Joint planting: neighbors of peppers in the garden and in the greenhouse

In the modern world, there is a steady trend towards environmentally friendly products. In this wave, a large number of urban residents are showing interest in growing food on their own plots, where they can provide themselves, albeit a little, with “clean” products, without any chemicals. But in a territory limited in most cases to six hundred square meters, the question arises about the favorable proximity of different cultures. When planting peppers, each summer resident has to choose which garden plants to plant at the same time.

Advantages and disadvantages of joint plantings

For the effectiveness of combined planting, it is necessary to take into account the “neighbors” located next to the pepper.

Unwanted plants can worsen the yield of sweet peppers, but correctly selected ones can increase fruiting, allowing even a small garden to harvest a rich harvest of delicious, crispy peppers.

In a small garden plot or limited greenhouse space, many summer residents combine several crops in one garden bed. This technique is called combined (joint) or combined plantings. It has gained popularity among many vegetable growers due to a number of undeniable advantages.

The main advantages of joint plantings:

1. Saving space in a greenhouse or garden - this method is great for small areas, allowing you to plant a larger number of vegetable crops in small beds.
2. Slow consumption of nutrients in the soil - combined plantings prevent rapid depletion of the soil, since nutrients are consumed by plants gradually.
3. Prevention of pests - properly selected neighbors repel insects from vegetable crops. This saves a lot of time on treating beds from pests.
4. Improving the taste of fruits - proper proximity increases the production of sugar and other useful substances in fruits, due to which their taste improves.

But joint plantings are not without their disadvantages. If plants are selected incorrectly, the risk of disease transmission between different crops is very high, and differences in the growth and expansion of bushes make caring for them difficult. In addition, different plants require different amounts of moisture - this can cause difficulties when watering the row.

Features of growing pepper

For planting peppers, you must choose fertile soil, generously drained, with an acidity (pH) of 6–6.6. Due to the sensitivity of the vegetable to excess nitrogen, it is not recommended to add fresh humus from farm animals. This can lead to “fatification” of the plant - an increase in vegetative mass to the detriment of fruit formation, as well as to the formation of rot and its proliferation.

Did you know? A resident of Krasnoyarsk grew the largest pepper. The weight of the vegetable was 535 g, and the cross-sectional diameter was 10 cm.

One of the secrets to obtaining a high yield of pepper, especially in conditions of lack of moisture, is the formation of plantings in which the leaves in a row intensively cover the soil. This will reduce the evaporation of moisture from it, so the density of plantings should be given great attention.

Before planting, you need to put 1-2 handfuls of humus, 1 tsp. nitroammophoska and pour plenty of water. Planting depth affects the future growth of the vegetable. Seedlings must be planted in the ground when the threat of frost disappears and the soil warms up to +15...+16°C. Pepper is a moisture-loving plant, and it is advisable to water it so often that the soil is constantly moist. This vegetable is watered more times than other plants, but in small portions: 3-4 buckets per 1 m².

Good neighborhood

The basic principle of combined plantings is the correct combination of plants for the rational use of a small space both in open soil and in a greenhouse. Properly planted plants can not only save space, but also protect each other from insect pests and diseases, stimulate crop growth and improve the taste of ripe fruits.

Onions and garlic

Onions and garlic will be an excellent prevention of fungal and other diseases of bell peppers. They take up minimal space in a small garden bed without interfering with the pepper’s full growth and development.

Thanks to their pronounced phytoncidal and bactericidal properties, onions and garlic will become excellent neighbors not only for bell and hot peppers, but also for other vegetable crops.

Spicy greens

Spicy greens will be an excellent addition to bell and hot peppers in the garden. The most successful neighbors:

• basil;
• parsley;
• thyme;
• marjoram;
• coriander;
• spinach;
• leaf salad.

Due to their pronounced spicy aroma and high content of phytoncides, these spicy plants not only effectively repel pests, but also attract pollinating insects.

Carrots and radishes

Carrots and radishes will be good neighbors for bell and hot peppers. They effectively retain moisture in the soil after watering, preventing it from quickly evaporating, and also prevent cracking of the soil in the summer heat.

Carrot greens also contain a high concentration of phytoncides that repel insect pests.

Unwanted neighbors

Not all vegetable crops will be good neighbors for bell or hot peppers. Certain plants cannot be planted in the same bed, as they draw all the nutrients from the soil, entering into “competition” with pepper. As a result, crops begin to weaken, lag in growth, and become vulnerable to infections and pests.

Dill and fennel

These herbs should not be planted next to pepper. Dill tends to grow quickly in the garden, drawing out a significant portion of the nutrients from the soil. Tall dill flower stalks, decorated with umbrellas, cover the pepper from sunlight, causing a lack of lighting. Also, the smell of dill often attracts aphids and carrot flies - dangerous pepper pests.

Fennel has a similar effect. It spreads very quickly throughout the area, practically destroying young seedlings and fragile pepper sprouts.

Fennel produces aromatic substances that give it a characteristic odor and inhibit the growth of peppers.

Beet

Beets are very aggressive towards peppers and any other neighbors in the garden. This vegetable crop is constantly fighting for resources, consuming huge amounts of nutrients from the soil. The soil under the beets is quickly depleted, as a result of which the pepper begins to lag in growth.

Beans, peas and other legumes

Legumes saturate the soil with nitrogen and make it looser, but placing them next to bell peppers or hot peppers is undesirable. Peas and beans require a huge amount of nutrients, due to which they can inhibit the growth of peppers.

Peppers and legumes have the same diseases, which significantly increases the risk of infection.

Very often, growing peas begin to “throw” shoots onto the pepper, using it as a kind of support. This also does not contribute to its good growth.

Potato

Potatoes, like other members of the Solanaceae family (tomatoes and eggplants), are not recommended for joint planting with peppers. These crops take up a lot of space in the garden and draw the same nutrients from the soil as peppers.

Nightshade crops are prone to the same diseases as bell peppers and are affected by the same pests. Due to this, infections are quickly transmitted from infected plants to healthy ones. When placing peppers next to potatoes, tomatoes or eggplants, gardeners are faced with outbreaks of diseases and active competition among plants.

Hot peppers

Hot peppers cannot be planted next to Bulgarian ones, despite their “relatedness.” These crops are grown in the same conditions and have the same care requirements, but they tend to cross-pollinate. Due to this, the fruits of the bell pepper will acquire an unpleasant bitter taste and will significantly decrease in size, and the bitter pepper will lose its piquant pungency.

cucumbers

Cucumbers are neutral neighbors for bell peppers. They do not cause any harm to it, do not transmit diseases and do not compete for nutrients. But these vegetable crops require completely different growing conditions - for cucumbers, high air humidity is very important, which peppers cannot tolerate.

Therefore, when growing peppers and cucumbers at the same time, it is very difficult to create optimal conditions suitable for both crops. If the vegetable grower manages to do this, the plants can be used for joint planting.

What is recommended to plant sweet peppers with?

When choosing what can be planted next to peppers, special attention should be paid to preventing the occurrence and spread of various infections. Therefore, the most promising neighbors will be those that are capable of producing substances that suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Neighborhood with corn

Pepper is one of the crops sensitive to low temperatures. Therefore, if you plant corn on the north side, its tall stalks will be an excellent protection from the cold wind, without blocking the sun's rays.

Corn is one of the best neighbors for peppers

Eggplant

Growing eggplant next to peppers, especially hot peppers, is very convenient. These plants do not require careful care, and their attitude to watering and temperature conditions is the same. This significantly facilitates the labor costs of growing them.

On a note! Pungent varieties, in turn, help protect eggplants from root rot.

Cabbage

You can plant peppers next to some varieties of cabbage - white and cauliflower. But it should be taken into account that cabbage leaves are quite large, so you should not place the plants too close. Otherwise, fragile peppers will simply be crushed by their larger neighbor.

Carrot

What to plant next to peppers? The most successful option for a successful neighborhood is the placement of peppers and carrots.

What can you plant with peppers in a garden bed in open ground?

When growing pepper in open ground, you need to select vegetable crops that will not compete with it for nutrients and will allow each other to fully develop.

Crops for joint planting with pepper in open soil:

• onion;
• garlic;
• tomatoes (without film cover);
• leaf salad;
• spinach;
• zucchini;
• carrot;
• cauliflower or white cabbage;
• corn.

To create a joint garden bed, sweet pepper bushes are placed at a distance of 40-50 cm, and other vegetables are planted between them. Greens and herbs can be placed on the sides of the bed. Corn is also placed, which will protect the bell pepper from cold and drafts.

What plants should not be planted with peppers?

Some garden and spice crops should not be grown next to bell peppers, as they can harm each other. Often the negative impact is felt even if the unsuitable neighbor is in the next garden bed.

Members of the brassica (cruciferous) family, which includes cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard and other crops, should never be grown in the garden with sweet or hot peppers.

Beans and beans, including soybeans and lima beans, are also poor companions for bell peppers. A close relative of dill, fennel should not be planted next to any garden crops, including peppers, as it has a negative impact on all its neighbors.

Do not plant sweet peppers near apricots, as the fungal pathogen that affects peppers can spread to the apricot tree.

Sometimes the pepper itself can harm the taste of other vegetables that were grown together with it. In particular, pepper does not go well with potatoes and beets. And such a neighborhood can be called mutually harmful. For tuberous and root vegetables, it is better to find a place away from other vegetables. In addition, potatoes are “gluttonous” and absorb all the vitamins and minerals for their development and growth, depriving neighboring crops of them.

What can you plant with peppers in a greenhouse?

The choice of vegetable crops for joint planting in a greenhouse must be approached more responsibly, because due to the limited area, diseases and pests of pepper spread very quickly, causing enormous harm to healthy plants.

Crops for joint planting with pepper in a greenhouse:

• basil, marjoram, parsley and other herbs;
• salad;
• spinach;
• white or cauliflower;
• radish.

In greenhouse conditions, it is allowed to combine bell peppers with okra, celery, zucchini and zucchini. In open ground such a proximity is undesirable.

What kind of greenhouses are needed?

In the summer, lightweight film greenhouses would be an ideal option. A more solid option is unheated greenhouses covered with glass or polycarbonate. For year-round cultivation, permanent greenhouses with a heating system are suitable. Joint planting of vegetables in a polycarbonate greenhouse is considered the most practical today.

When planting plants, you need to keep in mind that requirements for humidity levels and temperatures may vary .

For optimal soil moisture, drip irrigation is recommended. Most crops prefer warm water , so you cannot connect directly to the water supply; you need a storage tank in which the moisture will be warmed.

In a year-round greenhouse, lighting is required. Vegetables that need bright light will require additional fluorescent bulbs. It is very convenient if the structure has two input blocks at opposite ends of the structure. This layout will help place crops with different requirements for temperature and air humidity and make it easier to care for plants.

Compatibility table

Compatibility of bell pepper with other vegetable crops, spicy herbs and ornamental plants:

Joint planting is a simple and effective way to save space in a small area and get a rich harvest of vegetables. This technique is popular among summer residents, because it can be used both in open soil and in a greenhouse. With the correct selection of “neighbors” for peppers in the garden, you can improve the growth of vegetable crops, protect them from diseases and increase productivity.

General information about culture

Cabbage is one of the first vegetables cultivated by our distant ancestors, long before cereals. Its cultivation began when ancient man just began to move from gathering to a sedentary lifestyle. Its history goes back thousands of years, and during this time it has changed beyond recognition. Initially, even its appearance was quite far from what is familiar now; the ancient plant looked more like a weed - it had a long stem with small, sparse leaves. Actually, this is a wild cereal that is still found today, and it took many centuries of breeding activity to turn it into a tight, juicy head. It must be admitted that it was quite productive - at the turn of the new era, the Romans already knew about a dozen varieties of this crop. By the beginning of the 19th century. There were up to 30 of them; currently there are hundreds of varieties and species of Brassica oleracea - cabbage.

Cabbage in the garden

The most popular varieties:

1. Amager is the most popular and widespread in Russia, included in the State. register as the most recommended for cultivation in all regions of the country without exception. Refers to late frost-resistant varieties, ripening in the period from 120 to 150 days after the appearance of the first shoots. With high yields of up to 60 tons per hectare;
2. Broccoli is a type of asparagus cabbage and a close relative of cauliflower, which is quite common in the Middle Volga and West Siberian regions of the Russian Federation. It is valued by Russian gardeners because it grows best in damp and cold climates. It is classified as medium-ripe, frost-resistant, ripens in 90-110 days, yields are small - 5-6 tons per 1 ha;
3. Kohlrabi is another uncharacteristic variety, called “queen” and “cabbage turnip”, due to its cold-resistant characteristics, widespread in all regions of Russia. Refers to late crops, the growing season is 110-130 days from the moment of emergence. It is not characterized by high yield - 5-7 tons are harvested per hectare;
4. Legate is an ultra-early white cabbage variety bred by French breeders, which has become widespread in the North Caucasus and included in the State. register for this region. It is resistant to diseases and frosts, ripens 55-60 days after planting in the ground. Refers to high-yielding - they collect 190-230 centners per hectare;
5. Cyclone is a mid-season Dutch variety of white cabbage, common in many regions of Russia, but it is recommended to grow it in the Central Federal District. Frost-resistant, ripening in the period from 100 to 110 days after planting in open ground. Characterized by high productivity - from 1 hectare, on average, from 520 to 750 centners are harvested, the maximum recorded level was 1125 centners / ha.

Additional Information. Before planting a crop in a garden or summer cottage, you need to become familiar with its characteristics: preferences and requirements for soil, its usual environment and compatibility with other plants.