A biotope is the homogeneous physical environment of an ecosystem while all the living elements of this ecosystem are called biocenosis.
Ecosystem = biotope + biocenosis
Biotope = soil + environmental conditions (light, air, water, etc.)
Biocenosis = plants + insects + animals + microorganisms
Thus, a vegetable garden can bring together several biotopes ; its shaded part is one, the clayey patch that you have not amended is another, the always wet swale too, and so on.
Therefore, a biotope is a space of limited scope in which well-defined environmental conditions are homogeneous and are suitable for the needs of plants, insects, animals and all the microfauna that live there.
Working with nature in the case of a biotope is therefore take a close interest in the soil and the environment of a given site to maintain or create a harmonious ecosystem.
Short guide to the biotope
In the context of edible production, 5 characteristics to observe in a biotope are:
Brightness
Exposure to light plays a leading role in plant cultivation.
Thanks to it, plants transform the water drawn by their roots and the carbon dioxide from the air to produce organic matter, more precisely carbohydrates. These precious carbohydrates serve as food.
It is the process of photosynthesis.
Depending on their environment, some plants have developed mechanisms to produce carbohydrates with little light while others need them greatly.
Shade plant
Shade plants require a shady site and quickly suffer from heat and water stress when planted in the sun. They grow successfully in shade only conditions, corresponding to less than 2 hours of sun.
No variety offered by Jardins de l'écoumène qualifies as a shade plant.
Shade plant tolerant of low sunlight
Plants in this category prefer light shade, but adapt to shadier conditions or prefer shade, but tolerate some direct sun without problem. They grow successfully in shade and light shade conditions which corresponds to 2-3 hours of sun.
Two varieties of shade plants that tolerate low sunlight can be found on our store: Chervil Brussels Winter et Curly garden cress.
Sun plant tolerant of light shade
Plants in this category prefer sun, but adapt to partial sun conditions or prefer partial sun, but tolerate sun provided they do not lack water. They grow successfully in partial sun and sun conditions, corresponding to 3-5 hours of direct sun.
Varieties of sun plants that tolerate light shade : Arnica americana, Celery Redventure, Vienna Early Violet Kohlrabi et several others.
Sun plant
Plants in this category require full sun. When the hours of sunlight are insufficient, they tend to wither, flower less and produce smaller fruits of poorer quality. They grow successfully in full sun conditions only, corresponding to 8 hours of direct sun.
Varieties of sun plants : Eggplant Diamond, Basil Genovese, Chioggia beetroot et much more.
Soil Texture
Living beings have always been adapted to their environment.
Thus, a plant that must survive prolonged droughts has developed a long taproot that allows it to draw water from deep within. In permanently damp and occasionally soggy soil, it suffers and often dies.
To ensure that the plants in your vegetable garden reach their full potential, check that the soil texture matches their needs. If not, bring them Amendments necessary to get there.
Light soil (sandy)
- Light soil is rich in sand. These large particles provide little cohesion to the soil, but the roots sink easily and it drains very well.
- When he is wet, the light soil is fresh and never compact; sec, it becomes hot and slips between the fingers.
Many plants adapt to light soil such asCommon oregano, German thyme, Golden Sweet Pea et several others.
Heavy soil (clay)
- Heavy soil contains a lot ofclay which makes it rich in nutrients. On the other hand, by sticking to each other, its very fine particles slow down the circulation of air, water and nutrients.
- When he is wet, heavy soil sticks to shoes and tools; sec, it hardens, cracks and becomes almost waterproof.
La Green lettuce adapts to heavy soil.
- A stony soil contains a lot of rocks more or less large. He is poor, dry and often limestone. The stones make it difficult to work and harm the rooting of plants.
- When he is wet, the stony soil is relatively fresh; sec, it is very hard, but water penetrates quite well.
Some plants like stony soil such as Damascus Nigella, Olympian mullein and Lavender officinalis.
- Humous soil contains a high percentage of organic material and maybe very acidic.
- When he is wet, the humus soil is very fresh, supple and pleasant to work; sec, it shrinks and forms clumps.
Some plants like humus soil. Discover all Celery Redventure, Curly garden cress and Arroche Aurora Mix in this category.
Soft ground (loamy)
- Loose soil is rich in limon, a most productive substrate. These particles are fine enough to give it a good cohesion, without making it very compact.
- When he is wet, loose soil is not very sticky and leaves a brown-gray color on the fingers; sec, it becomes powdery, fragile and settles slightly, but absorbs water easily.
All vegetable plants adapt to soft ground.
- Plants in this group adapt to various soil textures without any marked preference.
- The growth of the plant may be more vigorous in one soil rather than another of different texture, but in both cases the plant is healthy and productive.
Plants that are indifferent to soil texture.
soil pH
The exchanges between roots and soil are numerous and take the form of hydrogen cations (H+) and nutrients. The more the pH (hydrogen potential) increases, the more the soil becomes alkaline. Conversely, the more the pH drops, the more it becomes acid.
The microorganisms who live in the ground also have their preference; for example, bacteria that transform nitrogen into nitrates for the benefit of plants do so increasingly slowly as the pH drops below 7.
Many plants grow in slightly acidic soil, but some have adapted to very acidic or alkaline soils; without the right pH, they quickly suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
Why ?
Among other things, certain minerals easily assimilated in very acidic soils (manganese, zinc) are almost no longer so when the pH rises to 7.
- In a organic soil (humus), all plant nutrients are at their best level of availability when the pH is 5,5.
- In a mineral soil (clay, loamy or sandy), all plant nutrients are at their best level of availability when the pH is 6,5.
pH is measured on a scale of 1 to 14, but vegetation is absent from soils with pH below 4 and above 8.
Very acidic
The pH of very acidic soil is between 5 and 6. Any other pH exposes plants in this group to nutrient deficiencies (boron, iron, nitrate nitrogen).
As a general rule, these floors are very rich in humus (peat bogs) or clay. They are also always wet due to heavy rainfall or excessive watering.
Potatoes andArnica americana like the very acidic pH of the soil.
Acid
The pH of acidic soil is between 6 and 6,5. Any other pH exposes plants in this group to nutrient deficiencies. As a general rule, these floors are rich in humus (undergrowth) or clay. They are also very often damp due to above-average rainfall or heavy watering.
For example : Scarlet Carrot Nantes, Giant ground cherry, Eggplant Black et others
Low acidity
The pH of acidic soil is between 6,5 and 7. Any other pH exposes plants in this group to nutrient deficiencies. As a general rule, these floors are moderately rich in organic matter and compounds mostly silt. They are generally fresh and well drained, because their rainfall is average and they are watered without excess.
Many plants prefer a slightly acidic soil pH such as Cheyenne Bush Pumpkin,Garden dill et several others.
Slightly alkaline
The pH of acidic soil is between 7 and 7,5. Any other pH exposes plants in this group to nutrient deficiencies (calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen).
As a general rule, these soils are moderately poor in organic matter and composed of silt and sand. They are generally dry and excessively drained. Their rainfall is below average and they are rarely, if ever, watered.
For example : Lavender Officinal, Hibiscus Roselle, Golden Purslane et Moreover.
Plants indifferent to pH
Plants indifferent to soil pH adapt to nutrient availability in the soil, whether acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline. Note that vegetation is absent from soils at pH below 4 and above 8.
For example : Lemon balm, Staghorn plantain, Pastel of the dyers et 5 other varieties.
pH and soil test
To know with certainty the composition of a soil or its pH, you can have it analyzed or obtain an analysis kit to do it yourself.
This way, we no longer play guessing games!
Would you prefer to entrust this task to experts?
We offer our customers the service of sending soil samples to a reliable and competent laboratory which returns its results to us. All you have to do is come and collect them from our nursery.
Want to do your own tests?
Never mind !
Soil moisture
Not all plants can tolerate drought or prolonged swimming!
By holding the optimal humidity level for each crop, you avoid many disease or water stress problems and obtain significantly higher harvests.
- Water penetrates the soil without running off and passes through it without lingering or hurrying, giving plants a good fluid intake without excess.
- Plants that prefer cool, well-drained soil do not like excess water and fear the prolonged droughts.
- Plants indicative of cool, well-drained soil include ground ivy and field horsetail.
Black Seeded Simpson Leaf Lettuce, Lacinato Kale, the Capucine Jewel adapt to fresh, well-drained soil and many others.
- This ground rarely dries during summer. Its texture is often clayey or humous.
- A plant that requires moist soil in full sun will need frequent watering.
Full Golden White Celery, Brazilian Watercress, Edible nutsedge and Chervil Brussels Winter adapt to damp ground.
- This ground never dry completely during the summer and often remains flooded for several weeks in spring or for several days after torrential rains.
- A plant that grows in very humid soil generally tolerates drought poorly and can't run out of water at any time.
- Among the plants indicating very humid soil, we find comfrey, reed and rush.
No vegetable or herbaceous plants available on our Online Store like very humid soils at the moment.
- This type of poor soil and very draining retains moisture poorly.
- Plants that prefer it have developed mechanisms to store water in their tissues and fear excess water. They generally tolerate drought well.
For example: Lily White Sea Cabbage, Hyssop, Siberian Caraganier et others.
Soil fertility
THEessential amendment of a vegetable garden is compost. Other amendments* exist and help correct nutrient deficiencies, the texture of the soil, its pH, its ability to retain moisture or to drain, but compost does all of this, hence its essential aspect.
* Other amendments improve the contribution of compost without being able to claim to replace the latter.
But, which one to choose?
Depending on the raw material used, the bacteria or champignons will be favored and will dominate the compost produced.
The trees, shrubs and perennial plants prefer a soil dominated by champignons, richer in carbon, while vegetables and annual plants like a soil dominated by bacteria, richer in nitrogen.
– Using the correct compost will give much better results!
Composts dominated by bacteria are obtained from fresh or green residues rich in nitrogen (grass clippings, freshly pulled herbs, vegetable peelings and other kitchen waste).
Composts where champignons proliferate comes from dry or brown materials, rich in carbon (dead leaves, bark, twigs, shavings, branches).
*Watch for the publication of the article “Outdoor sowing: before, during, after! » at the beginning of April to familiarize yourself with the various amendments for the vegetable garden.
Very demanding plant in compost dominated by bacteria
Plants in this category only reach their full potential if a large quantity compost nitrogen is incorporated into the soil before planting.
Plants that are very demanding in bacterial-dominated compost are the Brad's Atomic Tomato, Fisher's Earliest Corn, Antilles cucumber and many others.
Plant requiring compost, dominated by bacteria
Plants in this category only reach their full potential if a good amount compost nitrogen is incorporated into the soil before planting.
La Beet Cylindra, Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard are among plants requiring bacterial-dominant compost, discover them all by consulting the page of this pictogram.
Plant with low compost requirements, dominated by bacteria
Plants in this category only reach their full potential if compost nitrogen is incorporated into the soil before planting.
For example: Tansy-leaved phacelia, Hopi Black Bean, Turnip Scarlet Ohno Revival et several others.
Plant requiring little compost, predominantly fungal
Plants in this category only reach their full potential if compost carbon is incorporated into the soil before planting.
Plants with low compost requirements and dominated by fungi are the catnip, Lanceolate Plantain,Echinacea purpurea et several others.
Plant requiring compost, predominantly fungal
Plants in this category only reach their full potential if a good amount compost carbon is incorporated into the soil before planting.
La Rhubarb Glaskins, Curly parsley, Parsnip Halblange are compost-demanding plants with fungal dominance.
Plant very demanding in compost, predominantly fungal
Plants in this category only reach their full potential if a large quantity compost carbon is incorporated into the soil before planting.
The Ecoumene Gardens do not have a variety of plants that are very demanding in compost, dominated by fungi.
