Biointensive Gardening 4 & 5 - close plant spacing and companion planting

Meet the challenge of feeding people on a planet running out of soil. Grow Soil... grow biointensive. Here, we see an example of close plant spacing, one of the eight key factors to biointensive growing. www.growbiointensive.org

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Howto & Style

Tags:

• biointensive
• growing
• soil
• organic
• plant
• jeavons

[nosuchthingasshould]

I know this was early in the season, but it looked a bit barren and dry, so why no mulch, any particular reason?

[ravenseen]

@nosuchthingasshould - ummm... well.. one of the things behind close plant spacing is that the leaves of the plants act as a "living mulch", protecting the soil from sun and wind.

[Gyas98]

i have noo clue

[Gyas98]

i love to plant itssoo cool

[AuntyNibbs]

Marigold (Tagetes spp.) root hairs produce exudates that deter plant parasitic nematodes, not attract them. I'm not entirely sure about zinnias though - maybe they do the same thing?

[copefarms]

some zinnias produce a chemical on their root nodules that attract beneficial nematodes in the soil. Certain species of Marigolds also do this. The French variety of Marigolds is best.

And of course its pretty as well as attracts pollinators.

[oldies1007]

What do the zinnias do? Are they just to try and attract pollinators, or do they serve another purpose?