up:: [[Permaculture Principles]] tags:: #on/permaculture # Integrate rather than Segregate [Permaculture Design Principle 8: Integrate rather than segregate](https://permacultureprinciples.com/principles/_8/) Permaculture Design Principle 8, "Integrate rather than segregate," emphasizes creating systems where elements interact in mutually beneficial ways to create a cohesive whole. This principle is about recognizing the value in the relationships between things, rather than just the things themselves. For example, planting nitrogen-fixing plants near those that require nitrogen-rich soil creates a symbiotic relationship, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. Another example is designing garden spaces that combine vegetable crops with fruit trees and shrubs, which can provide shade, improve soil health, and increase biodiversity, leading to a more resilient ecosystem. Some examples of applying Permaculture Design Principle 8, "Integrate rather than segregate," in bullet points: - **Guild Planting**: Planting a combination of compatible plants in the same area, where they support each other's growth. For instance, growing tomatoes with basil and marigolds to deter pests and improve flavor. - **Polyculture**: Cultivating multiple crops or species together in the same space instead of monoculture. For instance, growing corn, beans, and squash together (the "Three Sisters" method), where corn provides support, beans fix nitrogen, and squash acts as ground cover. - **Companion Planting**: Pairing plants that have complementary relationships, such as planting carrots and onions together. Carrots deter onion flies, while onions deter carrot flies. - **Agroforestry**: Integrating trees, shrubs, and crops in the same agricultural system to create a diverse and productive ecosystem. For example, interplanting coffee with shade trees and nitrogen-fixing legumes in coffee farms. - **Aquaponics**: Combining aquaculture (raising fish) with hydroponics (growing plants in water) in a closed-loop system. Fish waste provides nutrients for the plants, and the plants purify the water for the fish. - **Keyhole Gardens**: Designing circular raised beds with a composting basket at the center, allowing easy access to the entire garden while efficiently recycling kitchen scraps as compost. - **Chicken Tractors**: Using movable chicken coops to integrate poultry into garden areas. Chickens help control pests, provide fertilizer, and prepare the soil while being moved to different locations. - **Swales**: Creating landscape features like swales (contour trenches) to capture and distribute rainwater efficiently across a site, reducing erosion and benefiting plant growth.