In the ecologically oriented allotment garden, the mixed culture determines the planting plan. Growing strawberries is no exception. Find out here about good and bad neighbors for your strawberry plants.

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. For example, deep-rooted plants fit perfectly next to flat-rooted plants, or the root excretions of a plant drive away the pests from the neighbors. Nevertheless, it should be borne in mind that there are also counterproductive neighborhoods.

When growing strawberries in the garden, it is therefore important to find advantageous candidates for a mixed culture. Empirical values in particular play a role here, because one or the other good neighborhood cannot always be explained from a purely botanical point of view.

Here's to good neighbors in the strawberry bed

Strawberry plants harmonize with the following plants:

  • Borage: promotes flowering and promotes fertilization
  • Garlic, onions, leeks, marigolds: keep snails away
  • Chives, shallots: have a repellent 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

In addition, the combination with lamb's lettuce and spinach has proven itself. If the strawberry bed is prepared for wintering after the harvest, both neighbors can be planted in gaps. During the winter they serve as snow catchers and encourage earthworms.

Avoid unfavorable neighbors

In the planting plan, the following plants should not be planned for a mixed culture with strawberries because they favor various pests and soil fungi.

  • potatoes
  • all types of cabbage
  • broad beans
  • tulips
  • gladioli

Basically, avoid the combination with grasses of all kinds. There may be a visual harmony with rose plants, but the negative influences on the growth and health of strawberries outweigh the negative ones. In addition, no plant is suitable as a neighbor that casts its shadow on strawberry plants.

tips and 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 is particularly effective in prominent locations such as the balcony.

Category:

Vegetable garden