Obviously some plants do better in groups and even die when isolated.
When it comes to planting, that is a gardening question.
PvR

Frank Martin schreef
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly? My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do
better in a group. Does anyone know about this?

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:18:43 +1000, "Frank Martin"
wrote:

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in a
group. Does anyone know about this?


I always thought zucchini was. Plant one, it dies of loneliness.
Plant three, feed the whole neighborhood.
--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

Exactly which plants are those?

Maybe if you watered your plants they wouldn't die!!!!


P van Rijckevorsel wrote in message
...
Obviously some plants do better in groups and even die when isolated.
When it comes to planting, that is a gardening question.
PvR

Frank Martin schreef
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly? My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do
better in a group. Does anyone know about this?

Did anybody ask you to answer for D. Kauhl?

Unless you can explain what the heck he is going on about, you are being no
help at all.

Plants are not at all like birds, regardless of your grandmother's poor
metaphor.

Like saying "you can never give a plant too much water", the statement is
ambiguous and can easily be interpreted in contradictory ways.


Frank Martin wrote in message
...
I fear your calling may not lie with the diplomatic corps.

"Cereoid-UR12-" wrote in message
. ..
How about saving us all some time and providing a link to something
explaining what in the heck you are babbling about? Preferably in
English!!!


D. Kauhl wrote in message
...
in all the answers I'm missing the hint for allelopathie, the research
of
reciprocal
influences of plants, practicized by friends of "Mischkultur", mainly
explained
by mycorrhizal effects in the edaphone -
founded by H. Molisch, university of Vienna, 1937, "Der Einfluß einer
Pflanze
auf die andere - Allelopathie" -
you can hear more of this from orchid friends, it's their primary
focus
best regards
kauhl

"Frank Martin" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do
better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

If ever I need somebody to water my plants I will keep you in mind.
PvR

Cereoid-UR12- schreef
Exactly which plants are those?

Maybe if you watered your plants they wouldn't die!!!!

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in a
group. Does anyone know about this?

One more thread for you to do a search on: companion planting, a
practice used by many "organic" gardeners where certain different
types of plants do better when planted along side one another than if
not. Certain insect repellant plants, like marigolds, planted next to
tomatoes supposedly reduce the need for pesticides. This may be what
your grandmother has in mind.

If I ever need a Lewinsky, I will keep you in mind, Rinkytink!!!!


P van Rijckevorsel wrote in message
...
If ever I need somebody to water my plants I will keep you in mind.
PvR

Cereoid-UR12- schreef
Exactly which plants are those?

Maybe if you watered your plants they wouldn't die!!!!

Dnia 03-08-26 04:13, U¿ytkownik Cereoid-UR12- napisa³:
If I ever need a Lewinsky, I will keep you in mind, Rinkytink!!!!
What are you talking about?! :-/ PLONK warning #1.
--
/\/\ichal Smoczyk, msmoczykNOSPAM(at)wp.pl
===delete 'NOSPAM' from my address===

Yes; come to think of it Geraniums are meant to have fly repellent
properties.

"nobody" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

One more thread for you to do a search on: companion planting, a
practice used by many "organic" gardeners where certain different
types of plants do better when planted along side one another than if
not. Certain insect repellant plants, like marigolds, planted next to
tomatoes supposedly reduce the need for pesticides. This may be what
your grandmother has in mind.

"Frank Martin" wrote in message ...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in a
group. Does anyone know about this?

One way that a group of plant of the same species growing in close
proximity may interact in a mutually beneficial way is root grafts.
Tree roots from different individuals often naturally graft together,
which allows trees to exchange water, mineral nutrients and organic
compounds. A tree that is experiencing a shortage of these substances
can get them from its neighbors. Root grafts can explain why a tree
stump can remain alive for years after the trunk was cut down. Root
grafts might also help young trees to survive in the dense shade of
older trees and can increase anchorage.

One drawback to root grafts is that they may facilitate disease
transfer. At the Penn State University main campus, they used to
trench around any American elm suffering from Dutch elm disease so the
disease would not be transferred to healthy trees via root grafts.

There is a subdiscipline of plant ecology termed phytosociology, which
studies the interelationships among plants growing in the same area:
http://www.yale.edu/fes519b/saltonstall/page3.htm

Some scientific articles on root grafts a

Basnet K., F. Scatena, G. Likens and A. Lugo 1993. Ecological
consequences of root grafting in tabonuco (Dacryodes excelsa) trees in
the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico Biotropica 25: 28-35.

Bormann, F.H. and B.F. Graham Jr. 1959. The occurance of natural root
grafting in eastern white pine, Pinus strobus L., and its ecological
implications. Ecology 40: 677-691.

Graham, B.F. Jr, and F.H. Bormann 1966. Natural root grafts The
Botanical Review 32:255-292.

Keeley, J.E. 1988. Population variation in root grafting and a
hypothesis Oikos 52: 364-366.

Kuntz, J.E. and A.J. Riker. 1955. The use of radioactive isotopes to
ascertain the role of root grafting in the translocation of water,
nutrients, and disease-inducing organisms. Int. Cong. Peaceful Uses
Atomic Energy (Geneva) Proc. 12: 144-148.

Will, G.M. 1966. Root growth and dry-matter production in a
high-producing stand of Pinus radiata. N.Z. Forest Serv. Research Note
44.

You must be alluding to the citronella scented Pelargonium cultivars not the
genus Geranium.


Frank Martin wrote in message
...
Yes; come to think of it Geraniums are meant to have fly repellent
properties.

"nobody" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

One more thread for you to do a search on: companion planting, a
practice used by many "organic" gardeners where certain different
types of plants do better when planted along side one another than if
not. Certain insect repellant plants, like marigolds, planted next to
tomatoes supposedly reduce the need for pesticides. This may be what
your grandmother has in mind.

in all the answers I'm missing the hint for allelopathie,

Allelopathy is the opposite of plants wanting "company." Allelopathy is a
chemical process that a plant uses to keep other plants from growing too close
to it. The best known example in this country is black walnut, which is famous
for preventing many kinds of plants from growing near it.

explained by mycorrhizal effects

Mycorrhiza has nothing to do with it. Mycorrhiza is the symbiotic arrangement
of a fungus living on or in the roots of a particular plant. It may be a plant
growing alone or in a group. If the right fungus is available, the arrangement
will occur. Tropical orchids which are grown in pots do not need mycorrhiza and
rarely have them. There is some evidence that bonsai & other potted trees can
benefit from mycorrhiza, but it has nothing to do with how many other trees are
around.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

Thank you. This is interesting. We live and learn.




"David Hershey" wrote in message
om...
"Frank Martin" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in a
group. Does anyone know about this?

One way that a group of plant of the same species growing in close
proximity may interact in a mutually beneficial way is root grafts.
Tree roots from different individuals often naturally graft together,
which allows trees to exchange water, mineral nutrients and organic
compounds. A tree that is experiencing a shortage of these substances
can get them from its neighbors. Root grafts can explain why a tree
stump can remain alive for years after the trunk was cut down. Root
grafts might also help young trees to survive in the dense shade of
older trees and can increase anchorage.

One drawback to root grafts is that they may facilitate disease
transfer. At the Penn State University main campus, they used to
trench around any American elm suffering from Dutch elm disease so the
disease would not be transferred to healthy trees via root grafts.

There is a subdiscipline of plant ecology termed phytosociology, which
studies the interelationships among plants growing in the same area:
http://www.yale.edu/fes519b/saltonstall/page3.htm

Some scientific articles on root grafts a

Basnet K., F. Scatena, G. Likens and A. Lugo 1993. Ecological
consequences of root grafting in tabonuco (Dacryodes excelsa) trees in
the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico Biotropica 25: 28-35.

Bormann, F.H. and B.F. Graham Jr. 1959. The occurance of natural root
grafting in eastern white pine, Pinus strobus L., and its ecological
implications. Ecology 40: 677-691.

Graham, B.F. Jr, and F.H. Bormann 1966. Natural root grafts The
Botanical Review 32:255-292.

Keeley, J.E. 1988. Population variation in root grafting and a
hypothesis Oikos 52: 364-366.

Kuntz, J.E. and A.J. Riker. 1955. The use of radioactive isotopes to
ascertain the role of root grafting in the translocation of water,
nutrients, and disease-inducing organisms. Int. Cong. Peaceful Uses
Atomic Energy (Geneva) Proc. 12: 144-148.

Will, G.M. 1966. Root growth and dry-matter production in a
high-producing stand of Pinus radiata. N.Z. Forest Serv. Research Note
44.