Mixed cultivation
Unbeatable as a team
Nature shows us how it’s done:
plants that complement each other perfectly and are adapted to the specific conditions of a location always grow together in one place. Such plants are good neighbours. This kind of diverse, harmonious plant community is also the aim of mixed cultivation in the garden.
Mixed cultivation – here’s to good neighbours!
The different plants in a bed should complement each other both above and below ground. Their leaves and fruits should not crowd each other out.
The different plants in a mixed culture extract different amounts of nutrients from the soil and release different substances from their metabolism into the soil. This creates an interplay of give and take.
The root excretions and scents of the plants also play an important role for their neighbours. Some plants die or wither when they are supposed to grow next to each other. Others promote each other’s growth. Many aromatic herbs contribute to the flavour of their neighbouring plants. One example is the early potato, which is planted with caraway or coriander.
Certain plant combinations, especially with herbs, have a preventive or repellent effect on diseases or pests (see table).
Do not place plants next to each other that attract the same pests. This prevents pest colonies from forming. Incorrect combinations can inhibit growth.
In practice:
When planning a mixed culture, it is important to make use of good plant combinations and avoid bad ones. All plant combinations in natural gardens are based on decades of observation and experience by organic gardeners.
Feel free to try it out for yourself, observe and compare in your own garden.
Good neighbours – Bad neighbours
| Plant | Good neighbours | Bad neighbours |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Savory, strawberries, cucumbers, celery, beetroot, cabbage varieties, lettuce, leaf lettuce, tomatoes | Peas, fennel, garlic, leeks, onions |
| Endives | Fennel, cabbage varieties, leeks, runner beans | |
| Peas | Dill, fennel, cucumbers, cabbage varieties, corn, carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, courgettes | Beans, potatoes, garlic, leeks, tomatoes, onions |
| Strawberries | Borage, bush beans, garlic, lettuce, leeks, radishes, chives, spinach, onions | Cabbage varieties |
| Fennel | Endives, peas, lamb’s lettuce, cucumbers, lettuce, leaf lettuce, sage | Beans, tomatoes |
| Cucumbers | Beans, dill, peas, fennel, cabbage, lettuce, caraway, leeks, corn, beetroot, celery, onions | Tomatoes, radishes |
| Potatoes | Broad beans, cabbage varieties, kohlrabi, caraway, corn, marigolds, spinach | Pumpkin, tomatoes, celery, sunflowers |
| Garlic | Strawberries, cucumbers, raspberries, lilies, carrots, roses, fruit trees, tomatoes, beetroot | (Bad neighbours). Peas, cabbage, runner beans |
| Cabbage varieties | Beans, dill, endives, peas, potatoes, lettuce, leeks, celery, spinach, tomatoes | Strawberries, garlic, mustard, onions |
| Kohlrabi | Beans, peas, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, beetroot, celery, spinach, leeks | |
| Lettuce | Beans, dill, peas, strawberries, cucumbers, cabbage, leeks, carrots, tomatoes, onions | Parsley, celery |
| Leeks | Strawberries, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, celery, tomatoes | Beans, peas, beetroot |
| Carrots | Dill, peas, garlic, leeks, radishes, tomatoes, onions, chives | |
| Radishes/horseradish | Beans, peas, cabbage, lettuce, carrots | Cucumbers |
| Celery | Spinach, bush beans, cucumbers, cabbage, leeks, tomatoes, kohlrabi | Potatoes, lettuce, corn |
| Tomatoes | Bush beans, garlic, cabbage, kohlrabi | Peas, fennel, potatoes |
| Courgettes | Lettuce, leeks, carrots, parsley, radishes Radishes, beetroot, celery, spinach, Runner beans, onions |
|
| Onions | Savory, strawberries, dill, lettuce, Carrots, beetroot |
Beans, peas, cabbage |
Companion planting and its effects
| Plant | Companion/underplanting of | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Basil | Tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage | Against mildew and whitefly |
| Savory | Beans | Against black bean aphids, fragrances promote growth and aroma of the beans |
| Borage | Insect-pollinated plants, e.g. cucumbers, courgettes | Attracts insects |
| Nettle | Fruit trees and shrubs | Against aphids, promotes general health |
| Buckwheat | Celery | Makes potassium from the soil available to celery |
| Dill | Carrots, beetroot, cabbage | Promotes germination of carrots, fragrances repel pests |
| Southernwood | Cabbage or as bed edging |
against cabbage white butterflies (through repellent fragrances) |
| Oats | Broad beans | against black bean aphids |
| Nasturtium | Young trees | Against lice, promotes general health |
| Chervil | Lettuce | Against lice |
| Garlic | Strawberries, roses | Bactericidal and fungicidal effect |
| Lavender | Roses | Against ants and, to a limited extent, against lice |
| Horseradish | Peaches, cherries | Against leaf curl disease + monilia |
| Peppermint | Grapes | Against mildew |
| Radish | Leek | Against leek moth |
| Marigold | Potatoes Cabbage |
Against nematodes, wireworms, increases crop yield, promotes soil health |
| Marigold | Tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes and strawberries | Against nematodes, viruses and whitefly |
| Wormwood | Currants | Protects against columnar rust |
| Onion and shallot | Strawberries and carrots | Against fungal diseases and spider mites, to a limited extent against carrot fly |
| Southernwood, sage Peppermint |
Cabbage | Against cabbage white butterfly |
| Rosemary | Cabbage, carrots | Against cabbage white butterfly and carrot fly |
| Wormwood | Leeks | Against leek moth |