improved microclimate, water balance, and internal nutrient
cycling when tree crops are included
Conservation of energy
The total amount of energy in an isolated system remains
constant
Energy is not created or destroyed
(however)
Second law of Thermodynamics
Entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will
tend to increase over time
Principle 2: ENERGY CYCLING scientific principles
Energy cycle in Australian natural ecosystem
Principle 2: ENERGY CYCLING: observe natural system Photosynthesis
(in green plants) Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight Carbohydrates +
Oxygen Respiration (in plants and animals) Carbohydrates + Oxygen
Carbon Dioxide + Water + Metabolic Energy
Food production linear system
Requires continual replenishment of external inputs
Unwanted outputs generates waste/pollution
We can design a system in which
Energy can be captured and cycled within the system
Each use adds some value
Waste is minimized
Use the energy cycling principle in system design
External inputs and unwanted outputs generates waste
Principle 2: ENERGY CYCLING scientific principles
Edges are where two ecosystems meet and overlap
Some examples
Building meets road
Forests or orchards at the edge of meadows or paddocks
Desert Borders
Edges of rivers and ponds
Shoreline where ocean meets land mass - tidal pools, coral
reefs
Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS - Observation
Energies or materials accumulate at edges attracting a wealth
of diverse inhabitants!
Example interactions
Dust debris and food litter dropped by people outside a
restaurant, attracts insects and wildlife from neighbouring
street.
Soil, seeds & debris are blown by wind against trees,
shrubs, fences. Provide food and resting place for animals and
birds.
Seashells and seaweed form a line at the tide-marks on a beach,
small creatures washed up, food for seagulls and crabs
Logs or rocks in the river trap mulch, microbes, fungal hyphae,
worms attracted to this nutrient rich environment
Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS - Energy Capture
Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS - summary
By paying attention to and designing edges we can :
Define Areas and microclimates
Positively capture wild energies and nutrients
Increase diversity and yields
Principle 3: EDGE EFFECTS in design We can use our observations
to create positive advantages and increase productivity and yields
in our designs.
Seed suppliers:
www.greenharvest.com.au
www.edenseeds.com.au
www.selectorganic.com.au
www.greenpatchseeds.com.au
www.seedsavers.net
www.daleysfruit.com.au (fruit trees)
Yates
Fotersgills
Honey Suckle Nursery (KurraYong)
Tour of the EarthCare Garden
Seed suppliers:
Phoenix (Tasmania)
The Lostseeds (Tasmania)
The Italian Gardeners
Vilmore Australia (French seeds Company)
Kings Seeds
Diggers
New Gippsland Seed and Bulbs
Tompson & Morgan
D B Brown
Tour of the EarthCare Garden
Each element in a permaculture system is chosen so that it
performs as many functions as possible
NFP analysis (Needs/Functions/Products) on each element
A deficit in inputs creates work, whereas a deficit in output
creates pollution
Principle 4: MULTIFUNCTION
The functions of each element will be considered when placing
them in the permaculture design
Water tank
Timber lot
Herb & vegetable garden
Dam
Orchard
Greenhouse
Principle 4: MULTIFUNCTION
Principle 4: MULTIFUNCTION
Ensure that each major function is provided for by more than
one element if one fails, the system will still be resilient:
Food
Drinking water
Hot Water
Cooking
Electricity
Fire control
Principle 5: BACKING UP MAJOR FUNCTIONS
Make connections between the inputs and outputs of each
element. When this occurs, the elements are working together, which
is work you dont have to do.
Base our linking strategies to these questions:
Of what use are the products of this particular element to the
needs of other elements?
What needs of this element are supplied by other elements?
It becomes clear that many components provide the needs and
accept the products of other elements.
Principle 6: RELATIVE LOCATION
Principle 6: RELATIVE LOCATION
Zone Planning:
Placing elements according to how much we use them or how often
we need to service them.
Oftenest = Nearest
If an element that requires 2 visits a day is placed an extra
10m away you will have to walk an additional 14.5km a year
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Zone Planning:
Zone 0: Home or centre of activity
Zone 1: Most controlled and intensively used area
Zone 2: Maintained with dense plantings, drip irrigation
Zone 3: Un-pruned/un-mulched orchards, larger pastures
Zone 4: Semi-managed semi-wild
Zone 5: Unmanaged or barely managed wilderness
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
We can look upon an urban setting in the context of the five
zones:
Zone 1: urban allotments
Zone 2: street-scapes, parks & playgrounds
Zone 3: shopping centres, playing fields & golf
Zone 4: Road, river, railway, industrial areas
Zone 5: National and state parks or urban fringe
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Deals with Energy Flows
How can we categorise Energy as it relates to our site?
Energy that runs through site
(wind, water, sun light & fire)
Energy that is available on site
(people, animals, machines, wastes & fuels)
How do these Energies relate to Permaculture as a Design
Science?
Harmonising, slowing, pacifying & multi-use
What Priorities do we set for site Design?
Water
Access
Structures
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Sector Analysis deals with Wild Energies:
Water
Rain 10, 50, 100 Year Floods
Rivers, streams, creeks & springs
Wind - Hot & Cold Winds
Hot Summer Winds Bushfire
Cold Winter Winds & Frosts
Sun Light
Winter & Summer Sun
http://www. susdesign .com/
Wildlife Tracks or Paths
Desirable & Undesirable Views
Access Roads, Paths & Tracks
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Topology or Relief Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Slope Analysis deals predominantly with Water
But may also include:
Sun Angles for growing areas
Winds, Fire Hazards & Frosts
Access
Tools for Slope Analysis
Contour Maps
Land Surveys
GIS Printouts
A frame
Satellite Photography
Google Earth
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Slope Analysis
From Introduction to Permaculture, Bill Mollison Principle 7:
EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Slope Analysis
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Summary
Once the analysis is done, we know that every element is in a
good place for three reasons:
Relative to site resources ZONE PLANNNG
Relative to external energies SECTOR ANALYSIS
Relative to slope or elevation SLOPE ANALYSIS
Principle 7: EFFICIENT ENERGY PLANNING
Reasons to Act
Principle 1: Diversity
Principle 2: Energy Cycling
Principle 3: Edge Effects
Principle 4: Multifunction
Principle 5: Backing up Major Functions
Principle 6: Relative Location
Principle 7: Efficient Energy Planning
SUMMARY DAY 1
Characteristics of humus
Air pockets - forms a spongelike consistency, provides
ventilation for roots (root tips wear out if soil it too
compact)
Holds moisture - because of its spongelike consistency, it
holds moisture, whilst allowing drainage, meaning soils dont get
waterlogged
Binds soil - binds particles together, making it easier for
water and air to penetrate, and prevents erosion
Holds nutrients and minerals like a magnet, they catch
positively charged ions such as potassium, iron, calcium, copper
and ammonium
SOILS
SOILS - initial observation With simple tests we can get some
ideas about the nature of the soil we are working with. Take a
handful of soil how does it feel, smell? Does it hold together, is
it wet? Put some in a jar with water, give it a good shake, and let
this settle for at least 15 minutes. Leave for 24 hours for clear
results The soil will settle into layers in order of particle size
and density, and can be surprising sand - large particles do not
bond, does not hold water silt - organic matter, holds moisture
& nutrients clay - minute particles which trap water
SOILS Soil types by clay, silt and sand composition. Image by
Richard Wheeler Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
License.
SOILS
Nutrients and Minerals
Humus particles hold onto the nutrients which plants need, so
they can pick and chose as needed. Healthy organic soils can
provide the perfect balance of food that plants need.
Soluble fertilisers force-feed the plants, so chemically grown
vegetables are un-balanced in nutrients.
Add nutrients and minerals in small scale systems with:
Manures, food waste, animal bodies, seaweed, water plants, rock
dust, urine, legumes, dynamic accumulators (the weeds from that
garden)
On a large scale with:
Rock dust (replaces exported minerals), legumes and green
manures, animal manures
Tests sent to SWEPS Melbourne $140
Nutrients and Minerals
To be healthy, plants need access to the full range of macro
and micro-nutrients from the soil .
SOILS
Some are needed in larger amounts (nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium), others are needed in only tiny amounts, but each plays
a vital role in the health of the plant.
If one nutrient is missing or in excess, it can cause others to
be locked up and unavailable also.
Testing PH, testing Nutrient availability in the soil
Alkaline
High pH = heavy metals unavailable
Blue litmus paper
Sweet
Add a high nitrogen source i.e. manures, sulphur
Sulphate of ammonia is often recommended but this will kill
earthworms and other soil life
pH
The best option to correct pH is to add organic matter
If soils contain plenty of humus, there will be different
pockets of different pH ranges all over the place and the plants
can seek out the conditions they desire.
Humus is neutral, so it takes all soils toward a neutral
pH
Mulched gardens rarely show deficiencies.
Soil Maintenance
Provide moisture
Maintain the structure (dont compact the soil)
Recycle nutrients
Continue adding organic matter
SOILS
Why Compost?
It reduces waste
Reduces landfill problems
Makes great food for your garden
Saves you money
Fun and educational
COMPOSTING
Bokashi
Japanese term that means fermented organic matter
Bran based material that has been fermented with EM liquid
concentrate and dried for storage
EM is an abbreviation for Effective Microorganisms
COMPOSTING
Bokashi what to add
Add any kitchen organic waste including:
Cooked and uncooked meats, and fish
Cheese and eggs, bread, coffee grinds, tea bags
Keep portions small
Dont add:
Liquids (including oils)
Paper and plastic wrap
Meat bones
Avocado seed
COMPOSTING
Bokashi getting started
Collect food scraps in a closed container on the bench and only
open the Bokashi bucket once a day (or every 2 nd day)
Begin by evenly sprinkling the EM Bokashi into the bottom of
the bucket
Put in the food and sprinkle more EM Bokashi on top (one
handful per 3-4 cm of food)
Press contents down to remove any excess air (a container lid
works well) then reseal the bucket properly
Repeat this process until the bucket is full and then top up
with a generous coating of EM
Leave to ferment for a minimum 10 days
Bury the food waste under 2 inches of soil
COMPOSTING
Using EM liquid
COMPOSTING
Fertilise the garden:
On existing garden or house plants - use 1 teaspoon to 1 litre
of water
Directly to the soil - for trees and shrubs use 2 teaspoons to
1 litre of water
Directly to foliage as pest control use 1 teaspoon to 2 litres
of water
Pour the concentrated liquid directly into your kitchen and
bathroom sinks, down drains, toilets or septic system.
Good signs:
Bucket should smell like pickles or cider vinegar
Food should look the same as when you put it in (food has been
preserved)
Occasionally, particularly for longer fermentation periods, a
white cotton-like fungi growth may appear on the surface.
Bad signs:
Smell: A strong rancid or rotten smell indicates a poor batch
of compost
Visual: The presence of black or blue-green fungi indicates
that contamination has occurred and the process has not fermented
but putrefied
COMPOSTING
Why it goes wrong:
Not adding enough Bokashi
Opening the bucket too often
Not replacing the container lid tightly after every use
Not draining the juice frequently from the bucket (preferably
use within 2 days)
Prolonged and direct exposure to sunlight and extreme
temperatures (too hot or too cold)
Materials that kill the composting bacteria fat, oil, salt,
disinfectants, antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides (or waste
recently sprayed with pesticides)
COMPOSTING
The compost heap needs:
Water
Oxygen
Warmth
Size
COMPOSTING
Building the compost heap:
Soak the ground
Start building the pile, mixing the carbon sources with
nitrogen sources, with an activator in the middle (e.g. comfrey,
nettles, urine, old compost, seaweed, manure)
Wet the pile so that if squeezing a handful, moisture appears
between your fingers but doesnt drip off (or one drip falls at
most)
Cover with plastic to deter rodents and protect from the
rain
Turn on the 4th day, then every 2nd day for 18 days, keeping
the moisture right
COMPOSTING
Correcting the compost heap:
COMPOSTING
Too wet if its still too wet after forming a tunnel, add a
carbon source such as shredded paper
Not hot enough add nitrogen source (e.g. 1 handful of manure on
every pitchfork during the turn, or urine)
Too hot add carbon source (if over 65 o C)
White film is an anaerobic indicator that its too hot - add
carbon source
Bad smell add carbon source (all compost releases some smell
when turned)
Losing too much volume add carbon source
Vermin - Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the pile, secure the
tarp with bricks
Worm Farm
COMPOSTING
Worm Food
COMPOSTING
Worm Farm
COMPOSTING
Handy tips:
Dont let it dry out
Use the juice regularly (dilute up to 20:1), dont leave it
lying around
Flies: add lime, newspaper
Food not being digested, smelly; too much food
Ants ; add water, lime, isolate
White worms: too acidic; add lime ash
Going on holiday? Feed worms generously before you go- they
will survive 3-4 weeks. For longer periods consider manure
Can feed some of the worms to chooks to raise egg
production
Worm Farm
COMPOSTING
Harvesting the castings:
After 3 months the castings are ready to use (should be
black)
Move the cover and excess scraps
Put something like a sloppy mango in one corner and only cover
that corner
2 days later 95% of the worms will be in that corner
Put them in a bucket to remove the castings
Rebuild the farm
Put the worms back in
Worm Biology
COMPOSTING From Wormpost Northeast
Natural ecosystems: develop and change over time, giving rise
to a succession of different plant and animal species :
So what do we mean by Succession & Evolution?
Consider for a moment an Abandoned Pasture
1. weeds and herbs
2. pioneer plants
3. climax species
Conventional agriculture fights this process: by attempting to
keep the ecosystem at the weed/herb level (e.g. vegetables, grains,
legumes, pasture)
This is done using energy to keep it cut, weeded, tilled,
fertilised and even burnt.
So how can we apply the Natural Process to our advantage?
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
Basic layers in every forest:
Climax trees
Under storey trees
Shrubs and bushes
Herbaceous plants
Ground cover
Vertical layer (climbers)
In some climates other layers may exist:
Clumpers
Root yield layer
Emergent palms (wet tropics only)
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
Layers in a productive forest:
Canopy (large fruit & nut trees)
Under storey trees (dwarf fruit trees)
Shrubs layer (currents & berries)
Herbaceous layer (comfrey, beetroot, herbs)
Root layer (sweet potato, carrot, ginger)
Ground cover (strawberries)
Vertical layer (beans, pumpkin)
Introduction to Permaculture book has an index of useful
species at the back
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
Instead of fighting the process we can direct and accelerate it
to build our own climax species in a shorter time
Use what is already growing
Introduce plants that will easily survive
Raise organic levels artificially
Substitute our own useful species at all levels
Weeds play a significant role correcting soil problems
Many weeds are dynamic accumulators
Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil
Chop and drop
Sheet mulch weeds
Principle 8: ACCELERATING SUCCESSION & EVOLUTION
This was until the Green Revolution
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS Human beings (like all
other animals) draw their energy from the food they eat. Until the
last century, all of the food energy available on this planet was
derived from the sun through photosynthesis. Either you ate plants
or you ate animals that fed on plants, but the energy in your food
was ultimately derived from the sun. Eating Fossil Fuels by Dale
Allen Pfeiffer Energy (in Calories) 1 cal. 7 - 10 cal.
Agricultural energy consumption is broken down as follows:
31% for the manufacture of inorganic fertilizer
19% for the operation of field machinery
16% for transportation
13% for irrigation
08% for raising livestock (not including livestock feed)
05% for crop drying
05% for pesticide production
08% miscellaneous 8
NB.
Energy costs for packaging, refrigeration, transportation to
retail
outlets, and household cooking are not considered in these
figures.
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS Sustainable
(Permaculture) vs. Industrial (Agriculture) Cyclic & renewable
Linear, non-renewable Hand tools & small machinery Large
machinery, heavy processing Minimum, Efficient use of space
Maximum, Inefficient use of space Economical, low energy Costly,
energy intensive Kind on the environment Ecologically invasive
Analogous to: Aikido Karate
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
Efficient garden design strategies:
Keyhole gardens
Terracing and Trellising
Use vertical space (beans, peas, pumpkin, grape, fruit)
Regular pickings close to paths
Bed width = reach, long reach = single pick
Raised beds
Broccoli boxes (50c from green grocer)
Herb Spirals
Mulch (the golden rule no matter what soil type)
Compost
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
Herb Spiral
Expand space upward rather than outward
Create different microclimates ranging from shady moist areas
to warmer drier areas
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS Herbs that prefer moist
conditions Herbs that prefer/handle drier conditions Plant near the
bottom of the spiral facing the softer morning sun Plant facing the
summer sun and on top of the spiral Coriander Lemon balm Garlic
chives Lavender Cress Tarragon Marjoram Oregano Ginger Mint (in
pot) Rosemary Yarrow Parsley Rocket Society Garlic Thyme
Raised no dig garden
Select a small patch of grass, weeds or concrete near the
house
Trample on grass or weeds
Put down a double layer of cardboard, overlapping it well (or
10 layers of newspaper)
Alternate layers of high-nitrogen with high-carbon materials at
1:10 thick, watering as you go, until 80cm high
Place a layer of hay on top
Sprinkle with dolomite/lime and water well
Make holes, pour in half a bucket of garden soil and plant
seedlings
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
Potato Circle
Dig out a circle patch of lawn
Place potatoes (sprout up) 30cm 1ft apart around the outer
edges
Cover with soil (can be lawn that was dug out placed upside
down)
Fill the central hole with mushroom compost
Cover the whole circle with 30cm 1ft hay
Potato plants will end up covering the circle
Potato in Tyres
Cut out tire walls with sturdy knife, place one on ground
Place potatoes on top of a bed of Lucerne hay, cover in compost
& mulch
When green leaf of plant pokes through, place another tire on
top and cover so only tips are visible.
Continue until you have 4 tires stacked up. Harvest when green
leaves die off completely. Yield is much greater for smaller
surface area.
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
Pond
Select a relatively flat piece of land, preferably that
collects water run-off
Dig a hole the size you want the pond leave ledges for
submerged pot plants
Cover the hole and garden edges with 10 layers overlapping
newspaper
Cover the newspaper with pool lining or butyl rubber
Put some rocks on the bottom to anchor the lining placing the
most beautiful rocks around edges and slightly hanging over the top
of pond
Fill with water
Immerse large, soil filled pots with aquatic plants (lotus,
taro, water lillies), in particular oxygenating plants
Place a log in the pond for frogs to get in and out of the
water
Principle 9: SMALL SCALE INTENSIVE SYSTEMS
Plants and Animals provide:
Fuel
Fertiliser
Pest control
Weed control
Nutrient recycling
Habitat enhancement
Soil aeration
Fire control
Erosion control
Shade
Principle 10: USING BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Solar & Solar Hot Water Systems
The different systems available
Standalone or grid interactive systems
The advantages & disadvantages of each option
Sizing your system
What else you need (e.g. batteries, inverters etc)
Costs and Government rebates available
Feed in Tariff
What are RECs (Renewable Energy Certificate) and how do they
relate to MRET
Bulk buying groups
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Pests repel them, trap them, mystify them, and attract
predators that eat them
Weeds outgrow them with natural herbicides
Fertility let it accumulate naturally with nitrogen-fixing and
deep-rooted plants, and with garden debris and leaves that decay
into rich soil. Healthy soil = healthy plants.
ORGANIC GARDENING
Companion planting works because:
One plant attracts predators that eat the pests of its
companion
One plant repels anothers pests
One plant produces substances that help another plant in
various ways
The growing habits of one plant fit in with the growing habits
of another
ORGANIC GARDENING
Planting out vegetables:
Avoid straight rows
Inter-plant as much as possible
Mix flowers, natives and vegetables together
Dont dig
Plant thickly
ORGANIC GARDENING
Long-flowering native plants:
Astroloma conostephioides 1x1m, red: autumn, winter,
spring
Banksia attenuata up to 10m, yellow: spring, summer,
autumn
Banksia spinulosa 3x3m, cream to yellow: autumn, winter,
spring