Garden With Ernest

A polyculture garden is better for the environment. 

So let’s start with what is polyculture? In a polyculture garden different types of plants are grown together in the same space. It is the opposite of monoculture. In a Monoculture garden only one type of crop in grown in a plot. 

Why is a polyculture garden better than the monoculture method? 

Simply because polyculture gardening is more sustainable than a monoculture system. 

This is because in a polyculture garden, different plants are selected and combined to help each other. This makes a more diverse and resilient ecosystem that copies nature. It’s a fact that most plants have evolved to grow together and benefit when they are grown in a mixed group.

Polyculture and monoculture

Additionally, polyculture is also known as intercropping, mixed cropping or companion planting.

And by intercropping or companion planting you don’t need to rotate crops. Also these additional ground covering, plants act like a living mulch, and they benefit your main crop, and biodiversity.

Is crop rotation necessary?

Traditional gardeners, often plant vegetables in an allocated area, at the back of the garden. The “four bed crop rotation system” has been popular with these gardeners, since the 18th century. A man called Charles Townsend introduced it to increase productivity on Farmland. 

This formal method of planting dictates that each area should be planted with a different type of crop and rotated every year, to prevent pests and diseases destroying crops. 

The four bed rotation system has continued to be popular in our back gardens to grow vegetables. However, this method is not generally used to grow ornamentals and flowering plants in our decorative borders. And they have not been overcome by pests and disease. 

Therefore, with the knowledge of global warming and the climate crisis, we need to ask, is this four bed system necessary in our gardens or is it beneficial to our environment?

The Crop Rotation Gardening Myth

So a polyculture garden is better for the environment because it promotes diversity, creates resilience and adaptability. How does it do that?

Polyculture supports more biodiversity

This is because polyculture gardens promote biodiversity by providing a habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species. Different plants attract different species of birds and beneficial insects which help control pests and diseases naturally. The resilience and stability of ecosystems are also improved by increased variety.

The benefit of intercropping

Monoculture gardens are more susceptible to pests and disease because pathogens and pests can easily spread throughout a single species, when they are planted close together. 

In contrast, polyculture gardens create a natural defence mechanism by reducing the spread of pests and diseases. Some plants can repel specific pests, reducing the need for synthetic pesticides.  

So growing a variety of crops in the same space, instead of rows of the same crop, reduces the risk of diseases spreading, therefore there is no need to keep rotating your crops. 

Mixed cropping also improves soil health.

In a polyculture garden, mixed cropping or companion planting, improves soil health. Because different plant species have varied nutrient requirements and root structures, for example some plants’ roots hold on to nitrogen which feeds the soil. While other plants have deep roots that can reach nutrients below the topsoil layer. A variety of root types, improves soil structure and prevents erosion. This diversity reduces the risk of soil erosion and nutrient loss. Which all adds up to a healthier more productive soil.

The three sisters

A popular example of companion planting is “the three sisters”. Typically, sweetcorn, climbing beans and squash are grown together in the same area.

But you can adapt this idea and add sunflowers and nasturtiums too. Or on a smaller scale you could grow, peas, courgette and mini sunflowers together and interplant with fast growing salad crops.

A little tip from Ernest: You can save seeds from your “three sisters” garden and grow your own free plants.

Polyculture Gardens are better at using available resources.

Different plants have different growth patterns and root depths, they utilize available resources more efficiently. Therefore they can reach water and nutrients from different levels in the soil. So growing different types of vegetables together actually reduces competition amongst the plants.

Additionally growing a variety of plants together saves space , so polyculture is ideal for someone with a small garden.

A polyculture garden is better in a changing climate

Climate change brings unpredictable and extreme weather. Mixing crops together and interplanting, helps them cope better with a changing climate. Plants grown in spaced out rows are more vulnerable to drought, wind, heavy rainfall, and extreme temperatures. Growing them in groups, protects them, as they shield and support each other.

Also if one type of plant is badly affected by a particular climate condition, others may still thrive, ensuring some level of productivity even in challenging conditions.

Polyculture gardens are more sustainable

Polyculture gardens can produce a wide range of crops, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. This variety provides a balanced and nutritious diet. Additionally, by reducing dependency on monocultures, polyculture gardens contribute to a more sustainable method of providing food and are generally less vulnerable to crop failure. 

Of course polyculture gardens are not a new idea.

Some of the best polyculture gardening methods

• Cottage garden:

The old English cottage garden is a type of garden that combines ornamental and culinary plants in a mixture of dense plantings and informal designs using traditional materials.

The cottage garden style is now mainly thought of as an ornamental flower garden. But in the past cottage gardens were primarily created to produce food, everything and anything was grown, mixed together using all available space. And most of the plants were useful or edible and also affordable. 

• French intensive method: (FIM)

This old method uses techniques and planting designs without formal rows. It utilizes interplanting, and clever companion planting which achieves high productivity and quality in a small space.

This kind of poly-garden is a good example of a sustainable gardening, that ticks all the boxes. It provides food, shelter, builds soil structure and is naturally beautiful.

• An edible food forest:  

A food forest is a perennial polyculture garden. This type of permanent agriculture, is a huge part of the permaculture design method. It consists of communities of mixed trees, shrubs and perennial edible plants. To develop a garden that provides a diverse range of food, a forest gardener works with nature.

A food forest is the best permanent polyculture garden for biodiversity

So a Polyculture garden is better

It is no secret that our planet is in trouble, therefore it is important to understand our human impact on the environment. We need to stop polluting our planet.

And we need to think of solutions to reduce our carbon footprint. As an individual, we can make minor adjustments that can improve the environment that we are dependent upon. Together we can make a difference by growing plants sustainably.

So while monoculture may have some advantages in terms of simplified management and efficiency, the overall environmental benefits associated with polyculture such as biodiversity conservation, reduced pesticide use, improved soil health and resilience to a changing climate make it a preferable choice for sustainable and environmentally friendly gardening.

Polyculture gardening is so much better for the environment.