COMPACT URBAN GARDENING & PERMACULTURE
Welcome to my world! What you see here is the place where I gained all my experience (located in Chicago, IL, USA) What I've learned to focus on is plant companionship, crop rotation, and healthy living soil. Just like in nature, variety is important. Equally important in a small space is proper maintenance, pruning of vigorous plants, and trellising of vining plants. This makes it easier to tend to the garden, harvest fruit, and keep a good amount of air circulation, which is helpful to plant health and the free roaming of pollinators.
FUN FACT : The first Summer, some rats ate all my corn. The next year I got some cats and I never had a problem again. The perfect organic pest control :)
Soil Protection
Using permaculture techniques that provide shade, and also the application of mulch using leaves and wood chips, you protect soil from Sun and wind degradation.
Worms and microorganisms then feed on the mulch and and create more nutrients for plants. Most plants like a certain amount of shade, which helps with stress.
In addition, surrounding vegetables with a variety of flowers and herbs attracts a number of different insects and pollinators. This is key if you want your plants to FRUIT. The more BEES, the BETTER!
Soil Nourishment
I you scroll down you will find photos of:
1. Compost composed from organic wood and leaf matter
2. My worm farm. Some refer to it as vermiculture. It's a process that utilizes compost worms to break down food matter. Worms are vital to the organic process in all soils.
3. I've also used a variety of soil amendments such as ash, eggshells, coffee grounds, and a variety of OMRI listed organic dry amendments, however I try to be as self sustainable as possible.
