HOMESTEADING PERMACULT

7TypicalComponentsofaGuild
8COMMENTS

Guildsreallyaregreat.Theseinterconnectedsystemsofplantsandanima
demonstrationsofhownatureachievesbalanceandharmony.Takingthei
ecosystemssuchasforests,guildplantingseekstorecreatethebeneficial
organismsbyplantingspeciesthatwillaidoneanotherclosetogether.Th
alsoformrelationshipswithinsectsandotherorganismstocreateathrivin

Feeders
Withinaguildtherearethoseplantsthatfeedus,byproducingediblecrops.Asinallperm
maximizingbiodiversityandsoexpandingtherangeoffoodstuffsgrown.Mostguildsareo
thetree,thegardenershouldbeabletocultivateawidevarietyofedibleplants,including
interactionwithanimalscanalsoprovideasourceoffood,suchasbeesvisitingblossoms
worthnotingthatoftenplantsthatgrowwelltogethertastegoodtogetheraswell,making

Fixers
Fixersrefertotheplantsinaguildthathelptomakenutrientsinthesoilavailabletoallth
nitrogen.Secondonlytowaterinimportancetohealthyplantgrowth,nitrogenisaprimar
plantsusetophotosynthesize.Certainplantsareablefixnitrogeninthesoil,byinteractin
nodules.Fromtheretheplantitselfusestheelement,butsomeisalsoreleasedintotheso
theorderofplantsbestsuitedtofixingnitrogeninthesoil,soplantingbeans,peas,nutsa
ofyourguildwillensuregoodnitrogenlevelsinthesurroundingsoil.

Guildplantscanalsoaddtothenutrientloadinthesoilwiththeirfallenleavesandotherm
providescompost,andthepermaculturegardenercanmimicnaturebysimplyleavingsuc
breaksdownitaddsallthenutrientsthatwhereintheorganicmattertothesoilfromwhe
alsoclassifymicroorganismsinthesoilasfixers,astheybreakdowntheorganicmatterw
Rooters
Certainspeciesofplantcanbeusedinaguildforthebenefitsthattheirdeeprootingsyste
deeprootssuchastrees,yamsandpotatoeshelptoimprovethestructureofthesoil,
canpercolate.Theyalsoreachdeepintothegroundinthesearchfornutrientsandminera
plantsandmicroorganismsinthetopsoilcanaccessthem.Infact,someofthemicroorgan
earthworms,beetlesandotherinsectshelptokeepthesoilsoftandwellstructuredbybur

Coverers
Covercropsareplantsthatarelowlyingandspreadouttoshieldthesoil.Sweetpotatoan
utilizedinaguild.Bycoveringthesoil,thesetypesofplantprotectthesoilfromthesun,l
gettingthelevelofsunshinetheyneedtophotosynthesize.Theyalsohelpprotectthetops
usefultoprepareasitepriortoplantingaguildsystem.Thecovercropwillhelpimprovet
rotaspartofmulch.Thesubsequentguildplantswillthenbeabletoaccessthenutrients

Climbers
Whilesomeplantsthrivelyinglowtotheground,othersclimbupwardsinordertogrow.C
thussmallercropsitems.Beans,cucumbersandpassionfruitareexamplesofclimbers.Th
yieldfromasmallspace.

Supporters
Ifyouhaveclimbersinyourguild,youllneedsomethingforthemtoclimbup.Thatswhe
branchesthanclimbers,theyprovidethesolidbaseonwhichtheclimberscangrow.Inna
wouldbeclassifiedassupporters.Thepermaculturecanusethesetypesofplantsinagui
trellises,fences,thesidesofbuildingsandgardenwallsaswell.Someclimberscanoverwh
two.

Protectors
Therearealotofdifferenttypesoforganismthatcanplayaprotectingroleinaguild.Som
attackotherplantsinthesystem.Certainspeciesmayalsobeusedtodetergrazerssuch
bypredatingonpestspecies,whileotheranimalssuchasbirds,lizardsandfrogs,andlive
function.

Itiscertainlytruethateachspeciesisnotlimitedtoasinglerolewithinthisframework.Fr
guildcouldbeconsideredafeeder,arooterandasupporter.Itcanalsobeafixerifitsfal
thatguildplantingtakesfromnaturalecosystemsanddovetailswiththepermacultureprin
maximizingthefunctionsofanysingleelementontheplot.

8comments

ValarieNicholssays
November11,2014

Greatinfohere!!!!

DanaLeeCohensays
November11,2014

yummy!

AnnaBixelVastsays
November28,2014

Iloveguilds
FlorenceDalePlotnikoffsays
December2,2014

youshouldrunthatgreenhouse

LouiseNerisays
January5,2015

pasdetraductionenfranais,dommagepourmoi

DianneAnthonysays
January16,2015

Weneverrakeleaves.HowardGarrett,DirtDoctortaughtusthatherei

EmilyJaneBernsteinsays
January30,2015

Greatinfo.
 purvis193says
April20,2015

Thesetipsarefantastic!Ilovethewaytheyarearrangedwiththenum
guild.Thankyouverymuch.

Commentsareclosed

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