Gertrud Franck, an expert in organic gardens, developed the mixed row culture system. In row mixed culture, the main, intermediate, pre- and post-crop complement each other. Rows alternate between heavy feeders, medium feeders, weak feeders and green manure. The crop rotation is maintained every year.
What is mixed row culture according to Gertrud Franck?
Gertrud Franck's mixed row culture is a sustainable cultivation system in which plants are arranged in structured rows. Heavy feeders, medium feeders, weak feeders and green manure alternate. This method promotes optimal crop rotation, harvest timing and a good yield/area ratio without the need for external fertilizers or pesticides.
What is the ABC method (row mixed culture) according to Gertrud Franck?
Gertrud Franck's ABC method is a long-established cultivation method for almost all types of vegetables. As the much more well-known term mixed row cultivation suggests, the system is based onstructured planting in rows In comparison to conventional cultivation, which provides individual areas for the respective species, with the ABC method all Plants planted in a common bed. The soil is mulched and made fertile with spinach and vegetable scraps. The process developed by Ms. Franck in the 1950s groups the individual types of vegetables together, making it easier to implement mixed row cultivation.
The most important topics of this cultivation method were clearly compiled by Brunhilde Bross-Burkhardt in 2019. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bross-Burkhardt worked intensively with Gertrud Franck to write down her method. In addition to basic knowledge about plant cultivation, you can also find clear and tried-and-tested garden plans in the approximately 200-page illustrated garden book.
Advantages of mixed row cultivation
- Orientation to original organic gardening
- sustainable and resource-saving cultivation
- optimal implementation of mixed culture
- best possible crop rotation
- structured structure of the bed
- Staggering of harvest times
- good yield/area ratio
- Introduction of external foreign substances such as pesticides and fertilizers not necessary
The three rows of mixed row cultivation
Row mixed culture is based on a row system in which the plants are planted. For this purpose, they are assigned to one of the three categories based on fixed criteria. Common characteristics include the length of time it takes to grow and mature, as well as the space required. Some vegetables fall into several categories. Therefore, pay close attention to the growing conditions of each plant to plant it in the correct area.
A-rows
The vegetables planted in the A rows areonly main crops These are plants that have a long growth and maturation period and require a lot of space. Due to their slow growth, the A rows are only planted with the following plants. No pre- or post-crop crops are planted. Only a green fertilizer such as mustard or field beans can be sown beforehand and then processed into compost when the main crop is planted.
Known representatives of this genus are:
- Beans
- Broccoli
- (early) peas
- Cucumbers
- Potatoes
- Red cabbage
- Peppers
- Salads
- Tomatoes
B-rows
The plants in the B series are characterized by a significantlyshortened growth and maturation period. This usually lasts about half a season. This makes it possible to plant these linestwice a year. Suitable vegetables are:
- Cauliflower
- Bush beans
- Peas
- Formerly Kohl
- carrot
- Leek
- Parsnips
- Radish
- Beets
- Black salsify
- Celery
- Onion
C-rows
The C series contain the particularlyfast-growing plantsAt the same time, they only require a very small amount of space. Due to the short growth and maturation period, these plants can be sown and harvested several times a year. Proven plants for this plant series are:
- Endive
- Fennel
- Early carrots
- Yellow beets
- Kohlrabi
- Leek
- Parsnips
- Radish
- Radish
- Growing onion sets from seeds
- Salads
- Spinach
Spinach in mixed row cultivation
Spinach is an essential part of the mixed row culture because it has many positive properties. Due to its enormous resistance to frost, it can be sown as early as February. It also provides natural wind and weather protection for the young plants that follow. In addition, the oxalic acid contained in the leaves provides organic pest defense and reduces weed growth. Ideally, sowing takes place in the intermediate rows, so that later cultivation of the areas is simplified.
The spinach leaves are harvested between May and June, although some of them should remain on the plant. The unchopped plant residues are an excellent mulching material that can be easily incorporated into the soil due to their delicate structure. The green plant contains iron and calcium in particular in abundance. Your A, B and C vegetable plants have sufficient nutrients available right from the start of their growth phases. The administration of further fertilizers is therefore unnecessary. The spinach is also suitable as a path between the rows. This means there is no compaction of the soil by using wooden boards as a path, for example.
Examples
Basically, there are no limits when it comes to creating your garden using the ABC method. To make it easier to familiarize yourself with the processes at the beginning, it is recommended to use a fixed cultivation plan for mixed culture in the vegetable garden. This provides you with a basis for planning and orientation for the first steps of the cultivation scheme. The sequence of the individual rows can be swapped, although the basic structure should be retained. The intermediate rows are each filled with spinach for the reasons mentioned in the previous section. Four rows are the minimum to implement this growing method in the garden. Mixed row cultivation is not suitable for raised beds.
Bed 1: Cultivation follows the A-C-B-C scheme. The runner bean is planted as the main crop. This is complemented by chard in the B series as well as beetroot and salads as well as kohlrabi in the C series.
Bed 2: The planting in this example also follows the pattern A-C-B-C. The A row is planted with tomatoes and basil, which are ideal plant neighbors. The bed is complemented by onions (B row) and carrots (C row).
Bed 3: The third template represents a slightly wider bed structure, but still follows the well-known pattern A-C-B-C. The A rows are occupied by the heavy-feeding potatoes. Cabbage follows in the B row and lettuce or spinach in the C row.
Bed 4: The combination of dill or borage with cucumbers has a positive influence on the growth of these A plants. To complete the bed, the B rows are planted with cabbage and celery and the C rows with bush beans and lettuce. Franck recommends planting the C rows to the left and right of the A row only once for cucumbers, as the cucumbers need the space later in the year due to their size. However, if sufficient planting distance is maintained, there should be no negative influence on the surrounding rows.
Creating a bed for mixed row cultivation: This is how it works
Now that some basic information about mixed row cultivation is known, here are step-by-step instructions for implementing your first bed.
Preparation
In preparation, the location and space requirements are determined and the individual rows of vegetables are planned.
- Select an area with a minimum size of 2 meters x 2 meters
- Start planning with a heavy feeder on the A-row
- Choose one or more light feeders for the C series that are compatible with the heavy feeder (on the C series, early, medium and late lettuces are suitable for a year-round supply)
- Choose medium feeders for the B series that get along with the C series plants
- Create cultivation plan or sowing plan
Implementation
The implementation begins with the early sowing of the spinach. Beforehand, however, the bed is marked out for orientation.
- Staking out the plant rows with a width of 50 centimeters
- Marking of the individual rows in A, B, C and intermediate rows (steps) with e.g. tape or labeled sticks
- Sowing spinach in the intermediate rows in February (e.g. “Matador”)
- Harvest spinach in May and June when it begins to bloom and incorporate plant residues into the soil
Follow-up
The follow-up is the most important for the order in the mixed crop bed, as preparations are made for the next year.
- From autumn, mustard can be sown on harvested rows as a secondary crop (due to frost from 7 degrees onwards, it no longer flowers and the mustard remains as compost).
- Aerate the soil with a rake, no digging (Gertrud Franck: “If a row is no longer needed, you dig in with the digging fork, move the fork handle a little, but do not turn the soil, and then withdraw the fork.)
- Sow yellow mustard as a secondary crop in the aerated soil and rake it in
- Rows that have yet to be ordered are covered with the bracts of the cabbage after harvesting in winter. Only the remains of the plants that were grown there go on each row.
- Also loosen rows of spinach with the digging fork.
- In the spring, put non-rotting mulch on the compost heap
Good and bad bed partners according to Gertrud Frank
Each plant has good and bad bed partners due to its individual requirements in terms of irrigation, lighting and nutrient supply. In order to achieve effective cultivation and therefore an opulent harvest, you should pay attention to good bed neighbors. Poor bed neighbors hinder mutual growth and lead to reduced yields.
A small selection of the most important (in)compatibilities follows below. Further information on the optimal planting partnership can be found in the book presented and here.
Good bed neighbors
- Beans: Cucumbers, cabbage, salads
- Peas: Cabbage, celery
- Potatoes: Peas, cabbage
- Tomatoes: Cabbage, parsley, celery, onions
- Salads: Beans, cucumbers, cabbage, chard, radish, beets
Bad bed neighbors
- Beans: Onions
- Potatoes: Onions
- Tomatoes: Red cabbage, red beets
- Salads: Parsley
5 tips for easy implementation
In addition to the step-by-step instructions, the following 5 tips should give you additional inspiration for designing your mixed row culture.
Tip 1: A-rows and heavy eaters
Some of the plants listed above, which can be assigned to the A series, belong to both the heavy feeders and the particularly space-intensive varieties. In addition to an immense amount of space, these species require a continuous high supply of nutrients. Well-known vegetables from this category are potatoes, peppers and tomatoes. Due to the few A-rows available, it is recommended to cultivate additional heavy feeders in a separate bed or a bucket. Pumpkins can be grown in the compost, potatoes can be grown in a potato tower, for example. You can find detailed instructions for the potato tower here.
Tip 2: Mustard in mixed culture
Mustard has an important role in mixed row cultivation. This protects the soil over the winter months with its dense growth. However, in order to prevent the consequences of the clubroot from spreading and to avoid further depleting the soil, one point in particular must be paid attention to. Since mustard is not a winter-hardy plant, it freezes at 7 degrees. Until then, it is important to ensure that no flowers have formed. These lead to increased nutrient removal and thus disrupt the winter rest of the soil.
Tip 3 Bed size
For an example cultivation according to the A-C-B-C scheme, a minimum width of 2 meters is required. The recommended minimum bed size is 2 meters x 2 meters. This is due to the arrangement of the rows and the minimum distance of 50 centimeters per row that must be maintained. The more rows you want to plant, the larger the arable area must be. For this reason, it is not advisable to grow in a raised bed.
Tip 4: Perennial plants (e.g. strawberries)
In principle, it is also possible to grow perennial plants such as strawberries in mixed row cultivation. As a rule, the long-standing varieties remain in the bed for around 3 years (strawberries). The series remains bound for this period and cannot be used for other purposes.
For beginners in mixed row cultivation, we recommend moving the crops out. Ideally, these species, which include strawberries and rhubarb, are planted in a separate “perennial” bed.
Tip 5: Annual herbs
Growing herbs in conjunction with other plants has many advantages. The substances they contain provide them with natural pest protection. In addition, soil quality is noticeably improving due to reduced erosion and improved nutrient utilization. The most popular combination options are:
- Cucumbers: Basil, borage, dill
- Cabbage: Borage
- Carrots: Dill
- Salads: Savory, borage
- Tomatoes: Basil
When choosing herbs, pay attention to the longevity of the plant. You should avoid using perennial herbs because of the rolling planting system. Instead, choose annual varieties that are replanted every season.
FAQ
What are the advantages of mixed row cultivation?
The advantages of mixed row cultivation are manifold. This cultivation method is based primarily on original organic gardening and does not require any external foreign substances. In addition, the existing resources are used sustainably and carefully. In combination, the individual factors lead to optimized crop rotation and a high harvest yield.
How big does a bed have to be for mixed row cultivation?
The minimum size for a planting bed in mixed row cultivation is 2 meters x 2 meters for four rows (A-C-B-C). As the number of rows of plants increases, the space required also increases continuously. However, under no circumstances should you keep the row spacing below 50 centimeters.
What is a mixed row crop?
In mixed row cultivation, the individual plant species are planted in rows. These are then continued continuously in an annual rolling system. However, they are all in one bed. The continuous displacement results in an even stress on the soil compared to pure monoculture.
How does the ABC method according to Gertrud Franck work?
The special feature of the ABC method according to Gertrud Franck is the classification of all plant species into categories A, B and C based on their specific characteristics. These include the space required and the growth and maturation time. Cultivation according to row mixed culture has been significantly simplified by the grouping and is therefore also accessible to beginners.
