The strawberry mixed culture is advantageous for the strong, healthy growth of the sweet fruit – provided good neighbors are chosen and bad ones avoided. 26 examples of this can be read below.
Table of Contents
Mischkultur-Definition
In mixed cultivation, plants are planted next to each other that complement each other perfectly and do not get in each other’s way above or below ground. Above all, nutrient requirements and root growth play a major role in choosing the right plant neighbors. Deep-rooted strawberries go well with shallow-rooted strawberries because they draw nutrients from different layers of the earth and cannot displace one another. Strawberries benefit as a mixed culture, even from neighboring plants, when it comes to avoiding fungal diseases or pests.
preculture
The compatibility of strawberries with other plants does not only refer to the current planting, but also to a good or bad previous crop. By this is meant what was planted in the soil area before the strawberries. The sweet fruit plant is one of the heavy feeders. If heavy-consuming plants were previously planted in the same place, the soil is often too exhausted to provide strawberry plants with sufficient nutrients. In addition, the Fragaria is considered to be very susceptible to various fungal pathogens. That is why you should make sure during the pre-cultivation that there were no equally susceptible plants that might have left behind fungal pathogens in the soil. In both cases, a waiting period of at least three, preferably four, years is recommended.
replanting of strawberries
As perennial plants, strawberries can get in their own way at a certain point. As heavy feeders, at some point the soil no longer offers them enough nutrients and the quality of the soil decreases sharply, despite fertilization. Since they bring the highest harvest yields in the second and third year of planting and then slowly decompose, they are ideally removed from the bed before they die. This shortens the time it takes for a new strawberry mixed crop to be planted. It takes about four years for the soil to recover from the strawberries. During this period they should not be planted again in the same planting site.
Suitable for the heavy feeder
A heavy feeder like Fragaria should always be surrounded by neighbors that fall under the weak and medium feeders. However, many medium-eaters also remove some of the nutrients from the soil, so you should not plant them exclusively as direct plant neighbors of strawberries. The ideal planting plan alternates between low and medium consumers. Only weak feeders would theoretically be ideal, but then the bed would not be used optimally.
Good neighbors
Of course you can not only plant vegetables or fruit trees and bushes next to the plant. Some herbs and flowers are also suitable as good neighbors for the strawberry mixed culture.
herbs
- Borage/cucumber/cucumber (Borago officinalis) – medium feeder – promotes flowering and pollination
- Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) – weak eater – has revitalizing properties, protects against fungal diseases
- Lemon balm/lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) – weak consumers – has revitalizing properties
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) – weak feeder – keeps lice at bay
- Chives ( Allium schoenoprasum ) – weak eaters – counteract fungal infections and diseases
vegetables
- Bush and haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) – weak consumers – enrich soil with nitrogen
- Dill (Anethum graveolens) – weak feeder – keeps aphids, cabbage whites, carrot flies, root pests and other insects at bay
- Garlic (Allium sativum) – weak eater – counteracts snail and lice infestation
- Leek (Allium porrum) – medium feeder – counteracts snail infestation
- Radishes (Raphanus sativus var. sativus) – medium feeders – counteract snail infestation
- Radish (Raphanus) – medium feeder – acts against pests
- Lettuce, for example lettuce and rocket – medium consumers – as shallow roots, ensure sufficient distance
- Shallots – weak consumers – counteract fungal infections and diseases
- Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) – medium feeder – because it has flat roots, keep your distance
- Onions (Allium cepa) – weak eaters – counteract snail infestation
flower
- Elfspur /Twinspur (Diascia) – Medium feeder – very bee friendly
- Marigolds (Calendula officinalis) – weak feeders – remove nematodes and wireworms from the soil, clean the soil
- Marigolds (tagetes) – medium feeders – counteract snail infestations, strawberry blossom weevils, spider mites and some types of beetles
- Violets/Pansies (Viola) – weak consumers – promote the strawberry aroma
Bad neighbors
- Gladioli (Gladiolus) – heavy feeders – prone to rot and attract pests, overgrowth (shade)
- Grasses of any kind – heavy feeders – strong spread and unsuitable for strawberry mixed culture
- Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) – heavy feeders – promote fungal development in the soil
- Cabbage of any kind (Brassica) – heavy feeder (except kale) – risk of cabbage fly infestation on the Fragaria
- Broad beans ( Vicia faba ) – weak feeders – quickly attract the fungus Ascochyta fabae
- (Other) Rose family (Rosaceae) – heavy feeders – impede growth and pose a health risk to strawberries
- Tulips (Tulipa) – heavy feeders – attract voles in particular, which also eat away strawberry roots
