Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

>From Greg's link http://www.avant-gardening.com/companion.html

"A garden planted with single rows uses more soil area and resources, is
more difficult to mulch, the soil dries out faster and produces more weeds,
and becomes quickly compacted from walking and jumping between rows."

True. For the same reasons, it's more expensive or more work to weed and
irrigate.

"An intensive intercropping in 3 to 5 foot wide raised beds will provide
the most efficient use of soil area. Framing the edges with soil, brick,
stone, or wood will provide an area of containment for the soil, organic
nutrients, water, and mulch. Plant foliage can be used to provide an area
of “living shade”, promoting water, nutrient, and soil, conservation.
Since wide raised beds are never stepped on, or walked in, they are not
trampled or compacted, allowing each plant to easily spread it's roots and
grow to it's maximum potential, live and grow in a minimum of stress, and
provide the healthiest crop. Unstressed plants are more able to resist an
insect attack. "

True.

"Timing your crops to provide a constant harvest is another important
aspect. Successive planting means that you do not plant all your seeds at
the same time in one big crop. By planting successively, two or more crops
may be harvested assuring a continuous supply throughout the entire growing
season. For example, by planting lettuce or spinach every two weeks, you
can harvest it all season with no gaps in production. Timing your crops to
provide a constant harvest is another important aspect. Successive planting
means that you do not plant all your seeds at the same time in one big
crop. By planting successively, two or more crops may be harvested assuring
a continuous supply throughout the entire growing season. For example, by
planting lettuce or spinach every two weeks, you can harvest it all season
with no gaps in production."

True.

"Planting crops closely together in wide rows, takes advantage of the
physical and chemical characteristics of each plant. Planting crops close
together for the highest yield of each plant will benefit each plant, if
planted in symbiotic relationship."

Symbiotic relationships are controversial, as Anna Carr has pointed out. As
for worrying about sun and shade, above ground versus below ground, heavy
versus light feeders, we can quickly make crop scheduling an endless
nightmare of confusion. The main thing is trying to grow only what we want
to eat or sell, with our limits of climate and resources, which really
limits our options. We need something growing and covering the beds all
season, but if we can't use lettuce then we don't want to grow lettuce just
to have something growing. We have to find other things to cover the soil
for the cooler months, like chard or asian greens or snow peas etc. We can
start summer transplants among the cool weather plants and have them
finished by the time summer plants need more room. We don't have to make it
complicated.

Bottom line: We can do much better than planting single crops in tractor
rows and leaving that ground idle before and after each crop. I'd throw in
a few dozen more references on this but have to get back out and deal with
the snow melt.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 2/7/2007 at 6:28 AM Greg Baka wrote:

>Re: double dug beds