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Have any of you tried Gertrud Franck's method of Companion Planting? There is very little on the web about it but I have the book, published in 1983 and I have dabbled with it over the years.
In spring, spinach is sown over the whole plot in rows 50cm apart. The spinach is not for eating, but as sheet mulch. Once the spinach has germinated, the spaces in between the rows are planted with crops in a carefully structured way, each crop to be a good companion to its neighbour (too difficult to explain).
The spinach keeps weeds at bay, keeps the ground below the leaves moist, provides a path to be walked on and is cut down as mulch to fertilise the ground for next year.
Next season, the rows move 50cms along so that the veg rows are planted in the "spinach rows" - and spinach is sown in the veg rows.
No land is given up to paths. and there is constant ground cover, either with growing spinach or mulch. Crop rotation is achieved by moving each row 50cms annually.
Just thought I'd throw this into the Great GYO Think tank!
In spring, spinach is sown over the whole plot in rows 50cm apart. The spinach is not for eating, but as sheet mulch. Once the spinach has germinated, the spaces in between the rows are planted with crops in a carefully structured way, each crop to be a good companion to its neighbour (too difficult to explain).
The spinach keeps weeds at bay, keeps the ground below the leaves moist, provides a path to be walked on and is cut down as mulch to fertilise the ground for next year.
Next season, the rows move 50cms along so that the veg rows are planted in the "spinach rows" - and spinach is sown in the veg rows.
No land is given up to paths. and there is constant ground cover, either with growing spinach or mulch. Crop rotation is achieved by moving each row 50cms annually.
Just thought I'd throw this into the Great GYO Think tank!
