In organic gardening, permaculture, and any form of natural garden, we are all aware of the role of biodiversity in the vegetable garden. An essential element that will lead to the establishment of a certain balance between the different animal and plant species. When you are looking to preserve and promote the life that revolves around the garden, as you take the time to observe your surroundings in order to understand the natural mechanisms, while removing chemicals, you are moving towards this natural balance. We can of course give a little help to nature, to encourage the arrival of animals, insects, or all this fauna that can find refuge and food in your vegetable garden. This fauna will also participate in the natural protection of your crops in place and of all the plants present (flora).
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Let’s take a look at some of the fundamentals of biodiversity. How to facilitate the arrival of insects (auxiliaries) in the vegetable garden. You must first have good gardening tools that are handy and you can rely on. For example, you may want to look at the 4 cycle weed eater vs 2 cycle weed eater. Then, you can focus on the soils and plants.
So that the fauna can settle in your permaculture garden, it needs something to shelter but also something to eat. To do this, it is important to know how to attract the so-called “pests” or undesirable ones from the garden according to the name you want to give them. However, these pest insects make it possible to feed other insects and animals that are qualified in the language of the organic gardener as auxiliary insects or friends of the gardener. The thing to remember for your garden: pests such as ants and critters are great for your garden!
Promote diversity in permaculture
These two points are very related, we do not necessarily realize it at the beginning but the installation of insects and animals is necessarily favored by the presence of plants in the garden and all the flora. That is why you must allow weeds to develop. Not only are these spontaneous plants naturally present in your environment, but they are perfectly adapted to your region, your climate. Not to mention that the earth is loaded with seeds of these wild plants (sometimes edible). It is therefore perfectly possible to reserve a square for these weeds that can shelter and feed various insects such as:
- Ladybugs
- Hoverflies
- Slugs (sometimes)
Mix flowers, shrubs, trees, herbs, etc
The balance of an organic garden is not limited to vegetable crops, on the contrary! If your garden allows it, the installation of fruit trees, the planting of berry fruits, or others can facilitate the arrival of birds, lacewings, and other insects and animals that can find refuge and probably something to eat.
I think that the question to ask yourself for each plant present in your garden is what does this plant, this tree do? Does it allow the shelter to be promoted at the level of insects? Or on the contrary, what does this plant, trees, flowers, aromatics allow to grow back?
