A small plot can be highly productive with the use of some clever permaculture principles.
Love the idea of harvesting your own food, but feel held back by a lack of space? The principles of permaculture might be just the encouragement you need. The sustainability-focused design system promotes focusing on opportunities rather than obstacles, and what better way to explore this approach than by creating a thriving veggie patch with limited resources?
Growing your own food has many benefits: you’ll have access to the very freshest fruit and vegetables at a much lower cost; you’ll save time going to the shops; there’s no single-use packaging; and you’ll enjoy the immense satisfaction that comes with eating delicious, healthy produce that you’ve planted and nurtured yourself.
DESIGN YOUR SPACE
With careful planning and design, even a tiny terrace can yield a surprising amount of food. The first step is to assess the space you have available. North-facing areas will usually have more sun throughout the winter, while light surfaces such as walls and concrete can increase light and heat in certain areas.
If the area you intend to grow food in is windy, consider using climbing plants on a trellis as a wind break, which can also cool a space by creating a ‘living shade cloth’. Wind-prone areas can dry out plants very quickly, so self-watering pots are the best option. It is also worth noting that larger masses of soil take longer to dry, so it is preferable to have a few bigger pots rather than lots of smaller ones that may require daily watering.
When floor space is at a premium, there are plenty of options for making the most of vertical space. Consider hanging pots, shelving, lattices, espaliered fruits trees, and wall gardens. Reducing, reusing, and producing no waste are key principles of permaculture, so look around and see what you’re able to salvage before heading to the shops for new supplies. Anything from wire fencing to bricks, buckets, and wooden crates can be repurposed into useful garden infrastructure.
The catching and storing of energy is an important principle of permaculture, and this includes capturing water at every opportunity. Harvesting rainwater doesn’t need to be complicated – in compact spaces, it can be as simple as placing a barrel under your gutter’s downpipe to collect runoff, or even placing a bucket outside when you’re expecting rain. Every little bit counts, and the smaller your garden, the further it will go!
START WITH THE SOIL
Soil quality relates directly to food quality, with nutritious soil leading to more nutritious produce. Start with a good quality organic potting mix to fill your garden or pots, which will give your plants the best possible chance to flourish, adding liquid seaweed fertiliser or compost tea to further boost the nutrient content. A layer of mulch on top of your soil such as sugar cane mulch, lucerne chaff, or straw can be effective at reducing weed growth, as well as reducing the need for watering.
Going chemical-free is crucial to creating a diverse and robust permaculture veggie patch, which relies on natural and organic rather than chemical techniques to keep plants healthy. And managing pests starts with building resilience. To do this, you’ll need to develop healthy soil, and choose local, hardy plants that create a safe environment for pollinators including birds and insects.
If you do notice that your plants are under attack, investigate natural control methods. For example, sprinkling coffee grounds on the soil can deter slugs and snails, while planting strong-smelling herbs and alliums can deter aphids. Incorporating some clever companion planting into your garden like the addition of marigolds and nasturtiums can help control veggie-eating insects while attracting bees. Covering plants with lightweight netting will help to protect your veggies from hungry possums and other wildlife.
Permaculture principles are centred on thinking carefully about our environment and our use of resources, maximising those that would otherwise go to waste. If you’ve ever thought about starting a compost system, this is an excellent way to reuse nutrients and eliminate waste – and there are simple ways to work one into a small area. The optimal size for a compost pile is around one metre squared, so if you do have a little extra space, consider this a worthwhile investment to supercharge your veggies.
PLANT PURPOSEFULLY
To increase your crop yield, which is one of the objectives of permaculture, it pays to spend some time carefully considering what you have to work with rather than skipping straight to what you want to eat. Start with plants that are easy to grow and don’t take up a lot of space, such as lettuce and salad greens. Leaf crops are great because they can be planted in semi-shaded areas and you can harvest everything you grow. Planting them in containers also gives you the added benefit of being able to control weeds and pests more easily than with in-ground planting.
If you have a space that will see at least five or six hours of sunlight each day, you can produce a wide range of edible plants. There are plenty of varieties that will grow happily in pots and containers, including eggplant, zucchini, and cucumber. Climbing varieties such as tomatoes, green beans, and peas can make efficient use of a vertical space while also providing a wind break on a balcony. The key is choosing compact varieties, so have a chat to your local nursery to find out which is best suited to your space.
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Whatever space you have available, embracing permaculture systems is a great way to design a relatively self-sustaining garden that requires minimum maintenance and will provide you with edible plants while contributing to local biodiversity. Should you find yourself in the fortunate position of having extra fruit and veggies, remember the permaculture ethic of ‘fair share’ and redistribute surplus to friends and neighbours. Building community connections can also be fostered through involvement in crop swaps, local seed-saving clubs, and gardening groups.
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