Sorry to sound thick here but does anyone know what under cropping means? I was reading up on the web about Mizuna and it says; Mizuna is also useful for under cropping sweet corn, or grown as a seedling crop for inter cropping. Sorry to sound thick!!
CariAnn, I don't think you sound thick at all. I've been at this gardening game for over 40 years, and this is the first time I've heard the term "undercropping". The only thing I can think of is that the "undercrop" is something used as green manure (planted, let grow, then tilled in or turned under to add nutrients and tilth to the soil) or as a living mulch at the base of taller plants, like the corn mentioned. This is interesting--I hope someone more knowledgeable comes up with a better definition/explanation!
A rather deep subject…pun intended. Under cropping that part of soil management dealing with macro/micro organisms using organic materials that contribute to the soil structure. Good healthy soil structures prevent, water runoff, aid in plant root development and over time contributes to increased crop yield and better irrigation. It prevents costly alternate solutions. It also aids in flood prevention. Thats about as much as I know, Jerry
I've always thought of it as growing a secondary (and usually faster growing) crop while waiting for the main crop to grow and ripen,so you get more produce from a given area...
A crop growing below another crop and benefiting from each other. Kind of the same idea as the 3 sisters garden I think ...
Like MG I have never heard that term either. But in recent years they have come up with a lot of weird things that us gardeners never use. I think they may mean something to plant that shades and cools the soil to retain moisture and that be turned under as green manure. You have to be careful with some of these things though. If they are growing plants they will take nutrients from the taller crop. Its not all a win win situation. I under crop and over crop everything with Texas weeds. Hasn`t helped me yet.
