Gardening with Jannie Vaught
Longer days and colder temperatures make the fruit trees happy. Since we had a poor peach harvest last year these cold and cold units, hours of cold, bring hope for a decent peace fruit set for this coming 2018. Winter is the time for this gardener that means research, study and read or read again. And the topic that is top of my list is the Permaculture Zones. You can find them on PermacultureVisions.com. Here is an overview and how I am using this tool to better organize my time in the garden and surrounding area. In permaculture, we break the design up into Zones according to the amount of attention each area requires. 0 through 5. Zone 0 – Home= indoor production (sprouts microgreens and fermentation) and processing of food, waste, water collection, repairs and education. Zone 1 – area outdoors needing regular observation, tending and harvesting eg. plants we can browse and use each day.-intensive garden beds. Zone 2 – Less attention managed areas but with aminals needing daily attention eg. poultry, rabbits, worm bins, orchard trees. Zone 3 – Occasional visited areas with self-fed animals (stock) and seasonal wide-ranging crops eg. corn, wheat, rice, bamboo, pumpkin. Zone 4- Wild food gathering (eg. nuts, native fruits) Wood for fuel, self-seeding trees. Zone 5- Natural area – a rarely visited area, linked with neighboring wildlife corridors. Sometimes managed to reduce the risk of catastrophes ie. fire/polution/drough/ hurricane. Now you have the Zones how do they apply to your homestead or garden area. They may be small places or vast acreage. Take the time to write down the zones on separate pieces of paper and on the top write Zone 0. and the description. Now under this make small boxes and write what needs to be done in these zones at each season. This gives you a good organization for work done in each season you can check off what needs to be done within that zone. For example in Zone 2 – Box for prune fruit trees. Box for a spray with dormant oil. I have then hanging in my mud rood on magnetic hooks so I can see them as I exit the house and refer to them. You may find yourself with more time to spend in the close to the home zone and less time trying to figure out what needs to be done. These are simply some ways to manage your work and time. I find this better than a list. And reusable year to year as well. I am expecting we have a most excellent 2018 garden season. Outgrowing green and organizing for 2018 Jannie