Culinary Camp/Gardening Week Six: Permaculture Summary
Ellen Dahlquist, Maggie O’Mara, Amanda Roeder, Liz Furey, Lauren Hochreiter, and Maggie
Cimarolli
Saint Louis University’s orchard was created in 2014 in order to produce organic
cherries, apples, plums, peaches, and apricots in a sustainable manner. In order to be a truly
organic garden, alternative solutions to chemicals and fertilizers are always being explored.
Permaculture is one method that can be utilized to decrease fertilizer use by creating a
gardening system that mimics the ecosystem1. Permaculture brings together plants and
landscapes in a symbiotic relationship where each other’s products help to serve the needs of
each other1. In the orchard, appropriate fruits, vegetables, and other plants will be planted
alongside the apples in a manner that will best help the apples grow and prosper.
In row six of the orchard, Stark Lodi apple, Jonafree apple, Stark Baester, and Crimson
Crisp apple are planted. Unfortunately, the Ozark Premium Plum did not survive. On the ends of
the row, nasturtiums are utilized to help repel insects away from the fruit without the use of
pesticides. Orange nasturtiums repel against aphids, squash bug, and striped pumpkin beetles 2.
Coriander is utilized as an important food source for insects that are beneficial to the plants,
which can aid in pollination3. Artichokes can naturally provide mulch to the plant, which can
increase the plant’s access to nutrients4. Alfalfa increases the amount of nitrogen in the soil,
which can increase energy production5. Lastly, leeks help to reduce the amount of unwanted
foliage around the apple tree, which decrease competition for the apple tree 4.
Recommendation
Orange
31. Stark
Coriander
32.
Artichoke
33. Stark
Alfalfa
34.
Leeks
35.
Orange
Nasturtiums
Lodi
(3)
Jonafree
(3)
Baester
(3)
Crims
(5)
Ozark
Nasturtiums
(5)
Apple
Plum
(5)
Apple
on
Crisp
Apple
(): Indicates How Many Plants of Each
Plant Pictures
Nasturtium
Coriander
Artichoke
Alfalfa
Leeks
Sources
1. What is Permaculture? Retrieved from:
http://www.crmpi.org/What_is_Permaculture_files/permarticle.pdf.
2. Companion Planting. Retrieved from:
http://gstuff.co.nz/shop/garden/index.php?main_page=page_4
3. Tropical Permaculture. Retrieved from: http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growingcoriander.html .
4. Seven Parts of an Apple Tree Guild.
https://www.openpermaculture.com/magazine/seven-parts-apple-tree-guild
5. Hemenway, Toby. Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Homescale Permaculture (2009).