PDC LESSON 4.19 SOIL - CHOP AND DROP WEED BARRIER
PERMA COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY
PDC LESSON 4.19 SOIL - CHOP AND DROP WEED BARRIER
A
vegetable garden design can be as varied as you want it to be.
A weed barrier planted around the gardens will give you a constant
supply of mulch material wherever you need it. In fact one of the things, I
learnt early on was; grow your own mulch where you need it. Such a
simple word of advice but it makes so much sense. If your mulch material needs
to be imported constantly it will most likely cost, your dollars and effort to
get it to where you want it. A weed-barrier will not only keep invasive grasses
and weeds at bay but will also give you a constant supply of mulch as well.
The classic Permaculture weed barrier is as
follows:
An
outer row of pigeon pea
A
row of arrowroot
A
row of lemon grass
A
row of comfrey
All
these plants will give you lots of chop and drop material in the growing
season, especially in the summer months when growth is rampant. Cut them back
periodically and throw the mulch down wherever you want it. Permaculture
gardening in the tropics and sub-tropics really utilises plants that have
rampant growth for this very purpose. No ground should be left bare in this
kind of climate as heavy rains will otherwise leach and wash it away.
Not
only does the weed barrier have these two functions. There’s more.
Pigeon pea, arrowroot and comfrey are also excellent forage food for all livestock.Text from the roots, Elisabeth Ferkonia (Aus.) PDC studied with Bill Mollison,
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