COVER: Agenda de la permaultura
1996
(Se Puede y leaf?)
INSIDE COVER: year calender, 1996
P1 title page
P2
This is a Se Puede publication which is a magazine produced by El Proyecto del GOFP del Funcacion de la Natureleza y el Hombre, y el Green Team, a working party of the Permaculture Global Assistance network.
The agenda has been developed as part of the Urban Food Gardener Education Project which is dedicated to increasing food production in the City of Habana following the principles of permaculture.
This project has been funded by the Permaculture Global Assistance Network and Ausaid through the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Contact details:
Se Puede y la oficina del Green Team in Cuba
Calle 158, #107 altos. Esq 1a
Reparto Nautico. Playa
Ph: 33 6090
email: gtcuba@tinored.cu
The Permaulture Global Assistance Network
6 Derby Street, Kew
Victoria, Australia
Email: adamt@peg.apc.org
Legend
Moon and astrological signs
P3
What is permaculture:
(page 3 Permaculture International Journal)
Taken from the Permaculture International Journal
BODY
1. Value of Compost
Compost is a wonderful way to turn food scraps and desechos into organic material to improve your soil.
Compost is made by a decomposition process, just like in a forest, where leaves fall, rot and decompose providing nutrients back into the forest cycle.
Unlike chemical fertilizers, compost breaks down over a long period of time, helps improve soil structure and fertility and encourages benficial microorganisms.
When compost is added to the soil it helps it to retain moisture
Unlike soil, compost can be used in pots on your balcony and seived compost is excellent for raising seeds.
2. How to make compost
Use a combination of whatever organic material you have; food scraps, leaves, flowers, estiercol.
Make a pile no more than 1x1x1m and turn it every three dyas. The more you turn it the quicker it will be ready.
Cut up whatever goes in the compost because small things decompose faster. The faster you make compost, the more you will have to use.
The compost needs to be damp but not wet
Put a couple of handfuls of soil or a handful of old compost in your compost to help introduce the necessary microorganisms.
Dont put plastic, meat, dog or cat poo, poisonous plants, plants treated with herbicides, diseased plants or malas hierbas with runners or seeds in the compost.
Mature compost is dark in colour, crumbly and has no bad smell. Remove any sticks before using it because they will continue to break down and rob nitrogen from the plants.
Adding urine will speed up the process.
3. Planting Seeds - handy hints
To germinate seeds need:
Water, Finely water a few times a day until germination then reduce times of watering but keep seeds damp enough to maintain growth. Shelter them from heavy rain and heavy droplets.
Light
Warmth
Plant at a depth of 2 to 3 times the diameter of the seeds
Better to plant too shallow than too deep but plant deeper in sandy soil or in hot, dry weather.
Cover soil or seeds with plastic, hessian or cardboard to stop the soil drying out or the wind blowing the seeds away. Remove as soon as the seedlings emerge.
Problems:
Damping off is when plants wilt at soil level.
remedy: Put 2 cloves of garlic in cup of water. Apply every two days
Protect the seeds from birds
remedy: Hang bits of cans or shiny coloured paper around the plants.
4. Planting seeds.
Large seeds
Large seeds like maize and frijole are best directly planted into the garden. First prepare the soil by seiving it and adding organic matter.
Small seeds
Small seeds like lechuga are often best sown in trays then transplanted. Use a mix of seived compost or worm castings and something cousre like washed sand, broken up polystyrene or grated plastic to allow good drainage.
Very small seeds
Mix with fine compost and sprinkle where you want to plant. This will stop seeds being planted too densly.
5. Companion planting
Some plants when grown together have a synergistic reaction (help each other grow mutuamente) and help to deter pests. Other combinations are antagonistic which produces weaker plants or lower yields. In companion planting, the plants need to be grown close together, mixed in the same bed.
Plant Benficial Antagonistic
Ají Cebolla, lechuga, zanahoria Papa, col, coliflor, brocoli
Apio Tomato, col, coliflor
Berenjena Frijole, cebolla, apio, zanahoria
Calabaza Maiz
Cebolla, ajo tomate, lechuga, manzanilla, Beans, chicaros, habicuela
remolacha
Frijoles Papa, zanahoria, pepino, Tomate, cebolla, ajo,
coliflor, col, la mayoria de las remolacha
hortilizas y plantas aromaticas
Maiz Papa, chicharo, frijole, pepino,
calabaza, melon de castilla
Pepino Frijole, maiz, rabano, girasol, Papa, plantas aromaticas
cebolla
Tomate Cebolla, perejil, zanahoria, Papa, col, frijole
basil
6. Sprouting
Sprouts are nutritious, cheap, fresh, easy to do and delicious. They are made by germinating any seeds like frijoles, girasol seeds, maiz, or chicarros. Sprouts contain more vitamins than any other food. Frijoles chinos are an example of a type of sprout.
How to sprout: by diagrams
Step one Step two Step three
7. Liquid fertilizer
benefits plants with a boost of nutrients.
Use only occaisionally as the healthiest plants obtain nutrients from organic matter in the soil.
Recipe
¼ fill a container with seaweed or a variety of weeds. Fill remainder with water
Stir daily
Strain after 3-5 days, when liquid appears as tea
put leaves in the compost
Dilute 1 part tea to 5 parts water to apply to plants.
8. Healthy soil
Soil is rich in organic matter
enero, 3 1994 agenda
9. Leguminosas - the living fertiliser
Growing legumes is the best method of adding nitrogen to the soil
Examples of legumes
Legume plant
Nitrogen from air
Nodules on the roots release nitrogen to the soil where it can be used by other plants
En el huerto
Use leaves as mulch
Sow legumes close to other plants so they can benefit from the nitrogen.
Use as part of your rotation
If you have poor soil or an area waiting to be sown plant a crop of legumes and plough them in to improve the soil.
10. Water saving in the garden
- use picture page 8 including mulch.
A layer of mulch retains water in the soil.
11. How to water
Water gently
Water base of plants so dont burn leaves
Mulch when plants are big enough and it is not the caracol season
It is better to water well less often to encourage deep rooting plants
Dont water in the middle of the day. When there is a lot of humidity it is best in the morning if possible.
Make sure there is lots of organic matter in the soil because it holds water that is easily available to the plants
Vegetables need more water when it is really windy.
Leaf vegies require more water
Plants with fruits require less water. If you water them too much will develop leaves at the expense of fruit.
12. 3 pile compost method
The 3 pile compost method gives continuous compost production. Raised plastic or wooden boxes with ventilation are good for a roof or balcony.
How to make compost using the 3 bin method:
Only put new materials in box 1
Every two weeks move contents to the next box
After 6 weeks contents of box 3 will be ready
Remember:
- move compost every day
- in winter the compost will take longer than in summer
See page ** for more handy hints
13. Seed saving - a free, easy and reliable supply of seeds
Seeds saved from the best plants are most suited to the conditions of your garden
Interchnage with neighbours
Store when dry. If possible roll in ash then wrap in paper
Self seeding: Leave some plants to go to seed and self sow.
Examples: Basil, basela, marigold
Vainas: Leave some seeds to dry on the plant. Remove and store until required.
Examples: frijoles, habichuela, maiz, girasol
Leave some plants to produce a flower then save the seed.
Examples: Carrot. lettuce, col
Remove the seeds from the fruit. Wash, dry them out and store.
Eg: cucumber, ají, calabaza, quimbombo, tomate
14. Small spaces
It is surprising how much you can grow in a small space
You can move macetas around to catch the sun
good use of all vertical space for growing vines
grow in whatever containers you can find including tyres
Beans can grow downwards as well as up - grow them in a hanging basket
(also in picture, spuds in tyre, sack with things growing out, tyre pond, 3 bin compost, worms, hanging pots, cut pipes, vines on balcony rail, things supported on roof, multigraft tree, enredaderas growing up tall things, sprouts, plants in windowsill.
15. Mulch
Mulch is a layer of materials, particularly leaves or desechos placed on the soil.
Benefits
- maintains soil humidity so plants require less irrigation
- Prevents soil from overheating
- Encourages womrs and microorganisms for a healthy soil
- suppresses weeds
- Prevents erosion by protecting from the sun, wind and rain.
- Protects and feeds surface roots
Warning:
Mulch can harbour barbosas and fungus so check regularly under your mulch and dont mulch posturas, during caracol season or close to trunks.
16. 8 steps to healthyand pest-free plants
- Take care of your soil and promote microorganisms with compost to aid the control of fungus and disease
- Intercrop and disperse the plants to make it harder for the bugs to recognise them.
- cultivate flowers to attract predators
- Rotate to stop the build up of diseases in the soil
- Dont water from above as wet leaves encourage fungus and can burn
- Use plantas compañeras to help repel pests
- Make sure you plants have the right amount of water because water-stressed and overwatered plants have low resistance.
- Water deeply but less often to encourage deep roots so plants are better able to withstand dry periods.
- Use lots of organic matter in the soil to help promote strong, healthy plants that are more able to resist pests and disease.
17.Rotation
Easy rules of rotation
After each harvest plant things from the next group
Plants from the same group dont count as rotation
Interplant as well as rotate
If you dont rotate you can spread disease and plagas in the soil to the plants of the next crop, particularly with tomate y ají
Rotating dosent deplete nutrients in the soil but maintains soil fertility.
Group 1, 2, 3, y 4
18. Saving water
Water is one of the most valuable resources on the planet, only 3% of the worlds water is fresh and only 0.03% can be drunk. Countries all over the world are realizing that we need to save and use wisely the water that we have.
Hints for saving water;
Make sure you turn the pump off early so overflow doesnt waste water. Time how long it takes to fill and turn off before that time.
Dont walk away when taps are running
Reuse washup water to water the garden or flush the toilet. If there is lots of detergent, filter the water through rocks.
Turn the tap off when you clean your teeth.
Dont use the hose to wash cars, pathways or walls. Using buckets or a broom uses much less water.
19. Nutrition
Vegetables provide the body with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals necessary for perfect health.
Meat, tubers, rice and beans provide protein and carbohydrate but lack many of these important vitamins and minerals.
Calcium derived form non-animal sources like green leafy vegtables and potatoes is much more easily used and stored in the body.
To function properly, the body needs over ** different vitamins and minerals. These are found in varying proportions in different fruit and vegetables so by eating a wide range you will get the vitamins and minerals you need.
Coconut, high in iron Green leaf vegetables, High in calcium, vitamin C Carrots, high in vitamin A
Pumpkins, high in vitamin A Sunflower seeds, high in vitamin B
20. Windbreaks
No windbreak
Prevailing wind soil moisture and heat loss Dam evaporates Not hungry, eat less House loses heat More firewood needed
With windbreak
Increased plant production Soil protected Dam protected Moister soils Hungry, eats more. Lays more eggs. 30% saving in fuel costs
21. Fences (Agenda 1994, april 4)
Fence as windbreak
Dense planting increases the distance of protected area.
22. Plagas - Bob
23. Pest control - Olguita
24. Interplanting
25. Moon planting The moon influences more than just Sergio
The ancient wisdom of cultivating plants according to the phase and zodiac sign of the moon provides clues for the best time to sow, weed, prune and harvest. The moon greatly influences the behaviour of water in the seas, in plants, soil and people. The water level and gravitational pull increases during the time of the new moon to the full moon(waxing moon),then decreases again as the new moon completes the cycle to the new moon (waning moon).
We can take advantage of this cycle by planting above ground crops and pruning to increase growth during the waxing moon and sowing tubers, weeding, harvesting and cutting the lawn during the waning moon.
Taking note also of the zodiac sign where the moon is positioned benefits practises. Signs of water and earth are best for sowing seeds and transplanting, fire and air are best for harvesting, crop cutting, timber and weeding.