MFK GARDENS - URBAN FARMER NURSERY
SEVEN PRACTICES OF SOIL REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Video: Kiss the Ground (NETFLIX)
Video: "I can sleep when the wind blows"
Video: Kiss the Ground (NETFLIX)
Video: "I can sleep when the wind blows"
S/N |
PRACTICE |
DETAIL (THEORY, OBSERVATION, PRACTICAL, DISCUSSION, QUIZ) |
1. |
NO TILLING |
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2. |
GROUND COVER |
Agroecology (Video: Good and Bad insects - pests attack plants that are weak, remove weak ones, encourage the young of good insects to prey on the bad ones) |
3. |
COMPOST-MAKING |
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4. |
GROW PERENNIALS |
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5. |
USE DIVERSITY |
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6. |
LIVING ROOT AT ALL TIMES |
Pasture Cropping Planting by Lunar Phases Planting & Planting by Stellar Constellation Phases (Notes and videos below, quiz) |
7. |
ANIMAL INTEGRATION |
v. cOMPANION PLANTING
Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, and to otherwise increase crop productivity.
Plants need good companions to thrive. Except for growth and fruiting, plants are relatively idle objects. They are rooted in one spot and don’t seem to have much control over their environment. In fact, however, relationships between plants are varied - similar to relationships between people. In plant communities, certain plants support each other while others, well, just don’t get along. Plants, like people, compete for resources, space & nutrients.
Plants need good companions to thrive. Except for growth and fruiting, plants are relatively idle objects. They are rooted in one spot and don’t seem to have much control over their environment. In fact, however, relationships between plants are varied - similar to relationships between people. In plant communities, certain plants support each other while others, well, just don’t get along. Plants, like people, compete for resources, space & nutrients.
Some Plants Bully Others
- Certain plants grow rapidly, crowd others and take more than their fair share of water, sun and nutrients.
- Some exude toxins that retard plant growth or kill plants. A common example of this is the Black Walnut tree that produces hydrojuglone.
- Other plants are upstanding citizens and do good by adding nutrients to the soil, drawing beneficial insects into the garden or by confusing insects in search of their host plants.
- As a gardener, you’re both the mayor and the city planner for your garden city. By growing plants with good companions, you bring peace and prosperity to your town. Alternatively, the planting of disruptive plants can quickly bring your garden to ruins.
Proper Spacing with Companion Planting
As with city planning, the way your lay out your vegetable garden is crucial.
As with city planning, the way your lay out your vegetable garden is crucial.
- Avoid planting vegetables in large patches or long rows and interplant with flowers and herbs. Large groupings of one type of vegetable serve as a beacon to problematic pests.
- If you mix in flowers and herbs, it becomes more difficult for pests to find your veggies. The scent of flowers and herbs, as well as the change up in color, is thought to confuse pests. Certain flowers and herbs attract beneficial insects to your garden.
- One only has to look at the old-age tradition of North American agriculture of planting corn, beans and squash together. Corn grows tall, trying to steal as much sun as possible and taking out a lot of nitrogen from the soil. Beans grow up the stalks of the corn looking for the sun too, but putting nitrogen back into the soil.
- Planting squash at the same time does well on the conditions and grows and spreads on the ground growing and harvested long after the harvest of the beans and the corn. Therefore, by inter-cropping, or companion planting, you have been able to grow 3 different vegetables in the same space as you would one.
Companion Planting for Deterring Insects
Although many will disregard companion planting and see it as old wives' tales, many plants, flowers and herbs do defend themselves against insects by being poisonous to them or developing a strong scent that frightens them away, and it is possible that a plant growing close by might benefit from being in this bug-free zone. So, although companion planting is also mixed up in folklore, there is also an element of fact and this method can be happily adopted by those who practice organic gardening.
Although many will disregard companion planting and see it as old wives' tales, many plants, flowers and herbs do defend themselves against insects by being poisonous to them or developing a strong scent that frightens them away, and it is possible that a plant growing close by might benefit from being in this bug-free zone. So, although companion planting is also mixed up in folklore, there is also an element of fact and this method can be happily adopted by those who practice organic gardening.
- For example, French marigolds (Tagetes patula) secrete an enzyme or a hormone into the soil that deters nematodes from infesting their roots, and it does seem that tomatoes or other nematode susceptible plants growing as neighbors will be protected. It may be significant that most of these beneficent plants are strongly aromatic.
- Planting dill with your tomatoes will attract the tomato worm for you. Interplanting your tomatoes with basil is done because basil will help repel the tomato hornworm.
- Planting nasturtiums will take care of cabbage white butterfly caterpillars and great for repelling white fly. They are also good for planting under apple trees to get rid of colding moth.
- Nasturtiums are planted among cucumbers for protection against the cucumber beetle and the Mexican bean beetle. Planting tansy among your cucumbers will also send the cucumber beetles packing!
- Nasturtiums and tansy help get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, and catnip and nasturtiums for repelling the green peach aphids.
- If you want to get rid of aphids then you will need to interplant with sow thistle , stinging nettles or broad beans . Planting chives will also repel aphids.
- Sunflowers will help trap harlequin bugs, and potatoes, calendula daisies are good for earwigs.
- Rue is good for Japanese beetles as is white geraniums.
- Herbs too have been known to repel certain insects. Southernwood is good for repelling the cabbage butterfly and tobacco for flea beetles.
Companion Planting for Benefiting other Plants
Many times, planting certain plants together is also for practical reasons.
Many times, planting certain plants together is also for practical reasons.
- Planting lettuce next to corn means that the lettuces can be shaded during hot summers.
- When you plant cabbages in the late summer, at the same time, and in the same bed, you can also plant garlic. Where cabbages will use of a lot of nutrients, and where the cabbages will be harvested in the autumn, the garlic will continue growing until the following summer resulting in good crops for both.
- Planting mint with your cabbages will protect them against the cabbage worm
- Chives and onions planted near carrots will help also deter the presence of carrot rust flies.
- Radishes when planted next to Chervil benefit from the shade the herb casts, and the result is lovely juicy radishes that are not woody at all.
- Beans are heavy feeders and therefore it is advisable to companion plant it with something less greedy. Therefore mustard is a perfect companion.
Companion Planting for Attracting good Insects
You may be surprised to learn that companion herbs can be planted with good effect.
You may be surprised to learn that companion herbs can be planted with good effect.
- The common dandelion that some see as a scourge in the garden should think again. It is now known that dandelions attract pollinating insects.
- Furthermore, they also release ethylene which is a gas that encourages fruit setting and fruit ripening.
- Daisies, dill, corriander and parsley are all good for attracting beneficial insects into the garden. The pollen they provide make them wonderful bee plants, but in addition they also attract parasitic wasps that prey on insect pests. These plants should be planted throughout the garden at regular intervals as many of these wasps are tiny and fly only over short distances.
- Corriander also known as cilantro is will attract beneficial insects like baraconid wasps, hover flies and lacewings.
- Mint attracts hover flies and spiders. Fennel attracts braconid wasps, hover flies, lacewings, ladybirds.
- Tansy attracts insidious flower flies, lacewings, ladybirds, and parasitic waspsp.
- Yarrow attracts bees, hover flies, ladybirds and parasitic wasps.
- Larger predatorial insects like lacewings and hoverflies also feed on pollen. By allowing these plants to go to seed, not only are you keeping the insect population in check, but you can save seeds at the same time for next planting season.
Other Good Companion Plants:
Queen Anne's lace attracts hover flies, ladybirds and spiders.
Flowering buckwheat attracts a whole host of good bugs; hover flies, lacewings, ladybirds, minute pirate bugs, predatory wasps and tachinid flies.
Sweet alyssum attracts braconid wasps, chalcids and hover flies.
Queen Anne's lace attracts hover flies, ladybirds and spiders.
Flowering buckwheat attracts a whole host of good bugs; hover flies, lacewings, ladybirds, minute pirate bugs, predatory wasps and tachinid flies.
Sweet alyssum attracts braconid wasps, chalcids and hover flies.
Resources:
Companion Planting: https://www.mofga.org/resources/companion-planting/companion-planting/
Companion Planting: https://www.mofga.org/resources/companion-planting/companion-planting/
COMPANION PLANTING CHART
HERB CARE REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
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