Basics

Ok, I have been searching here and listening to some podcasts and think this is awesome. My question is, where can I find something of a basic primer on a basic permaculture layout? I am considering building a house and moving to a ~22 acre tract with about 8 acres of open land. This 8 acres has been coastal bermuda farmed to death and I am guessing not much will grow in the beginning until I get the land worked and that kinda thing. I was looking for some basic permaculture layout I can start from. I realize most of you are well beyond the basics and getting in the the subtleties of a 6 foot hegulcultur bed or a 3 foot is a little more nuanced than what I am looking for at the moment.

I guess I am just looking for a basic layout/concept of nitrogen fixing trees go here, annual garden vegetables go near these other plants, etc. Any ideas?

It's not like that.

Each design is unique to that spot. There is no "another permaculture model? Here you go."

The more details you give, the more people can help you make choices.

As for a basic primer, gaia's garden and mollison permacultural designer's manual.

william

The Designer's Manual by Mollison has a diagram of a yard designed for a tropical region that could be adapted for a temperate area. But as far as details about which plants go next to other plants, I don't think such detailed information exists in one place, though folks are working on a variety of databases. Here's one: http://plantengildes.saiwala.nl/Default.asp

I'd second Gaia's Garden as a basic primer, especially for temperate climates.

Ask the locals about what grows well in the area and why. Whats growing there now? Find out about it. Take your time and read, study and observe. Keep it small and varied and use what is already established. It is a learning experience and an unlearning experience.

To get your feet wet I recommend you start at youtube ~ search permaculture, swales, water catchment, grey water, earthships, no till gardening, food forest, a 'farm for the future', Key line..... etc.
Use the other video links at the right-hand side and open them in a new window or tab so you don't loose your original video window. You can do this for hours and not see all the great stuff uploaded on youtube. You will run into all the greats of permaculture and these will take you down other trails. When you find videos which really speak to you add them to your favorites (you'll have to be logged in for this).

All of this 'research' will help to learn and form your opinions. After you start to get the basics then I recommend you start buying the books covering the subjects you want to go deeper into. Keep going this way and you'll find your way easily without dropping a lot of money in an area your not ready to employ yet. There are so many great books and resources ~ your library or local re-sale book stores are wonderful too. I had my library buy the entire Earthship series before I bought mine.

I hope this helps,

Here's another answer.

For a "basic layout", in the long term you want to emulate a mid-succession forest.

In the short term you want to increase the amount of organic material on your surface and fix soil problems.
In the long term, you use plants to amend any soil problems you have.

Try to get your head around "succession" and figure out what to plant now so that other plants can thrive in the future.

At least that's what I'm doing.

Maybe for you it's fast growing, high mulch plants. Or it could be different grasses that can mediate your soil and give you pasture land to rotate animals into and off of.
It depends on what you want the outcome to be, and/or what thrives in your area.

-william

I really appreciate all of the responses. The climate is lower South Carolina so I think I am 8a or something in the climate zone. Gaia's garden seems to be fairly well recommended so I think I will pick that up and check out some YouTube videos. I looked around for a minute and did not see Mullison's book for less than $99. I will see if I can dig a little deeper and find it somewhere. I might even stop by some of the used book shops in the area and see what I can come up with.

I like the idea of thinking about succession and what will be the starting point as compared to the ending point. That is a good thought.

Thank you for the responses. Who knows, maybe in a few years I will be self-sufficient on the homestead. Think the amount of land I am talking about is enough to feed a family comfortably? All indications I have seen seem to say yes.

You might be able to find the Designer's Manual available as a download/ebook for less, if you search around.

Soil and health have a free, legal, online library with more good stuff in it than you can ever get through: http://www.soilandhealth.org/.
The Designer's Manual is huge, detailed and I would say written for those already conversant with a wide variety of permaculture concepts. It's a great tool, but I find it pretty intimidating. Or maybe I'm just a wimp! There's lots of diagrams about zones and what plants where etc, which is the kind of things you're asking about, but it's Australian, so specific species may be irrelevant compared to developing an understanding of how\types of plants work together.

For a lot of detailed information about how to grow the most food in a small space, there's "How to Grow More Vegetables" by John Jeavons, and "One Circle" by David Duhon. But with 8 acres you won't be worrying about growing in a small space! Eliot Coleman in "The New Organic Grower" says about two acres of intensive vegetables is the most one person can manage on a commercial basis using mostly hand tools. I think it's easy to get too spread out if plenty of land is available, and recommend making a plan which keeps the gardens and animal areas close to the house.

Sebastian Hammer wrote: I looked around for a minute and did not see Mullison's book for less than $99.

Always check ABE Books (they have .com, .co.uk etc). http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=bill+mollison&sts=t&x=49&y=11

Leila Rich wrote:Soil and health have a free, legal, online library with more good stuff in it than you can ever get through: http://www.soilandhealth.org/

This is great! I've read a couple of the nutrition books there since following your link this week. So applicable to the ways people on this forum are trying to feed themselves.
It's free but after reading the first book I felt guilty and paid the suggested $10 contribution and have downloaded more. Well worth it. Thanks.

On the Soil & Health website, they state that there are 4 main sections. What they do not mention, is the 5th section: Homesteading.
There appears to be no way to access it from the main page. It includes many good publications, including some on wood gasification, building with soil, bee keeping, ethanol production, maintaining dairy cows, etc, etc.

A direct link to the Homesteading page:

http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0302hsted/0302homested.html

Tons of good info that many of you may be unaware of...ENJOY !