Ecological Gardening - What We Are Doing

So what are we doing to make ours an ecological garden?

 

Step 1: As I have said, we stopped using chemical fertilizers and insecticides and are working on the herbicides fast.  

Step 2: I have spent the last year reading non-stop and feel like I can now start applying.

Step 3: We have a list of trees to base our plant communities around, and many shrubs to go between and link them.  Then there are smaller plants and groundcovers and vines.  Most are edible, some fix nitrogen, and all are perennials.  The larger ones produce welcome shade for many of the smaller ones.  Many of the smaller plants will simply have to be experimented with in different places to see where they do best and where they help other members of the community the most.  Some of these plants have already been installed.  We have placed all these plants on our diagram to fill the "Seven Storeys of Abundance" in a typical Forest Garden:

1) A 'canopy' layer consisting of the original mature fruit trees.
2) A 'low-tree' layer of smaller nut and fruit trees on dwarfing root stocks.
3) A 'shrub layer' of fruit bushes such as currants and berries.
4) A 'herbaceous' layer of perennial vegetables and herbs.
5) A 'ground cover' layer of edible plants that spread horizontally.
6) A 'rhizosphere' or 'underground' dimension of plants grown for their roots and tubers.
7) A vertical 'layer' of vines and climbers.

Canopy: Allspice, Bay Rum, Cinnamon, Coconut, Jackfruit 'Bangkok Lemon', Longan, Lychee, Malabar [Chest]Nut, Mango 'Julie' (dwarf), Mulberry (large-fruited), Sugar Apple, and Tamarind.  We would also like an Abiu and a Jujube, but it may be some time until they are available.  We have a Myer Lemon/Griffin Orange tree, but it will probably be cut down because of the citrus canker eradication program.  It doesn't have the disease, but trees closer and closer to us are being cut down.

Low Trees & Large Shrubs: Atemoya 'Gefner', Bamboo, Bananas, Cherry of the Rio Grande, Elderberry, Grumichama, Katuk, Moringa, Papayas (shorter ones), Pomegranate 'Vietnam', Sapodilla 'Alano'

Shrubs: Basket Vine, Bay Laurel, Chaya, Clove, Curry-Leaf, Jaboticaba, Mulberry (small-fruited everbearing), Nutmeg, Okinawa Spinach, Spiral Ginger (Costus radiata), Star Anise, Sugarcane, and Hawaiian Ti.

Herbaceous: Aloe, Belembe, Blackberry, Cactus Prickly Pear (ECHO supposedly has a spineless variety), Cardamom, Centrantherum, Chickweed, Cuban Oregano (a coleus, variegated), Daylily, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Hedychium, Hollyhocks, Lemon Verbena, Lemongrass, Mexican Tarragon, Naranjilla, Oregano (Italian or Greek), Pigeon Pea, Pineapple 'Red Spanish' or supermarket cuttings, Purslane, Raspberry 'Mysore', Roselle & False Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus), Rosemary, Rue, Salvias, Society Garlic, Sunflowers, Tansy, Water Leaves.

Potted Plants: Figs 'Magnolia' & others, some Herbs like Salvia officinalis cultivars, Thyme, and Scented Pelargoniums.

Vertical: Monstera deliciosa, Passionfruit Yellow & 'Giant Grenadilla', Vanilla Orchid.

Groundcovers: Gotu Kola, Mints, Portulaca, Quail Grass, Tilo, Yarrow (fern-leaf type).

Rhizosphere: Arrowroot, Eddo, Ginger, Sweet Potatoes (several varieties), Taro (Dasheen), Yams (Dioscorea).

We can add a list of useful Water plants as well: Cattail, Horsetail, Lotus, Marsh Marigold, Papyrus, Pickerel Weed, Saggitaria, Spatterdock, Spirulina, Water Chestnut, Water Chestnut Chinese, Water Fern, Water Lily, Water Plantain, and Water Spinach.

 

Step 4: We have covered the soil everywhere with either plants or 4-6" of mulch.  In the first few years, we will have to bring mulch in, but eventually we hope to be growing all our own.  We keep a few piles in unobtrusive areas ready to apply so no ground will be left bare.

Step 5:  Cow manure will be applied on top of the beds twice a year and covered with more mulch.  We are experimenting with a mixture of Pigeon Peas, Lablab beans, Velvet Beans, Hairy Vetch, and Hulless Oats as cover crops over much of the back.  Even the Potager and Herb Circle got a Pigeon Pea or two planted in the center of each bed.  

Step 6: We hope to build diversity by having so many types of plants, many of which attract birds and beneficial insects.

Step 7: We will be adding containers of water plants and hope to have a small pond and bog area.  We have turned a few pots on their sides under shrubs for toads.  There will be plenty of cover for birds.

Step 8:  Birds will bring manure.  We have been composting kitchen scraps anaerobically because our neighbors were excessively worried about rats, but we would like to start a worm bin on the back patio for this purpose.  Birds and beneficial insects and the diversity of planting should take care of pest problems.  Since we began applying steps 1 and 6, we have had very few pest problems, and never had to spray even 'natural' remedies.  Timing also plays a part - plant annual vegetables as early as you can and get them harvested before their particular pests become a problem.  After eating brassica greens fresh from the garden for a few months, we are not so upset to let them give way to something else when aphids begin to multiply.

Step 9: See the Potager Update Fall 2004 to find out how we applied the principles to our annual vegetable beds.

We will be reporting here on the progress and success of this system in our garden, but of course, results will take a while to happen, so please be patient!

 

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