living mulch
Plants suppressing weeds
Living mulch is a low-growing crop planted between rows of a main crop to cover bare soil.
Unlike dead mulch (straw, wood chips), living mulch continues to grow, suppressing weeds, reducing erosion, and improving soil health while the primary crop matures.
Clover and creeping thyme are common choices: We planted white clover as living mulch between the tomato rows.
Plants shielding fallow fields
- ground coverLow plants preventing erosion
- nitrogen fixationConverting inert gas to ammonia
- green manurePlants tilled into soil
- organic matterMaterial from living sources
humus · earthworms · microorganisms · soil structure · water retention · soil fertility · root growth · erosion control
Three-leafed legume plant
- vetchLeguminous climbing herb
- alfalfaForage crop legume
- legumesEdible pod-bearing plants
- groundcoversLow plants that spread horizontally
perennials · low-growing · crimson clover · winter rye · buckwheat · cowpeas · sedum · strawberries
Simultaneous multi-crop cultivation
- polycultureMulti-species crop system
- companion plantingGrowing compatible plants together
- agroforestryTrees integrated with farming
- crop rotationAlternating field plantings yearly
biodiversity · habitat creation · beneficial insects · sustainable agriculture · biological control · natural farming · guilds · food forest
Holding water within something
- erosion controlPreventing soil loss
- nitrogen fixationConverting inert gas to ammonia
- temperature regulationControlling heat levels
- carbon sequestrationRemoving and storing atmospheric CO2
water conservation · microclimate · organic fertilizer · low maintenance
cover crops
Plants shielding fallow fields
- ground coverLow plants preventing erosion
- nitrogen fixationConverting inert gas to ammonia
- green manurePlants tilled into soil
organic matter · humus · earthworms · microorganisms · soil structure · water retention · soil fertility · root growth · erosion control · moisture retention
clover
Three-leafed legume plant
groundcovers · perennials · low-growing · crimson clover · winter rye · buckwheat · cowpeas · sedum · strawberries · chamomile
intercropping
Simultaneous multi-crop cultivation
- polycultureMulti-species crop system
- companion plantingGrowing compatible plants together
- agroforestryTrees integrated with farming
crop rotation · biodiversity · habitat creation · beneficial insects · sustainable agriculture · biological control · natural farming · guilds · food forest
moisture retention
Holding water within something
- erosion controlPreventing soil loss
- nitrogen fixationConverting inert gas to ammonia
- temperature regulationControlling heat levels
carbon sequestration · water conservation · microclimate · organic fertilizer · low maintenance
- permaculturefood forest, companion planting, polyculture, zones, swales
- garden plantsazalea, roses, ferns, daffodil, marigolds
- farming methodsintercropping, polyculture, mixed farming, companion planting, strip cropping
- mulchwood chips, pine straw, pine needles, shredded bark, pine bark
- weed controlweed killer, herbicide, weeding, hand weeding, herbicides
lively, living, livestock, liveliness, livelihood, outlive, livable, mulch, liven