intensive gardening practices - growing a lot in a little space
DESCRIPTION
Have you heard of SPIN farming? Square foot gardening? Other ways to grow more vegetables on less land than you ever thought possible? Attend this class to become familiar with the highlights of these (and other) approaches to growing a lot of food in a little bit of space, and how to apply them in your garden.TRANSCRIPT
Intensive Gardening PracticesIndependence Gardens
Portland, OR
Download the handout that goes along with
this slideshow!h!p://bit.ly/Af WYWo
January 2012© Independence Gardens LLC
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Introductions
What We Do• We help you DIY
– Building garden infrastructure
– Classes– Consultations– Doo Tees!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Class Goal• Introduce a host of resources that can
help you grow more in less space/time
Topics We’ll Cover• Intensive vs. extensive agriculture and
gardening• Common intensive methods: brief
intro to some well-known approaches• Common intensive methods: focus on
combining techniques• Inspiration for growing a lot in a li!le
space
What We’ll Cover TodayPreview
Got Questions? Please ask as we go along.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Any of these look familiar?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Intensive vs. extensive agriculture
Intensive• Required for sustaining high
population densities• Inputs
– Design: high– Labor: high– Capital: high– Water: high per area, low overall– Soil: high fertility required– Chemicals: used extensively
• Outputs– High per unit of area
Extensive• Practiced in areas of relatively
low population density• Inputs
– Design: low– Labor: low– Capital: low– Water: low per area, high overall– Soil: low fertility required– Chemicals: not generally used
• Outputs– Low per unit of area
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Why & whence intensive gardening?
• Intensive farming/gardening is framed a bit differently…– #e point
• Grow the most edible (for you) food in the least space possible• Minimize wasted space and resources• Minimize synthetic chemical inputs• Save time and (make) money• Feed the world
– #e ancestors• French Intensive
– Alan Chadwick• Biodynamic
– Rudolf Steiner
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
• What’s in a name?– Named approaches can be
• Systematized• Replicated• Sold• Plug and played
• Your toolkit– Techniques can be
• Mix-and-matched• Picked from and chosen to suit
your site and lifestyle
Approach vs. technique
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Choose your package
Here are some things to thinkabout when choosing anapproach:
• Founder(s)• Date of inception• #e WHY behind the method• Target audience• Cost to implement
• Basis in…– Science– Experience– #eory– Practice– Religion
• Source of revenue– Book(s)– Teaching– Product line
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Postage Stamp Garden
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Postage Stamp Garden
• Duane Newcomb (1975)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Postage Stamp Garden
• Duane Newcomb (1975)• Based on French Intensive and
biodynamic methods
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Postage Stamp Garden
• Duane Newcomb (1975)• Based on French Intensive and
biodynamic methods• #e size of the garden is the
main consideration (“postage stamp-sized”)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Postage Stamp Garden
• Duane Newcomb (1975)• Based on French Intensive and
biodynamic methods• #e size of the garden is the
main consideration (“postage stamp-sized”)
• Ease of use is also emphasized
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Postage Stamp Garden
• Duane Newcomb (1975)• Based on French Intensive and
biodynamic methods• #e size of the garden is the
main consideration (“postage stamp-sized”)
• Ease of use is also emphasized• Book is readily available online
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Postage Stamp Garden
• Duane Newcomb (1975)• Based on French Intensive and
biodynamic methods• #e size of the garden is the
main consideration (“postage stamp-sized”)
• Ease of use is also emphasized• Book is readily available online
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Square Foot Gardening
• Mel Bartholomew (1981)• Focuses on residential food
production• Simple, accessible writing style
and methods• Easy to wrap one’s head around• Early editions of the book easily
found online
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
GROW BIOINTENSIVETM
• John Jeavons (1974)• Synthesized French
Intensive and biodynamic approaches ( “biointensive”)
• Ecology Action a!empts to grow ALL needed materials on the land being farmed
• Science-based, experimental
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
GROW BIOINTENSIVETM
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
SPIN Farming
• Wally Satzewich, Gail Vandersteen, and Roxanne Christensen (early 2000s)
• Targets emerging farmers in urban areas• Puts farming within a business/entrepreneurship context• Eliminates two major barriers to entry in farming: capital
and land• Each publication costs money (but the idea is that by
using the method, you will get that money back...plus!)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Choose your own adventure
• Not every approach recommends all of these, but they turn up frequently across approaches:
– Appropriate and long-term design– Raised beds– Vertical growing– Interplanting or companion planting– Succession/relay planting– Drip irrigation– Double digging– Mulching (and sheet mulching)– Season extenders (cloches and cold frames)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Appropriate design
• Permaculture is design-intensive, and designed to be less input-intensive over time
• Take advantage of inputs that already exist• Really KNOW your own schedule and what you have to
give a garden/what you need it togive you
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Raised beds
• Wooden sides NOT required
• Easy to customize • Easy to access• Easy way to de$ne garden
space• Recommended for
gardening with children and people with disabilities
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Vertical growing
• Stairstepping– Terracing land (or
containers) to catch sun– Height-based plantings
(short things/tall things)
• Trellising– Grow UP on supportive
structures
• Hanging gardens– Grow in baskets or down
from above
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Interplanting
• Timing– Early and later maturers– WHEN does a plant use HOW
MUCH space? when is it fully mature and harvestable?
• Structure– Tall with short– Sturdy with vining
• Function– Nutrient return– Trap crops
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Succession/relay planting
• Hedge your bets• Harvest over time
instead of all at once
• Take maximum advantage of space/time
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Drip irrigation
• Put the water where your plants can use it
• Note: Don’t let the convenience of a drip system keep you away from your garden space
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Double digging
• Soil preparation technique made popular by John Jeavons– Changes structure– Creates raised beds (no
wooden sides!)• Quick and dirty, hard
work with immediate return
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Mulching (& sheet mulching)
• Build, retain, and enrich soil (your biggest asset!)– Protects soil from
compaction and nutrient leaching
– Increases in$ltration of water from soil surface
– Decreases need for frequent watering
– Reduces temperature %uctuations
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Composting
• Nutrient cycling onsite
• Waste reduction – Turning a waste
product back into a resource
• Organic ma!er• Note: pay special
a!ention to sanitation in the intensive garden
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Season extenders
• Start earlier• Grow later• Grow a wider variety of
plants• Protect your plants
from extremes (temperature, precipitation, wind)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Other ways to grow
• Keeping animals– For poop– For products
• Using humanure• Aquaculture• Hydroponics• Vermicomposting• Growing mushrooms• Sprouting sprouts
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Other ways to grow
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Other ways to grow
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Resources
• Postage Stamp Gardening– h!p://www.thebooksite.net/postagestampgardening/
• Square Foot Gardening– h!p://www.squarefootgardening.com/
• GROW BIOINTENSIVETM
– h!p://www.growbiointensive.org/
• SPIN Farming/Gardening– h!p://www.spinfarming.com
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Next steps for you!
• A lot of this information is overwhelming and abstract, so make it manageable and concrete– Do you want to choose an
approach or implement a combination of techniques?
– What approach(es) or technique(s) appeal to you?
• Find a buddy to do your project with you
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Questions?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012