Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Veggie Matters
Importance of Diversity:
Diversity and crop rotation lie at the very heart of the SFG. The very opposite of the mono-
culture principles of commercial growing, which concentrates one crop in the same place
year after year and has to throw chemicals and pesticides at it in order to achieve significant
growth; growing in small spaces gains its strength and growing success from the range of
different plants grown in a small space and rotated on a regular basis.
Apart from the excellent infill material that you are now about to plant your vegetables in;
the main points to consider when planning your SFG, and the things that will assure you of
success are down to these two main points.
1: Crop Diversity
ByorganisingtheplantsinaconfinedspaceliketheSFG,andplantinganumberofdifferent
vegetables;itmeansthatyouarenotsopronetoattackbyinsectordisease.Thisistheprob-
lem that most conventional gardeners face - as well as the commercial organisations. Dif-
ferentcropsattractthepredationsofcommonspeciesofinsectsordisease,makingadiverse
mixture of plants less prone to an all-out attack.
This is also the backbone and the principle behind a concept called 'Companion Planting'
where crops are planted alongside other crops or even flowers that will be of mutual benefit
in helping control pests as well as encourage growth. There will be more on Companion
Planting in later chapters.
2: Crop Rotation
Forcenturiesfarmershaveunderstoodtheimportanceofcroprotation,andindeeditwasthe
back-bone of farming up until recent times, and the growth of chemical fertilizers.
However by utilizing the principle of crop rotation in our SFG, we can be assured that the
plants that are grown on previously occupied space will most benefit from the nutrients that
the previous incumbents have left behind. Remember the principle behind organic growing
is that you are feeding the land and not just giving the veggies a 'quick shot in the arm.'
