Companion planting

The mixed culture ( rare: mixed cropping and mixed cropping ) is the environmentally and economically based and human-induced simultaneous nursery of several crop species on the same area. It is used in horticulture, agriculture and private garden. Mixed culture is to avoid the disadvantages of monocultures in the correct composition. Outside of agriculture, a blend of vegetable is called the plant community.

In the Ethnology one can find the term mixed culture as well, but he refers there to human cultures.

Variants of the mixed culture

  • Plant community: A plant community refers to a specific, typical species composition ( biocenosis ) of plants at one location. The doctrine of the association of plants is also referred to as plant sociology.
  • Mixed culture in general: The strongest mixed culture in organic farming and in particular is used in the variant Demeter. Very widespread, it is also in the home garden.
  • Floor Culture: In cultures floor tall-growing species with short stature shadow compatible types are combined so that their supernatural profiles use the space evenly.
  • Edge and intermediate planting: prevent 2-3 rows of corn or sunflower at greater distances in and around the edge of the field to strong wind influences on the Nutzkultur or serve as a visual barrier.
  • Under Crops: Viticulture in the ground is not maintained without vegetation, but sown with grass mixtures. In cabbage and leek cultivation has been attempted to reduce with clover seeds under attack by thrips. Also in the gutter culture of strawberries in tunnels led undersown crops to reduced pest pressure.
  • Breeding: In plant breeding are different genotypes of a species cultivated in order to reduce the problem of different Abblütezeiten in the production of farmed starting material or specifically to produce the combination of different genotypes hybrid seed. The addition of a seed population to hybrid seed pollination in grain production (eg rye) backed up.
  • Between Culture: The intermediate culture is the temporary joint cultivation of crops. Two to three crops are sown and planted in succession. Is also harvested at different dates. In France, this is called entre -culture. Between culture can also be the in-between plants of the same crop. Here today is the only commercially used intercropping planting tomatoes in a tomato existing culture if in this the last fruits are harvested ( no real mixed culture ).

Assessment

Advantages:

  • Beneficial insects and pests evolve in parallel. Individual pests prefer certain plants and avoid others. Certain crops can possibly ward off pests as well as susceptible plants or " lure " as trap plants. Thus the mass spread of pests and diseases, which is especially in monocultures a problem more difficult.
  • Uniform and better utilization of the nutrients in the soil, because the built-up area is always covered.
  • Erosion protection depending on the combination, due to the constant growth of the soil is permanently protected.
  • Often plants of a species will be planted mixed in different varieties. This is by colorful salads ( Lollo red and green, red and green oak leaf, lettuce and red gun ) common to put together mixed with little effort assorted box can.
  • Combination of the same species to the intersection.
  • Gardening and landscaping are in the investment of gardens and parks deliberately mixed cultures, actually created plant communities. This ensures that plants in the growth and location match. At the same time is also a possible choice of color and coordination of flowering periods during the year: a garden where everything blooms orange, in which something blooming again or color games with grasses.

Cons:

  • In acquiring excessive cultivation harvesting is usually difficult, in part, the other crops may be damaged during the harvest. When harvesting radishes, for example, is the later to be harvested lettuce soiled by falling earth.
  • Can not always be sowing and planting dates for optimum harvesting time determine.
  • Not all crops can be combined because they interfere with each other due to rampant growth or their size.
  • Some plants also act through their root excretion and other harmful effects to the other plants. This is known as wormwood and Guayulestrauch.
  • Individual crops also attract pests and thus in the mixed culture. If these plants harvested, some of the pests is transferred to other non-infected plants and cause damage.
  • The benefits are in many cases not very pronounced, and the measures for mixed culture often arose from purely theoretical considerations, often the effect potential is little empirical occupied.

Fundamental considerations in the combination of crops

  • Mixed cultures of crops of the same family are not useful because they are partially attacked by the same pests and diseases.
  • In older literature, it is recommended to plant shallow roots together with pile Wurzeler ( deep-rooting ). Both hardly take up space and nutrients. Some have a tendency to keep the pest of the neighbors, such as onion and carrot.

Cultivation combinations

Advantageous:

  • Colorful salads of different varieties in individual rows on the same bed for a better harvest mixed boxes.
  • Onions along with carrots,
  • Cabbage or corn with beans
  • Lenses along with grain as a climbing aid
  • A mixed culture with a long tradition is the cultivation of pumpkins along with corn and beans, which is also called the "Three Sisters", or Milpa. This cultivar was particularly widespread among the Maya, but also with many other indigenous peoples of the North American continent.

Unfavorable:

  • Peas and garlic,
  • Tomato or cucumber with radish,
  • Bush beans or cabbage family with onions
  • Strawberry clover and white clover
Parthenium argentatum Empirical research Taproot Maya civilization
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