This post, 'My Potager -The Growing Scheme' was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/
MY POTAGER - The growing season 2009
part 1. The Growing Scheme
The treasure chest with my seeds is now opened; it is time to start sowing my seeds. It’s certainly is a big moment for me, I have been waiting for so long. I have this perhaps ridiculous rule first that I’m not allowed to buy my seeds before New Year and secondly I have to wait until the 1st of February before I can sow them. You see when I start with the seeds very soon our veranda gets occupied by all the seedlings and let say that not all in the family enjoys it. This otherwise wonderful room with a view (sunny and south-east faceing, perfect for seedlings) gets absolutely cluttered with my babies and there will be to chance to have a nice lunch in there until… ops May.
This rule is quite good with because then I have plenty of time to plan my garden, make a plant chart a scheme over where and what I’m going to plant. It is important to have a rotation scheme when you are growing vegetables. Us I practise interplanting I have to think about which vegetable I’m going to plant with which, it’s a big and intricate puzzle which takes time.
I have to match the plants by at least these three basics:
Which temperature and how much sun they require.
Their root system if they are shallow or deep-rooted.
How much nutrition the plant demands.
Interplanting/intercropping has been practiced since ancient times by for example the Native Americans. Intercropping is the growing of two or more crops in proximity to promote interaction between them. I have written in a post from 2007 'Three sisters' about this mostly in Swedish I’m afraid.
Read more about this here: COMPANION PLANTING CHART FOR HOME & MARKET GARDENING.
Three sisters –The Aztec Myth text from ATTRA
“Three Sisters” emerged from the Iroquois creation myth. It was said that the earth began when “Sky Woman” who lived in the upper world peered through a hole in the sky and fell through to an endless sea. The animals saw her coming, so they took the soil from the bottom of the sea and spread it onto the back of a giant turtle to provide a safe place for her to land. This “Turtle Island” is now what we call North America. Sky woman had become pregnant before she fell. When she landed, she gave birth to a daughter. When the daughter grew into a young woman, she also became pregnant (by the West wind). She died while giving birth to twin boys. Sky Woman buried her daughter in the “new earth.” From her grave grew three sacred plants—corn, beans, and squash. These plants provided food for her sons, and later, for all of humanity. These special gifts ensured the survival of the Iroquois people.
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I hope you found this interesting - please do write and tell me if you got any tips and ideas about Intercropping and Companion planting.
Don't be a stranger- write something.
TYRA