Coordinate cultivation of vegetablesis one of the natural methods of protecting plants against diseases and pests. It consists in the joint cultivation of various, appropriately selected species of vegetables on one plot. Perfect for use in home and allotment gardens. Learn the most importantrules of coordinate cultivationand see what species of vegetables are worth growing together.
Coordinate cultivation of vegetables on the plot
Fig. pixabay.com
In amateur crops, we usually want to minimize the use of chemical protection treatments on our plots. Especially in the vegetable garden, we don't want to splash often and a lot. Meanwhile, here some caterpillars are eating our cabbage, and here again something nasty holes in the radish leaves …
There is a solution to it and it is not a novelty, but a proven method that can be successfully used on any (even the smallest) plot. It is acoordinate cultivation of plants- a method as old as the world, but neglected in the era of large farms and spraying as much as possible.
rule ofcultivating thecoordinate is very simple. It is based on the fact that in larger clusters it is more difficult to find single plants. This is of great use especially when it comes to insects - crop pests. They find the host plant mainly guided by its smell, and more precisely - by sensing the characteristic chemicals that it releases.
In a field planted only with cabbage, the white-tailed cabbage butterfly easily finds plants on which its females will be able to lay eggs. On the other hand, if we plant a few tomato and sage plants between the cabbage seedlings and we also sow dill, these insects will be confused. Why? The air will not only smell of cabbage, but also the smell of dill and tomato, which these insects do not like and prefer to avoid the places where it grows.The cultivation of vegetablesof different species is therefore a great way to confuse or scare the enemies of our crops.
How to start coordinate cultivation
Coordinate cultivationis nothing more than planting two, three or more plant species in the same row. If the plot area is limited, many gardeners thus grow not only various vegetables, herbs and ornamental plants next to each other, but also garden strawberries and wild strawberries.
Especially herbs with a strong aroma are welcome inco-cultivation with vegetablesfor their pest-repelling properties.To some extent, they also prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases. The presence of herbs also has a very positive effect on the growth of other plants and their more abundant yield.
Additional benefits ofcoordinate cultivationinclude:
- the emergence of additional sites for the development of beneficial insects controlling pests, which is related to the partial recovery of the biological balance,
- counteracting erosion and strong compaction of the soil, as well as limiting leaching of nutrients into deeper layers of the soil, where they are inaccessible to plant roots,
- lack of one-sided soil exhaustion, which is often the case with monoculture, i.e. cultivating only one species on the same site for a longer period of time,
- reduction of soil fatigue, related not only to its sterilization, but also the accumulation of a large number of pests in the substrate, as well as fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases,
- at the end, but in my opinion the most important thing: limiting or completely stopping the use of 'chemicals', and thus not only good and tasty, but also he althy vegetables from your own plot!
Selection of vegetables for coordinate cultivation
If we want to usecoordinate cultivation of vegetableson our plot, we must remember about the principles of selecting companion plants, due to the protected plant and the relationship between individual species. Each plant emits volatile substances which, even in very small amounts, have a huge impact on the growth and development of neighbors growing in the closer or more distant surroundings. A flagship example of this is mugwort, which protects currant bushes against white currant rust, but has a very negative effect on other crops. Substances that are secreted by the leaves of this plant inhibit the germination of seeds of species such as e.g.dill, cumin, anise and are deadly for lovage growing nearby. The phenomenon in which one species releases substances that hinder the growth of other species is known as amensalism.
Wcoordinate cultivation of vegetablesgarlic is widely used, which, due to its intense, characteristic smell, scares away a whole lot of pests, and also inhibits the growth of fungi that cause diseases in crops. Four years ago, I placed cloves of winter garlic in the underground passages of voles around rose bushes. The voles got up and the roses began to grow and bloom beautifully. I suspect that this is also due to the garlic growing nearby. This year I will plant it between strawberries to reduce the occurrence of strawberry mite and gray mold. Garlic also has a positive effect on reducing the damage caused by the large buddy currant, so why not plant it near blackcurrant, most often attacked by this mite?Onions have similar, but slightly weaker properties, which can be successfully used as a plant accompanying the cultivation of carrots.We will then gain additional benefits from the proximity of these two species. The smell of the onion will scare away the most dangerous pests of carrots, such as carrot leaf and aphids.
Also,cultivatingleek next to carrots will have many benefits. In addition to the above-mentioned, the growth of the pores will be more exuberant due to the stimulating effect of volatile oils from carrot plants.
If, however, we want our cabbage not to be riddled with caterpillars, let's plant tomatoes, sage or thyme in its vicinity, which can also reduce the occurrence of fleas on Chinese cabbage and radishes.
Garden fennel, in turn, accelerates germination and has a positive effect on the yield of cucumbers, peas and onions. An additional advantage ofcultivating thedill with these vegetables is that even when sown quite densely, it does not shade the plants growing nearby due to the delicate structure of its leaves.
When we have a problem with rodents causing serious losses in the vegetable garden, we can sow white mustard. Sowing this plant on the edges of flowerbeds gives very good results, where we grow vegetables such as red beet, especially liked by voles.
Additionally, the presence of mustard seeds strongly reduces the occurrence of pod conchin in pea crops. Mustard seed also supports its slack sprouts and partially inhibits the growth of weeds.
More information about the interaction of plants can be found in our discussion forum. See what our other readers and experienced gardeners have written about it: how plants interact with each other.
Live mulch in vegetable coordinate cultivation
" Finally, a few more words about the use of the so-called live bedding. It is a method of sowing clover seeds or low grasses, such as perennial ryegrass, between the cultivated plants. Among the clovers, the species with low growth are the best for this type of cultivation.Bloated and underground clover are best suited here. If we want to get the best results, we should sow the clover earlier, so as to plant the plants, when most of the inter-rows have already been covered with growing undersown. This method is most useful in the cultivation of white cabbage, which is then less attacked by cabbage, cabbage stigma, thrips and aphids. "
Emil Gwizdała
