Small-Scale Permaculture

Cheatsheet Content

Permaculture Principles Observe & Interact: Understand natural systems. Catch & Store Energy: Harvest resources when abundant. Obtain a Yield: Ensure useful results from your work. Apply Self-Regulation & Accept Feedback: Adapt and improve. Use & Value Renewable Resources: Minimize depletion. Produce No Waste: Everything has a use. Design from Patterns to Details: Big picture first. Integrate Rather Than Segregate: Connect components. Use Small, Slow Solutions: Manageable and sustainable. Use & Value Diversity: Resilience through variety. Use Edges & Value the Marginal: High productivity areas. Creatively Use & Respond to Change: Adapt to evolving conditions. Key Design Concepts Zones: Organize elements by frequency of human interaction. Zone 0: House/Living Space Zone 1: Frequently visited (herbs, salad greens, nursery) Zone 2: Daily/Weekly visits (perennials, small orchard, compost) Zone 3: Less frequent (main crops, larger orchard, grazing) Zone 4: Infrequent (firewood, timber, wild forage) Zone 5: Wild nature (minimal intervention) Sectors: Analyze external energies (sun, wind, water, views, fire risk). Stacking Functions: Each element serves multiple purposes. Guilds: Groups of plants/animals that support each other. Edge Effects: Increased diversity and productivity where two ecosystems meet. Soil Building & Health Composting: Decomposing organic matter to enrich soil. Hot composting: Faster, needs specific C:N ratio, turning. Cold composting: Slower, less effort. Vermicomposting: Using worms to break down food scraps. Mulching: Covering soil surface with organic material. Benefits: Suppresses weeds, retains moisture, moderates soil temp, adds nutrients. Materials: Wood chips, straw, leaves, shredded cardboard. Cover Crops: Plants grown to improve soil structure, fertility, and prevent erosion. Legumes (clover, vetch): Nitrogen fixers. Grasses (rye, oats): Biomass, erosion control. No-Dig/No-Till: Minimizing soil disturbance to preserve soil structure and microbiology. Biochar: Stable carbon made from biomass, improves soil water retention and nutrient availability. Water Management Rainwater Harvesting: Collecting rainwater from roofs or other surfaces. Tanks, barrels. Swales: Ditches on contour to slow, spread, and sink water into the landscape. Rain Gardens: Depressions designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff. Greywater Systems: Reusing water from sinks, showers, and laundry for irrigation. Keyline Design: A system for maximizing beneficial water flow and storage across a landscape. Plant Selection & Placement Perennials: Plants that live for more than two years (e.g., fruit trees, berries, asparagus). Annuals: Plants that complete their life cycle in one year (e.g., most common vegetables). Food Forests: Multi-layered planting systems mimicking natural forests. Canopy layer (tall fruit/nut trees) Understory layer (smaller fruit trees) Shrub layer (berries) Herbaceous layer (culinary herbs, medicinal plants) Groundcover layer (strawberries, creeping herbs) Rhizosphere (root crops) Vertical layer (vines, climbers) Native Plants: Well-adapted to local climate and soil, support local wildlife. Nitrogen Fixers: Plants that convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for other plants (e.g., legumes, alder). Dynamic Accumulators: Plants that draw specific minerals from deep in the soil (e.g., comfrey, dandelion). Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Prevention: Healthy soil, diverse plantings, proper plant spacing. Beneficial Insects: Attract predators (ladybugs, lacewings) and parasitoids (tiny wasps). Companion Planting: Pairing plants that deter pests or attract beneficials. Physical Barriers: Row covers, netting. Manual Removal: Hand-picking pests. Organic Sprays: Neem oil, insecticidal soap (as a last resort). Small-Scale Specifics Maximizing Space: Vertical gardening, espalier, intensive planting. Container Gardening: For limited space or poor soil. Community Gardens: Sharing resources and knowledge. Balcony/Rooftop Permaculture: Adapting principles to urban environments. Wicking Beds: Self-watering raised beds, efficient for small spaces. Ethical Framework Earth Care: Protecting and regenerating natural systems. People Care: Promoting self-reliance and community responsibility. Fair Share: Reinvesting surplus into the first two ethics.