Permaculture IT & Databases: Practical Plants, 7000+ Species
By Paul Cereghino
TL;DR: Digital tools are revolutionizing permaculture design and community collaboration through shared plant databases and modular systems.
- Digital tools aid permaculture design.
- Practical Plants database offers rich data.
- Community contributions enhance resources.
- Modular systems simplify permaculture.
- Open-source development is crucial.
Why it matters: Leveraging information technology simplifies complex permaculture principles, making sustainable design more accessible and efficient for growers worldwide.
Do this next: Explore the Practical Plants database for plant information relevant to your garden.
Recommended for: Permaculture designers, educators, and enthusiasts interested in leveraging digital tools for more efficient and collaborative projects.
This Permies.com forum thread discusses existing and developing information technology for permaculture, branching from 'Modularizing Permaculture: The Lego Method.' It highlights Practical Plants, a collaboratively edited database of over 7000 plants detailing edible, medicinal, material uses, polycultures, interactions, and more, seeking community contributions. Hosted by Paul Cereghino from a Maritime Temperate Coniferous Rainforest zone, it explores databases and design applications to modularize permaculture elements like plants, guilds, and systems. The conversation aims to leverage IT for easier permaculture adoption, sharing resources like plant databases for informed designs. It connects to broader efforts in digital tools for ecosystem simulation, polyculture planning, and knowledge sharing. Contributors exchange insights on software for zone mapping, sector analysis, and yield tracking, making complex permaculture accessible. Practical Plants stands out for its depth, covering habitat preferences, companions, and yields, ideal for urban and rural applications. The thread fosters collaboration among permaculture enthusiasts, emphasizing open-source and community-driven development to advance regenerative agriculture through technology.