Gertrud Franck Companion Planting Scheme

[veggiechicken]

I'm glad you've sent for it Barley Sugar. There's more to it than just garden planning, with herbs, fruit, flowers and even a few recipes. I don't think the book is in print now, mines 1983 too. I'll be interested in your views!!

[Thelma Sanders]

I like the spinach being used as paths, mulch and compost as all these are in short supply in my plot.

.

exactly what I thought - we can but try
I hope my copy hurries up as well !

[Kaiya]

Interesting! Although I don't walk on growing soil (so have paths by default anyway) I was thinking yesterday what I could plant now to mulch while I'm getting seedlings going, especially seeing as some beds will be empty til April. I think I have about 200 spinach seeds... plus some oriental mustard that looks like it'll provide decent cover. I was also wondering whether there was something I could plant on the paths that would be more useful than grass. If you step on the growing plants do you think they recover? Or are you supposed to step between them?

[veggiechicken]

Gertrud would like you to plant rows of spinach early in the year, and, for ground cover in between, something like mustard, just until you have a real seed to be sown in its place. When the spinach gets to a reasonable size, it is chopped off and left to compost on the surface. In addition, grass cuttings, chopped nettles etc are laid onto the spinach to make a thick mulch. You walk on this, if you have to walk on anything although she does concede that, if you can't live without paths, you can lay a plant down where necessary.

[jdlondon]

I love spinach, so the idea of using them just to walk on makes me wince! But I do get the point, which is interesting indeed. I'll tell my parents, let them try it out and see how it goes.

[zazen999]

So today I have sown a bed of mustard on one of my beds - I haven't decided what's going in it yet so I can hoe down swathes as I plant them up.

[veggiechicken]

I'm impressed Zaz. Now what other wacky idea can I dream up and convince you that its genuine??

[di]

Ash raked the patch that we're going to try this on this afternoon. Could be going up there straight from school on Tuesday to sow some spinach...don't think I can wait til next weekend and I'd be a bit mean to let him rake and not sow

[veggiechicken]

You're both leaving me behind! Must find my spinach seeds!

[zazen999]

I'm impressed Zaz. Now what other wacky idea can I dream up and convince you that its genuine??

I was going to sow a green manure there anyway - but and mustard was the closest I'd get to spinach out of that box...

[di]

Zaz. Reading your post, do you just scatter the seed everywhere and then hoe away strips as you want to plant?

[veggiechicken]

Good choice, Zaz - Gertrud thinks the world of mustard - but you mustn't let it get more than a hand high! She says it creates a "miniature woodland" with a moist and shady floor. Nice thought!!

[zazen999]

Yes Di - I will do. Although I'm more of a block planter than strip - but yes. I'll use choppers to cut it back, hoe it down and use the choppings/hoeings as a mulch; part the mulch and use a bulb planter to plant whatever goes in, and then once in I'll sweep the choppings and hoeings up and around the plant.

[zazen999]

Good choice, Zaz - Gertrud thinks the world of mustard - but you mustn't let it get more than a hand high! She says it creates a "miniature woodland" with a moist and shady floor. Nice thought!!

She needs to get out more.

[di]

Thanks. My strips rarely make it all the way to the end and end up having strips going in opposite directions to make up for it, so that might work better for me.