HIGH YIELDS AND HIGHER HOPES

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

[2] INTENSIVE PLANTING. Seeds or seedlings are placed so that each is the same distance from those nearest to it, and close enough so that—when the plants mature—their leaves will just barely touch those of their neighbors and form a kind of continuous green "roof". (Two-inch spacing is about right for most vegetables.)

Some folks simply broadcast seed and then thin the resulting shoots to the desired distance. When we plant, however, we lay a guide—made by stretching 2" hexagonal-pattern chicken wire over a frame—across the bed, and center a seed through each opening in the grid as shown in one of the accompanying photos. The technique creates a shaded environment under the leaves (some call it a "living mulch") that helps retain moisture, protects the soil's valuable microscopic life, retards weed growth, and—therefore—helps to produce higher yields.

[3] COMPANION PLANTING. Many kinds of vegetables and fruits grow better when near other varieties (green beans and strawberries, for instance, make a particularly compatible—and productive—pair). Some plants repel harmful insects, while others attract beneficial ones. (Borage does both: It wards off tomato worms, and produces blue flowers that attract pollinating bees.)

In addition, many species (including weeds) grow exceptionally long roots that loosen the subsoil and bring up previously unavailable trace minerals and nutrients. So, the biodynamic/French intensive gardener or farmer plans carefully, places mutually beneficial species together, and—in so doing—encourages high-quality crops and helps create (and maintain) healthy, vibrant soil.

[4] COMPOST. All organic gardens, of course, thrive when treated to lavish amounts of well-decayed manure or vegetable matter . . . but beds that have been planted intensively require even more of the material to feed their more heavily concentrated crops. Compost improves soil texture, creates better aeration and water retention, and supports the microorganisms that fix atmospheric nitrogen and produce disease-preventing antibiotics in the soil. Conventional farming tends to destroy such life forms.

It's important to note that the above "components" of the biodynamic/French intensive method constitute a whole system. The well-prepared soil, the closely spaced plantings, the companion planting, and the liberal use of compost intermesh to create a complex living environment for growing fruits and vegetables . . . but no single one (or just two, or three) of those techniques can effectively stand alone. (Farmers in Europe who experimented by using only the intensive spacing factor in combination with conventional agricultural practices have learned that lesson well: They soon found themselves beset with deteriorating soil, nitrate toxicity, poor-quality produce, diminishing populations of beneficial insects, and lowered plant resistance to disease and pests!)

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print