10/24/2017

AR SPECIALIZATION 1

CHINAMPA AND SHEET

CHINAMPA
Definition

MULCHING Chinampa is a method of

ancient Mesoamerican
agriculture which used small,
rectangle-shaped areas of fertile
By: arable land to grow crops on the
Bautista, Sheryl shallow lake.
Bitaga, Genera
Robuza, Bradley According to Encyclopedia
Britanica, Chinampa, also
Juaquin, Dominique called floating garden, small,
It consists in building up a number of narrow islands,
stationary, artificial island built on a
each averaging some 6 to 10 metres (20 to 35 feet) wide
freshwater lake for agricultural
and some 100 to 200 metres (325 to 650 feet) long, using
purposes. Chinampan was the
layers of vegetation, dirt, and mud. The lake provides
ancient name for the southwestern
the chinampa with moisture laden with decomposing
region of the Valley of Mexico, the
organic wastes that irrigate and fertilize the island’s soil,
region of Xochimilco, and it was
supporting an intensive and highly productive form
there that the technique was—and is
of cultivation.
still—most widely used.

CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1 CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1

 This system of combined Aquaculture
and Agriculture is also called chinampas. Also
referred to as “Floating Gardens”, chinampas
are typically rectangular gardens protruding
into or floating within lakes or ponds. When the
Spanish arrived in 1519, what they found was
a vast network of chinampas in the shallow
lake beds of the Mexico Valley, built from water
hyacinth reeds, and soil.
 These vast systems of floating
gardens protruding out from the lake shore,
were self-watering, self-fertilizing, navigated
easily by boats, and highly productive.
These sophisticated traditional systems
demonstrate a perfect example of the kind of
multi-functioning, self-supporting, and life-
regenerating systems we seek to create
using Permaculture Design.
HISTORY OF CHINAMPA
1. Originated from Aztec Civilization
AZTEC FARMING
Aztec farming has become most famous because of
the brilliant chinampas system that Aztec farmers
used. Certainly there were a number of techniques used in the
Aztec empire. But with the great city of Tenochtitlan built on
swampy but rich ground, the chinampas became key to the food
production of the people.
CONSTRUCTING CHINAMPAS
To build the chinampas, plots about 30m by 2.5m were
staked out on the lake bed. A fence was woven between the
stakes, and the area would be filled in with mud and vegetation.
The next rectangle would be parallel to this one, with room for a
canal in between, where canoes could pass through. These
canals of course offered irrigation, and provided food of their
own such as fish and water fowl. Often willows would be planted
along the edge of the plot, to provide further stable fencing as
well as shade (though they would be carefully pruned to allow
enough sunlight into
AZTEC FARM CROPS
Chinampas weren't the only type of farming that
was used. There were crops on the mainland, as well
as gardens, both small personal gardens and large
experimental gardens. The gardens were a common
feature in the homes of the ruling class. The people
would also collect naturally growing food, such as algae
in the water.
Farms included crops of maize, beans, and
squash. Tomatoes and chilies were also popular crops.
But the gardens and particularly the chinampas were
used to grow large amounts of flowers, making the
Aztec farming land an even more lush and colourful
place.

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ORIGINS OF AZTEC FARMING

Chinampas and other forms of Aztec

agriculture actually come from the days before the Aztec
empire. Chinampas farming was begun in Xochimilco and
Chalco, and was probably quickly adapted by the Aztecs as
these people became part of the empire. Aztec farming
encompasses thousands of years of farming expertise.

(http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-farming.html)

CHINAMPAS, THE FLOATING GARDENS OF MEXICO

Human sacrifice. This is probably the first thing that

comes to people’s minds when they think about the Aztecs.
However, there is much more to Aztec civilisation than this
practice. By 1519, when the first
Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés landed in
Mexico, the Aztecs were in control of an empire that was An a rtist’s impression of part of the canal network linking
inhabited by a population of 5 to 6 million people. This large chinampas around Tenochtitlan. Photo source: Mexicolore
population meant that the exploitation of the landscape for
agricultural purposes had to be intensified. This can be seen
in the use of the chinampa agricultural system, the so-called
‘floating gardens’ which can be found on the shallow lake
beds in the Valley of Mexico.

CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1 CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1

In order to ensure that the chinampas produced good
harvests throughout the year, it was vital that the supply of
water was well managed. During the rainy season, flooding
would have been a problem. Hence, a sophisticated
drainage system, which included dams, sluice gates and
canals, were put in place to counter this problem. This
management of the supply of water is further evidence of
the well organised agricultural project by the Aztec Empire.
During the dry season, however, moisture had to be
maintained, and this was done manually by carrying water
in containers from the canals to the plants in
the chinampa plots. As for fertilisers, the Aztecs used
human excrement collected in canoes from the city of
Tenochtitlan. By using human excrement to fertilise the
crops, the Aztecs were also able to create a healthier living
environment as the city’s wastewater would have also
been treated. It has even been claimed that the city of
Mexico once attempted to create a wastewater
treatment system which functioned along the lines of
the Aztec chinampa system.
CREATING CHINAMPA
So what makes this system so
What I found most fascinating about the chinampas is productive?
human agency. Although the Aztecs may seem like a blood-
thirsty race, their ability to exploit the landscape to their Well one way of looking at this is that
advantage shows human ingenuity and sophistication. In
addition, the organisation of the chinampa building
the combination of Agriculture and
programme and the management of its water supply by the Aquaculture, as in an aquaponics
Aztec Empire is further evidence of the highly developed system, can create a more or less
society that was attained by the Aztec peoples. The fact that “closed loop system” where nutrients
a modern city is trying to emulate this ancient system in order
to solve its water treatment problem also attests to the are cycling within all life in the system.
complexity of Aztec society. The plants create food for the fish, the
fish create fertilizer for the plants, and
the abundant sunlight and carbon
(http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-
americas/chinampas-floating-gardens-mexico-001537) dioxide create more plants to feed the
fish.

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CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1 CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1

How to create a chinampa system?

There’s another way to look at it though. Permaculture design principle number ten tells us
to “Use edge and value the marginal” in the design process. The edges are always where you The basic strategy was to dig out half of these
bed areas into ponds, and build up the beds left behind
find the most biodiversity and productivity in Nature, such as in an estuary, where the river with the soil removed for the ponds, while layering in
meets the ocean, or at the edge of a forest and prairie. Where edge is maximized, there is more straw and sand to lessen the density and create more
functional bio-diversity, and therefore more stability, resilience, and productivity. aerobic soil conditions. The entire edge of the terrace
has a strip of free flowing water going around the beds
and the water finally spills out down into the next
Chinampa systems, if designed well, can have an immense amount of horizontal and chinampa system below.
vertical edge. “You may have canopy trees, understory trees and shrubs, land crops, edge
crops, emergent crops, trellis crops, fish, crayfish, water fowl, chickens on the land base, and On the ponds, dig at least one meter deep so
that the temperature of the pond would be moderated
floating water plants for fertility and mulch production… It’s due to all of this vertical and by it’s thermal mass. In other words, if the pond is
horizontal edge [in a chinampa system] that made it the most productive system ever deeper, the water is not so easily warmed by the sun
documented per square meter.” –Geoff Lawton (from a PDC course he co-taught with Bill or chilled in cool climates, which makes for a more
stable aquatic ecology.
Mollison). There is an immense amount of possibilities for cultivating these systems. Like Geoff Raised emergent garden beds layered with straw, volcanic sand,
mentions, you may have trellises hooping over the waterways with fruits hanging down which (http://blog.numundo.org/2015/07/07/bali-chinampas- and soil, and dug out pond, water source pipe on left. Tirta Gangga
Organic Farm, Bali. Photo by Brandon Bodhi Denton
can be harvested by boat. You may even design in a way of easily draining the waterways to a-mesoamerican-aquaculture-tradition-in-southeast-
harvest fish/crayfish, and flooding the land base to bring nutrient rich water to the plants. The asia/)

possibilities are nearly endless.

CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1 CHINAMPA AR SPECIALIZATION 1

Benefits of Chinampas Gardening

• Increased nutrient uptake

• Less susceptibility to drought, frosts, and
other weather calamities
• Ability to grow more food (vegetables, fish
and water foul).
• Converting “unusable” low-ground into a
productive food system
• Dramatically reducing the need to water a
garden. (Still need to water seedlings)
Finished Chinampas, ready to mulched and planted. Raised-beds layered with straw, sand, and soil. Photo by Brandon
Bodhi Denton

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AR SPECIALIZATION 1 SHEET MULCHING AR SPECIALIZATION 1

Definition by Eve Werner, Butte County Master

Gardener

Sheet mulching, also known as sheet composting,

Definition
kills weeds by starving them of light. Dead plant
material will break down into compost to enrich the soil.
Sheet mulching is a New weeds are reduced because it is difficult for them
simple, no-dig way to to anchor their roots in deep mulch. The sheeting and
create garden soil. It the mulch will break down over time, forming compost.
mimics the natural way soil Sheet mulching should be placed before new plants are
forms in a forest: leaves fall installed if being used to kill lawn or weeds. It can be
in autumn, decay over the placed after plants are installed if other weed removal
techniques such as solarizing have been completed
winter, and nourish plant
first.
life in the spring.

In permaculture, sheet mulching is an

agricultural no-dig gardening technique that attempts to
mimic natural forests' processes. When deployed
properly and in combination with other permacultural
principles, it can generate healthy, productive, and low
maintenance ecosystems.

SHEET MULCHING AR SPECIALIZATION 1 SHEET MULCHING AR SPECIALIZATION 1

SHEET MULCHING VS NO-DIG GARDENING

Sheet Mulching Materials NeededMaterials:

Is used to smother the ground with organic matter a. Sheet Mulch
(generally cardboard, newspaper and woodchips The sheet mulch layer is a solid layer of
overlapping cardboard pieces (remove tape – it
plus some nitrogen materials including animal
doesn’t decompose), newspaper (¼” thick -no
manures or blood and bone), usually to suppress glossies), old 100% cotton sheets or blankets,
grass in order to establish more desired plants. The or wool carpet. No synthetics.
desired plants are planted directly into the original The most commonly used sheet mulch material
soil through the sheet mulching with some compost is cardboard. Try to find plenty of big pieces
if needed. from house-hold appliances or computers. They
cover a lot more square footage than a shoe
No-dig gardening box.
Also smothers the ground, however has many
b. Soil Amendments
more layers of organic matter to create an instant This depends on your soil needs. Use gypsum
raised garden bed which you can plant into the for clay soil or compacted soil. Use bone meal,
same day you make it. If you have really blood meal, or cottonseed meal to increase
challenging soils and can’t plant into them, a no-dig nitrogen. Use lime if your soil is too acid. Green
garden can work great for you sand, rock dust and kelp have trace minerals.
Elemental sulfur increases soil acidity.

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SHEET MULCHING AR SPECIALIZATION 1 SHEET MULCHING AR SPECIALIZATION 1

c. Bulk organic mulch g. Water

Straw, weed free garden waste, garden trimmings, You’ll need a fair bit of water. But a proper
leaves, bark, stable straw. compost pile is moist – not soggy. You might be
Straw from bales is easy to work. It often peels off in concerned about adding water at every level if you
nice layers and is compacted so it doesn’t blow around
live in an arid or semi-arid location. The trade-off is
in the wind. Straw bales cost more than other bulk
that you are building rich, organic soil that will
mulches obtained from your own backyard. Other bulk hold moisture more effectively and will produce
mulches (yard waste, trimmings, leaves tend to be
beautiful crops and ornamental plants.
courser than straw and can have a lot of air pockets
when you put them down. If you are aiming for a 6”
thickness they will settle out much lower – maybe 3-4”
so you have to compensate by adding more. Don’t use
hay. It has seeds in it

d. Compost

e. Manure
Goat, sheep, horse, chicken, steer. See if you can find
some for free at local stables. Don’t use dog or cat
feces.

f. Top mulch layer

Shredded bark, leaves, straw. This is basically the same
material as the bulk mulch layer.

SHEET MULCHING AR SPECIALIZATION 1 SHEET MULCHING AR SPECIALIZATION 1

The Benefits of Sheet Mulch Sheet mulch can:

Suppress weed growth without chemicals
Sheet mulching, a layered mulch Reduce labor and maintenance costs—weeds
system, is a simple, effective technique for are composted in place
improving soil health, managing weeds Improve nutrient and water retention in the soil
without herbicides and increasing soil Encourage favorable soil microbial activity and
permeability. worms
Enhance soil structure
Sheet mulching can be used either in Improve plant vigor and health, often leading to
establishing a landscape or to enrich improved resistance to pests and diseases
existing plantings. In both cases, mulch is
applied to bare soil or on top of cut or
flattened weeds or turf. Trees, shrubs,
herbaceous perennials and annuals are
planted through the mulch, and small areas
can be left open to accommodate
established plants.

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1. It is where the nutrients are cycling within all life in the system
a. Closed loop system
b.open loop system
C. Loop system
D.none of the above

2. It is a method of ancient meso american agriculture which used ....

a. Sheet mulching
b chinampa
C.aquaculture
D.floating garden

3. How much area will you be digging out in the bed areas to make it a pond?
A. One third
B half
C. Three fourths
D whole

4. On the ponds, how deep will you be digging so that the temperature of the pond would be moderated at its thermal mass?
A. At least 3 meters
B at least 2 meters
C. At least 1 meter
D.at least half meter

5. These are the benefits of chinampa except one.

A. Increased nutrient uptake

B. Converting “unusable” low-ground into a productive food system
C. Dramatically reducing the need to water a garden
D. more susceptibility to drought,frosts,and other weather calamities

6-10 Illustrate (with description) the layers needed in Sheet Mulching