Hi all, I'm just starting out on my permaculture journey but I'm hoping to start a PDC next year and by being part of this group find a way to apply the principles to my reality. Which is... I'm from the UK but I live in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. I've lived here for 35 years and watched it turn from sand to a place that grows its own organic vegetables. There's a huge movement here at the moment by small farmers to grow as much produce as they can under international organic farming standards. I live in a relatively large villa with an ok sized terrace garden. We've no soil, so everything is grown in pots; six months of the year the heat is above 40 degrees and for many of those months the humidity is over 80%. And to top it all off, I have a lot of trees that cast shade on my house and the outdoor space - which is great for blocking heat out off the house but not so great for growing plants! Like I say - I'm going to need a lot of help and guidance. I'm particularly interested in learning from anyone with experience growing and designing in hot, salty and arid conditions. Thanks so much, Philippa
Hi Philippa and welcome, how do your plants-in-pots do in full Abu Dhabi sun? We find here that partial shade and mulch to keep the roots of potted plants cool is critical. While some plants (such as tomatoes) thrive in our intense sun, many other food plants wither without some shade, especially between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. What types of plants do you want to grow?
Hi Phillipa, I'm in central Florida we get that kind of heat a lot. We are actually very dry in central Florida, subtropical, not tropical. I think you will be able to do ok with the conditions you describe, you just have to find the right plants for your situation. Google permaculture plants for your zone. Most of my plants like some shade from the extreme heat here so I think you'll be able to find plenty you can grow.. I only have 1 tip about growing in pots. Afraid I don't do it often.. i line around the inside of the pot with cardboard or newspaper, and then put lots of torn up cardboard or crumpled newspaper balls in the bottoms to make them lighter weight for moving, to help the sand I have to grow in here retain water, to help keep the plants cool, and to keep the soil from leaking out the bottom. All my plants really seem to like it and do better when i do that than when I don't. Good luck getting your certificate and with everything you're doing