When you are planning your crop rotation for a small space you need to also consider the principles of companion planting as all plants will be in very close proximity and it makes sense to mix different crops to have the soil covered all the time (slow growing/fast growing crops), to use all levels (deep rooting/shallow rooting plants, tall/low growing plants), etc. Companion planting is also supposed to improve plant health and to suppress pests and diseases. Companion planting is based on the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted in near proximity. The underlying concepts of companion planting aim to increase biodiversity and enable beneficial plant interaction while avoiding harmful impacts certain plants might have on each other. It is a system, which derived from centuries of observation and gardening practice rather than from scientific research. It is not a cure-for-all, but one step towards giving plants the best possible growing conditions. The underlying concepts are: - Avoid monocropping: Monocrops are an easy target for pests and diseases. They also all need the same nutrients from the soil and therefore compete with rather than support each other. - Beneficial Habitats: By planting flowers and herbs among vegetables and tolerating some weeds and wildflowers in corners of the garden, beneficial insects and birds can be attracted, which are predatory or parasitic to pests and are the natural way of pest control. - Deter Pests by intercropping: Strong smelling flowers, herbs or neighbouring crops produce odour, which confuse pests and deter them from finding your main crop by hiding or masking a crop from pests. - Trap Cropping: Sometimes, a neighbouring crop is selected for its use as a trap crop. These trap crops have proven to be more attractive to pests than the main crop distract them off them. Nasturtium is a trap crop for aphids for example and Radish attracts leaf miners away from spinach. - Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation: Legume, such as peas, beans, clover, alfalfa and sun hemp, have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and also benefit of neighbouring plants through symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria. Some plants like chamomile and comfrey are also able to make nutrients available from the soil, which would otherwise be locked up and not available to the other plants. - Biochemical Factors like pest or growth suppression: Some plants exude chemicals from roots or aerial parts that suppress or repel pests and protect neighbouring plants. French marigold (Tagetes) e.g. releases thiopene, a nematode repellent, making it a good companion for many garden crops. The manufacture and release of certain biochemicals is also a factor in plant antagonism. Some allelochemicals can suppress the growth of some other plants and their proximity should therefore be avoided. An example for this is potatoes, which stunt the growth of many other crops. - Physical Spatial Interactions: Tall-growing, sun-loving plants may share space with lower-growing, shade-tolerant species; plants, which take up mainly root space can be intercropped with plants, which take up space mainly above the ground. Their proximity might produce a beneficial microclimate for both crops.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 12:22:22 +0000
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