#34 - Nov 2019 - Garden Stuff - © Sandy Lang - slang@xtra.co.nz
PLANT COMMUNITIES November/December: Late spring/early summer. Warm enough for tomatoes and salad veggies. Garden centres have a wide range of seedlings at this time of year. Their stock is a fair guide as to what to plant and when. In the wild, plants live in multi-species communities. Yes, they compete for space and resources (light, water, soil nutrients) but they also cooperate. They live symbiotically. It’s rare to find a natural monoculture.
Companion planting: In a natural ecosystem, different, compatible species grow together. These multispecies communities attract beneficial insects and deter pests. The plants also provide one another with things they need - nutrients, shade, wind-shelter, physical support. In your garden, companion planting imitates these natural symbiotic communities. The best-known companions are corn + beans + squash. In this ancient system, the corn supports the climbing beans, which feed nitrogen to the corn and squash. The large squash leaves cool the soil (day) and warm it (night), suppress weeds and conserve moisture. There are many other companion groupings – Google companion planting
Rotation planting: Don’t grow the same species in the same place, year by year. •Different plants have different mineral nutrient requirements. Changing crops reduces soil nutrient deficiency, the balance of nutrients used evens out. •Plants (potatoes, squash) with dense/large leaves, shade the soil, suppress weeds and reduce weed problems for the next crop. •Pests and diseases attack specific host plants. Crop rotation reduces soil build-up of pest eggs and disease spores when their specific host plants are absent.
Succession planting: Increases crop availability during the season, reduces gluts, grows more food in a limited space, minimises crop failure from pests, diseases, bad weather.
(1) Three different crops in succession - When one crop is done, plant another in the same space. Pick and eat plants while young, tender, sweet. Don’t delay planting the succession crop or you miss out. Start with a cool-loving spring crop (lettuce, radish), follow with a heat-loving summer crop (tomato, sweetcorn), follow with a cold-loving autumn/winter crop (broad beans, kale).
(2) Same crop, relay planting - Make successive small plantings at three-week intervals. The plants mature successively. A semi-continuous harvest over an extended period, no glut (lettuce, radish, carrot).
(3) Same crop, different maturity times - Choose different varieties with different maturity times - early, main-season, late. Plant at the same time. The early, main and late varieties mature successively. An extended harvest, no glut (potato, tomato, strawberry). ___________________________________
PLANT COMMUNITIES November/December: Late spring/early summer. Warm enough for tomatoes and salad veggies. Garden centres have a wide range of seedlings at this time of year. Their stock is a fair guide as to what to plant and when. In the wild, plants live in multi-species communities. Yes, they compete for space and resources (light, water, soil nutrients) but they also cooperate. They live symbiotically. It’s rare to find a natural monoculture.
Companion planting: In a natural ecosystem, different, compatible species grow together. These multispecies communities attract beneficial insects and deter pests. The plants also provide one another with things they need - nutrients, shade, wind-shelter, physical support. In your garden, companion planting imitates these natural symbiotic communities. The best-known companions are corn + beans + squash. In this ancient system, the corn supports the climbing beans, which feed nitrogen to the corn and squash. The large squash leaves cool the soil (day) and warm it (night), suppress weeds and conserve moisture. There are many other companion groupings – Google companion planting
Rotation planting: Don’t grow the same species in the same place, year by year. •Different plants have different mineral nutrient requirements. Changing crops reduces soil nutrient deficiency, the balance of nutrients used evens out. •Plants (potatoes, squash) with dense/large leaves, shade the soil, suppress weeds and reduce weed problems for the next crop. •Pests and diseases attack specific host plants. Crop rotation reduces soil build-up of pest eggs and disease spores when their specific host plants are absent.
Succession planting: Increases crop availability during the season, reduces gluts, grows more food in a limited space, minimises crop failure from pests, diseases, bad weather.
(1) Three different crops in succession - When one crop is done, plant another in the same space. Pick and eat plants while young, tender, sweet. Don’t delay planting the succession crop or you miss out. Start with a cool-loving spring crop (lettuce, radish), follow with a heat-loving summer crop (tomato, sweetcorn), follow with a cold-loving autumn/winter crop (broad beans, kale).
(2) Same crop, relay planting - Make successive small plantings at three-week intervals. The plants mature successively. A semi-continuous harvest over an extended period, no glut (lettuce, radish, carrot).
(3) Same crop, different maturity times - Choose different varieties with different maturity times - early, main-season, late. Plant at the same time. The early, main and late varieties mature successively. An extended harvest, no glut (potato, tomato, strawberry). ___________________________________