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Production Systems
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145 guidesChoose crops for a recirculating growing system
Recirculating water can be useful, but the crop still needs light, nutrients, space and care. Choose a crop to fit the system you can maintain. Start by distinguishing aquaponics, which includes fish and biological treatment, from hydroponics supplied with a formulated nutrient solution.
Run a small garden comparison that others can learn from
A useful garden trial starts with one question and an honest comparison. It can be modest enough for a courtyard, yet still produce information worth sharing. Decide what you will measure before the result tempts you to change the story.
Map the microclimates in your own garden
A simple sketch can reveal why one corner grows well while another struggles. Map the sun, wind, water and cold spots before choosing plants or building structures. You do not need an expensive weather station to begin observing consistently.
Permaculture is a design framework: choose methods to fit
Permaculture can help you decide how the parts of a home, garden or farm should work together. Agroforestry, aquaculture and other growing methods can be parts of that design. Choosing a fashionable method is not the same as designing a system that fits your place and daily life.
Make an agroecology farm visit useful
A farm visit becomes more useful when you arrive with questions and leave with a realistic next step. Look beyond the most attractive plot to the water, labour, timing and decisions that keep it working. Ask permission before photographing people or sharing details publicly.
Irrigation water quality: understand the test before planting
A reliable water supply is only part of a growing plan. Its dissolved salts, chemistry and suitability for the soil also matter. Read a water test alongside the crop, irrigation method and drainage before investing in a larger garden or field.
Reeds, rivers and flood management: work with the whole catchment
Reeds can provide habitat and useful material while also affecting access and water movement. Deciding what to retain, harvest or remove requires a view of the river, its floodplain and the people living downstream. A photograph of dense vegetation is a starting observation, not a complete flood assessment.
Communal grazing: agree the rules, care for the land
Communal grazing management is a shared agreement about land, animals, water and work. A grazing map helps, but people must also agree who can use each area, how decisions change during drought and how the benefits and responsibilities are shared.
Biodynamic farming: understand the approach and test what helps
Biodynamic farming combines a whole-farm approach with distinctive preparations and a spiritual understanding of agriculture. It is worth understanding on its own terms while keeping practical observations, philosophical beliefs and evidence for particular effects clearly distinguishable.
Electroculture: examine the claim before investing
Electroculture is used for several ideas involving electricity and plant growth. Popular passive copper antennas are not the same as controlled experiments using powered equipment. Before spending scarce garden resources, identify the exact claim and ask what a fair local comparison could establish.
Trees, rainfall and the water cycle: choose restoration that fits
Trees influence water through their roots, leaves, shade and place in the wider landscape. These connections help explain both the value of restoring appropriate vegetation and the need to consider water trade-offs. Planting trees is not a guarantee of more rain at the planting site.
Kalahari apple-leaf: plan for a lasting native tree
Kalahari apple-leaf belongs in the conversation about native shade and agroforestry. Give it space and patience; do not treat it as a guaranteed fast mulch factory.