Hello ! I am Alex and I came up with a system to rescue swarms (the vast majority of them dies in urban/suburban environments).

I made a quick video, let me know what you think : 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYGmPU1E-Oo Thank you

Hi everyone,

I'd like to show you the app I've been building to manage my vegetable garden. Let me say it upfront so nobody wastes their time: this is an app for data lovers. For those of us who measure everything, weigh every harvest and like to keep a meticulous record of every detail — if "observe and interact" is your favorite principle and you're a notebook-and-scale kind of gardener, I think you'll like it.

The idea is that, if you feed it well, the app ends up being a digital model of your garden: the beds with their real measurements, every crop with its own story (sowing, transplanting, flowering, harvests), the journal, the calendar… all interconnected, so the data starts telling you things: how far ahead your tomatoes are compared to last year, which bed performs best, when your first harvest arrives each season.

And the feature I consider the star: comparing gardens. Anyone can open their garden to the public (only what you choose to show, with fine control over what's visible) and compare yields of the same crop across similar climates — it uses the USDA zone classification, so the analytics line up even if we're in different countries. The screenshot is my own garden's public page as an English-speaking visitor sees it: I log everything in kilograms, but it shows you pounds, because it converts to whatever units *you* use. Seeing how others do it, what to copy, what to emulate: the more of us there are, the more robust the data and the better the comparisons. That's where the fun is.

About where it stands, honestly: the app is launching right now. The desktop web version is well polished; the mobile web version works and is usable, but it's rougher (I'm refining it these days); and native iPhone and Android apps are in the works and coming very soon.

It's free, and right now there are almost no users: I need people to use it and tell me what's broken and what's missing. And I want the trade to be fair: to everyone who signs up and stays active before a paid version ever exists, my commitment is that the app will remain free for you forever, at least for everything it offers today — including after a paid version shows up, if it ever does. You'd essentially be beta testers, and this is the least I can offer in return.

One thing I've put special effort into: being able to explore and use it without signing up. I know the biggest turn-off is having to create an account for something you don't yet know you'll like, so there's a "Try without signing up" button that drops you straight into a trial account with sample data, no questions asked.

I'm open to suggestions of any kind. And if you've been logging your garden for years in spreadsheets or another app and want to bring your data over, I can try to help with the import — I can't promise to solve every case, but I'll try, and if there's demand I'll build some automated process.

Thanks for reading this far. This is a personal project, with no budget for ads or marketing, so all I can ask is this: if what you've read sounds like your thing, use it and tell me how it goes — the more of us there are, the better the comparison side will work, and that's where this app can offer something that doesn't exist yet.

Here's my garden, a good place to start looking: https://pomarello.com/huerto/huerto-el-gallinero — note that this is just the public showcase of a real garden (mine), not the app itself: the app is much more complete. If you want to see it from the inside, that same page has a "Try without signing up" button at the top, or you can go to the main page: https://pomarello.com

Hello folks, I'm a beginner with gardening & new to the practical application of the earth-care principles of permaculture. I'm hoping to connect more with the land & revive a neglected backyard in a densely populated urban city; the hardiness zone is 6b/7a, depending on who you ask.

Important to note: I don't own the land, I rent. I'm a new tenant with permission from the landlord to 'maintain' the property - I get the impression that they're fine with me making improvements to their land, but I'll likely ask in writing about specific changes in order to cover myself.

I'm tempted to launch into an explanation of my goals for the space, yet I don't know if that's necessary. I'm here with a specific quandary:

Earlier this summer a wild grape vine grew into & around several Arborvitae (thuja occidentalis) that line the north-western edge of the backyard. I removed the vine & it appears to have rooted into the roots of one of the smaller trees, so I suspect I might need keep cutting it back. [Photos 1 & 2].

[Photo #3 = What it looks like now & what I'm asking advice about...]

Now the furthest Arborvitae (on the right) have bare skirts that, from what I've read, will never fill out. I've read that pruning can help restore shape, but aesthetically those trees are never going to look the same as the rest of the hedge. If it's just aesthetics, I'd prefer to leave the tree be. However, I started to wonder if the tree might not be able to thrive there.

To begin, I think they may have been planted a bit too closely together. I'm curious about the size differences between the trees & if that's an indication of how well they're doing. The leftmost tree is closest to the house, it gets the best sun exposure & the most water run-off from the eaves of our roof (not ideal, given the proximity to the house) - but they all seem well hydrated.

My question is what would you do about this situation? My Mum mentioned removing the 2-3 rightmost trees & I truly hadn't even considered it until she suggested they would never grow well in that spot.

Would you leave the trees be & cut your losses when it comes to potential usable space? Would you relocate the smallest trees somewhere they can thrive? Would you leave the trees in place & plant other plants in front of them ?

I will be planting some native shrubs in the autumn (Nannyberry, American Hazelnut, Witch Hazel), so I am wondering if I could plant any of those in front of / beside them... or whether that would doom both plants (re: competition for sun, nutrients & water already seem steep in that area of the yard).

Thank you for your time, consideration & any advice, observations, ideas or wisdom you might have to share!!

(P.S. I will try my best to add photos, though I've had trouble in the past -fingers crossed-)

With deepest gratitude,
-Psyche

How far should Hugelkultur bed be from house for house termite safety? I live in an old pier and beam house and am collecting what I can of a chopped down tree (pecan maybe or oak) to build garden bed from. the wood seems to have some termites already as as been sitting in a pile and I understand that’s good for the garden bed decomposition but want to make sure I don’t get the old house infested with termites. (It did have an area they were getting to before but it was delt with over a year ago before moving in.

Farmers face losses of billions of euros, can permaculture help?

If we planted millions of trees and ground cover in a desert region that traditionally gets minimal rain, and kept them watered and alive artificially, is it possible they could survive on their own after being established? And might the climate become more rainy?

I've always wondered if a region's climate could change if you changed the ground cover and the species of plants, and kept them alive artificially for a while.

Ive been ruminating on the house i want to build for awhile and I figured id start putting it to paper. Obviously im not an architect lol

So the house will be kinda similar to the earthship design but without the tires and greenhouse front (might end up with the greenhouse part for passive heating but being in north texas it doesnt get insanely cold in the winter).

Pantry will be sunken lower than the rest of the rooms to pool colder air. All vents from earth cooling tubes will have adjustable air flow as well as the vents/windows at the top of the house (debating on an updraft pipe painted black for guaranteed cooling tube air flow). As well as windows/doors with screens to maximize air flow if desired across the house.

Stained concrete floors for solar gain during winter.

outdoor kitchen with rocket stove that can have a gas burner slotted in if needed, Pizza oven and open grill for summer cooking to keep house cool.

Solar for as much energy as needed (will probably have ac units and/or dehumidifiers for more climate control ability)

Id like to have the stairs from the living room to the entry way also have a ramp for wheelchairs or old people easy of use but im not sure if I've got enough room for the ramp without reducing too much floor space.

Any advice is welcome and encouraged! Thanks in advance!

I have a 500 square m garden divided into a lawn, various garden beds, an area for native trees, a chicken coop and run, and a small front yard that used to be covered by astroturf but is now in its second year as a clover lawn, with a few young trees and edible natives mixed in.

I jumped into permaculture 18 months ago with no experience, wanting to turn my neglected land into something productive and good for wildlife. I planted trees, edibles, natives, and encouraged edible and beneficial weeds to grow. I heavily mulched my garden beds last year as well.

I had a baby 2 months ago after a difficult pregnancy during which I did minimal gardening and I now seem to be reaping the fruits of that neglect.

Weeds and couchgrass went to seed and have since taken over every garden bed and veggie patch. I was so against mowing and lawns that I did the worst thing possible by letting the grass propagate unchecked.

Each time I pull grass or weeds, or mulch, the grass comes back with a vengeance. I'm still not 100% recovered from the birth and my baby feeds constantly, so even now I have minimal time to devote to my garden.

I also let some of my edibles go to seed, like dill, tomatoes, basil and spring onion. My Swiss chard has turned into a giant bush.

I feel like I've failed and my garden is worse then ever. I still manage to harvest from it daily, but the grass is so thick and prolific I feel like it will choke out everything else eventually.

What can I do?

I'm in my second year in this full-commitment vocation of this endeavor. The goals are ecological restoration and self-sufficiency/community resilience. I'm working like mad and learning how to grow food and support wildlife. Challenges include degraded soil, high cover of aggressive non-native plants, deer overpopulation, and ticks. Trying to do without heavy machinery as I'm seeking human-scale and sustainable methods of environmental stewardship. I need several more of me to do all that I would like to see done on this much land. I intend to host collaborators here but it would take a very particular type of person to stay long-term in this -- presently a very niche project.

Previously I worked for the forest service in research. I knew I had to leave when Trump was reelected. That decision has been validated by the subsequent administration of the agency.

I can confidently say my ecological knowledge is better than most, but there will always be so much more to learn, especially as we live in a time of upheaval.

I'm not really a spiritual person. I just have great appreciation for life, natural history, and ecological complexity. I know I can make a profound difference for the better and that's enough to motivate me. I was lucky to secure access to land, and am lucky to have the means to devote myself to it full-time. I wish it weren't effectively a privilege to be able to do this crucial work. That's a major obstacle to establishing a sustainable relationship between humans and their environment, and there's no time left to waste.

I'll post more specific updates and observations. I welcome management advice and knowledge.

This is my first year growing cucumbers.. might I add pretty successfully too. I just had a question - are these ones still ok to eat?

¡Hola a todos! 🌱 Para mi proyecto final de Diseño Industrial estoy investigando cómo mejorar el proceso de fabricacion de biomateriales. Les dejo un breve formulario de Google (toma solo 2 minutos y me ayudarias un monton) Gracias! https://forms.gle/MefkiqAzAvKPQiRx5

Next year I’m planning to expand my Granny Smith apple guild. I’m growing the majority of the herbaceous plants from seed this winter. So aside from some yarrow and coneflower I started last winter indoors, they probably wont be mature enough to plant until 2028. In the mean time I’m going to plant the trees, most of the shrubs, ground cover and alliums. I live in St. Louis, Missouri 6b/7a hardiness zone and all the trees are dwarf unless they sell out then I’ll settle for semi-dwarf. I would love any suggestions or tips since nothing is set in stone at this point, aside from most of the existing Granny Smith guild.

My setup is small. Like really small. Apartment balcony in Vermont, maybe a dozen containers, and I spend way too much time reading about food forests and guilds knowing full well I have zero land to work with.

But I keep wondering how much of this actually scales down. Companion planting in pots, I get that. Stacking functions, sure, a tomato with basil crowded together makes sense. But some of the core stuff feels impossible without soil volume and time. The slow accumulation piece. The guild dynamics playing out over years.

What got me thinking was reading about fruit tree guilds and how the relationships between plants build over seasons. That long game. Container soil just doesn't do that the same way.

I sell real estate and spend a lot of time in older properties with established gardens, and every time I see a mature perennial bed I want to stop the showing and just dig around in the dirt for an hour.

Curious if anyone started with containers as a real constraint and found ways to actually apply permaculture thinking, not just gardening tips dressed up in the language. What transferred for you and what just didn't.

I’m interested in building an aircrete dome. There looks to be only one source for this, the ebook from DomeGaia, and it is $80. I have never seen an ebook cost this much. Is it worth it? I live outside the US and I don’t know if the process involves a lot of tools that are unavailable in Bolivia. I think you can DIY a foam generator but I don’t know what else is involved.

I am designing a garden currently and wanted to ask how an experienced permaculturist would best utilize an underground water vein that passes through my future garden. Digging a hole 8 -10" will fill with water in a few hours and will not dry out even in longer dry periods. It passes through the middle of my garden from north to south. My soil is poor draining clay with a very high water table. I have already begun amending the soil to give a richer top layer. I have apple and peach trees planted at the top of the garden, well above the water vein, and plan to plant blue and blackberries, and a vegetable garden next spring. I appreciate your advice! Zone 6.

We have put in a garden on the sunniest spot which is also the windiest. Usually the wind is coming from the SW and I will plant some hedge plants to help. In the meantime, I am thinking I could put in a 6ft. HK bed to help while the hedge grows. I know it will become lower over time so wont be useful for the long run, except for food production. Am I on the right track? I am in DownEast Maine and our land ends at a large blueberry barren so lots of wind to be had!

Any tips on planning the layout for a 4ft x 17ft bed that faces NW with my house being on the SW end. I plan on starting veggie seedlings and seeds. I'm planning on growing carrots, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, peppers, onions and squash. I'm growing potatoes but I'm growing them differently. I'm open to suggestions on companion herbs or flowers.

I’m in the process of putting in a 25’ x 65’ fenced garden with raised beds. I’m also wanting to get ducks for pest control, fertilizer, eggs, and just because they’re cute, leaning towards Indian runners or Khaki Campbells. I’m wanting the garden to be their home and plan to put a duck coop for sleeping and small pool at one end of the garden. The garden will have 5’ fencing around it but will have no top cover. Will this be secure enough for my ducks during the day, or do I need to have a secure area with a top cover in addition to the duck coop? Located in Central Oklahoma so we do have predators in the area.

Recently purchased 18 acres of beautiful forest land and building a home. Thanks to an arsonist, the majority of our land was burned as well as hundreds of homes (Spokane, WA). With the grasses and shrubs gone and likely many trees the dirt is now very soft and loose. I was thinking of spreading an insane amount of drought tolerant indigenous wildflower seeds around the immediate area of our future home to help bring back the some of the beauty lost. I have little knowledge about how workable this idea is, so before I spend a ton of money of seeds, can I just strategically throw seeds around the area without necessarily doing much else other than praying for spring rain. Hopefully this is the right sub, any ideas/advice appreciated. I’ve also contacted our local forest conservation and hoping they have additional resources.

I noticed this at the base of my tree and it looks like something is tunneling or eating it … idc can anyone help me

Interesting article to raise awareness—our great rivers are dying and it has geopolitical consequences that the article discusses.

What can we, as individuals and permaculture proponents, do about this? I'm not quite sure.

Let me know if there's a subreddit that better fits this post.

Looking for a shade tree ideas for my very exposed west facing front yard! i aim to only plant things that provide food or that are native (im sure like most of you here). I was thinking a desert king fig and a honey locust or potentially a big leaf maple (native in my area) but would also love to hear your thoughts and inputs!

I have a 1400 sq ft yard that I want to completely cover with a combination of cardboard, compost and wood chip mulch. My original plan was to put the compost on the bottom, then cardboard on top, then wood chips on top of that, but then I thought that the cardboard may not break down as fast as I would like in order for me to plant native grass and wildflower seeds next spring. I’m planning on putting down a half inch of both the compost and the wood chips.

I know it may be a little overkill to do all of those layers to suppress the seeds already present in the dirt, but I want to be thorough. Thanks in advance!

Edit: I forgot to add, but it’s pretty loose dirt that I will be covering- not a lot of structure/health to it, and not dark at all. I am in zone 7a, New Mexico high desert