What is Polyculture?

Welcome to Exploring Polyculture! First off, I know that you all have the same burning question:

"What is Polyculture?"

Polyculture is the the act of cultivating of different compatible plants simultaneously.

I know that we are all used to seeing rows and rows of the same crop (say, corn for instance) with nothing else between, but this has some serious disadvantages. First of all, it isn't a thorough use of space. Low to the ground and between the rows there is extra room left over. Second, having all the same plant bunched together like this makes it easy for disease and pests to spread, hopping from one plant to the next.

An ideal alternative might be to plant squash and lavender along the ground. Not only will it maximize the use of space (and yield two extra crops), but the prickly foliage of the squash and the strong-smelling lavender help to deter pests. The variation between the corn and the lavender will slow down the spread of disease and isolate it better, as well. This is also known as companion planting. Because of these two potential characteristics, polyculture has become a popular characteristic seen in organic farming and gardening.

And that is where this blog comes into place. Here I will explore the possibilities of companion planting, as well as other sustainable practices such as the introduction of insect predators to increase productivity, decrease pests and disease, and produce crops in a way that is less harmful to the native species and ecosystems all ready present in the area.

How effective is companion planting? Is it a viable means of pest and disease control? Do certain families, species, or variations of plants preform better as a companion plant? Can insect predators and natural pollinators be attracted to the crops in order to improve their productivity?

These are just some of the questions that I would like to address with hands-on observation. I am also open to suggestions if there are any other questions that you have about sustainable gardening and/or companion planting, and I will do my very best to address them.

Welcome, and enjoy your stay!