Friday, March 23, 2012

Permaculture Project: Planted Compost Circle

The "Banana Circle" is a classic, but tropical, design.

The Banana Circle is a classic Permaculture design. A circular pit is dug. The soil from the pit is used to build up walls around the pit. Bananas are planted in the wall. Any and all organic matter that would be added to a compost bin is added to the center of the pit. Over time the organic matter breaks down and provides a fantastic nutrient supply to the growing (and nutrient hungry) banana plants. This design illustrates Permaculture Principle Eight: Integrate Rather Than Segregate. This design integrates a compost pile and a food producing crop planting into one structure. This design automatically fertilizes itself as the organic matter breaks down into compost. This design protects from drought by having a huge pile of organic matter (which absorbs and stores large amounts of water) right next to the banana's roots. This design is brilliant!

But it is tropical.

Yes, I have a few banana tress in my backyard right now, but I'm moving in a few months, and I don't suspect I'll ever live in the tropics or sub-tropics again. 

One similar method that is being used with annual vegetable gardening is the Tomato Circle. The same basic premise is followed as the Banana Circle... a central compost pit with tomatoes growing all around. I particularly like the one design shown below. Note the "pit" is really more of a circular trench with a drain. This allows more focused water collection closer to the plants, but still allows an escape if too much water collects.

But this is for annuals.

A "Tomato Circle" is a growing trend.

So how can I incorporate the concept of a Banana Circle in more temperate climates using perennial plants? I have yet to find anyone designing Planted Compost Circles (I don't know if there is an official name for these designs, so this is what I call them). I wanted to get a few of my ideas out there, and maybe spark better ideas from others. Here is what I have so far:

  • Mixed Berry Circle - a few each of Goji, Goumi, and Nanking Cherry.
  • Bramble Circle - a mixed variety of blackberries and raspberries.
  • Gooseberry Circle - a mixed variety of Gooseberries
  • Blueberry Circle - compost can be heavy on the "acid" content (i.e. pine needles).

As I come across more, or better, ideas, I'll post them here.

22 comments:

  1. I love this concept, really considering the bramble & blueberry circle. I live in the Pacific Northwest both grow well here. Where might your move to be?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NATURAL HERBS FOR CURING HIV, HERPES, HPV, HSV1&2, CANCER AND DIABETES

      I just experience the wonders of Dr Ohunyom herbs. God will continue to bless you Dr Ohunyom more abundantly for the good work you are doing in peoples life by curing them from different type of diseases. I will keep on testifying about your good work. I was diagnosed of herpes 6 months ago and my doctor told me that there is no cure. I did not believe him and i keep my faith up hoping that one day i will be cured from this horrible disease. One day i saw a post on HIV forum about a herbal doctor called Dr Ohunyom on how he cure people from diseases with his herbs and i quickly contact Dr Ohunyom on his email and explain my problem to him and he told me not to worry that he is going to cure me and truly he prepared the cure and send it to me through UPS and gave me instructions on how to take it. After two weeks of taken the herbal cure, i went to my doctor for checkup and my result show Negative and my doctor told me that there is no trace of herpes in my body and the virus is completely gone from my body. Everybody at the clinic rejoice with me and they all ask for Dr Ohunyom contact. You can contact Dr Ohunyom on his email: drohunyom@gmail.com or WhatsApp him on +2349060579973.and He also have herbs medicine to cured the following diseases; eczema,urethra wart,chronic problems.Herpes, Cancer, Als,Hepatitis, Diabetes, HPV,Infections,ulcer  ETC

      Delete
    2. MY HIV HEALING TESTIMONY

      My mouth is short of words, i am so happy because Dr voodoo has healed me
      from HIV which i have been suffering from the past 5years now, i have
      spend a lot when getting drugs from the hospital to keep me healthy, i have
      tried all means in life to always i can become HIV negative one day, but
      there was no answer until i found Dr voodoo the parish of African who
      provide me some healing herbs that i uses , now i am glad telling everyone
      that i am now HIV Negative, i am very happy, thank you Dr voodoo for
      helping my life comes back newly without any form of crisis, may the good
      lord that i serve blessed you Dr voodoo and equip you to the higher grade
      for healing my life. i am so amazed. so i will announced to everyone in
      this whole world that is HIV positive to please follow my advice and get
      healed on time, because we all knows that HIV disease is a deadly
      type,contact Dr voodoo for your HIV healing herbs today at:
      voodoospelltemple66@gmail.com He will be always happy to assist you
      online and ensure you get healed on time, contact Dr voodoo today for
      your healing hearbs immediately, you can also
      add him on whatsApp +2348140120719 thank you sir.

      Delete
  2. interesting! Id love to hear more about this idea!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This sounds perfect for asparagus. It likes lots of rich compost.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Probably works well for rhubarb as well - I try to plant this downhill from a compost heap, but in a circle would also be great. I've just discovered your old site - will get onto your new one probably in a few days. Don't know why it took so long to find it? today while looking for nepalese raspberry articles. Brilliant articles thank you
    SkyeEnt

    ReplyDelete
  5. Id thought of the same concept - other plants for a compost circle for a temperate climate... so good to find your post already questioning this. I wonder how Scarlet runner beans on either one or multiple cone or bamboo trellises would go.. or an artichoke circle.. or perpetual leeks.. parsley. Perpetual spinach, sorrel. Maybe a guild of them around the compost pit with a keyhole entry like in the tomato circle.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Keyhole gardens are similar in concept but involve more initial work.

    Benefits of keyhole gardens:


    added hight gives gains in comfort for gardener

    safeguards against, for example, carrot-fly

    maintains humidity in the compost centre pit

    shields the organic waste from view
    (eggshells look bad :)

    makes it tougher for animals to get
    at the compost and make a mess



    Run an image search for "keyhole garden" and you will see what I mean....

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love banana circles, and I too had a question about how to use them in a temperate location. Although they are used for food in the tropics, in temperate you can great success if you use them with mulch or additional carbon materials. I have heard that using willow or another fast growing shrub is a good way to go.

    You used my photo at the top of the post, and I do appreciate it. I have since moved my blog from that link to http://kellyhays.ca/banana-circle/, would you mind crediting my image by linking the link. Thanks

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  8. For acid, you could use blueberries with:
    1. regular potatoes, especially heirloom like Ozette fingerlings that are also Slow Food Ark of Taste (SFAT), Green Mountain SFAT, SFAT Louisiana Mirliton Potato, Red McClure Potato*, and
    2. Sweet potatoes: SFAT Ivis White Cream Sweet Potato*, SFAT Nancy Hall Sweet Potato*
    (SFAT in US, *awaiting international review)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Perhaps a "mulch pit" design with a progression of local native varieties from wetland plants (that are not harvested) on the interior where the water level might be a little high to bushes or trees on top of the mounds (that could be harvested, whether food or medicinal or utility plants, or a combination) would work. This would be a bigger setup overall, but the mulch of the interior remains fairly shallow.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am thinking yacon or other perennial root crops would do well with the compost pit in the center. and the mound hiding their tubers till easy harvest.
    Yacon takes so long to start that the compost area will stay accessible for a long period. of course it would die back in the fall.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love this website. I need to comment on one inaccuracy though. Pine needles don't make soil more acidic. Check out this youtube video for explanation.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B8-1sVcfzE

    ReplyDelete
  12. THe paw paw is native to temperate north America and acts like a bannana in many ways. I hear tell that it is a good replacement for the bannana circle. I have not done it yet but I intend to.

    ReplyDelete
  13. QUANTUM BINARY SIGNALS

    Professional trading signals sent to your cell phone daily.

    Start following our trades right now and gain up to 270% per day.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm giving a testimony about DR Ehizele Osemegbe the great Herbalist, he has the cure to all manner of diseases, he cured my herpes simplex virus, though I went through different website I saw different testimonies about different spell casters and herbalist, I was like: 'Many people's have the herpes simplex virus cure why are people still suffering from it?' I though of it, then I contact DR Ehizele Osemegbe via email, I didn't believe him that much, I just wanted to give him a try, he replied my mail and Needed some Information about me, then I sent them to him, he prepared it (CURE) and sent it to me through Airfreight Online Courier Service for delivery, he gave my details to the Courier Office, they told me that 2-3 days I will receive the parcel and i took the medicine as prescribed by him and I went for check-up 2 week after finishing the medicine, I was tested herpes simplex virus negative, if you are herpes simplex virus patient do me a favor by you contacting him and I assure anyone who is suffering it,your problem will never remain the same again you will be cured.ALSO DR Ehizele Osemegbe help my sister husband to cure his HIV/AIDS he was suffering from it for the past 3 years, After he {cure} my herpes simplex virus, then my sister heard about it, she went home to tell her husband about DR Ehizele Osemegbe then her husband email him and explain his problem to him, he also prepare herbal medicine and he use Airfreight courier service to sent him the herbal medicine and he instruct him on how he will be using it for 14 days, That on the 15 days of it, he should go and check his self in the hospital and he did as he was instructed by DR Ehizele Osemegbe to GOD be the glory he was cure of his HIV/AIDS which he was suffering from for the past 3 years thanks to these great man we will ever remain grateful to you sir indeed might work you did in our families. When you contact him, make sure you tell him that I refer you.. contact him via: drehizeleherbalhomeofsolution@gmail.com or website:https:// drehizeleosemegbe.weebly.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. After being in relationship with markiss for seven years,he broke up with me, I did everything possible to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so much because of the love I have for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to someone online and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back but I am the type that never believed in spell, I had no choice than to try it, I mailed the spell caster, and he told me there was no problem that everything will be okay before three days, that my ex will return to me before three days, he cast the spell and surprisingly in the second day, it was around 4pm. My ex called me, I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that happened, that he wanted me to return to him, that he loves me so much. I was so happy and went to him, that was how we started living together happily again. Since then, I have made promise that anybody I know that have a relationship problem, I would be of help to such person by referring him or her to the only real and powerful spell caster who helped me with my own problem and who is different from all the fake ones out there. Anybody could need the help of the spell caster, his email: drosemudiamenspellhome@gmail.com you can email him if you need his assistance in your relationship or anything. I CAN NEVER STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM, HIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS: drosemudiamenspellhome@gmail.com CONTACT HIM NOW FOR SOLUTION TO ALL YOUR PROBLEM.

    ReplyDelete
  16. NATURAL HERBS FOR CURING HIV, HERPES, HPV, HSV1&2, CANCER AND DIABETES

    I just experience the wonders of Dr Ohunyom herbs. God will continue to bless you Dr Ohunyom more abundantly for the good work you are doing in peoples life by curing them from different type of diseases. I will keep on testifying about your good work. I was diagnosed of herpes 6 months ago and my doctor told me that there is no cure. I did not believe him and i keep my faith up hoping that one day i will be cured from this horrible disease. One day i saw a post on HIV forum about a herbal doctor called Dr Ohunyom on how he cure people from diseases with his herbs and i quickly contact Dr Ohunyom on his email and explain my problem to him and he told me not to worry that he is going to cure me and truly he prepared the cure and send it to me through UPS and gave me instructions on how to take it. After two weeks of taken the herbal cure, i went to my doctor for checkup and my result show Negative and my doctor told me that there is no trace of herpes in my body and the virus is completely gone from my body. Everybody at the clinic rejoice with me and they all ask for Dr Ohunyom contact. You can contact Dr Ohunyom on his email: drohunyom@gmail.com or WhatsApp him on +2349060579973.and He also have herbs medicine to cured the following diseases; eczema,urethra wart,chronic problems.Herpes, Cancer, Als,Hepatitis, Diabetes, HPV,Infections,ulcer  ETC

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm looking at adding something like this for use with my ground vine plants (pumpkin, watermelon, honeydew, gourds). In Florida, growing these can be tricky because of the amount of rains that we get. I am hoping that the compost circle will provide a natural place for the rain to run to in order to store it and to help release the benefits of the composts for the plants.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I want to share a great testimony on this website on how great Priest Babaka help me in falling pregnant,me and my husband have been trying to have a baby for over 4years, but they where no luck so we decided to contact the family doctor and after all the test have been done,he said to us that my fallopian tube is not functioning.then one day i was in the office when a friend of mine who have the same problem with me, fall pregnant after she contacted Priest Babaka .she directed me to him and when i contacted him through his email and he did the purification on the pregnancy spell and i used his herbal remedy , in 2weeks time i was feeling some how and i went to meet the family doctor who told me that i am pregnant.if you know that you have a similar problem like this, or any fertility issue and you want to be pregnant you can contact Priest Babaka via Email: babaka.wolf@gmail.com or Facebook at priest.babaka

    ReplyDelete