Brief Description of the activity: –

The following was what was captured on day 1 during the training:

Definition of permaculture: This word was originally derived from a combination of permanent and agriculture and later ‘permanent culture’, it means the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

Permaculture integrates land, resources, people and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies. It has 3  principles / ethics which are as follows:

1. Care for the earth: Protecting and enhancing the natural environment by avoiding plastics, burning
2. Care for the people: meeting human needs in a sustainable way, this is by using organic products to promote good health.
3. Share the surplus /fair share: distributing surplus and resources to other people that do not have or that have less. 

3 sister planting

This is an ancient method that involves planting 3 complimentary crops (maize, beans & squash) together in a way that benefits all three plants through mutual support and resource sharing. Corn acts as a natural trail for beans to climb, Beans fix nitrogen in the soil through its roots and squash spreads out at the ground, shading the soil to retain moisture and suppress weeds with its large leaves.

Benefits of 3 sister planting

1. Increased crop yields: Intercropping can help produce more crops on a given piece of land.
2. Improved soil: Intercropping can improve soil nutrient content, cover, and microbial diversity.
3. Reduced competition: Intercropping can reduce competition for soil nutrients.
4. Weed control: Intercropping can help control weeds.
5. Weather protection: Intercropping can protect crops from severe weather conditions like droughts, frosts, and winds.

Companion planting

This is a broad gardening and agricultural technique where different plant species are grown together to benefit each other through pest control, nutrient exchange, shade or support.

Benefits of companion planting:

1. Pests control: some plants repel pests because of their smell like: ginger, chillies, spring onion, garlic, rosemary, mint
2. Improved growth: certain plants enhance the growth of others by improving soil nutrients, these are the nitrogen fixers (legumes)
3. Suppresses weed, like the ground covering crop
4. Pollination support e.g sunflower
5. Efficient space use

Garden Design

Raised rows/ beds are good since water does not sit, the water follows the trend of slow, sink and spread.

Making a garden design

1. Loosen the soil on the ground
2. Make a bed of 1 metre horizontal
3. Pile up the soil to be a raised bed
4. Dig to the sides of the bed to create room for rain water to drain, slow, sink and spread to the plants
5. Put the compost manure on the raised bed and ensure it is levelled
6. Put the mulches on top of the compost manure.
7. Lastly put your seedlings on the raised bed (Companion planting e.g beans, onion and sukuma wiki

N/B: If the ground is dry, water it at stage 3.

Sheath Mulching

This is a gardening and landscaping technique where organic or synthetic materials are laid in layers on the soil surface to suppress weeds, retain moisture, regulate soil temperature and enhance the health of the soil. It is eco-friendly since it reduces the need for chemical herbicides/ fertilizers as it improves soil structure and fertility over time.

Benefits of sheath mulching

1. Weed suppression; the base layer blocks sunlight, preventing weed growth
2. Moisture retention: reduces water evaporation, keeping the soil moist for longer
3. Soil fertility: organic materials decompose, enriching the soil with nutrients
4. Erosion control: protects soil from wind and water erosion
5. Waste reduction: re uses materials like cardboard, news papers and organic waste
6. N/B: It is suitable for vegetable garden only

Green house Net/ Shade net

This is a type of protective material used in green house structures to control environmental factors such as temperature, light intensity and humidity.

Features of greenhouse nets

1. Material: made from UV –stabilized HDPE, which ensures durability and resistance to harsh weather
2. Colour variations: green- commonly used for general shading and cooling, white – reflects light and maintains brightness, suitable for light sensitive plants, black – provides maximum shading and is often used for non-plant purposes, like privacy or storage areas.
3. Mesh design: the netting structure allows air circulation while reducing excess sunlight and also protects against pests, birds and other external threats (Suitable for coast region)