Backyard Permaculture
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Permaculture
    • Ethics & Principles
    • Design >
      • Base Map
      • Zones
      • Sectors
      • Water
      • Property Plan
    • Water
    • Soil >
      • Re-Mineralisation
    • Climate
    • Food
    • Shelter
    • Energy
  • About
  • Grow It
    • Season by Season >
      • Autumn
      • Winter
      • Spring >
        • Late Spring
      • Month X Month Growing Guides
    • Vegetables
    • Seedlings >
      • How to Start Seeds
      • Success with Seedlings
    • Edible Weeds
    • Small Space Growing
    • Crop Rotation
  • Courses
  • Store

Plant which Increases Water in Soils

11/6/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
I just read an article that sounds like it has great possibilities for permies in Africa. 

It appears that there is a shrub native to africa, Guiera senegalensis.  I gather it is a popular medicinal plant.  The article claims that planting this plant with millet  led to a 900% increase in food production.  It appears that the guiera roots reach down 30 or 40 feet deep for water.  
At night, when the stomata close and photosynthesis stops, the roots near the surface release water into the upper soil, where the millet can reach it.  
I claim no expertise or knowledge here, but read the article and make your own evaluation and a soil microbiologist, friend of mine says this is but one of several known plants to have this capability. 
This sounds like a wonderful plant and it's like may hold a permanent answer to the drought problems of Australia, if researched 
Read More:www.ineffableisland.com/2018/11/how-one-tough-shrub-could-help-fight.html
​

0 Comments

Asparagus

10/9/2018

0 Comments

 
Hubby has just bought me in the first of this season's asparagus so I thought I would share some hints and tips with you.   ENJOY!!
Picture
There are reports of "wild" fields of asparagus (fields that were established then forgotten when people either died or moved away) that were producing in the 1950's and are still producing good quantities of spears today even though they have not been looked after since the 1960's Find out more about this perennial vegetable.  Click here for .pdf file. 
0 Comments

COMFREY - Symphytum officinale

6/26/2018

0 Comments

 
Comfrey and its uses
Herbaceous perennial herb,
​In cold areas it is dormant in winter. It is lush and fast-growing. The leaves are a useful addition to compost or used as mulch, as they contain silica, nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron. The whole plant is an excellent soil conditioner and responds to being mowed, which can happen 3- 4 times per year and the disposed of as previously described. (Mulch or compost) 
 
The flowers are excellent bee forage.
•      Cultivation: - Perennial herb to 60 cm high x 75 cm wide.
•       Health: - Bruises, sprains and bone fractures have been treated with comfrey for the last two  thousand years.
•       Use: - Leaves and roots can be used as a poultice and also to make an ointment.
•       Landscape: -
  1.  Dainty summer display of pink to purple flowers.
  2.   Leaves a prolific source of potassium rich mulch.
​Other functions
> Dynamic accumulator of nutrients & minerals
> Natural grass barrier
> Used as a healing cream & poultice
> Bee Forage
> Supplement fodder for sheep/goats
   chickens & ducks.
> Beautiful border plant

Comfrey can be grown from seed, but it requires a winter chilling period to germinate. It is not unusual to sow seed and not see any germination for two years. If all you want is one comfrey plant, you can usually find them for a reasonable price in the herb section of local nurseries or by mail order. Plants can go outdoors once danger of frost has passed. There are various varieties of comfrey and the variety I use is Docking 14. This Docking 14 has superior rust resistance and and is high in pot ash and allantoin a compound that does wonders for your compost
0 Comments

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018

    Categories

    All
    Beginning Of The Journey
    Common Sense Gardening
    Design Features
    Herbal
    Pest Control
    Plant Spotlight
    $ Savers
    Weeds
    Well-Being

    RSS Feed

About Us

Susan and her husband live in
​Beechworth Victoria, Australia.

Email

bypermaculture@gmail.com

    NewsLetter & Free E-Book
    "Stories of Simplicity".

Subscribe to Newsletter
 It is rewarding to grow 
some of your own food
and we are happy to help!​ 


Picture

We would love to have you visit.......... again soon!

© Susan Hutson 2020
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Permaculture
    • Ethics & Principles
    • Design >
      • Base Map
      • Zones
      • Sectors
      • Water
      • Property Plan
    • Water
    • Soil >
      • Re-Mineralisation
    • Climate
    • Food
    • Shelter
    • Energy
  • About
  • Grow It
    • Season by Season >
      • Autumn
      • Winter
      • Spring >
        • Late Spring
      • Month X Month Growing Guides
    • Vegetables
    • Seedlings >
      • How to Start Seeds
      • Success with Seedlings
    • Edible Weeds
    • Small Space Growing
    • Crop Rotation
  • Courses
  • Store