Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand January/February 2020 | Page 47
PERMACULTURE GUILDS
One of the main methods used in permaculture is creating polycultures and guilds
instead of planting rows of just one crop. When you plant multiple plants together,
each one serves various functions to support the entire plant community. When
you plant a row of one crop, you must pull weeds, fertilise, and spray pesticides.
However, when you plant a guild, you group plants together that do these jobs for
you. This lightens your work load and gives you more time to enjoy your garden.
The most common guild is the Three Sisters used by Native Americans. Corn, beans,
and squash are planted together to grow healthier plants and maximise yields.
In the Three Sisters guild, the beans are hosts for bacteria that convert nitrogen from
the air into a form plants can use. The corn acts as a trellis for the beans, secretes
sugars in the root zone that feed the bean’s nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and provides some
shade for the squash plants. The squash sprawls between the corn and beans, acting
as a ground cover, suppressing weeds, and conserving moisture in the soil.
THE LAYERS OF A GUILD
Permaculture mimics the forest, so it likes to fill in all the empty spaces between the
lowest bushes to the tallest trees. Nature doesn’t waste space. When choosing plants
for your guild, you’ll want to think the same way. Be sure to choose plants for each of
the following layers: tall trees, small trees, bushes, herbs, ground covers, roots, and
vines. A small garden can have as few as three layers, while a complete food forest
will contain all of them:
• The tall tree layer consists of trees that are 15 metres tall and larger. For an
edible garden, this overstory can include full-sized fruit and nut trees such
as apple or pear. The trees should allow enough light through their leaves to
reach the lower layers.
• The small tree layer contains trees that fit snugly underneath the tall tree
layer. Dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees are perfect here, as are almonds, figs,
and pecans. In a smaller garden, you can eliminate the tall tree layer and
make the small tree layer the overstory.
• The shrub layer fits nicely underneath the small tree layer and usually consists
of flowering, fruiting, and wildlife-attracting shrubs. These can include rosemary,
blackberry, elderberry, cranberry, and blueberry.
• The herb layer sits even lower to the ground and includes plants such as
chamomile, chives, comfrey, fennel, oregano, sage, and yarrow.
• The ground cover layer fits nicely in the spaces between each plant. This layer
suppresses weeds and offers a habitat for friendly garden critters. Ideal ground
cover options include strawberries, nasturtiums, clover, and creeping thyme.
• The root layer fills space below the soil. Options include garlic,
garlic chives, horseradish, hardy ginger, and potatoes.
• Vines and climbing plants make good use of vertical space, climbing the trees
and filling in all of the remaining gaps. Ideal options include grape, cucumber,
hardy kiwi, melon, pea, and scarlet runner beans.
THE FUNCTIONS OF A GUILD
Each of the seven layers should be made up of plants that fulfill different
functions. As far as permaculture is concerned, the more functions served
by each plant, the better. Jobs that need to be filled in each guild
include nutrient accumulation, nitrogen fixing, mulching,
repelling pests, and beneficial insect attraction.
Additional functions include feeding humans
and animals, herbal medicines, breaking up
the soil, creating habitat for helpful critters
like frogs and snakes,
and cleaning heavy
metals from the soil.
“ BE SURE TO CHOOSE PLANTS FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING LAYERS:
tall trees, small trees, bushes, herbs,
ground covers, roots, and vines.”
Maximum Yield
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