Row mixed culture according to Gertud Franck: planning and creating

What is the ABC method (serial 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 serial mixed culture suggests, the system is based on a

structured planting in rows. Compared to conventional cultivation, which provides individual areas for each species, with the ABC method all plants are planted in a common bed. The soil is mulched and made fertile with spinach and leftover vegetables. The method developed by Ms. Franck in the 1950s groups the individual types of vegetables and thus makes it easier to implement mixed row cultivation.

Brunhilde Bross-Burkhardt summarized the most important topics of this cultivation method in 2019. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bross-Burkhardt worked intensively with Gertrud Franck to put their method into writing. In addition to basic knowledge about plant cultivation, there are also clear and tried-and-tested garden plans in the approximately 200-page illustrated garden book.

Advantages of mixed row culture

• Orientation towards the original biological horticulture
• sustainable and resource-saving cultivation
• optimal implementation of the mixed culture
• best possible crop rotation
• structured structure of the bed
• chronological staggering of harvest times
• good yield/area ratio
• The introduction of external foreign substances such as pesticides and fertilizers is not necessary

The three rows of row mixed culture

The row mixed culture is based on a row system in which the plants are placed. For this purpose, they are assigned to one of three categories based on fixed criteria. Common characteristics include growth and maturation times, and space requirements. Some types of vegetables can be assigned to several categories. Therefore, pay close attention to each plant's growing conditions to plant them in the correct range.

A rows

The vegetables planted in the A rows are Main cultures only. These are plants that take a long time to grow and mature and require a lot of space. Due to their slow growth, the A-rows are only equipped with the following plants. A pre- or post-culture is not planted. Only a green manure such as mustard or field beans can be sown beforehand and then processed into surface compost when the main crop is planted.

Well-known representatives of this genus are:

• beans
• broccoli
• (early) peas
• cucumbers
• potatoes
• Red cabbage
• paprika
• salads
• tomatoes

B series

The plants of the B series are characterized by a clear shortened growth and maturation period. This usually lasts about half a season. This makes it possible these lines twice a year to plant. Suitable vegetables are:

• cauliflower
• bush beans
• Peas
• Formerly cabbage
• carrot
• Leek
• parsnips
• radish
• Beets
• salsify
• celery
• Onion

C series

The C series include the special fast growing plants. At the same time, they only take up very little space. Due to the short growth and maturity period, these plants can be sown and harvested several times a year.
Proven plants for this row of plants are:

• endive
• fennel
• early carrots
• Yellow turnips
• Kohlrabi
• Leek
• parsnips
• radish
• radish
• Growing onion sets from seed
• salads
• spinach

Spinach in row mixed culture

The spinach is an essential part of the row mixed culture because it has many positive properties. Due to its enormous resistance to frost, it can be sown as early as February. In addition, it forms a 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, the sowing in the intermediate rows, so that later processing of the surfaces is simplified.

The spinach leaves are harvested between May and June, leaving part of the leaves on the plant. The unchopped plant residues are an excellent mulch material, which can be easily worked into the soil due to the delicate structure. Iron and calcium in particular are found in abundance in the green plant.
Your A, B and C vegetable plants are thus provided with sufficient nutrients right from the start of their growth phases. The administration of further fertilizers is therefore not necessary. The spinach is also suitable as a step between the rows. So there is no compaction of the soil by e.g. B. Wooden boards as a path instead.

examples

There are basically no limits to the layout of your garden using the ABC method. In order to familiarize yourself more easily with the processes at the beginning, it is advisable to use a fixed one Cultivation plan for the mixed culture in the vegetable garden. This gives you a basis for planning and orientation for the first steps of the cultivation scheme. The sequence of the individual rows can be reversed, 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 cultivation method in the garden. The row mixed culture is not suitable for raised beds.

Bed 1: Cultivation follows the A-C-B-C scheme. Runner beans are planted as the main crop. This is supplemented by chard in the B row and beetroot and salads as well as kohlrabi in the C rows.

Bed 2: The planting in this example is also done according to the A-C-B-C pattern. The A row is filled with tomatoes and basil, which are ideal plant neighbors. The bed is complemented by onions (B row) and carrots (C rows).

Bed 3: The third template represents a slightly wider bed structure, but still follows the well-known A-C-B-C pattern. The A rows are occupied by the heavy-consuming potatoes. In the B row comes the cabbage and in the C rows lettuce or spinach.

Bed 4: The combination of dill or borage with cucumber 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 French 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 there is sufficient planting distance, there should be no negative impact on the surrounding rows.

Create a bed for the row mixed culture: Here's how it works

Now that you know some basic information about row crops, here is a step-by-step guide to implementing your first bed.

Preparation

In the preparation, the location and the space requirements are determined and the individual rows of vegetables are planned.

1. Select an area with a minimum size of 2 meters x 2 meters
2. Start planning with a heavy feeder on the A row
3. Choose one or more weak feeders for the C-row that are compatible with the heavy feeder (on the C-rows, early, middle and late lettuces are suitable for a year-round supply)
4. Choose medium feeders for the B-row that get along with the plants in the C-row
5. cultivation plan or Create a sowing plan

implementation

The implementation begins with the early sowing of the spinach. Before that, however, the bed is staked out for orientation.

1. Staking out the rows of plants with a width of 50 centimeters
2. Marking of the individual rows in A, B, C and intermediate rows (steps) with e.g. B. ribbon or labeled sticks
3. Sow the spinach in the intermediate rows in February (e.g. B. "Matador")
4. Harvest spinach in May and June when flowering begins and work plant remains into the soil

postprocessing

The follow-up is most important for keeping the mixed culture bed tidy as preparations are made for the next year.

1. From autumn, mustard can be sown on harvested rows as a follow-up crop (due to frost from 7 degrees, flowering stops and the mustard remains as surface compost).
2. Aerate the soil with a rake, no digging (Gertrud Franck: "So if a row is no longer needed, the digging fork stuck in, the fork handle moved a little, but the ground didn't turn, and then the fork withdrawn.)
3. Sow yellow mustard as an afterculture in the aerated soil and rake in
4. Rows that are still cultivated are covered with the cabbage husks after harvesting in winter. Only the remains of the plants that were also grown there are placed on each row.
5. Also loosen the spinach rows with the digging fork.
6. In the spring, not rotted surface mulch on the compost

Good and bad bed partners according to Gertrud Frank

Every plant has good and bad bedding partners due to its individual needs in terms of watering, lighting and nutrient supply. In order to achieve effective cultivation and thus 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. You can find more information on optimal planting partnerships in the book presented here 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, beets
• Salads: Parsely

5 tips for easy implementation

In addition to the step-by-step instructions, the following 5 tips should give you additional impetus for designing your mixed row culture.

Tip 1: A series and heavy consumers

Some of the plants listed above, which can be assigned to the A series, belong both to the heavy consumers and to the particularly space-intensive varieties. In addition to an immense amount of space, these species require a continuously high supply of nutrients. Well-known vegetables from this category are potatoes, peppers and tomatoes. Due to the few A rows available, it is advisable to cultivate additional heavy feeders in a separate bed or bucket. Pumpkins can go on the compost, potatoes for example. in one potato tower to be grown. You can find detailed instructions for the potato tower here.

Tip 2: Mustard in the mixed culture

An important task is assigned to the mustard in the row mixed culture. This protects the soil over the winter months with its dense growth. At the same time, however, the consequences of a spread of the Clubroot to prevent and not to leach the soil additionally, there is one point in particular to pay attention to.
Since the mustard is not one of the hardy plants, it freezes at 7 degrees. Until then, it is imperative to ensure that no flowers have developed. These lead to increased nutrient removal and thus disrupt the winter dormancy of the soil.

Tip 3 bed size

A minimum width of 2 meters is required for an exemplary attachment according to the A-C-B-C scheme. The recommended minimum bed size is 2 meters x 2 meters. This is due to the arrangement of the rows and the minimum distances of 50 centimeters per row that must be maintained. The more rows you want to plant, the larger the arable area must be chosen. For this reason, cultivation in a raised bed is not recommended.

Tip 4: Perennial plants (eg. B. strawberries)

In principle, the cultivation of perennial plants such as strawberries in the row mixed culture is also possible. As a rule, the long-standing varieties remain in the bed for about 3 years (strawberries). The series remains bound for this period and cannot be used for anything else.

Outsourcing the plants is therefore recommended for beginners of mixed row cultivation. Ideally, these species, which include strawberries and rhubarb, are planted in a separate "perennial" bed.

Tip 5: Annual herbs

There are many benefits to growing in herbs in conjunction with other plants. Due to the substances they contain, they have a natural protection against pests. In addition, soil quality is noticeably improving due to reduced erosion and improved nutrient utilization. The most popular combinations 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. In view of the rolling planting system, you should avoid using perennial herbs. Instead, prefer annual varieties that are replanted each season.

FAQ

What are the advantages of a row mixed culture?

The advantages of mixed row cultivation are manifold. This cultivation method is mainly based on the original organic horticulture and does not require any external foreign substances. In addition, the available resources are used sustainably and sparingly. In combination, the individual factors lead to an optimized crop rotation and a high harvest yield.

How big does a bed for mixed row cultivation have to be?

The minimum size for a planting bed in row mixed culture is 2 meters x 2 meters for four rows (A-C-B-C). With an increasing number of rows of plants, the space requirement also increases continuously. However, you should never go below a row spacing of 50 centimetres.

What is a row mixed culture?

In row mixed cultivation, the individual plant species are planted in rows. These are then continuously updated in an annually rolling system. However, they are all in one bed. Due to the continuous displacement is compared to the pure monoculture an even load on the soil is achieved.

How does Gertrud Franck's ABC method 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 requirement and the period of growth and maturation. Cultivation according to the row mixed culture was significantly simplified by the grouping and thus made accessible to beginners.