phenoculture

Phenoculture, "official" name of the hay mulch permaculture technique developed for econology

Initiated in the spring 2014 on forums site, the "permaculture" technique of Mulching with hay Didier Helmstetter is experiencing growing success both in terms of productivity results and popularity, with many gardeners testing the technique in the 4 corners of France! As a reminder, this technique called "The vegetable garden of the sloth" by Didier Helmstetter is a cultivation technique that eliminates the need for fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides, it is based on the principle of soil conservation. say to let biological life (micro and macroscopic) work the soil. An "official" name (and a little more serious) has just been chosen by Didier and some members of the forums. After some debate, this technique will therefore be called phenoculture.

Phénoculture is therefore a neologism "made in Econology" (one more) which recalls on the one hand the Latin root of hay ("faenum" in Latin) and a play on words with "phen ... oménal" in view of the spectacular results obtained, it comes naturally phenoculture!

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We had proposed during a discussion on forums the following different possibilities: Feignoculture, Sanoculture, Fenoculture, Feignardinage and Phaenomaculture.

Didier Phénoculture talking about in this video:

Below is a quick press release that can be used for dissemination on your blog, your social networks ...

A new market gardening technique called the “Potager du Paresseux” and initiated by Didier Helmstetter in Alsace.

The technique has certain similarities with permaculture, but less restrictive while being more efficient: it involves growing a crop under a permanent layer of hay. A layer of hay which provides both nutrients to vegetables, energy to living soil organisms which work for the gardener, which protects the soil from climatic attacks and which blocks the emergence of annual weeds. The result is that we can do without any tillage but also any chemical product, whether fertilizers (even “organic”) or treatment products. It optimizes production by minimizing all constraints, including labor.

The technique was first proposed this forum since spring 2014.

You are free to use this information to write editorial content.

Didier H., initiator of the art
Christophe M, webmaster econologie.com

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Why the name?
The technique of vegetable lazy in brief
Mulching with hay Didier Helmstetter detail
How to start a vegetable garden lazy: tips and tricks?

10 comments on “Phenoculture,“ official ”name of the permaculture technique of hay mulching developed for econology”

  1. Superb, I enjoy reading your information, I am unfortunately quite ignorant! as far as gardening is concerned, having only done 5 years in organic farming, and still having a lot to learn, thank you for all your (indications)!

  2. Very good, very cool videos. It's just a little weird to name a technique long described by Dominique Soltner with a few details ready. Now, if that makes it possible to further expand the population that gardens in this way, that is a very good thing.

    Good continuation

    1. Transmitting and sharing knowledge is always a good thing. But to claim techniques that have existed for centuries in our countryside to shine in front of city dwellers and neo-rurals.
      Why not just say my grandfather did or the old local farmer and I'll explain the method that I was able to study in detail.

  3. The technique in question interests me a lot, but why "phenoculture?" »Phéno is the prefix of phenolic compounds, phenol, a chemical substance! For two centuries phene, phenyl, phenol have been terms decided by chemists from a Greek root. The word hay coming from Latin and already giving derivatives like fenière, haymaking, the spelling phenoculture is shocking and quite absurd. Polyphenols, whose flavonoids are interesting in plants, and ... wine, but phenoculture means growing phenols. If the word was not used it would still have had to be considered as already taken. That said, I will probably try to cover my garden with hay this winter!

  4. This method is almost perfect but I find that the straw gives tufts of grass and I will try either flax, hemp or miscantus mulching instead.

    1. The mulch of flax or hemp unlike hay are not balanced because too carbonaceous.
      I found the suite in a forum :
      "In the absence of hay
      why not try grass clippings?
      Two conditions:
      - dry it in a thin layer
      - wait until it has finished "fermenting" and heating! " 

  5. I have the hay… .I read the book… I have 500 square meters of garden and I did a test for my squash plantation… ..it works and less “wacky” than permaculture… .. Okay, the book had a few pages that were a bit complicated for me… but I was persistent and I understood the method well… So fully for the 2020 season.

  6. Hello everyone
    I started to put hay in my garden last year
    But this year I have plenty of little blade of grass to grow back
    Can someone explain to me

    1. You need a sufficiently thick layer of hay, at least 20 cm, so that the weed seeds do not germinate.
      If the hay is put in place too early, in autumn for example, the thickness "melts" during the winter and in the following spring some plants, especially perennials, manage to cross. You have to either cut them, or tear them, or put an additional layer of mulch (which can be something other than hay).

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