There are thousands of farmers in the world, but only one of them is known in all countries. His name is Sepp Holzer. It took this unique agrarian about five decades to create a biosystem on 45 hectares. He did this contrary to all the rules of agronomy, and the benefits of civilization did not come close to his economy. The Holzer lands are a kind of challenge to modern agriculture: only one small tractor works from equipment; Sepp does not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. And only the wife and one hired worker helps the farmer!

From Disillusionment to Authorial Principles: Sepp's Biography

Sepp Holzer is a farmer's son. He was born in 1942. By the time he was 20, he was running his parents' mountain farm. The orthodox methods of agricultural development disappointed the young man. He began to develop his own ecological economic approach, which later became known as "permaculture".

For his non-standard methods, Holzer was repeatedly fined, and once he was even threatened with imprisonment for refusing to cut fruit trees. According to his research, unpruned trees withstood snow loads, unlike those that were pruned.

Today, the Krameterhof farm of this agrarian revolutionary is located in the Alps, at an altitude of 1100-1500 meters above sea level. In a place where untouched nature reigned, Sepp managed to create a productive eco-farm. The farm is open to tourists, moreover, lectures for gardeners are regularly held here! In addition to excursions, Holzer publishes books.

Permaculture by Sepp Holzer

In encyclopedias, you can see the following definition: permaculture is not only a long-term Agriculture but also long-term culture. Permaculture is engaged in plants, animals, as well as buildings and infrastructure integrated into the habitat of living organisms.

According to the research of Sepp Holzer, permaculture plants do not need watering and fertilization, because they are in a natural symbiosis. Animals and birds participate in the ecosystem - they are able to independently obtain their own food. That is, permaculture saves effort and money, while allowing you to get high-quality products.

Basic principles of permaculture

As Holzer argues, any farmer can organize "sustainable" agriculture. For this you need to follow certain rules. Sepp shares the principles of farming in his books and interviews.

"Agrarian revolutionary"

Sepp Holzer writes about his unique experience of managing according to the principles of permaculture in books. For example, in the publication "Agrarian-Revolutionary". Here he talks about how at the age of six he grew chestnuts, watched the growth different cultures. The author writes about traditional methods development of agriculture, which he opposed for a long time and eventually won.

"Permaculture" in two parts

This edition is simply amazing with such an amazing organization of space where animals, plants and people coexist. At the same time, all of them not only peacefully coexist, but also complement each other. The author explains: permaculture is quite feasible both on a plot of several hectares and on six acres.

In the first and second parts of this book, Sepp Holzer shares practical experience and observations with readers.

"Desert or Paradise"

How to plan a site? How to bring the ideas of permaculture to life? Is it possible to recreate permaculture on your own balcony?

The answers to these and many other questions should be sought in the book "Desert or Paradise" by Sepp Holzer. Suitable edition for both beginner gardeners and experts in this field. After reading the book and applying the tips in practice, you will be able to get high yields and learn to live in harmony with Nature!

Man has yet to learn and learn from Nature. First of all, what she does best. For example, plants themselves create and maintain the soil, and if this land is not mutilated by the plow and not poisoned by chemicals, then there are many living organisms that can loosen and fertilize it. In fact, plants can protect themselves, and if their strength is not enough, they will call helpers - spiders, bats, lizards, birds and other wonderful creatures.

Plants strengthen the fertile soil layer, cover it from the wind and the scorching sun, smooth out the destructive aspirations of the elements. Plants delight us with friendly shoots in spring and a rich harvest in autumn. However, this joy can only be appreciated in harmony with nature. And if you "stuff" it in spite and in spite of it, you can hardly feel it.

We are starting a series of articles about organic farming. Today we will make a brief overview of its principles and methods, consider its distinctive features.

A bit of history

The history of the emergence and development of agriculture has more than eight thousand years. At its very dawn, man still did not know how to extract iron, and all work on the earth was carried out with the help of wooden hoes and spades - the structure and fertility of the soil were not violated. With the emergence of large settlements and an increase in the population, field cultivation arises, and people invent the first arable tool - a wooden plow, which was intended for cutting furrows, and oxen or horses were used as traction. From the moment that a person learned to extract and smelt iron, a metal plow replaced the wooden plow.

On the territory of Russia, the massive use of moldboard plowing with a plow began under Peter the Great. And that was the beginning of the end. Massive deforestation and moldboard tillage quickly caused soil destructuring in central Russia.

The first harbinger of upcoming environmental disasters caused by large-scale plowing of virgin lands was severe erosion, dehumification and drying of soils in the south of the Russian Empire in the middle of the 19th century. And even then, some Russian scientists (V.V. Dokuchaev, I.E. Ovsinsky) began to sound the alarm, saying that moldboard plowing adversely affects the structure of the soil and its fertility. Even then, instead of a plow, Ovsinsky began to use a horse flat cutter, while receiving wonderful harvests, even during the drought of 1895-1897.

The next ecological catastrophe occurred on the plains of the USA and Canada in the 30s of the 20th century. The plowing of millions of hectares of virgin land in the prairies has led to terrible wind erosion, and dust storms At that time, the locals perceived it as the end of the world.

In the 60s of the twentieth century, the same catastrophe broke out in the USSR, on the lands of Kazakhstan, the Urals and Siberia. In the period from 1954 to 1962, 42 million hectares were plowed here by the method of moldboard plowing. A grandiose cloud of dust hung over the entire expanse of the steppe fields. And there are dozens of such examples.

The invention of mineral fertilizers played a colossal role in the destruction of fertility and the reduction of the humus layer of the soil. And there is no need to talk about the danger of eating vegetables and fruits grown with the help of such dressings.

founder modern system organic farming consider Albert Howard (1873-1948). This English scientist spent most of his life in India, where he developed a system for composting and fertilizing the soil with organic matter. He outlined the basic principles of his method in the book The Commandments of Agriculture. This work made a great impression in its time and attracted many supporters from all over the world.

At the same time, biodynamic agriculture appeared in Germany, the main principle of which was the complete rejection of the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides. In this case, special biodynamic preparations are used to fertilize the soil and control pests, which we will discuss in the following articles. The founder of biodynamic agriculture is Rudolf Steiner (1861-1926). These two directions provided the basis for the development of modern organic farming methods. This system has long been successfully used in many countries. This is especially true, given that the environmental situation in the world causes serious concerns for many.

Seeing the world through the eyes of an organic farmer

To become an organic farmer, it is not enough just to abandon the use of pesticides and deep tillage. This scientific approach is based on a deep understanding of the processes occurring in nature. And it is not necessary to perceive nature as some kind of abstract concept. Nature in organic farming is the soil and plants that we grow on our plots.

Organic farming (also called natural or biological) is fundamentally different from traditional farming. Here, the earth is not dug or plowed, but only loosened with the help of special devices, such as Fokin's flat cutter. We will talk in more detail about this unique tool in the following articles. Gardeners-organists use only organic fertilizers and special biological products to fertilize the soil and control pests and plant diseases.

The main goals of natural farming are to increase soil fertility and obtain environmentally friendly products. The methods and techniques that adherents of this approach use make the work of a gardener easy and enjoyable.

The basis of organic farming is a special relationship with the soil. The soil is perceived as a living being that needs to be protected and take care of its health in every possible way. Because if the soil is healthy, then the crops growing on it should not be afraid of anything.

It is this attitude that determines the rejection of deep tillage, since constant digging kills all living creatures that create the basis of fertility - humus. Humus is a complex complex of nutrient organic compounds that are formed in the soil as a result of the vital activity of worms, fungi, microbes and other soil living organisms.

To improve the structure of the soil, "advanced" gardeners use the mulching method, which allows you to suppress the growth of weeds and keep a sufficient amount of moisture in the ground. In nature, the ground is always covered with a layer of leaves and grass - the mulching method helps protect the soil from overheating and erosion.

To increase humus and improve soil structure in biological farming, only organic fertilizers are used, the main of which are compost and green manure. Green manures are green fertilizers, which can be used as various herbs and crops (mustard, clover, lupine, rapeseed, rye, oats and others). We will talk about all this in detail in the following articles.

About permaculture

The long-term practice of some modern farmers proves that, observing certain conditions and having enough knowledge and experience, it is possible to grow vegetables and fruits to provide for your family without the use of various fertilizers (even organic ones). Most agricultural practices will not be mandatory at all - loosening, weeding, watering, mulching, composting, sideration.

This was actually proved by the famous Austrian agrarian revolutionary Sepp Holzer. His estate is located at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level, and the average annual temperature here is plus 6 degrees. And in these difficult climatic conditions, Sepp Holzer manages to successfully grow such heat-loving trees as cherries, apricots, sweet cherries and others. The Austrian professor's gourds and grapes grow well. It should be noted that all this grows here contrary to the canons of traditional agriculture.

Sepp Holzer and his wife only do planting and harvesting. They do not have agricultural equipment, and only one hired worker works on their estate (50 hectares). Here they do not loosen, do not spud, do not water and do not mulch. Insects and birds fight pests on Sepp Holzer's estate. The revolutionary Austrian agrarian created a unique ecosystem on his land, where a person lives according to the laws of nature in complete harmony with it. This wonder of the world is called today permaculture, which in English means “long-term”, “permanent”. We will discuss the experience of Sepp Holzer and the concept of permaculture in more detail in the following articles.

So, let's sum up. The ecological situation on the planet requires every person to think and take measures in order to preserve what is left. And the use of organic farming methods can help us a lot in this.

The main postulates of natural farming include:

1. Do not loosen the soil deeper than five centimeters.
2. Always cover the ground with a layer of organic matter.
3. Protect and take care of soil living creatures, which are the main producers of humus.
4. Be afraid of bare land, do not leave the soil without plants, and sow green manure on the vacant soil. These basic rules will also be the topics of our next articles. Observe nature, live in harmony with it - and then labor on earth will bring you not only good harvests, but also bring you maximum pleasure and positive emotions.

Hello, dear readers blog of organic farming "All in the garden". Sepp Holzer, who is he? The answer lies on the surface, Sepp Holzer is an agro-revolutionary. You can't say otherwise. At the time of reflection, formation, his theory of farming, Sepp Holzer, because of his convictions in the principles of farming farming almost lost his freedom. In the literal sense of the word. Imagine Holzer refused to prune his fruit trees, which is strictly forbidden in Austria.

Holzer official website

Holzer has an official website. A person not familiar with foreign languages He is not particularly interested in Holzer's site. Although he, the official site, has an English version. But, nevertheless, some information can be extracted.

For example, date of birth. Sepp Holzer was born on July 24, 1942 in the province of Salzburg, Austria. Holzer's permaculture began by inheriting a farm from his parents. Holzer's mountain farm. She got it in 1962. The official website defines permaculture. This is from the phrase permanent culture. Continuous culture. Culture is not only in the cultivation of vegetables, but also in the organization of space. The use and formation of the relief and reservoirs, rock outcrops. From the information located on Holzer's official website, it can be understood that the farm is located at an altitude of 1100 to 1500 meters above sea level. Which is generally high. Climatically, very close to native Western Siberia. 45 hectares of forest. Seven dozen reservoirs. Terraces. Created microclimate. Nevertheless, fruit trees do very well in such harsh conditions.

It's funny that on the website of Holzer there are conditions for contacting him regarding the language. It is written that Holzer does not understand English. You need to apply in German. At the very bottom of the main page of Zepp's official website there is an introductory video.

Of course, as a world-class popularizer, Holzer wrote many books. There are a lot of Holzer's books for download in Runet. For obvious reasons, I don't post links. Google to the rescue…

Holzer crater garden

Now the main direction of Holzer's research is to explore the possibilities of building a crater garden. This idea of ​​landscape organization should be of particular interest to us, in Western Siberia. Just ideal conditions should be created in the crater, for almost any plant. On the terraces you can place plants with different demands on water. The most demanding will be at the very bottom. Closer to drainage waters. Again, playing around the slopes relative to the cardinal points. Heat-loving plants can be grown on the southern slope of the crater. The wind is essentially absent. microclimate, however. And the animals will feel more comfortable in the crater-garden. Here is a visual representation of Sepp Holzer's permaculture. This is the development of the Holzer garden. It just got bigger. Holzer's method lives and wins.

Sepp Holzer videos

Sepp Holzer - Permaculture - Full-fledged agriculture

organic farming

The readers of the site are offered excerpts from the book "Sepp Holzer's Permakultur", - Practical guide to create small peasant and model farms. Abstract author: V.Barsukov

About Sepp Holzer and Permaculture

Sepp Holzer (Austria) is a famous developer of the agrarian direction "permaculture" - permanent (continuous) natural agriculture. An Austrian farmer believes that permaculture can feed our entire planet. It is only necessary for this a little - just not to interfere with Nature.

Holzer's farm is located in the mountains (at an altitude of 1300 meters). There are harsh climatic conditions. Even in August, his land can be covered with snow. However, at the same time, plums, apricots, kiwi and grapes ripen in him. When asked why his farm is ten times more efficient than the average, he replies that it's all about permaculture.

In Russia, permaculture is just beginning to spread among farmers. So far, only residents of ecovillages are trying to run a permaculture economy.

The main postulates of his doctrine of permaculture:
Mixed plantings. Sow many seeds of different plants and observe: what grows well is just the right place here;
Competent formation of the landscape;
Green fertilizers instead of chemical ones.

soil fertility

Countless living organisms are involved in maintaining the soil ecosystem. Only if they are present can the soil be kept fertile and therefore useful to man. Soil organisms - bacteria, earthworms, fungi, etc. - ensure the health and fertility of the soil. In order not to harm them, you need to abandon the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

If a monoculture is grown on the site, and in addition all the fruits are harvested, then the soil loses more and more nutrients and is depleted. As a result, the fertility ecosystem is disrupted and chemical fertilizers are required.

Also, the traditional regular deep plowing of the soil and the associated freezing destroy soil life and humus formation. If such areas are left alone, then after a while Nature will restore the soil ecosystem here. You can help Nature by planting green manure plants - green fertilizers that improve soil properties.

1. Earthworm- a valuable worker for creating humus. A stone laid horizontally on a bed, under which water condensate collects, can become a protection for earthworms and contribute to the formation of humus.

2. Watering can be done infusion of herbs. Anyone can cook it. Just put nettles, other grass, even foliage and kitchen waste into the water - cover everything that is available. After one to two weeks, apply as water for irrigation.

3. High hilly ridge in the form of a long soil-compost heap - the main element of Holzer's permaculture. Built against the wind, it restrains it and creates microclimates, due to the slopes it significantly increases the cultivated area. Due to its height it is convenient for processing. Due to the introduction of biomass, it increases the humus content in the soil. From all sides, the ridge is aerated and permeated with roots, which contributes to the decomposition of the introduced organic matter.

The ridge can always be poured higher or lower, or razed to the ground. In its core, biomass is various organic matter, which is converted into valuable humus, which can be spread around the garden.

The optimal height of the ridge (with an average growth of gardeners) is 1.50 m, at the top it can be pointed (with an angle of inclination of the ridge of 65 ° -80 °). At the top of the ridge, dry-loving plants such as peanuts and deep-rooted species such as cherries grow best. Moisture collects at the foot of the ridge. Moisture-loving vegetables such as cucumbers grow well here, and this is the most productive area. What is not eaten remains in the soil and activates life in it.

How to make a hilly ridge?

Dig a trench about 1.5 m wide to the depth of a shovel.
Divide the sod and earth and set aside.
Fill the trench with branches, knots and other organic matter - even old clothes, cardboard, paper will do - and
Lay organics up to a height of about 1 m. Mix coarse and fine material.
Put sod on top of this, roots up.
On the turf - the ground up to a height of 1.5 m. The earth can also be taken on the sides of the ridge. Nothing that the level of the earth in these places will drop.
Mulch the hilly ridge from above. Everything is suitable: grass, straw, foliage, compost. In extreme cases, also with cardboard.
Strengthen the slope with green branches. Lay fresh, branched branches 1.5 m long upside down and fasten with wooden nails (they can be made from forks of knots).
Plantings at the top are dry-loving plants such as peanuts; below - moisture-loving, such as watermelons, melons and cucumbers.
Sow on top of the mulch all varieties of vegetables, also those with high nutrient requirements. It is good to sow radishes and salads.
Sow green manure plants with a deep root system: white clover, bitter lupine, alfalfa, etc.

4. Around the entire site to do high flat ridge 3 m high: moreover, the land is formed with two terraces in a stepped form. The ridge needs to be permanent and not settle, so its interior is made up of earth instead of biomass like a hill ridge. Each step is at a height of 1.5 m (this height is accessible for most people).

Green manure from green manure plants

It is important to achieve a large formation of humus by increasing the biomass. As a green manure good combination herbs so that the plants complement each other. If the biomass is left on the site, then due to the slow decomposition of green manure plants in the soil, a productive layer is formed. Thanks to biomass and loosening in the root zone, constant favorable conditions are created for the cultivation of crops. The resulting soil cover (with capillaries from decomposed roots) contributes to protection from weather conditions, the accumulation of water and nutrients in it. Such a cover as a blanket protects the soil from frost penetration, so that soil organisms in the upper soil layer can develop until late autumn and winter.

green manure plants

These are, first of all, leguminoses. With their roots (superficial and deeply penetrating) they can take root on any soil. Their advantage is also that with the help of bacteria they capture nitrogen and bring it into the soil. Bacteria, predominantly of the rhizobium species, live in symbiosis with the roots, forming root nodules. In them, bacteria bind nitrogen in the air.

Well-known representatives of leguminoses are plants of the legume family, or moth Fabacea. These include peas, beans, lupins, clover, etc.

Good green manure plants are also rapeseed, different kinds cabbage, buckwheat, root crops, sunflower, etc., as they bring a lot of biomass in a short period.

Holzer method

In autumn, for the most part, it leaves green manure on the surface of the soil. Plant residues are covered with snow and the process of decomposition begins. The biomass does not condense as it does with mowed plants. By planting plants different types, the height and structure of which are different, the grass does not cake, but gets tangled up and down, due to which air circulation dominates.

Leaving plants without mowing, he frees himself from mowing; while plants bloom, ripen and sow themselves. Sowing next year is no longer needed. Moreover, the seeds of meadow grasses are quite expensive.

The cultivated area can be changed many times for different crops (orchards, vegetable gardens, cattle pastures, etc.). You can add sowing seeds of honey plants, medicinal or spice plants. Cereals (barley, oats, etc.) are also well suited. Often he sows hemp and sunflowers, which are excellent food for birds. A mixture of local meadow flowering herbs (yarrow, blue cornflower, medicinal chamomile, marigold, dyeing navel, sprawling bellflower, medicinal comfrey, etc.) is a wonderful nectar plant.

On steep slopes, more plants with deep-penetrating roots should be sown (not only to enrich the soil, but also to strengthen the slope), such as lupine and sweet clover.

Particularly successful is a mixture of lupine, sweet clover, alfalfa, vetch, pea, sunflower and various tuber roots such as Jerusalem artichoke and turnip.

Leave plants without mowing, as a result, free yourself from this work. At the same time, plants bloom, ripen, are sown themselves and sowing for the next year is not needed. This is all the more important since meadow grass seeds are expensive.

With this easy method, he was able to improve the dry, depleted soils of the slopes so much that he could start growing lush gardens in 2-3 years.

Error

A widely used method of "crushing" is that the entire green mass is crushed. This destroys living beings. The broken mass dries up immediately and is often blown away by the wind and washed away by rain along with fine soil particles. The soil loses its natural restorative properties.

List and characteristics of green manure plants

Sepp Holzer (Austria) is the most famous farmer in the world, the author of his own organic farming system, which is called Holzer permaculture. The technology is based on the cultivation of fruits and vegetables without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, using only natural factors and organic fertilizers.

We have already talked about Holzer permaculture (here). Judging by the numerous responses, this advanced farming system is gaining more and more support among both smallholders and farmers.

What is the essence of organic farming? First of all, it is the use of natural, natural factors that positively affect the development of plants. In second place - minimal interference in the existing

ecosystem. Holzer believes that digging, weeding, etc. disrupt the structure of the soil, impoverish it. In a properly organized economy, he argues, plants interact, help, and do not interfere with each other. As a result, you can get a high and, importantly, environmentally friendly harvest! The main thing is to choose the right crops and plan the landing. In other words, the basis of permaculture is the creation of a harmonious ecological space where one nourishes, enriches and protects the other.

How is this done in practice? Through many years of experimentation, Holzer has found many ways, which he willingly shares both in practical seminars and in his books. For example, he suggests planting plants in special hilly beds. This is a bed of a special form, at the base of which moisture-loving crops are planted. On the ridge, more drought-resistant plants are planted, less demanding on the presence of moisture.

Another important point- watering plants. It would seem that there is something special here - you take a hose or a watering can and water it. However, water plays an important role in the development of plants, it nourishes plants like blood. Therefore, do not treat irrigation as a normal water transfusion. With insufficient watering, the plants will not receive the required amount of substances from the soil. Excessive watering can also adversely affect the development of plants, in addition, water will wash out nutrients from the surface layer deep into where the plant roots can no longer reach them. It is also necessary to take into account the time and method of watering.

Holzer's Desert or Paradise has many other useful tips: how to grow seeds yourself; how to restore soils whose composition has been disturbed by many years of applying chemical fertilizers; how to protect plants from frost... and much, much more. Practical seminars held by the farmer in different regions of Russia and Ukraine showed that permaculture is applicable in any climatic zone. For example, the climate at Holzer's farm, located in the high Alps, is reminiscent of Siberian - sharp temperature fluctuations, harsh winters, an abundance of snow. Nevertheless, he grows oranges, and eggplants, and even avocados! The size of the plot is also not decisive: it can be a classic 6 acres, a household plot and even a balcony in a city apartment.

If the book "Desert or Paradise" can be considered as a kind of textbook on the basics of organic farming, then the books of the Organic Farming Club are their practical use, a guide to growing various crops based on many years of experience in applying the ideas of Sepp Holzer in home gardens. They tell about the cultivation of various garden crops and berries. organic method ranging from soil preparation and seedlings to harvest; about pest control; about the use of green manure and much more ...