Sunday, November 15, 2015

Banana Circle

First heard about Banana circle from Jagannath - The Natural Farmer who does permaculture style farming in Amrithapuri,Vallikkavu,Kerala. Please see the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OByyRK8sA0E

It is about forming a 0.5 meter deep circular trench with 2 meter diameter and planting 5-6 bananas on the boundary of the circle. The trench will be mulched heavily and cowdung etc. can be applied here. Banana plants extend their roots to take manure and water from the trench.

Visited Jagannath some time back and he showed how rich humus forms in the trench which can not happen in the surface mulching so easily.

I am just trying Banana circle, planted 5 bananas and some 'chembu', cowpea etc..on the boundary. Here are some photos.


18-Nov-2015

With rain, banana is coming up good, cowpea has germinated and growing...



30-November-2015


Rains have receded...


27-December-2015



20-Jan-2016




4 comments:

NotThatKindOfFarmer said...

Great article with excellent idea! I appreciate your post. Thanks so much and let keep on sharing your stuffs keep it up.

ఆనందమే బ్రహ్మప్పా.. said...

great idea nandan. thanks for your posts

Shantanu said...

Yes, we did about the same thing in Barkheda, where the wastewater was directed in a pit along with all the food waste. Not only that the bananas grew very well, they even survived an entire year without water and the scorching summer there after we had left.

Nandakumar said...

Thanks for sharing this information Shantanu...In pits moisture will be retained longer, especially once it is heavily mulched..

Regards,
Nandan