This year, the garden has been given a new notice board with information on milpa cultivation. The reason for this is the successful planting of the combination of maize, pumpkins or courgettes and beans in the milpa bed year after year. As was the case this year, this always leads to large harvests.
The milpa cultivation method has a long history and has been used by Mayans and Native Americans, for example. Milpa cultivation is an example of the benefits of combining planting and sowing crops in close proximity to each other. The maize serves as a trellis for the beans. These bind nitrogen from the air and feed it into the soil. The pumpkin and courgette plants in particular benefit from this. These require a high diversity of nutrients for their rapid growth. The large-leaved pumpkin plants shade the soil and thus counteract weed growth and water evaporation. This kind of self-sustaining planting saves labour, time and resources and has the potential for a future-oriented application.
The University of Passau's urban gardening project creates an environment that promotes biodiversity by planting wild flowers and flowering herbs such as lavender and oregano. This is also supported by the compost heap and the small insect hotel hanging in the immediate vicinity. The use of animal-friendly fertilisers and the avoidance of sprays or slug pellets also supports biodiversity. As a result, various insects feel at home in the student garden.
The first photo (top left) shows a small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae). Butterflies contribute to pollination, as do bees, moths and flies, among others. The majority of pollinating animals are wild animals, which are increasingly being displaced from cities. Insect-friendly urban greening can help. Smaller flowering areas (photo bottom left) also provide nectar and pollen and attract numerous insects with their colourful flowers. The larvae of beetles (photo top right), such as the lesser jule beetle (Anomala dubia) (photo bottom right), also find a place to overwinter in the soft soil in the beds.
The urban gardening demo garden can be visited as part of educational excursions by schools and other educational organisations. If you are interested, please contact Professor Werner Gamerith.
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Do you have sustainability-related questions or suggestions? Send us an email at nachhaltigkeit@uni-passau.de.
