Organic farming mixed plantings. Organic farming in the country or how to grow organic vegetables

organic farming today, from a little-known movement, it is evolving into a full-fledged movement for conscious, rational and responsible gardening and horticulture. Calling to work in accordance with nature, and not contrary to it, this approach allows you to save energy and resources, enjoy every minute spent on your site. And grow a high-quality, environmentally friendly crop in your garden without the hassle, forgetting about watering, weeding and even digging. Reasonably lazy approach is the basis of natural farming, turning the idea of \u200b\u200bits own vegetable garden and garden.

Organic farming - a garden without the hassle for the reasonably lazy

Every summer resident dreams of rich harvests that do not require extra effort. And the concept of a “lazy” garden and vegetable garden is becoming more and more firmly established in our everyday life. But the principles themselves, which make it possible to simplify the process of growing your own crop, for many remain, if not a mystery, then something akin to science fiction. A hassle-free garden that does not require weeding, watering, or even digging is not a myth or an impossible dream, but a reality. But in order to achieve a result, it will be necessary not only to radically change the approach, but also to revise the ideas about traditional farming methods.

At the heart of the “lazy garden”, as the principle of organizing your own garden and vegetable garden built on the laws of organic (or natural) farming is often called, there is a responsible approach and respect for nature. And you should not be mistaken, believing that you can do nothing at all, but get an excellent result: it is not lazy, but reasonably lazy gardeners who achieve success. The ability to correctly allocate resources, minimize all labor-intensive work and effectively use the entire area of your small plot is not only a reality, but also the only correct approach. And organic farming isn't just for those who don't have the time or energy for "regular" gardening. This is a whole philosophy and a special approach to gardening and horticulture, accessible to everyone, regardless of age, knowledge and experience - to those who want to live and create in symbiosis with nature, and not just use and deplete its resources.

Putting at the forefront the task of not getting the maximum from the soil, and not harming nature, organic farming uses natural mechanisms for restoring soil fertility, carefully analyzing the laws of their renewal. And the perception of soil not just as a resource, an environment for growing plants, but as a living organism with a unique ecosystem, any intervention in which leads to an irreversible imbalance, radically changes the perception of the very process of growing cultivated plants.

Following the laws of nature itself, not interfering and not destroying, but only helping it to the extent possible and knowledge, organic farming teaches us:

appreciate your work;
appropriately allocate resources and time;
do not waste time on unnecessary (and often causing great damage) procedures;
again enjoy the time spent on your site.

After all, in order to relax in the country, and not to work every minute, you also need to learn. And sometimes it is much more difficult to rebuild the way of thinking and perception than to master new methods for yourself.

Three main "not" natural farming - the basis of a vegetable garden without the hassle

Organic farming allows you to abandon all the most complex, labor-intensive components of classical gardening and horticulture - the fight against unwanted vegetation, regular watering and soil cultivation.

Organic farming is based on three principles:

Principle 1. Don't dig!

Instead of digging, active and deep tillage, organic farming calls for preserving the natural environment of the soil and only maintaining and improving it, maintaining air and water permeability, without harming the original inhabitants of the soil, using natural means for renewal and restoration and creating a high-quality humus layer.

Principle 2. Don't weed!

It is better to fight weeds not with the most ineffective method - complete weeding, but with their systematic oppression, considering the "main enemies" of any summer resident as one of the valuable natural resources.

Principle 3. Do not water!

The most time-consuming and resource-intensive component of caring for your garden is perceived as inevitable. But if you reconsider the approach and do not enrich the soil with water, but keep it in it, then you can forget about watering.

Of course, organic farming is not only a refusal to water and fertilize. In everything, from measures to protect plants from pests of diseases to the issue of top dressing, one should “listen” to nature and rely on natural mechanisms of protection and self-regulation, which cannot be invented more effectively. An organic garden and no-hassle vegetable garden is a healthy garden that grows strong and resilient plants. And to the choice of seedlings, seeds, tubers, the selection of plant communities, the observance of crop rotation and circulation, and to sowing or planting, natural farming has its own approach, individual, respectful of the characteristics of the crops themselves.

"Well forgotten old" natural farming

Unfortunately, about natural farming in Russian Federation still known to few. We often have it either with a new or even an innovative or alternative approach. Although the essence of natural farming is not the invention of new technologies, but a return to the roots, attention and respect for nature and its laws, which everyone knew about hundreds of years ago. With technological progress, in just a hundred years, the ability to grow crops in accordance with nature and without harming it gave way to new methods, which led to the catastrophic destruction and depletion of soils. For decades, “scientific” but non-natural methods of farming dominated and were planted by agronomists, and the original, centuries-old traditions and practices of creating a vegetable garden without hassle were practically lost.

Adherents of traditional agricultural technology are convinced that organic farming methods are not very applicable in private gardens and orchards, they require large resources and costs. But in practice, the opposite is true: even on its 6 acres, you can be sure that natural farming opens gardening from a completely new side. In a small area it is much easier:

understand natural mechanisms and begin to act together with nature itself;
move from exploitation of the soil to its conservation and improvement;
start rationally using the area and getting large and high-quality crops even in a small garden without the hassle.

The exciting process of learning about the laws of nature and starting to work in accordance with them opens the way to responsible farming and new ways to organize your own garden and vegetable garden without the hassle.

Galina Kizima - a guide to the world of organic farming

For more than 55 years, the laws and methods of organic farming have been put into practice by the chief expert in this field, Galina Kizima. Being the author of more than a hundred books, manuals and articles on smart and successful gardening and horticulture, Galina Aleksandrovna Kizima is a frequent guest on television and radio, a renowned practitioner who modestly calls herself an amateur gardener. Even opponents listen to her opinion.

More than twenty thousand gardeners and summer residents have already discovered all the benefits of organic farming thanks to Galina Kizima's video course "Garden without hassle". This is a unique course of fascinating videos that will help you not only understand, but also see how an organic garden works without the hassle in a summer cottage and how simple laws underlie natural farming. Like the author's books, the video course is distinguished by its accessible language - you will not hear complex terms and boring explanations in it, these are tips from a practicing gardener to the same amateur gardeners.

A complete and accessible guide will show you how to put into practice the principles of natural farming and get environmentally friendly, healthy and record yields of your favorite vegetables, berries and more, forever forgetting about digging, weeding and watering for a real garden without the hassle. And it will help you rediscover the pleasure of your favorite hobby.

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Discover simple, but changing the idea of horticulture organic farming with Galina Kizima! After all, you can grow your own crop without the hassle and create a beautiful garden not only by exploiting nature, but also by acting according to its laws and principles. And learn the most mysterious of the arts - to enjoy your garden and garden, forever forgetting about hard work.

Such a danger lies in wait for almost any gardener - everything seems to be fine and the crops are rather big, but ... boring.

It's boring to grow the same thing in the same beds year after year.

But there is a way out!

Combined planting in the country and in the garden

I started experimenting with overlapping landings and the results were beyond my expectations. Firstly, the garden has become much more colorful and interesting. Secondly, plants really protect each other from pests. And most importantly, from one bed I now get a crop of 3-4 crops with less labor. Once you try it, you just don’t want to return to the old monoculture beds.

However, I would not say that the harvest with combined plantings has become many times larger - by about 10-20%, when compared with traditional rows.

And this is due to the fact that plants get sick less and are affected by pests, that is, there are more healthy, intact fruits. True, they are much tastier than those grown in the traditional way.

Check it out yourself! Tomatoes growing next to parsley or celery have a brighter and richer taste. Cabbage next to dill suffers less from cabbage scoops or white butterflies. Basil, growing close to sweet pepper, makes its flesh more juicy and especially crispy.

And these are just some examples. When you enter into a creative impulse, you want to plant three, four, five crops together. Yes, even so pick up so that they replace each other during the season.

The most interesting thing in such a garden is the design of plantings. This is what I do right now, while I have free time. For more than 10 years I have been using two tables as a hint: compatibility (which crops are friends with each other) and crop rotation (what to plant for). I compiled them myself, summarizing information from all possible sources.

I immediately determine which crops and in what quantity I need to plant.

For our family of 3 people, 10-15 heads of early cabbage are enough, but we need a lot of leaf lettuce: we grow about 30 bushes, removing up to 0.5 kg of fresh leaves every day. If you make a conveyor planting, then you need to sow 10 bushes with a break of a week.

We eat eggplant not only fresh, but also dry it for the winter, so I plant about 40-50 plants.

A sufficient amount of asparagus beans not only for food, but also for freezing is provided by 4-5 varieties of bush (15-20 bushes each) and a couple of varieties of curly beans (10-15 bushes each). Much depends on the preferences in harvesting for the winter. But do not plant a lot of what you only consume fresh! Do not eat - it will be a pity to throw it away.

An example is chard.

A family of 3 does not need more than 4 bushes.

Having planned the amount of the crop, I draw a site plan. I indicate what and on which beds grew in the last season. And then, using the reference table of crop rotation and the list of necessary vegetables, I determine where the main ones will grow. I plan plantings so that one or two more crops fit nearby. Which ones - I choose from the reference compatibility table. So the landing plan gradually emerges.

Many plants help each other resist insects and are more resistant in certain pairs. These are potatoes and beets, carrots and onions, cabbage and dill, corn and cucumbers, spinach and tomatoes or tomatoes and cabbage, strawberries and garlic, eggplant and beans.

I also use more complex combinations. For example, after cabbage, cucumbers grow quite successfully. If you install a trellis in the middle of the bed, then on both sides of the bed you can sow carrots and plant onions on a turnip. I have been growing this well-established trio for a dozen years! The main thing is to sow carrots in time and grow seedlings of cucumbers ahead of time.

Another option: I plant winter onions or garlic along the edge of the garden in autumn, and stepping back 10 cm from it, I sow carrots. My beds are stationary, with trellis posts installed, so I do this on both sides. I leave the middle free: later I will plant seedlings of cucumbers here.

The third option: I sow radishes along the edge of the garden. When it comes time to clean it up, I make a selection and plant seedlings of early cabbage.

By the end of June, the cabbage is harvested, and in the second half of July, daikon can be sown. I remove it and plant winter garlic.

And there are also such beds, where in the spring I sow lettuce along the edges. But so that pepper seedlings can be planted between its bushes later. Simultaneously with pepper (in May), I sow spinach in the center of the bed - also with a double step. And in the midst of the harvest of salad crops, I plant tomato seedlings in the center, and sweet peppers between the salad. When leaf cultures move away, I simply cut them at the root. And in early autumn, I plant winter shallots between peppers - it will give fresh greens in early spring.

Of course, these are just a few examples of combining vegetables in the beds.

But even these will be enough to make the time spent on the site more interesting. And by the way, such beds require less care. After all, part of your routine work will be done by the plants themselves! They will scare away some insects, leading them astray to " dining table”, or spoil their appetite, forcing them to leave the beds. So, for example, the Colorado potato beetle bypasses the beds with eggplants and beans planted together. As a camouflage net, a trellis of curly asparagus beans works on the border of the site, reliably protecting the same eggplants from alien Colorado beetles. Basil and flowering dill attract a host of pollinators whose larvae clean cabbages and peppers from aphids. And this is just one of the advantages!

In addition, combined plantings allow plants to create a special microclimate (like lettuce and sweet pepper seedlings), shade each other from the midday heat (cucumbers and corn), rationally distribute moisture and nutrition (winter garlic and carrots).

Having reasonably organized watering, I immediately provide 2-3 crops with moisture. Landings must be mulched - this can significantly reduce the number of watering and weeding. Often, my care for the beds consists in the timely harvesting and planting of other crops to replace those that bear fruit. Beauty!

You begin to fully feel like a creator who does not just plant tomatoes and onions, but creates his own unique symphony of plants, and each has its own, special one.

Combined planting vegetables photo

COMPATIBILITY AND CROP TURN OF SOME VEGETABLE CROPS - TABLE

Practical knowledge about the mixed planting of vegetables in the beds, the compatibility of garden, garden plants, their influence on each other has been accumulated by many generations of gardeners. What are the advantages of mixed landings? What plants can not be planted next to the beds? How can plants influence each other? What vegetables grow well together? How to choose best neighbors for your plants? What are the benefits of co-planting? We try to learn more about them, to take this knowledge into account in our practice. Sometimes, however, they are quite contradictory.

For example, it seems that there are often assurances of many about the incompatibility of growing cucumbers and tomatoes in the same greenhouse. This is explained by the different requirements of these vegetables to the conditions of detention, temperature regime, humidity. But, nevertheless, for many they get along well with each other. Why is it so? Until now, this controversial question has no definite answer. Is it possible to plant potatoes with cabbage?

Allelopathy - plant compatibility

Let's start with theory.

What is allelopathy? This word is of Greek origin - allēlōn - mutually and páthos - suffering - mutual suffering. This means that plants can influence each other, cause each other suffering, inconvenience. This is the original meaning of the word allelopathy. Now, allelopathy has come to be understood not only as a negative, but also as a positive interaction of plants with each other. Allelopathy refers to the interaction of plants with each other through various secretions - root and leaf.

Plants secrete through the roots various substances, mainly organic - amino acids, sugars, biologically active substances, antibiotics, hormones, enzymes, and others, which can affect neighboring plants, both positively and negatively.

Through the leaves of the plant, various substances are also secreted - most often volatile. But they can also release water-soluble ones, which are washed off by rain or when watered, enter the soil, and have a different effect on neighboring plants.

These properties - the influence on each other - plants acquired during a long evolution, when they grew together in natural conditions. They had to compete, to establish some kind of relationship with each other. It is assumed that this property - allelopathy - is developed by plants in the process of competition for light, water, and nutrients in the soil. In this competitive struggle, plants can even apply chemical protection, that is, they secrete chemical substances: enzymes, vitamins, alkaloids, essential oils, organic acids, phytoncides.

Some of these compounds are similar in properties to herbicides used to kill weeds. These substances, called inhibitors (inhibitors), kill neighboring plants or retard their growth, inhibit seed germination, reduce the intensity of physiological processes and their vital activity.

It is important to note that inhibitors only act negatively when there are many of them. Their small concentrations already act as accelerators of physiological processes, that is, as stimulants.

Mixed plantings - the basis of organic farming

What is written above is rather theoretical information. Can this knowledge be put into practice in our garden?

It is possible, even necessary! They must be taken into account when sowing, planting seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground, since this knowledge has been verified not only by science, but by many generations of gardeners. We will talk further about mixed or joint landings.

Such plantings are part of organic or, as it is also called, biodynamic farming. It is based on working with nature, not against it. The founder of biodynamic agriculture was the famous German philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Now the idea of organic farming is becoming more and more popular all over the world. And mixed plantings in the gardens and vegetable gardens of Europe have long become commonplace.

The reception of joint plantings in the garden for a long time and has been successfully used in Germany. The Germans are very pragmatic in their approach to these things, they believe that it is irrational to lose the area of their personal plots without any purpose. The main thing for them is the amount of production per unit area. They are very proud of the fact that they have learned to get as much benefit from every piece of land as possible. For example, one vegetable plant is planted in the garden, and the sides of the beds are empty - this is a mess. It does not matter what grows on this square - cucumbers or tulips.

In Russia, the reception of mixed, combined landings is not yet very common.

Let's take a closer look at the experience of German gardeners. Optimal Width beds, they say, 1 meter.

The central part of the garden, the middle should be occupied by some kind of main crop. This is the culture that will grow in the garden for a long time, until the end of the season. During this period, it will grow strongly, over time it will occupy the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe garden. For example, it can be cabbage or tomatoes.

But at the beginning of the growing season they are small. The side area of the bed can be planted with something else that quickly ripens. It can be spinach, lettuce, radish - friendly crops. Spinach is generally compatible with almost all crops, it even stimulates the development of neighboring plants.

By the time the tomatoes or kale have grown, the spinach, radish, or lettuce will have been cut, plucked up for food. This is just one of the aspects that speaks in favor of joint landings.

Additional, fast-maturing plants should be small, compact, so that their root system does not interfere with the main crop.

Often joint plantings protect each other from pests. For organic farming, this is very important, as it is against the use of herbicides or other chemical protection products. For such purposes, aromatic plants are most often used - basil, coriander, onion, sage.

Many spices they bring triple benefits: they are beautiful, they enrich our table, they attract beneficial insects to our garden.

It is believed that coriander with its smell can even scare away the Colorado potato beetle from potatoes. But, it should be borne in mind that a lot of such aromatic plants should be planted so that aromatic vapors create a significant cover over the site.

For cabbage, aromatic protection is also important, since it itself attracts various butterflies with its smell. By the way, the Colorado potato beetle, white butterfly find their prey - potatoes, cabbage - by smell. Lettuce or celery planted along the edges of the garden can help protect cabbage from pests. That is, if aromatic herbs are planted nearby, then their smell will kill the smell of potatoes or cabbage, to some extent disorientate pests.

Among gardeners, such a term is common - a nanny plant. It is believed that if you plant nasturtium along the perimeter of the cabbage bed, then the cruciferous flea will first attack the flowers. That is, nasturtium - a nanny for cabbage - distracts pests. By the way, cabbage salad is also somewhat of a babysitter - it distracts slugs, which are very fond of salad, which has more tender juicy leaves than cabbage. And if slugs have a choice, they choose lettuce.

If you want to protect cabbage from slugs, plant lettuce. And how to protect the salad from slugs without resorting to chemistry? This is already more difficult ... It is believed that the oak bark used as mulch will well protect the salad (and not only it) from slugs.

Practitioner gardeners have long noticed that neighboring plants can not only compact plantings, protect each other from pests, but also improve each other's taste. For example, basil improves the taste of tomatoes, while dill improves the taste of cabbage.

Isop, parsley, lavender, sage, borage, thyme, mint, chamomile, chervil work well on almost all vegetables. Planted along the edges of beds or plots, white lamb, deaf nettle, valerian, yarrow make vegetable plants healthier, more resistant to diseases and pests.

Here's something else interesting about mixed plantings. I read this from N. Zhirmunskaya in the book Good and Bad Neighbors in the Garden Bed.

The history of the use of the idea of such landings has more than one century. The ancient Indians grew corn, pumpkin, and beans in the same field. They noticed that corn, for example, creates a shadow, protects the earth and pumpkin from the scorching rays of the sun, and is a good support for beans. Pumpkin covers the ground with its leaves, stifles the growth of weeds, retaining moisture, protects the ground from drying out.

In addition, the ancient Indians did not destroy all weeds, for example, amaranth, quinoa, which are now weeds for us. They let them grow along with the vegetables.

How weeds help garden plants or the benefits of weeds

It turns out that some weeds can benefit cultivated garden plants. Even the ancient Indians noticed that amaranth, a malicious weed in our gardens, can share with some plants the nutrients it receives from the depths of the soil.

There is, for example, such an opinion that one should not weed out all the amaranth on potatoes, leaving 3-5 plants for each square meter. Having no competitors nearby, amaranth grows, its powerful root system, penetrating deep into the soil, extracts nutrients there - phosphorus, potassium, calcium, which are much more at a depth than in the upper layers. Excesses of these elements are released through the roots into the soil, nourish the potatoes. That is, amaranth, as it were, shares these surpluses with potatoes. Moreover, these nutrients are in a digestible form, easily absorbed, absorbed by potatoes.

Agronomists have already established through laboratory experiments that, indeed, plants can share their root secretions with each other. I must say that plants do not skimp on root secretions - this is very important for them. It has been established that approximately 20% of what is synthesized in the leaves of plants is released by their roots into the soil.

V Lately the issue of the benefits and harms of weeds is being significantly revised. If weeds are not allowed to grow uncontrollably, stifle cultivated plants, especially in the early stages of growth, then they can play the role of a useful member of the plant community.

By the way, I noticed that thistle - a malicious weed - distracts aphids. Cucumbers grew in my greenhouse. They grew well. Were healthy. The harvest was good. Sow thistle grew in the corner of the greenhouse - I didn’t notice it right away, Only then I paid attention to it, when it grew over a meter tall, I even threw away the buds. Decided to root it out. She gasped when she saw that he was covered with aphids. Here it is, I think, a breeding ground for pests - it must be destroyed. And what? Not even a day passed after that, as all my, still healthy, cucumbers were covered with aphids. I had to take measures to destroy the aphids. It turns out that sow thistle protected my plants from aphids.

I never pull out all the weeds on tomatoes planted in open ground. I do weeding only in the first growing season, when there is a danger that the weeds will clog the tomatoes and cover them from the sun. But, when my tomatoes gain strength, they are not afraid of weeds. They cover the soil from the burning sun - it does not crust, does not dry out, it can be watered less often. In addition, grass, weeds protect fruits from sunburn, which is very important in our southern hot climate.

Most weeds have deep root systems. In the struggle for existence, they developed the ability to get food deep in the soil. In cultivated plants, which we pamper with our care, this ability is rare.

The most important vegetable plants, such as potatoes, corn, head lettuce, cucumbers and a number of others, have a small root system and receive nutrition from the upper layers of the soil. And, for example, a dandelion with its powerful root system extracts calcium from the depths. In addition, this weed releases a large amount of ethylene gas into the air, which accelerates the ripening of fruits, not to mention the fact that its bright flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects to the garden.

Incompatibility or which plants should not be planted nearby

So far we have been talking about positive influence plants to each other. But there is also a negative impact.

For example, do not plant carrots and parsley side by side. These are plants of the same family and their influence on each other is negative, they do not tolerate each other's root secretions.

There are plants that do not like their own root secretions - they are not recommended to be planted in the same place, even two years in a row. It is believed that beets belong to such plants.

All legumes do not go well with all types of onions and garlic. That is, they cannot be planted side by side.

In one year, I placed them next to each other, practically didn’t even leave a path between them, onions and peas. Didn't know they were incompatible. And what? Peas could not stand such a neighborhood. Two rows of peas - closest to the onion - sprouted, but disappeared after a while. So the peas themselves made a path between themselves and the onions.

Watercress adversely affects many vegetable crops.

Pumpkin does not like the neighborhood of potatoes.

Even plants different ages may affect each other in different ways. That is, the plants are not initially hostile to each other, but planted one much earlier than the other can suppress each other.

Here is an example not from a book - from my experience. I identified one bed for late cabbage and Beijing cabbage. I decided that Beijing cabbage will ripen earlier and make room for late cabbage. Seedlings of Beijing cabbage planted much earlier than cabbage. What came of it? Until I removed the Beijing cabbage, which, by the way, has grown very much, the seedlings of cabbage froze in growth. As a result, she began to gain growth much later, she could not form heads of high quality. I think this did not happen if I planted them at the same time, or at least one after the other with a small time gap.

Refusal from deep cultivation of the land, from the use mineral fertilizers and pesticides sometimes causes a skeptical smile on the faces of some gardeners. Indeed, it is easy to brand a shovel and a plow, to refuse the services of chemistry. But where are the guarantees that good fruits will grow in the garden, and pests will share the harvest with us.

one more important point which must be taken into account when intensive planting is the concept of allelopathy, which I would like to talk about separately.

Allelopathy - compatibility of crops in the garden

Throughout life (from seed development to the formation of decaying residues), each plant constantly releases various biologically active substances into the environment, thereby creating a protective biochemical sphere around itself.

Gardeners who are thoughtful and attentive to the growing process often notice that those growing nearby different cultures affect each other in different ways. One plant can inhibit another, or vice versa, it can have a beneficial effect and help with the growth and ripening of fruits. Scientists became interested in this phenomenon, and in the process scientific research It turned out that cultures influence each other in various ways:

through root secretions;
spreading various physiologically active substances from leaves or stems;
forming toxins during the decomposition of plant residues.

Based on these studies, such a subsection in the study of plants as allelopathy appeared. In agrotechnical science, this term is understood as the effect of one plant on another by the release of special substances by each of them (antibiotics, colines, phytoncides, other enzymes) that affect the life process of the beds. Substances released by plants can affect neighbors at any stage of development, whether it is seed germination, flowering or fruiting.

In nature, there are practically no plants in the secretions of which there would be no toxic substances, and a third of all species are capable of producing sufficiently strong toxins. However, it should be noted that allelopathy in many cases is not negative, but positive, which contributes to a better growth of the neighboring culture. Some substances secreted by plants are able to protect "roommates" from diseases and pests, increase yields and improve the taste of fruits. And it is precisely on such allelopathic properties of crops that the intensive planting of plants in organic farming is based.

Unfortunately, there are no exact rules for assessing the "accommodation" of different cultures. In this case, attentive attitude and life experience can help. For example, it has long been noticed that pumpkin gets along wonderfully with corn, onions with carrots, cucumbers with beans and peas, tomatoes with radishes, garlic and beets, and so on. The compatibility of most crops is described very accurately and in detail in the books of such well-known agronomists who adhere to the principles of organic farming, such as Nikolai Kurdyumov, Natalya Zhirmunskaya, Boris Bublik.

Before planting plants in one garden bed different types, it is necessary to understand what effect they will have on each other. When creating plant communities, it is necessary to combine cultures that help each other and avoid planting oppressors together.

Key Benefits of Intensive Landing

In the wild, there are no such large spots sown with only one crop as, for example, potato fields. In our gardens, in most cases, instead of violent natural diversity, there is a dominance of monocultural flaps and stripes. And from here, according to the majority of gardeners-organists, and all our problems, which intensive planting will help to solve. Let's see what bonuses the farmer will get by putting this basic principle into practice.

Plant self-defense

As you know, pests mainly find their food by smell. The cabbage scoop, for example, always flies to the smell of mustard oil, secreted by crops of the cruciferous family. In company plantings, there are some effective ways protection from harmful insects, the main of which is repelling the smell. In onions with carrots, this happens on a reciprocal basis, in other neighboring plants - unilaterally. The smell of a tomato is not tolerated by the cabbage fly, and the aroma of basil is absolutely not to the liking of the horned worm, which loves to eat tomatoes and corn so much. Some plants can provide excellent camouflage and embarrass the pest. For example, marigolds successfully protect cabbage from caterpillars.

Intensive planting can simulate the diversity and ecological balance that exists in the wild. At the same time, neighbors in the garden protect each other from diseases and pests, everyone is included in the work - flowers, herbs, technological crops and even weeds.

Biomass for compost and material for mulch

Such a principle of organic farming as intensive planting allows the farmer to almost completely abandon the "import" of fertilizers. Thanks to intensive planting, you can grow everything right in the garden necessary components for the preparation of compost, which, as you know, is the most valuable fertilizer that improves the structure and fertility of the soil, protecting plants from diseases.

The intensive planting method will also provide the gardener with the lion's share of organic materials for mulching. Benefits in person. Imported mulch must be mowed, moved or transported and laid out on the beds. And for this, you see, you need time and effort.

Growing right in the garden, the mulch does not need to be mowed, carried, or unfolded - it will completely independently fulfill its mission of structuring the soil and increasing the humus layer. The “live mulch” created as a result of intensive planting frees a person not only from the hassle of it, but also from many worries about the crops growing under its protection.

Irrigation Alternative

Intensive planting of plants dramatically reduces the need for watering, and in some cases allows you to completely abandon them. This can be explained by the fact that soil rich in organic matter retains much more moisture than clean, bare earth. "Live" mulch reduces evaporation and promotes intense dew formation. With intensive planting, the moisture required in the root zone can be maintained for weeks without watering.

It's no secret that watering requires a lot of time, effort and money, not to mention permanent source water. Intensive planting of plants, even in the driest period, maintains sufficient soil moisture, protecting it from overheating and drying.

Improving soil structure and controlling weeds

The roots of all plants living in the garden, in the process of life, constantly loosen the earth. And this main function of the principle of intensive planting allows you to completely abandon the deep cultivation of the earth.

The more abundant the vegetation, the softer and more airy the soil becomes. Decaying, numerous roots enrich the earth with organic matter, leave behind many channels through which air and moisture penetrate deep into. The remains of the roots are excellent food for all soil inhabitants, which helps to increase their population and, accordingly, leads to an increase in the fertility of your site.

Intensive planting of plants allows in some cases to fight weeds. Probably, many paid attention to how clean the land is after rye has grown on it. This plant poisons all neighbors with its root secretions. White mustard, oats, buckwheat and barley are also good at cleaning the soil.

An intensively planted bed always creates competition among plants, as a result of which even weeds can suffer. In this case, we are talking about their oppression, and intensive planting plays a role here by no means episodic.

Caring for the environment

Respect for the land, the preservation and increase of its fertility is at the forefront of all the principles of organic farming. Intensive planting helps protect the soil from erosion and dust storms. Sheltered all year round and connected by roots, the earth is protected from weathering and washing away, it is not afraid of frost in winter and the scorching sun in summer. In such a land, various beneficial organisms that make it "alive" and fertile. Intensive planting helps to restore the ecological balance, which helps protect your garden from pests and diseases.

In those areas where the principle of intensive landing is applied, you will never see a dull black-rutted picture. The beds here both in spring and autumn shimmer with all shades of green, in the February-March windows from under the snow you can see not gray thawed patches, but emerald shoots of rye and wheat. There is no need to talk about summer at all. At this time, replacing each other, all kinds of flowers adorn the site. Such beauty improves mood, adds energy and health. Having mastered the principle of intensive planting, you can not only improve the fertility and structure of the site, not only grow an environmentally friendly rich harvest, but also significantly save time and energy, get incomparable pleasure from working in the garden.

Decorative and classic types of beds

Today, in the conditions of home gardening the arrangement of several types of classical ridges is practiced:

vertical structures allow you to decorate unattractive walls or fences, minimize plant-to-soil contact, reduce the risk of fungal diseases and reduce the growth of weeds. The disadvantages include the limited amount of soil and the need to apply frequent top dressing and irrigation measures. Among other things, such ridges are not suitable for growing perennial crops that can freeze in winter period;
deep structures gained particular popularity in recent years. Such a ridge is a platform standard sizes, represented by soil dug twice with manure or good compost to a depth of a couple of shovel bayonets. Such a bed does not require digging for three to five years, and it is possible to loosen, water, weed and lime the earth from the paths laid along it;

high structures convenient in terms of processing crops of vegetable crops. When arranging, a trench is dug 30-40 cm deep. Branches and paper, as well as plant waste should be placed in the dug trench, after which layers of fertile soil are filled up and lightly tamped. The edging of a high structure can be done with both wooden boards and slate or any other material at hand;
warm designs a bit like high ridges. A ridge is dug up a meter wide and of arbitrary length. A layer of fresh cow dung is laid on the dug up surface, after which fertile land is covered. The surface must be shed with plenty of warm water and covered with black polyethylene or non-woven material. Vegetables are planted in specially made slots.

Site planning according to the Mittlider method (video)

Decorative ridges can give originality to a personal plot. A striking example is unusual shape or fences from beautiful materials. You can draw up a plan for the location of such structures online using special programs. Such a computer drawing up of a scheme-plan is within the power of even non-experienced amateur vegetable growers.

Requirements for beds for vegetable crops

When planning vegetable beds, you need to remember that such structures in without fail must be sufficiently dry and even. It is also impossible to allocate areas shaded by trees or buildings for garden ridges. The right bed should be well warmed up by the sun's rays. Experienced gardeners recommend breaking up the ridges in areas in the direction from north to south. A good result is the arrangement of ridges with low sides that prevent shedding and help retain moisture during irrigation.

On gentle sections of the ridge, it is recommended to break and equip directly across the slope. If there are too large slopes, it is advisable to make special terraces, which are reinforced with wooden planks, logs or sheet slate. Such planting areas allow you to protect the soil and grown plants from strong flood waters or heavy rains.

Currently very popular the following options for the location of garden beds:

geometric arrangement of square, rectangular or elongated ridges in a parallel and perpendicular direction;
radial arrangement in spacious areas with planting garden crops with peculiar rays in a circle;
corner non-standard location;
spiral arrangement or rockeries that can decorate any landscape and are optimally suited for cultivation garden strawberries or other undersized berries.

The shape of vegetable ridges can be completely different. Experienced gardeners prefer to break up a backyard or country cottage area on fairly even, rectangular or square-shaped ridges. To give the garden an original exterior, ridges can be made round, oval, triangular or any other shape. In any case, when planning the location of the ridges, it is necessary to be guided not only by desires and personal preferences, but also take into account the features of the relief.

Scheme for planting vegetables in the garden: basic rules

In the process of choosing a place and a scheme for growing vegetables on a personal plot It is recommended to follow the following rules:

growing dill, lettuce and radish does not have to be done in an ordinary way. Such garden crops are able to give a fairly high yield when planted as a compactor for other vegetables. This planting allows you to get an aesthetic design of the garden and significantly save free space. personal plot;
beets, radishes, turnips, carrots and other root crops can be planted on the sides of the beds. Thus it is possible to get beautiful frame for other garden crops, without inhibiting their growth and development. In the process of designing a garden plot, crop rotation rules must be taken into account, so the same crop cannot be grown in one place for several years in a row;

climbing plants such as peas, beans or beans are allowed to be planted as a border design for large ridges. Landing is carried out on the north side of the main vegetable crop, which will not allow curly lashes to block sunlight;
under the pumpkin, squash and zucchini, it is best to allocate separate ridges, which is due to the rapid growth of the plant and the spread over almost the entire free space.

It is also very important to observe the distance between crops in a row and the spacing between rows when planting seedlings and sowing.

Mixed plantings: bed layout (video)

Crop rotation in the garden: how to plant vegetables

One of the simplest and most popular solutions for crop rotation in home gardening, is based on the division of vegetable garden crops into several main groups:

leaf group - cabbage, leafy lettuce, green onions, sorrel and spinach;
the fruit group is represented by tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant and pumpkin;
a group of root crops represented by radishes, beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes;
a group of legumes, represented by beans, beans, lentils,.

The correct alternation of such plants in the backyard and garden plot should be carried out as follows:

in the first year, fruits are grown on the first bed, root crops on the second, legumes on the third, leafy on the fourth;
in the second year, fruits are transferred to the fourth bed, root crops - to the first, legumes - to the second, leafy - to the third;
in the third year, root crops are transferred to the fourth bed, and so on.

No less popular is a crop rotation depending on the indicators of the exactingness of garden plants to soil fertility:

high exactingness rates are typical for aster, pumpkin and cabbage;
the average degree of exactingness is characteristic of nightshade;
slight exactingness is characteristic of amaranth, amaryllis and umbrella;
legumes are capable of enriching the soil composition.

Nightshade crops are represented by potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and bell pepper. The umbrella or celery category includes dill, carrots and parsley. The most popular amaranth fruits are beets and spinach.. The pumpkin family is represented by cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, watermelons and melons.

Popular cabbages or cruciferous are all types of cabbage, radishes and watercress. Legumes that enrich the soil are peas and beans, while sunflowers belong to the Asteraceae family.

Crop rotation of vegetable crops (video)

Even on small ridges, you can get a decent yield. Proper and timely planning of plantings and crops, as well as compliance with crop rotation, is a prerequisite for obtaining the highest possible and high-quality harvest from household and garden plots that are insignificant in area.