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intercrop

/ˈɪntərˌkrɑp/
/ɪntərˈkrɑp/
IPA guide

Other forms: intercropping; intercropped; intercrops

People who want to get the most possible gardening done in a small plot of land might choose to intercrop. This is when you plant multiple crops in the same space, often in alternating rows.

There are different ways to intercrop. Over different parts of North America, indigenous people plant corn and beans together in mounds and then, between the mounds, plant squash. Along with very slow-growing plants like fruit trees, you can plant fast-growing plants like leafy greens, harvesting the greens while waiting for the fruit trees to mature. These techniques help grow more food in less space, and can also be good for the soil's health. An intercrop is also what we call a crop that is grown between rows of another crop.

Definitions of intercrop
  1. noun
    (agriculture) a plant grown between or among rows of another type of plant
  2. verb
    (agriculture) grow one type of plant between or among rows of another type
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