In one of our recent articles I wrote about companion planting and the specific plants my husband and I have grown successfully
together -or not- when growing our seasonal food crops. This time I’d like to write about the
function and use of plants grown in polyculture and how each plant species has
inherent characteristics that benefit an entire plant community or plant guild
(polyculture is growing many different types of plants together -as compared to
monoculture).
SYNERGY
Similar to companion planting when you design a plant guild
or forest garden you are grouping together plants which relate synergistically
–benefiting each other by warding off pests or by supporting each other in some
specific way. YET within a plant guild
or forest garden we are trying to do more than compliment the plants individual
relationships we are trying to compliment the arrangement as a whole ecosystem
–soil biota to unique microclimate, insects to animals, plants to people. Creating plant specific polycultures which
provide food for humans as a priority and either preserve or create an
ecosystem is a step beyond companion planting and toward a more diverse and
secure future -for food and natural resources.
A forest garden can be many things… in our trials and
experimentation it is comprised of several plant guilds grown in a spatial
pattern that becomes self sustaining over time.
A plant guild is simply a polyculture of plants -generally with a
central plant species- when grown together make efficient use of space and
resources requiring little input from humans.