Content
- Mixed culture in the vegetable garden: It depends on the right plan
- Which vegetables are well-tolerated - and which are not
- This family of plants are incompatible with each other
- Pre, main and postcultures
- Tips
When creating mixed cultures, it is important to pay attention to neighboring plant species
Mixed culture in the vegetable garden: It depends on the right plan
In the vegetable garden, monocultures can not only become boring but also dangerous: pests and fungal or bacterial pathogens spread faster, and the same plants compete with each other for nutrients and water. Therefore, the winter months are the optimal time to plan optimal mixed cultures for the beds. Then different types of vegetables grow in the same bed at the same time - and complement each other perfectly.
Which vegetables are well-tolerated - and which are not
However, you can not combine all the vegetables with each other colorfully. Instead, the successful mixed culture requires careful planning, because not all plant species or plant families tolerate each other without restriction. There are others who complement each other perfectly. Pay particular attention to these points when planning the mixed vegetable bed:
When planting planters, not only observe the rules for a successful mixed crop, but also those for the so-called crop rotation.
This family of plants are incompatible with each other
Above all, the species of the following plant families should not be placed in close proximity either in mixed culture or in crop rotation, as they are incompatible with themselves and with each other:
Above all, make sure that no (major) harvest residues from cabbage plants remain on the bed. This can have a negative impact on subsequent crops such as spinach, lettuce, carrots and beans. In addition, you should not grow the same plant (family) on the same bed every year, but always change the fruit. So the floor can recover and is not leached out on one side.
Pre, main and postcultures
Basically, a distinction is made in the garden between pre-, main and postculture. Precultures (such as spinach) can already be sown from temperatures of four degrees Celsius, they mature quickly and are ready for harvest within usually four to six weeks. Main cultures will follow from about mid to late May and later, the postcultures finally from late summer. The rule is that pre- and postcultures must not hinder the main cultures.
Tips
When sowing or planting, observe the different maturation times. You can prevent a glut of certain vegetables at one time by not putting the same kinds into the bed at the same time, but with a time interval of about a week.