Irrigating (or not irrigating) a Herb Spiral

[@munrosewarne6551]

Wow, I really miss your videos from doing the 2017 online permaculture course. This is really nice to watch. I think wisdom is about accepting complexity, including in our methods of practicing permaculture. And everyone will have a different set of priorities, informed by their experiences, their region of practice and by their ideals. Thanks you for all these videos Geoff.

[@avedafaye1366]

Perfect is not the enemy of good, it is the enemy of done. It all depends on where you draw that line between idealism and practicality, most definitely. I feel like I am saying this all the time! 😂💖

[@jameskniskern2261]

There will always be someone who wants to "outdo" you. No matter what you are doing, someone will be out there to do it "better" "faster" or more strictly than me. I've learned this lesson over and over and over again. So I do what works for me. Irrigation is another tool in the box for us to use. An appropriate technology as Geoff stated in the video. Plastic is part of that appropriate technology we have now.

[@Nick-vl7lk]

Or use an olla or series of unglazed clay pots, and that'll irrigate any herb spiral almost anywhere in the world. Most people over water their plants anyway (perennials), you make them struggle for water especially in the early years (after initial planting) so they develop a deeper and extensive root system. Keep them watered too much, and their root system remain shallow which leaves them susceptible to heat and cold, and drought periods. Work smarter not harder.

[@BlueGardenCottage]

I like the term 'appropriate technology'. Yes, I have lots of unwanted plastic in my garden to get as much use out of it as possible before it is 'got rid of' while at the same time reducing the influx of plastics over time to a point where there will be none. I even found a way of using my grandaughter's disposable urine filled nappies (diapers). I take the urine filled gel and paper filling and use it as water retaining gel crystals in my pots and baskets and the urine provides some nutrients at the same time. I can't tell my children not to use disposables but I can encourage them to use natural and 'appropriate technologies' and in the mean time try to reduce the impact while we are all getting to grips with the natural alternatives. As much as I love nature and try to live in tune with it...People are of vital importance to me and we get further in our mission by loving, teaching and encouraging by example than by making them feel guilty for not measuring up. People care.

[@gregbell2117]

Lots of technology/materials/waste saves our time. But at the scale Geoff's talking about, the bits of time-saving, plant-growing plastics being used are probably a good trade off. Making this trade-off consciously, and globally, would be a huge improvement over our current ways. I think it's interesting that some people want to make their own clay pots, but I think there may be a better name for that mindset. Primitivism? Self-sufficiency?

[@joecrablone286]

Bill Mollison would talk about how it's a poor use of a humans time to be lugging water back and forth to a plant for years, when better siting or swales means you can relax and put your feet up. The aromatic properties of herbs and onions are more pungent when grown in dry conditions.

[@rosamechoni]

So much common sense from this guy.Striving for perfection in itself is not how the nature works. Wouldn't it be a great better way forward for those protesting young people in London to educate themselves and ACT constructively and steadily towards a better future.They should hear/study about Geoff's work and then come up with a plan to make changes happen.

[@HFTLMate]

Great work !

[@atmaramkhot7983]

Sir, Can u Please advice on Use n Application of Drippler Pipes

[@StreetMachine18]

Nice q/a series

[@jenniferthernandez33]

I just use what I have because I am on a budget. So plastic, wood, stone, pvc, etc. if it works than I use it. It is also about renew reuse.

[@johne7123]

thanks Geoff

[@4philipp]

It’s the old problem between an ideal and practical reality

[@peterkoolwijk]

I'm with Chloe: if you can make wooden buckets you can make wooden wateringcans. when tyres were made of latex, the latex hosepipe must've been just round the corner. As most decisions on how to do things or what to build, have been driven by what gives the most economic gain, it is now just to wait a bit more till the majority realises this behaviour has become very, very costly.

[@lasobaranch9994]

again thanks for sharing this knowledge !!!! greetings from MONTERREY MEXICO

[@TOMMYSURIA]

That's why we got put on this Earth, in the first place. To care for The Garden.

[@michaelgusovsky]

We didn't get put on this earth. We are this earth.

[@TOMMYSURIA]

@@michaelgusovsky excuse my French 😃

[@TerraFirmaX]

Great answer

[@dvst_tv]

Two years late to comment but an interesting idea is that if we can have an adoption of permaculture mentality over time our technology will change with it. Meaning the more people who start thinking in this way the more likely we find solutions and resources that don't involve plastics or permawaste. Additionally we find tools and metals and clay pots of long lost civilizations all the time, its not often we treat that discover as a negative. If the plastics we use are used in a positive earth caring way then the cost of a little staying in the ground for hundreds of years doesn't seem so bad.

[@JosetteT]

Absolutely!

[@deanpd3402]

I've got no problem with the technologies of the modern world. Finding an appropriate use offers nothing but promise.

[@Darkfyre755]

I think permaculture is more about using what you have on hand to make an easy to maintain system. I made the mistake of not having irrigation besides just the hose i use to water things and now i spend like an hour plus every day just watering and it's far too much for me to handle.

[@LaHortetadeBussy]

thanks for sharing. greetings from Spain

[@titofdez9243]

Que pena que los subtítulos no estén en español..... Saludos permacultores!

[@MeanOldLady]

I've never had to water my herb spiral. Even during drought.

[@DiscoverPermaculture]

I will depend on your climate.

[@lindakurtz2653]

It's all about our own individual context, isn't It?

[@VeganChiefWarrior]

i think what needs to be pushed is more water = more growth, ive tried to not water at all for years haha

[@Christodophilus]

Guilty too. Made me chuckle.

[@VeganChiefWarrior]

@@Christodophilus are you native by any chance? :p i still believe there is a way to do it without watering, but its kind of a race to get there atm, maybe later on we can stop watering :)

[@Christodophilus]

@@VeganChiefWarrior Yes, I am part indigenous. :) My grandfather was the last connection, and he died without telling us. In his day, you got more respect, passing yourself off as a Spanish immigrant, than an indigenous Australian. But it made so much sense, when I found out in my late 30's, because I was always desperately looking for connection to the land. It was really inexplicable, until I found out. I'm glad you raised the issue, how watering feels kind of "wrong" - and the indigenous connection. Not wrong, in the sense, like everyone doesn't want to waste resources. But wrong like it's being disrespectful. I thought I was the only one, lol. Overall, I look at watering the way you do though. It's an establishment requirement, designed to be removed, once the system becomes more stable. The recent drought in South-East Qld, forced me not to be able to water, at all. It really tested my system, and I thought it even killed a mulberry tree. Once the rain came though, it re-shot. So that's a really good, food production tree, which can handle extremes. For the most part, I'm extremely miserly with water allocation to my plants. Because ultimately, I do want them to be able to fend for themselves.

[@VeganChiefWarrior]

@@Christodophilus im native down here in tasmania/Lutruwita so i can totally relate to your situation, i love your comment also btw you deffinatly are just like me haha :p im tryna grow tropicals down here or just alll the fruit thats my main mission :)

[@VeganChiefWarrior]

best to stick to natural materials imo, besides a solar panel and a phone and lap top inside the house to order seeds and incase of emergencies, thats the goal, keep it clean i say, like you say tho not everyones so mindful, im native so that really pushes me in the right direction there i hate seeing plastic or metal or rubber anything in the bush it makes me angry, diy minimalist by default lol things like clothing and netting/string rope get the pass for the effort they take to make but im a little ashamed of myself still for using them and plan to get away from it when i escape the europeans or when they allow us to be aboriginal again, which we all no could be any day now.. such bullshit.. slyness and jelousy really send me into fuck that mode, there are people giving land back to aboriginals out there, those people... truely are righteous people and there willingness to fix the past makes me cry lolthose people truely belong here by aboriginal law

[@jozefdebeer9807]

Holy crap, having a luddite attitude is so out of date. There is a time and place for technology. A garden is part of our providence, not to enslave us.

[@baxswisher7661]

You would rather us be slaves to the corporations that own the seeds?

[@jozefdebeer9807]

@@baxswisher7661 Ha no. I would much rather the means of production be controlled by the masses. That was to good part of the luddite. The part I disagree with is rebelling against technology just to make jobs. That is a backwards form of capitalist enslavement. It is best with lots of automation controlled by the masses and not the elite.

[@MeanOldLady]

​@@jozefdebeer9807 - if you plan things right, you won't need to rely on a ton of tech that just enriches the elites. When was the lazy time you trusted a mob of people to do a job well without direct, "elite" management? The masses are ALWAYS controlled by one group or another. People are just slightly more complicated & destructive sheep.

[@jozefdebeer9807]

​@@MeanOldLadyIn a garden, sure planning will reduce the need of tech. However there will always be some tech. You are using tech that enriches the elites to make your comment. Hence the means of production returning to the masses so tech can be used to benefit all and not the elites. There is always management of a group but it doesn't have to be elitist. Case in point, worker based coops. Mondragon is a successful organization where the general assembly has the most power and managers are elected. While there may be traces of elitism in this model, it is drastically reduced compared to any mainstream business. www.mondragon-corporation.com/en/about-us/

[@baxswisher7661]

@@jozefdebeer9807 amen ✊

[@sutherland896]

people still building herb spirals!!??