by Using Permaculture Principles in Your Garden
After a long romance with the power of information technology, the modern world is turning it’s attention back to gardening again. Concerns over food security, a fragile global supply chain, and the dangers of ultra-processed food has made growing your own food cool again.
Gardening channels on social media that can teach you more about growing your own food have millions of followers today. TikTok is showing 79K hits a week for the #garden hashtag. It’s definitely a trending topic.
But growing your own food is not quite as simple as the video shorts seem to make it out to be.
There are tricks and tips about things like dealing with insects and soil health that our ancestors knew. Most modern humans alive today are finding out they need to relearn this knowledge. The pressure is on as the climate gets more and more volatile.
Here at Symbiosis TX, our passion for permaculture has given us a bit of a head start on this learning curve. We’re here to help you on your learning journey, and we have some depth to teach you that you might not find in your typical video short.
This post will delve into the topic of pest control, specifically focusing on pest control organic methods and the art of controlling pests organically. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate gardener, this guide will provide you with valuable garden success insights based on permaculture principles.
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is about learning how to create ecosystems that are sustainable and self-sufficient.
When you use a holistic, permaculture approach to gardening, you learn how to work with nature rather than against it. By observing natural systems, gardeners can design productive and resilient gardens. When it comes to pest control, permaculture also offers strategies that are both effective and environmentally friendly.
Diversity in the Garden
A garden planted with a diverse array of plants is less likely to suffer from pest outbreaks. When you grow a wide variety of plants, this attracts different beneficial insects and predators to your garden.
Interplanting tomatoes, basil, marigolds, and nasturtiums, for example, can create a balanced ecosystem. Basil can repel mosquitoes and flies, marigolds deter nematodes, and nasturtiums act as a trap crop for aphids, drawing them away from vegetables. By working together in a diverse array, plants (kind of like people) become stronger and more resilient.
There are lots of resources that can help you determine which vegetables, herbs, flowers, and even trees you can plant to create diversity in your region. We like this video from our friends at Epic Gardening.
Companion Planting
Companion planting involves growing certain plants together to enhance each other’s growth and protect against pests.
For instance, planting garlic or onions near roses can deter aphids. Planting carrots and leeks together can repel carrot flies and leek moths. This technique utilizes nature’s pest control mechanisms effectively, and limits the amount of work and external controls you as the gardener are required to provide.
Soil Health
Healthy soil creates a balanced ecosystem that can naturally keep pest populations in check. Soil is far more than just “dirt,” It’s rich in organic matter and teeming with life, including bugs, fungus, worms, and other microorganisms.
Here at Symbiosis, our experts can bring heavy earthmoving equipment, years of academic expertise, and proven processes to regenerate land where the soil health has been eroded by poor land management practices over many decades. But when it comes to your garden soil – it’s fine to start small.
To start improving the health of your soil, start by adding compost to enrich the soil (link), provide nutrients that help plants grow strong and resist pests. Mulching suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and creates a habitat for beneficial insects.
If you don’t know how to determine how “healthy” your garden soil is, there are several different ways to find out. Soil testing is something even a beginner gardener can do. This short video from Ripe Tomato Farms shows you a DIY test you can do for soil pH and it only requires 2 common household ingredients – baking soda and vinegar!
You can also learn how to look at, touch and even smell your soil if you want to go the low-tech, ancestral route.
We’d love to share our knowledge and help you improve quality and yields of your garden. If you want to opt-in for our monthly email on the topic, subscribe below.
Attracting Beneficial Insects
Beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory beetles play a crucial role in controlling pest populations. While standard gardening advice might say you should go to the plant store and buy a batch of these insects – it’s actually preferable to attract local bugs if possible.
Why? First of all, local bugs are more likely to come because they like what’s on the menu in your garden. Secondly, ladybug nymphs will stick around longer than mature ladybugs. They can be more effective as organic pest control, because they’re not going to fly away.
To attract these insects, create a welcoming environment by adding flowers that provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. This practice turns your garden into a mini-ecosystem where every creature contributes to pest control.
Observing and Learning from Nature
Permaculture encourages patience and observation. Instead of immediately resorting to pesticides – even the organic ones, taking the time to understand the dynamics of your garden through regular observation has many benefits.
A daily morning or evening walk through your garden will put you in touch with what’s happening, as well as giving you the benefits of slowing down, tuning your own nervous system to plant speed, and giving you time to be outdoors and away from the hustle of work, screens, and omnipresent deadlines!
Keep your eyes open for natural predators and holistic ways to strengthen plant health. Learn a little bit every day over time, and don’t expect that quick-fix, silver-bullet like approaches to be the way to “fix” your garden challenges.
Accepting a small amount of pest damage as part of a healthy ecosystem is crucial. The goal is not a sterile, pest-free garden but one that is balanced and thriving.
Plant Rotation
Plant rotation involves changing the location of specific crops each year to prevent pests and diseases from becoming established. Avoid planting the same crops in the same spot each year to confuse pests that overwinter in the soil.
This simple practice requires a bit of planning and a way to document what you plant where and when, but it can significantly reduce pest problems and improve soil health. Documentation can be as simple as a sketch in your gardening notebook, or as complex as you like. The important part here is to start learning which plants take which nutrients, and which plants infuse the soil with nutrients as they grow. It’s all about relationships!
Physical Barriers
Simple physical barriers can also be highly effective at controlling pests organically. Floating row covers protect plants from flying insects while allowing light and water to penetrate. Collars made from cardboard can protect seedlings from cutworms. You can even crush up old eggshells and scatter them on the pathways and soil of your garden to discourage soft-bodied slugs and snails from crawling up into your plants.
Physical barriers protect plants while maintaining garden ecosystem health.
Water Management
Proper water management is crucial for plant health and pest control. Overwatering or underwatering stresses plants, making them more susceptible to pests, so it’s important to learn when, and how much to water the different parts of your garden.
Implement efficient irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation or soaker hoses, to ensure plants receive the right amount of water, reducing pest-friendly conditions. If you really want to get in to the “permie-mindset,” using a rainwater catchment tank to provide water for these irrigation systems is a great way to increase the self-sufficiency of your garden.
Polyculture
Polyculture is a traditional approach to planting a diverse garden. It involves growing specific sets of crops together, enhancing pest control and ensuring garden resilience. In a polyculture system, if one crop is affected by pests, others can continue to thrive.
You may have heard of the “Three Sisters” planting method, used by indigenous American cultures, which involves growing corn, beans, and squash together. This synergy creates a robust and productive garden.
Animal Allies
Permaculture is not just about plants! Animals like chickens and ducks can play a significant role in organic pest control. Chickens eat insects and weeds, and ducks control slugs and snails.
If you are able to integrate animals into your garden, this will enhance its productivity and biodiversity. Obviously you’re not going to be establishing a barnyard in a suburban backyard or on your patio container garden. But doing things like hanging a bird feeder or planting pollinator friendly plants to attract beneficial insects are also ways of bringing animals into the equation of your gardening success.
Community and Education
Sharing knowledge and experiences with fellow gardeners is vital. Community gardens and gardening clubs are excellent places to exchange ideas and troubleshoot problems. In the digital era – there are also many online resources where you can learn from others.
We maintain an extensive resources page on our website that can point you towards local experts and national organizations that will help you grow your permaculture knowledge.
Gardening with permaculture principles is a continuous learning journey, and there is always something new to discover.
Systems Thinking Will Expand Your Approach
Controlling pests organically in your garden involves more than just using organic products; it’s about creating a healthy, balanced ecosystem.
Embracing permaculture principles such as diversity, companion planting, soil health, and beneficial insects can help manage pests effectively and sustainably. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate gardener, these practices will help you grow a thriving, resilient garden in harmony with nature.
Gardening blends art and science, requiring an understanding of the intricate web of life in your garden. Patience and observation are your best allies. Every garden is unique, and continuous learning will help you create a productive, wildlife-friendly haven.
Happy gardening!
