Gertrud Franck Companion Planting Scheme

[veggiechicken]

Just found a pdf of Gertrud's book http://soilandhealth.org/wp-content/...nck/franck.pdf

[lolie]

I might try this come autumn with the corner patch I'm currently using for zucchini. I think I'll use a green manure mix rather than spinach, though.

I did notice in the book that she says there should be two C rows to every AB set of rows. Examples of layouts fitting this formula start on page 26 and there's a diagram on page 63. A lot of the images on Google don't reflect this.

[veggiechicken]

There's not much on goggle about Gertrud and her row system can be a bit confusing! My version (when I've done it) is rows of spinach to form the framework/paths, then rows of something short or something tall in between them.
In theory, the 2nd year, I'd move each row a bit to the right and plant the crop rows in a spinach row.
In practice, I'm not organised enough to do row planting so my version is more - sow spinach/mustard as a groundcover and move the crops to a new area each year.

[Snoop Puss]

Well, I've just read this whole thread as I had a look at the book and got a bit mind-boggled by it. Partly because I have paths that I regard as permanent. I could change that, I guess, but I'm trying to focus on improving the soil in the beds rather than across the plot as a whole.

Is anyone here, apart from VC, still following this method or sowing spinach as a green manure/mulch?

[veggiechicken]

Try thinking of the spinach as groundcover/green manure/surface mulch rather than paths. The spinach is sown between your real crops and is chopped down as the crops grow and left as a mulch. You can walk on it, but its not really a path. Proper paths still exist; spinach "paths" are on beds.

[Thelma Sanders]

If you've got the same book as me, you can see pics of Gertrud's garden with her paving paths. p17 and 18
showing spinach/mustard sown early in the season between empty rows waiting for different crops.
At the beginning the s/m seedlings act as protection for the newly sown/planted crops and later, when the s/m is chopped down, think of it as chop&drop mulch, see p32.

I never followed her rules on companion planting, because my choice of crops is different to hers, but the rows of spinach/mustard really did improve the bed of poor soil I had on plot 18 after a couple of years.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, guys. That was very useful info, TS. I've never grown a green manure. Looks like I really should be doing so. I've looked at mustard before but I grow a lot of brassicas and wasn't sure about it.

[lolie]

I was trying to think of a low cost way to create a barrier between the beds I'm sowing flowers in and the "lawn" (invasive weeds would be a better description). I think this might be it. Over time it should slowly improve the clay soil, and I have a lot of unused spinach seeds laying around.

Thanks Gertrud!

[muckdiva]

Interesting idea, think I may give it a go in a small way once I have more space next year. My crops are close planted anyway but some definitely seem to do better with the right companions.

[lolie]

Made a trench along one edge of the flower bed and threw some perpetual spinach and silverbeet seeds in there. If nothing else it's a way to throw out old seeds without feeling like I'm just throwing them out. I will probably put old chard and radish seeds in the next border.

[jevvvnz]

I'm back in New Zealand now, but first came across Gertrud Franck's wee book years ago when we were living in a lovely rural part of southern Surrey. I read through the book a few times to get the basic ideas settled in my head then we dug up our lawn and had a lovely big veggie garden.

Regarding the row types: It helps to think of A and B being alternated then C between them every time. Spinach/sheet composting goes between every row no matter what type. Some veggies that don't seem to be two-crops-per-season are in their particular row type because they are low coverage veggies, and others fit well around them.

I'm finally getting back into gardening after 20 years, and have two teensy boxes on our back lawn- they manage to fit five rows in each box. Yes, only five. But five rows is better than no veggies. We started at the beginning of winter and during lockdown here. We have had a marvellous supply of radishes, oak leaf lettuces and various salady greens so far, and I'm now planning what goes in now the weather is improving

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome, jevvvnz. Here in Europe, everyone's heading into autumn. We'll be glad to hear of your spring and summer growing to keep us enthused over here.