Course Code: VSS104
Course Duration: 100 hours (approximation, self paced study, commonly 3 to 6 months, longer if you need)
What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is an ethical, sustainable and ecologically balanced way of growing produce
The concept was formulated in the 1970's based on the idea that a landscape that is created and managed with sensitivity to the environment can be productive without degrading. If the soil, plants and animals across an area are put together in a way that is ïnter-supportive", those components will achieve a balanced, sustainable ecosystem. People who live on that property will be able to harvest and use appropriate things from that environment then, without damaging that environment.
This course introduces the basic concepts of Permaculture, and develops a basis for permaculture design by explaining the patterns which occur in nature, such as weather systems, water cycles, topography, soil-plant interactions and forest ecology, and how a knowledge of these patterns can be used to reproduce balanced and productive garden growing systems.
COURSE CONTENT
Five Lessons:
1. Permaculture Concepts
- Life Ethics
- Permaculture Defined
- Guiding Principles -relative location, multiple functions and elements, elevational planning, energy recycling, etc.
- Ideas and Techniques from around the world
- Natural Gardening
- Organic growing
- No dig gardening
- Crop rotation
- Biological control of pest and disease
- Integrated pest management
- Living things vary from place to place
- Understanding plant names
- An easier way to identify plants
- Pronunciation of plant names
2. Understanding the Environment is Key to Permaculture Design
- Introduction
- Ecology
- Ecosystems
- Abiotic Components
- Biotic Components
- Ecological concepts
- The Web of Life
- Replicating Nature
- Successions
- Starting a Permaculture Property
- Cost, Location, Size
- Information required
- Structure of a Permaculture System
- Choosing a Site
- Permaculture Design
3. Soils in Permaculture
- The Role of Soil
- Soil Components -gravel sand, silt, colloids
- Peds
- Naming a Soil
- Soil Management
- Cycles
- Fertilizer Application
- Nitrogen
- Factors Affecting Nitrogen Release from Organic Sources
- Microorganism population
- Heat and chemical treatment
- pH
- Soil temperature
- Cultivation and Cover Crops
- Drainage and Erosion
- How to Measure Soil pH
- How to Measure Organic Content of Soil
- How to Measure Water Content of Soil
- Determining Solubility of Soils
- How to Test the Affect of Lime on Soil
- Taking Soil Samples for Laboratory Tests
- Measuring Salinity
- Colourimetry
4. Climate and Water in Permaculture
- Site Types
- Degree Days
- The Hydrological Cycle
- Infiltration
- Rainfall
- Evapouration
- Effective Rainfall
- Temperature
- Frosts
- Extreme Hazards
- Permaculture Microclimates
- The Greenhouse Effect
- Water and Plant Growth
- Climatic Influence on Production
- Frosts
- Climate Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Production
- Climatic Zones
- Humans and Water
- Minimising Plant Requirements
- Household Water
- Xeriscaping
- Interpreting Weather Reports and Predictions
- Precipitation
- Wind
- Weather Maps
- Weather Map Patterns
- Interelationships between Climate, Soil and Plants
- Estimating Water Requirements of Plants
- Ways to Improve Water Quality, from any Source
- Water Impurities - sediment, impurities, colour, chemical impurities
- Water Hardness
- Alkalinity
- Corrosion
- pH
- Iron
- Salinity
- Tastes and Odours in Water
- Biological Impurities in Water -algae, bacteria
- Other Water Chemistry Factors -dissolved gasses, nitrogen cycle
- Fish for Ponds
- Other Animals in Water
5. Forest Systems
- Biomass
- Components of Biomass
- Plant Associations
- Pinus Monoculture
- Eucalyptus Association
- Deciduous Forest
- Alpine Communities
- Myrtaceae Plants
- Australian Legumes
- Rockeries
- Rain forest Systems
- Wind, Light and Rain in Forests
- Forest Productivity - fuel, food, forage, shelter belt, structural, conservation
- Establishment of a Forest
- Creating a Rain forest
- Maintenance and Upkeep of Forests
- Plant Application -trees, shrubs, ground covers
- A review of how to grow a variety of different plants for Permaculture