Mixed plantings: choosing the best neighbors for plants

Some picky plants can develop safely surrounded by any green “brethren”. But not all cultures are so indiscriminate in their choice of neighbors. Let's find out what is best to plant with so that the plants do not oppress each other.

A classic example of mixed planting has been known for a long time: the American Indians planted corn, beans and squash together. The latter, with its large leaves, created shade, preventing the scorching sun from destroying the plants, and restrained the growth of weeds. Thanks to its tall stem and narrow but quite numerous leaves, corn protected the pumpkin from overheating, and beans, being good green manure, enriched the soil with nitrogen. And this is not the only example of such an ideal garden community.

Eggplant

This crop is best planted among bush beans, which repel the Colorado potato beetle and thereby protect the little blue ones. Eggplants also grow well next to thyme and peas. Possibly adjacent to pepper and spinach.

But being next to cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes is not the best option. Such “relationships” reduce the quality and quantity of the harvest.

According to some summer residents, eggplants should not be planted next to cucumbers and pumpkins. But opinions differ about the proximity of eggplants and tomatoes.

Beans

Beans grow well in the vicinity of many crops: cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, radishes, radishes, spinach, mustard. They are also compatible with potatoes, but in this case you need to know one thing: beans should be planted only along the edge of the potato field, because they absorb large amounts of nutrients. Otherwise, the potato tubers will not receive enough necessary elements (in particular, potassium) and will grow small.

There are also useful herbs for beans that improve the development of the plant. These are basil, borage, lavender, oregano, rosemary, yarrow.

However, beans should not be planted with any types of onions, garlic, peas, marigolds and wormwood.

How to properly combine plants for a neighborhood?

You can focus on the ripening period of vegetables according to the alternation method. That is, after harvesting an early harvest of one crop, seedlings of another plant can be planted in the same soil.

In this way, crops of carrots, parsley, and beets combine well with crops of lettuce, and late white cabbage with early cauliflower. In this case, cabbage is grown in seedlings.

Compactor and main crop

You can often find this type of compaction when a companion plant, a “compactor,” is planted next to the main plant. Such proximity is beneficial for the main crop due to the work of the satellite, which may consist in inhibiting the growth of weeds, which can reduce the use of weed-killing poisons to a minimum.

In addition, in a densely populated garden bed there is physically little space and weeds simply have nowhere to grow. This will reduce the time spent on weeding. In addition, the beneficial properties of the neighboring culture include:

• attracting insects for pollination,
• repelling harmful organisms by mixing odors,
• preservation of moisture and nutrients in the soil.

At the same time, the accompanying plant is capable of producing those elements that will serve as fertilizer for the main one. An example is the enrichment of soil with nitrogen by representatives of the legume family.

Flowerbed

When planting vegetable crops together, the bed can also be organized in the form of a flower bed, planting tall plants with a long growing season in the middle, and compact, quickly ripening crops planted around it.

An excellent example is growing tomatoes in this way with radishes, lettuce, spinach, turnips or summer radishes. The main crop, in this case tomatoes, is grown in seedlings and planted after the end of the frost period.

When choosing plants for compacted beds, you should also focus on their height, preferably it should be different. Tiering the leaves of neighboring plants will create favorable conditions for their growth, providing enough space for their placement and collection of solar energy.

Important points

• Light-loving plants should not be suppressed by shade and sensitive crops should not be exposed to excessive sunlight.
• Without bright light, melons, cucumbers, peppers, corn, tomatoes, and eggplants will feel bad.
• Cabbage, turnips, radishes, onions, garlic and carrots require a little more shade. Lettuce, zucchini and parsley prefer shade;

The proximity of vegetables of the same family will be not only useless, but also harmful, since they are susceptible to the same diseases, are equally attractive to pests and have common “gastronomic” needs.

It will be useful to familiarize yourself with the rules of crop rotation for vegetable crops.

Spicy herbs will come in handy in almost any joint planting. Due to their powerful aroma, they are able to confuse or repel harmful insects, attract pollinators and predators that eat pests.

For example, you can plant sage, mint, oregano, marjoram, lemon balm, basil, thyme or cilantro.

Table: Good and bad combinations of vegetables

Cabbage (white cabbage and broccoli)

Crops such as bush beans and celery have a beneficial effect on cabbage. The latter, for example, protects cabbage from flea beetles.

Cabbage and celery make great neighbors

Also, white cabbage and broccoli get along well with peas, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, beets, and chicory. Dill has a positive effect: planted between rows, it improves the taste of cabbage and repels aphids and caterpillars. And aromatic herbs save this crop from cabbage butterflies: thyme, sage, rosemary, mint, chamomile.

Cabbage does not go well with crops such as parsley, garlic, grapes, turnips and tansy.

Good neighbors for celery

Celery is one of the peace-loving crops and gets along well with most inhabitants of the garden. Experienced gardeners advise planting it next to:

• white cabbage . This culture releases substances that promote the good development of celery and accelerate its growth. Celery itself, with its aroma, repels white butterflies and some other pests from cabbage;
• tomatoes . Celery has very high compatibility with tomatoes. Some gardeners even note that tomatoes growing close to this spice have a more pleasant taste than those grown in separate beds. At the same time, tomatoes and celery have an increased need for different nutrients, and their roots are not at the same depth, so these crops will not become competitors;
• beans and other legumes . Representatives of this family have a unique ability to obtain nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil with it. Celery has an increased need for nitrogen, so it grows very well next to beans or peas, even if it is rarely fertilized.

There are no obstacles to planting celery with cucumbers, zucchini and other pumpkin crops, as well as onions and garlic.

Potato

The best neighbors for this crop are spinach, beans, and bush beans. The latter, in particular, enriches the soil with nitrogen and repels the Colorado potato beetle.

If this striped pest does not allow the potatoes to develop well in your area, plant catnip, coriander, nasturtium, tansy or marigolds nearby.

Potatoes are not a picky crop when choosing neighbors. Therefore, it is easier to list which plants it is not recommended to plant with. These are quinoa, cucumbers, pumpkin, asparagus, sunflowers and celery.

Unwanted neighbors

Celery will feel uncomfortable next to the following plants.

Parsley

Both crops belong to the Umbrella family. But it is not recommended to plant them nearby due to their susceptibility to the same diseases and pests. Parsley and celery are sown in the ground in early spring. If left too late, fast-growing weeds can choke out herb entrances. Some gardeners practice winter sowing of crops on frozen ground. Then healthy greens appear 10-12 days earlier.

Fennel

The underground and above-ground parts of fennel are powerful. The plant can take away water and nutrients from celery, so they need to be planted away from each other. Not only the leaves of fennel are valued, but also the petioles. To keep the head white and tender, the plant is spudded several times a season. The petioles are stewed, fried, baked, and added raw to salad.

Since the seeds of umbrella crops contain essential oils, they take a long time to germinate. You can improve germination by soaking the grains for 2-3 days in warm water.

Corn

Corn stalks reach a height of 2 m. If the cereal is planted too close to the celery, it will shade the tender shoots of the greenery. They will grow thin, yellow-light green in color. Therefore, the distance between crops should be at least 1 m.

Sunflower

This is another tall plant that can shade its neighbors. Sunflowers also have a powerful root system. In the diameter of its growth, garden crops will not be able to develop normally. The peculiarity of the sunflower is that during the day the inflorescence turns after the sun. By morning it returns to its original position.

Potato

The nightshade crop is attacked by pests that can be dangerous to celery. To make potatoes sprout faster, they are pre-sprouted. Plant the tubers in warm soil. At a depth of 10 cm, the earth should warm up to 7-8°C. A birch tree can serve as a reference point. During this period, her buds begin to bloom.

Tomatoes

It is not recommended to plant indeterminate varieties of tomatoes. The growth of shoots is unlimited, which can create shade under them. Tomatoes do not tolerate cold well. For them, severe short-term frosts are better than small, but long-term ones. You can revive frostbitten bushes in spring by sprinkling.

The death of tomatoes often happens in the morning due to a sharp change in temperature. When watering before dawn, the tomatoes gradually thaw. The ice crust disappears, the bushes take on their normal appearance.

Carrot

The carrot root is capable of penetrating to a depth of 2-2.5 m. The soil at the planting site must be loose and breathable, otherwise the root crop will grow in a bizarre shape. The reduction in the presentation and taste of carrots is facilitated by the introduction of large amounts of nitrogen. The fruit becomes forked, covered with many small roots, and tasteless.

Onion

Onions go perfectly with carrots. These crops protect each other from pests: carrots repel the onion fly, and onions repel the carrot fly. Due to its compact shape, onions thrive in the inter-rows of main crops such as beets, cucumbers, strawberries, spinach, and radishes.

It is recommended to plant onions and carrots side by side not only because these crops have a beneficial effect on each other. And they are compactly located in the garden bed

Some herbs have a positive effect on onions: thyme, chamomile (no more than one plant per meter of bed).

But proximity to beans, asparagus, watercress, peas and beans is contraindicated for it.

Why do joint plantings take place?

Planting vegetables together (or compacted planting) is one of the favorite “lazy garden” techniques. There is no point in caring for a garden of ten acres when the same crop can be grown on two. In addition, planting two or more crops together in one bed can really increase yields; The main thing is to choose these crops correctly.

In the article about a smart garden, we talked about how to make smart beds and how to place them in the garden. But experienced amateur vegetable growers also use in their work the ability of plants to influence each other.

Any plant, through its leaves and roots, releases substances that can harm or help its neighbors; or harm and help at the same time. So, a plant can scare away a pest from a neighbor, but at the same time inhibit its growth.

Leaves (especially of aromatic crops) may release either volatile or water-soluble substances that return to the soil when watered or rained.

The roots simply release biologically active compounds into the soil, which are absorbed by the roots of neighboring plants.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes grow successfully next to celery, radishes, radishes, corn, lettuce, cabbage, garlic, carrots, beets, chives, spinach, bush beans, and parsley. It is also advisable to grow herbs next to tomatoes: basil, lemon balm, borage, mint, sage, thyme. And also an excellent neighbor - stinging nettle. It improves the quality of tomato juice and extends the shelf life of the fruit.

However, keep in mind that this crop does not have a very good relationship with kohlrabi, fennel and dill.

Culture compatibility table

Celery grows happily next to most garden crops. But he is not friends with some people. Compatibility table:

Celery is an unpretentious crop that can get along on a plot with many neighbors. But there are garden plants that have a negative interaction. Knowing favorable and unfavorable neighbors, the gardener will be able to correctly place crops on the site. Consequently, he will collect more crop per unit area.