What does the term 'mixed culture' mean?
The mixed culture follows a cultivation concept that comes very close to the natural principle of biodiversity. In the wild, plants usually grow side by side and benefit from each other. So deep-roots fit perfectly next to shallow-roots or the root excretions of a plant drive the pests away from the neighbor. At the same time, it should be noted that there are also counterproductive neighborhoods.
also read
- What should a location for strawberries be like?
- Bush beans good neighbors and bad neighbors
- What fits together? Good neighbors in the vegetable garden
For the cultivation of strawberries in the garden, it is therefore important to find advantageous candidates for a mixed culture. Experience comes into play here in particular, because one or the other good neighborhood cannot always be explained from a purely botanical point of view.
To good neighbors in the strawberry patch
Strawberry plants go well with the following plants:
- Borage: promotes flower set-up and promotes fertilization
- Garlic, onions, leeks, marigolds: keep snails away
- Chives, shallots: have a protective effect on fungal spores and diseases
- Marigolds: clean the soil from nematodes and wireworms
- Dill, lemon balm, chamomile: have an overall revitalizing effect on strawberries
The combination with lamb's lettuce and spinach has also proven its worth. If the strawberry bed is prepared for wintering after the harvest, both neighbors can be planted in gaps. During winter they serve as snow catchers and encourage earthworms.
Avoid unfavorable neighbors
The following plants should not be included in the planting plan for mixed cultivation with strawberries, because they favor various pests and soil fungi.
- Potatoes
- all types of cabbage
- Broad beans
- Tulips
- Gladiolus
As a matter of principle, avoid the combination with all kinds of grasses. There may be visual harmony with rose plants, but the negative influences on the growth and health of strawberries still predominate. In addition, no plant can be considered as a neighbor that casts its shade on strawberry plants.
Tips & Tricks
The brightly colored flower faces of violets not only complement each other wonderfully with strawberry plants. At the same time, the plants have an aroma-enhancing effect on strawberries. This beneficial community comes into its own especially in prominent locations such as the balcony.
