Intercropping
This is when you sow two, or more, different crops in the same bed. It may be as one benefits the other, or simply to make best use of space, mixing a tall plant with a squat one, or sowing a fast growing one along side a slow growing one. For instance, you can put runner
beans, sweetcorn and pumpkins/courgettes in the same bed. The
beans use the sweetcorn for support, the pumpkin/courgette leaves smother weeds and keep the
soil cool and moist, the
beans provide nutrients in the
soil. Or, plant broad
beans amongst cabbages.
A fast growing crop, like radish, rocket,
lettuce are also sometimes used as markers along side slow growing crops – you sow a
drill of parsnip, and along side some radish. The radish germinates quickly but reminds you that parsnips are next door, underground. And then you will see them coming through as you harvest the radish. Or some summer
lettuce amongst leeks left in for winter. Many crops can go anywhere in a
crop rotation cycle, and are great for
intercropping. (This is not the same as catch cropping.)