Organic Gardening Intercropping
Intercropping
is the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the
same space at the same time (Andrews & Kassam 1976). A practice
often associated with sustainable agriculture and organic farming, it
is one form of polyculture, and may benefit crop yield or the control
of some kind of pest, or may have other agronomic benefits.
- Wikiopedia
The bottom line, this type of organic gardening plant integration allows for greater plant diversity for increased crop production and pest control.
Benefits of Organic Gardening Intercropping
- Better use of growing area
- Increased insect pest and disease resistance
- Increased insect predator populations
- Increased yields per area grown
- Increased weed suppression
- Increased soil microorganism activity
- Plant diversity creates overall plant health
- Better long term soil use
- Trap cropping for pest control
- Physical Spatial Interactions
- Nurse Cropping – one crop sacrifices for another
Examples of Organic Gardening Intercopping
- Vertical spacing. When you intercrop your vegetables consider the vertical spacing available in your garden. Vegetables species have different verticle requirements and can be grown on trellises. Squash, beans, cucumbers, peas, melons and tomatoes are just a few examples.
- Direct Sun. During the main growing period, usually May through August the sun is at its brightest. The sun’s location governs where you might locate low growing or tall growing plants. Locate tall plants on the north (south in the southern hemisphere) side of the garden. The sun will heat the south part of the garden for heat loving plants. Alternately, if you locate tall plants on the south side of the garden there will be light shade on the north side to include shade-loving plants. Shade-loving plants that can be intercropped with sun-loving plants include beans, beets, chard, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, and turnips.
- Structure and foliage. Intercropping also involves using plants with opposite structure and foliage. Plants that have large structures or leaves, such as corn and squash, can provide a shelter and filtered sun for lower, larger leaved plants such as lettuce. Corn stalks also provide support for vegetable vines.
- Timing. If you time your plantings correctly this will also help to inter-plant your vegetables. Lettuce can handle the light sun of spring and fall, but requires protection during the heat of summer. When lettuce receives too much heat they tend to bolt (go to seed). Also keep in mind the length of time it takes a vegetable species to mature; radishes for example are super fast maturing, while peppers may take the entire summer. Try to intercrop slow growing vegetables with fast growing vegetables.
- Inserted vegetables. Many narrow leafed plants such as onions, leeks, shallots, and garlic can easily fit between many leafy vegetables. But, consider the plant's feeding requirements. Plants placed close together will compete for nutrients in the root zone. Select plants that have different feeding requirements.
Intercropping Combinations
I've taken the liberty of combining the intercropping with a tradition approach called companion planting for simplicity sake. I believe in keeping it simple. Companion planting in my opinion is not an exact science, but it points to some very interesting combinations and many oraganic gardeners swear by it.
The table below was compiled from traditional literature on companion planting, which to me is intercropping.
|
Crop |
Intercrop With |
|
Cabbage Family |
Aromatic Herbs, Celery, Beets, Onion Family, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard |
| Carrots | |
|
Onion, Cabbage Families, Tomato, Bush Beans, Nasturtium |
|
|
Beans, Marigold |
|
|
Onion Family |
|
|
Beans, Corn, Marigold |
|
|
Strawberry, Beans |
|
|
Nasturtium, Corn, Marigold |
|
|
Onion Family, Nasturtium, Marigold, Asparagus, Carrots, Parsley, Cucumber |
|
|
Turnip |
Aromatic Herbs, Celery, Beets, Onion Family, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard |
Intercropping for Pest Control
Intercropping reduces pests in a variety of ways, including:
Chemical Repellent - These plants provide odors that confuse and ward off pests. This works best in intensive intercropping.
Parasitic Wasp Host Plant - These plants provide food and shelter for parasitic wasps as they search for pests.
Parasitic Wasp Increase - Intercropping plants attract parasitic wasps as a food source from either the plant or the pests.
Physical Interference - These plants "get in the way" of the pest as either a physical barrier or life cycle interference.
Predator Increase - These plants act as a food source or breeding ground for beneficial insects as they search out for pests.
Trap Crop - Another form of Intercropping is Trap cropping. Trap cropping encourages pests to congregate, which makes it easier for beneficial insects to prey and for handpicking.
Visual Masking - These plants provide a visual mask that confuses the pest or concealed the main crop.
Pest Control Intercropping Matrix
|
Pest Reduced |
Crop |
Intercrop With |
Function Of Intercrop |
|
Aphids |
|
|
|
|
Apple |
Eryngium sp. |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Phacelia sp. |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Barley |
Alfalfa |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Red Clover |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
White Clover |
Visual Masking |
|
|
|
Clover |
Physical Interference |
Visual Masking |
|
|
|
French Beans |
Physical Interference |
|
|
Red Clover |
Physical Interference |
|
|
|
|
White Clover |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Corn Spurry |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
|
Red Clover |
Physical Interference |
|
|
|
White Clover |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Collards |
Weedy groundcover |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
French Beans |
Weedy groundcover |
Physical Interference |
|
|
General Organic Garden Crops |
Queen Anne's Lace |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
|
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Lamb's Quarter |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Annual Sow thistle |
Trap Crop |
|
|
Kale |
Kale |
Visual Masking |
|
|
|
Red Clover |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Catnip |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
|
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Chemical Repellent |
||
|
|
Grapes |
Blackberry |
Parasitic Wasp Host Plant |
|
|
Cole Crops |
Similar Sized Crops |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
|
Predator Increase |
|
|
Corn Spurry |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Cole Crops |
Similar Sized Crops |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
|
Predator Increase |
|
|
Turnip |
White Clover |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
White Clover |
Visual Masking |
|
|
|
Clover |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Chemical Repellent |
||
|
|
Apple |
Weedy groundcover |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Catnip |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
|
Nasturtium |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Soybean |
Cassia sp. |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Croton sp. |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Desmodium sp. |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Soybean |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
|
Weedy ground cover |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Soybean |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Wild Parsnip |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Chickweed |
Wild Parsnip |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Lady's Thumb Smartweed |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Shepherds Purse |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Wild Mustard |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Wild Parsnip |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Hawthorn |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
|
Physical Interference |
|
|
|
Giant Ragweed |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
|
Peanuts |
Visual Masking |
|
|
Beans |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
|
Physical Interference |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Beggertick |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Goldenrod |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Mexican Tea |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Pigweed |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Pigweed |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Collards |
Weedy ground cover |
Visual Masking |
|
|
Corn Spurry |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
|
Red Clover |
Physical Interference |
|
|
|
White Clover |
Predator Increase |
|
|
White Clover |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Chemical Repellent |
||
|
|
Collards |
Tobacco |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
|
Wild Mustard |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Ragweed |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Cole Crops |
Candytuft |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Shepherds Purse |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Wormseed Mustard |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
Peppers |
Catnip |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Nasturtium |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
General Organic Garden Crops |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
||
|
|
Collards |
Lamb's Quarter |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Pigweed |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Xanthium stramonium |
Predator Increase |
|
|
General Organic Garden Crops |
Queen Anne's Lace |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Rose Geraniums |
Trap Crop |
|
|
Mustard |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Cole Crops |
Similar Sized Crops |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Predator Increase |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
Red Clover |
Physical Interference |
|
|
|
|
White Clover |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Catnip |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
|
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Weedy ground cover |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Visual Masking |
||
|
|
|
Anise |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
Lamb's Quarter |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
White Clover |
Visual Masking |
|
|
|
General Organic Garden Crops |
Queen Anne's Lace |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Orchard Crops |
Knotweed |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Marigolds |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Roses (White) |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Soybean |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
Zinnias |
Trap Crop |
|
Leaf Beetles |
|||
|
|
Beans |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
|
Physical Interference |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Soybean |
Barley |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Wheat |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Sorghum |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Sweet Potatoes |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Beans |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
|
Physical Interference |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Beans |
Goosegrass |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Red Spragletop |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
Soybean |
Beans |
Trap Crop |
|
|
Grapes |
Johnson Grass |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Kale |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Sudan Grass |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Fruit Trees |
Alder |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Rye |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Sorghum mulch |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Wheat |
Predator Increase |
|
|
Peach |
Strawberry |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Goldenrod |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Lamb's Quarter |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Ragweed |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
|
Smartweed |
Chemical Repellent |
|
|
Apple |
Eryngium sp. |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
|
Phacelia sp. |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
|
Soybean |
Sicklepod |
Trap Crop |
|
|
Clover |
Physical Interference |
|
|
|
Physical Interference |
||
|
|
Physical Interference |
||
|
|
Physical Interference |
||
|
|
|
Physical Interference |
|
|
|
Apple |
Weedy ground cover |
Parasitic Wasp Increase |
|
Thrips |
|||
|
Predator Increase |
|||
|
|
Pea |
Predator Increase |
|
|
|
Visual Masking |
||
|
|
Borage |
Trap Crop |
|
|
|
|
Dill |
Trap Crop |
|
|
Fruit Trees |
Nasturtium |
Chemical Repellent |
Retun to the top of Intercropping
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