FREE PERMIE PLANTS!!!!

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by ho-hum, Oct 31, 2009.

  1. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Hello folk,

    I was responding to a link on Pigeon Peas, one of my favourite plants and it made consider why I grow them. In that link I suggested the concept of 'free permie plants' and thought I should make a new thread, this is what I said.

    This post is limited by my experience but I can say it works for me and all of the plants listed have MULTIPLE uses, many I am yet to learn. All of these plants have been around, in australia, for generations.

    Jayjay, the original poster was asking about Pigeon Pea in a clime that is not really condusive to it but if I lived there I would grow it as an annual. It will never be as successful as it is in the tropics but if it serves a permaculture purpose for jayjay then it will serve a great purpose.

    For example, I am not advocating that all permies plant sugar cane, it is a sorta one dimensional crop but if you have pigs, rabbits, cattle plus a lot of heat and water. It is a great plant. I havent mentioned the 'people' thing with this plant but it is also a brilliant reptile refuge, habitat etc . Crushed cane, sugar, sugar water, pulp, brilliant pig/cattle food. Actually, whenever I watch TV now I hear gardeners' extol the virtue of sugar cane mulch. I feel sorry for anyone that has to resort to this but it is their money. Sugar cane is a great plant to grow and one of the few permie plants that's virtues are hard to quantify due to current attitudes.

    OK... opening a thread.

    Please add your climate FIRST and your 'free permie plants' to this thread. It will help us all (and probably without acknowledgement get us mentioned on international and local tv and websites)

    cheers,

    ho-hum
     
  2. Grahame

    Grahame Senior Member

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    Re: FREE PERMIE PLANTS!!!!

    I'm in central northern Victoria, oddly known as the Northern Country. It's considered a Temperate climate as far as I can gather.

    One of my favourite 'free' plants is rocket.
     
  3. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: FREE PERMIE PLANTS!!!!

    Sorry PP i don't get it.

    (Maybe I need more pain killers anyone got any spare MJ seed?)

    Are you talking about growing plants out of their "accepted", "best economic", range?
    or
    Are you talking about a psychological/social/ cognitive problem we all have of putting plants in JUST one box?
    (As we do with people?)
    Life is just easier that way.
    Lemon Grass =herb used by Asian cooks (not me. . .dismiss that one. . . . move on. . .)
     
  4. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Re: FREE PERMIE PLANTS!!!!

    Grahame,

    Agree on rocket. I dont like to eat it but it is brilliant at getting chooks to lay which means it must be an awesome and complete chook food.

    ho-hum
     
  5. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Re: FREE PERMIE PLANTS!!!!

    Michaelangelica,


    My point about 'free' was that some plants have so many uses that if you grow them for, instance, as a food - you get multiple 'free' benefits from them.

    I grow 2 raintrees [albizia lebbeck] which were planted pre-permaculture as shade trees. Since Permaculture and learning to observe these 2 plants produce prodigious amounts of fodder from the leaves and especially the flowers. The leaves and flowers are eaten both green and dried.

    It is also a fabulous producer of great quality compost material for me. The one near my house is a wonderful shade tree and climate modifier for the western side of my home. The occasional prunings and branches make great firewood or fast decomposing edge materials.

    The one in the paddock is not looked after but is shade and fodder for my animals. Both horses and cattle scour underneath for flowers and fallen leaves. It also drops leaves in October at the height of our food drought and brings forth new growth before the annual rains and can and has been chopped and dropped at this time of year.

    cheers,
     

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