What Is Permaculture & How Does It Work: The Detailed Guide

Have you ever dreamt of having an aesthetic garden in your backyard?

Do you love exploring your inner creativity through gardening?

Then, probably, you already have the potential to be a permaculture expert.  It is a design process that relies on design & ethical principles. 

If you can observe the natural patterns & relationships & want to incorporate them into all aspects of life, voila! You are already a step ahead in practicing this farming method. 

I know you want to be more than just a consumer. So, now it’s time to be a responsible producer by using your gardening skills with limited energy usage.

Irrespective of the strategy or principle you follow, this detailed guide will make you the best producer in your locality.

What is Permaculture?

I am sure you love nature just the way I do!

Having a look at fresh green plants around you revives your mind. Well, then probably this planting technique is for you. 

This is a great approach for efficient land management & agriculture for sustainable ecosystems that mimic exactly the natural systems. 

Yes, that’s the fun part of it! And, resource wastage? Forget about that if you know about permaculture. 

The word is a combination of two words; “permanent” & “agriculture”. As you can guess, the focus is on the sustainability of agriculture. This technique aims to replace or reduce industrial usage with thoughtfully designed farm areas depending solely on biological resources.  

If you have always wanted to work in harmony with nature, you are at the right place. Let’s discuss its brief history & how it works one by one.  

The History of Permaculture

The history traces back to a joint initiative by two Australians. They experimented with the adaptation of natural ecosystem-based arrangements for land & design settlements. Their experiment was successful in reducing waste & pollution and improving sustainability and biodiversity.  

The term was coined by Bill Mollison & David Holmgren in the 1970s. However, a Japanese author Masanobu Fukuoka introduced the concept to the common people back in the early 20th century. 

The Steps to Start Permaculture & Permanence Scales 

The goal is to create a unique landscape design that is in harmony with nature. First, observe the natural patterns to formulate the maps. The base map includes the roads, the position of fences, etc. Additionally, the existing zone map refers to the land usage based on weeks or months. Also, the sector map refers to considering the cultural norms & restrictions. 

Before starting this farming technique, consider the laws, regulations, and resource management in terms of plants, tools, etc. Now, jot down the observations & start analyzing till you come up with a sustainable landscape design. 

So, start implementing your strategies & enjoy the land management process. But do not forget to evaluate your initiatives & observe the design & functionality. 

Depending on the difficulty level & time consumption, different features come under different categories. For example, the climate or geology is permanent due to slow change. Roads and buildings are semi-permanent as they need huge resources to get changed. However, plants or fences are easily changeable & hence, not permanent. 

Based on this information, you can focus on your priorities first & initiate this technique in a sustainable manner.

The 12 Design Principles of Permaculture

Did you know that following these 12 design principles can help you to get the best results?

Observe & Interact

Engage with nature to observe patterns for inspired designs or farming & gardening systems.

Catch & Store Energy

Opt for certain systems that can make the best use of resources when the time or situation demands. 

Obtain The Yield

Always invest in projects that can deliver meaningful results.

Self-Regulation & Accept Feedback

Do not waste your energy on inappropriate or meaningless activities. Also, welcome constructive criticism. 

Value Renewable Resources

I think this is the best of all the permaculture principles. Don’t hesitate to utilize nature’s abundance. But limit your consumption & dependency on non-renewable resources. 

Zero Waste

Make sure you use the natural resources wisely.

Observe Patterns

Learn from the natural & societal patterns for informed designs. Also, look into the details.

Integrate & Don’t Segregate

Your design elements should support each other & work in harmony with each other.

Use Small Solutions

Opt for small systems with slow developments for easy maintenance, usage of local resources & sustainability.

Value Diversity

The more diverse your system is the less vulnerable it will be to threats & environmental exploitation. 

Value The Marginal

Respect the boundaries or limitations of every natural aspect. Because every single aspect has immense potential for productivity. 

Observe & Respond to Change

Observe the changes carefully & welcome the positive aspects for integration.

3 Ethics of Permaculture

Earth Care

Do you often wonder how we can have zero negative impact on nature? Well, leaving zero impact is not possible. But we can limit it with cautious utilization & consumption of natural resources. 

People Care

“Permanent Culture” is incomplete without you. And, not just you; without “us”. The people around ourselves is a part of the larger farming system & interconnected. So, if we all can be responsible and cautious about nature’s sustainability, the world can be a better place.

Future Care

To maintain equality on all system levels, people should stop exploitation. Only then, our future generations can survive on earth.

6 Functional Zones of Permaculture

This is the system of organizing the design elements depending on the frequency of animal or plant needs & human consumption. So, let’s have a look at the different zones & their significance.

Zone 0

Your house is placed in this zone due to low water & energy requirements. It is a sustainable place to survive with limited natural resources like sunlight. However, Mollison did not define it accurately in his book.

Zone 1

The nearest location or plant base around your house falls under this zone. It might include salad crops, greenhouse frames, etc.

Zone 2

This is the zone with perennial plants with less maintenance such as orchards, sweet potato, pumpkins, etc. They only need occasional pruning or weed control.

Zone 3

This particular zone includes crops grown for commercial purposes or trading. 

Zone 4

This is a semi-wild area perfect for forage & plantation of plants to drive timber.

Zone 5

This zone includes a natural ecosystem where human intervention is not possible. The natural reserve of molds, bacteria, and insects comes under this zone. 

9 Common Practices of Permaculture

Now you must be thinking of the areas or aspects where practicing this method is possible. So, here they are:

1. The Hügelkultur technique is a crucial aspect that helps raise garden beds.
2. The sheet mulching technique successfully mimics the leaf cover found in natural forest floors.
3. The popular no-till gardening minimizes soil disturbances for improved soil structure.
4. Low-effort techniques grow perennial crops without tilling & plantation.
5. Rainwater harvesting reuses rainwater for successful urban cultivation.
6. Vermicomposting is an organic method of fertilizing crops.
7. Techniques like herb spirals grow diverse plant species in a small space.
8. Livestocks also contribute to seed spreading, nutrient management & recycling, & pest maintenance. 
9. Fukuoka invented the plant growth process without pruning which is an advanced gardening or farming method. 

6 Practical Applications of Permaculture

 Now, comes the most important part of this technique. By now, you already know how it works, what can you expect, & practices, etc. But what about the practical applications of it? Well, check out below.

1. The first application is agroforestry, the most profitable, diverse, & healthy sustainable land usage where crops & livestock grow together.
2. Forest gardens and food forests mimic the exact design of natural forests. 
3. Suburban or urban permaculture is an ideal farming method to utilize space efficiently.
4. Marine farmers often integrate the basic principles for seaweed harvesting.
5. Allan Savory invented a holistic method for rangeland management by allowing livestock to graze strategically. 
6. Natural building patterns & materials show the integration of the basic principles. 

7 Major Places Promoting Principles of Permaculture

Still doubtful about the efficacy of this technique? Here are some of the places that preach about the functionality & importance of this farming endeavor.

1. The Happy Food Farm of China is an excellent example of agroforestry where livestocks consumes the farmed crops & vegetables. 
2. The IDEP Foundation of Bali trains individuals about sustainable permacultural development. 
3. New Zealand’s Konga Institute is the largest destination for organic seeds.
4. South Australia’s Permaculture Association promotes positive ideals & educates people to utilize natural resources wisely.
5. An NGO in Ukraine aims to integrate gardening techniques at full fledge to the locality for better crop yield.
6. The Permaculture Institute situated in North America puts active efforts to set professional & sustainable standards pertaining to the priorities.
7. The Senegal Permaculture Project is a live example of the efficacy of this farming technique The 11-acre farm is a role model to follow & a source of inspiration for other farmers.

5 Social & Environmental Benefits of Permaculture

Let’s talk about the social benefits first.

• It fosters joint efforts that strengthen communal bonding
• It provides food security by promoting the consumption of fresh food 

Now, let’s come to the environmental benefits.

• It improves soil health by reducing soil erosion. 
• It promotes biodiversity, limits water waste, & increases carbon sequestration
• Also, it reduces the dependence on artificial chemicals & fertilizers.

2 Issues with Permaculture

• It can be a time & labor-intensive endeavor. 
• Also, it requires methodological knowledge to be successful.

The Environmental Impacts of Permaculture

As you already know, the practice of this farming technique creates a harmonious & positive relationship between the natural system & humans. So, it is a natural technique to produce a lot of crops with limited & effective use of natural resources. Also, the seamless integration of this method improves the quality of human life & the environment. 

How to Use Permaculture for Reduced Climate Damage?

Since it is a holistic approach, to get the best out of this technique, first you need to observe. Once you learn how & what to observe in nature, start analyzing the environmental pattern. Because it will help you to mimic the natural ecosystem & plan or design your own system based on this. 

So, do you want to try it out once?

Well, all you need to do is to opt for the right technique. Then, you can develop your own agroforestry or organic system that resembles the natural forests. Just learn how to manage & effectively use resources such as rainwater, renewable energy sources, soil nutrients, compost, etc.

That’s it!

Now it is time to practically apply all this information & create your own farm. So, when are you planning to initiate this exciting endeavor? Comment down below. 

Frequently Asked Questions