Use of plant association and crop rotation is an inevitable topic that helps us maintain productive food plants and their health. When speaking of diversified gardening, maintaining the soil’s health and the welfare of plants enhances productivity and prevents the escalation of diseases. When planning crop rotation, we need to take into account the succession of plants, and when designing conscious plant association we take into consideration their adjacency.
There is a complex system of symbiotic relationships and antipathy among plants. These relations function on the biochemical level, have physiological reasons and manifest through the metabolism of species. One plant prepares the soil while another one frightens off pests, or the third one grows hardly at all next to the fourth one.
If we take into consideration these relations, we will save ourselves a lot of trouble and our gardening will be much more fruitful.
Plant association
The most common associations:
carrot with onion (they protect each other from carrot rust fly and onion maggot);
celery with plants of the cabbage family (they protect each other from celery blight and cabbage-butterfly);
lettuce with radish (lettuce protects radish from vine-beetle);
cabbage with tomato (tomato discourages cabbage-butterflies);
potato with green bean (green bean discourages Colorado beetle);
cucumber with onion (onion hinders the spread of mildew).
Other favourable associations:
bean with plants of the cabbage family;
beetroot with plants of the cabbage family;
tomato with parsley;
tomato with onion;
tomato with celery;
tomato with dwarf bean;
parsnip with onion;
lettuce with bean;
lettuce with cucumber;
lettuce with dwarf bean;
lettuce with beetroot;
lettuce with Swiss chard;
pea with plants of the cabbage family;
cucumber with plants of cabbage;
potato with pea;
potato with broad-bean.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum), originating from South America, is a useful plant for organic gardeners: it discourages pests, is beautiful, and its leaves and flowers are edible. (Photo: Gardenia.net)
Nasturtium, tomato, celery, basil (and other plants containing essential oils, like wild marjoram (oregano), sage, and pepper-grass) are known as repellents, since they keep pests away from plants. With the exception of unwanted adjacency these may be used effectively everywhere in association.
Here is a list of antipathetic associations:
bean with onion;
potato with onion;
red cabbage with tomato;
carrot with tomato;
parsley with lettuce;
paprika with aubergine;
squash with potato.
If we always take into account these so-called antipathetic relations, then we cannot make mistakes.
Vegetable beds at a Hungarian organic farm in May
Crop rotation
In connection to the timing of planting and seeding, it is best to group vegetables in 3 main groups in the following way (abbreviations of family names are in brackets. This is important in the planning of a rotation system.
Group A – Main vegetables in the garden from May until the end of the growing period. Only vegetables with a short growing period can be planted in the same row before May. Includes: tomato (p), runner bean (l), cucumber (cu), late-cabbage (br), potato (p), pumpkin (cu), zucchini (cu).
Group B – Vegetables in the first or second growing period. Includes: cauliflower (br), celery (ap), dwarf bean (l), early-cabbage (br), beetroot (ch), pea (l), parsnip (ap), onion (li), black salsify (as).
Group C – Vegetables with a short growing period. These may be replanted repeatedly and can include different varieties (early, summer, late) of the same plant families. Includes: early potato (p), lettuces (as), early, mid-early and late carrot (ap), kohlrabi (br), radish (br), sweet fennel (ap).
When planning the arrangement of a vegetable garden it is best to plant vegetables from A, B, and C group consecutively, so they reach maturity at different times.
The distance between rows varies from 40-50 cm. A classic pattern is A, C, B, C, A. This means there are about 2 metres between two A rows occupied by one B, and two C rows. We can plant green crops for the same row from group C with a short enough growing period. In B rows are vegetables from groups B or C that are planted before the main vegetables of B rows.
Three examples for the above mentioned arrangements of groups (based on Franck, G. 1987).
This system may at first appear to be overly complicated. However, once we create a plan in accordance with our needs, we may use the same basic plan every year with only some slight alterations.
Within rows we may interchange vegetables according to the above-mentioned favourable/unfavourable associations. Crop rotation is realized by moving each row down (according to the example plan given above) each year. The general principle is that a vegetable in the same family (see above for family abbreviations) should not be planted in the same place within 3 years.
If we use crop rotation and mulch and compost in between the rows, then in a few years we will have a very productive organic garden.
Self Reflection/Questions
Have you ever tried plant association and crop rotation in your gardening? If yes, what is your best experience in this field?
What crop rotation techniques would you like to try out in your garden? Which group (A, B, or C) would you prefer in your garden and why?
Do you use mulch and compost in your garden, and especially in between the rows of vegetable beds?
Article written by Hungary association, Öko-völgy Alapítvány
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