Why can't plants stay in one place?
There are several reasons why you should alternate the crops grown on your site:
- Plants take from the soil the nutrients they need for growth, each crop takes something of its own. Gradually, the percentage of nutrients in the soil decreases, and there will be few of them for plants planted next year;
- At the same time, plant waste products accumulate in the soil, which can inhibit the development of a crop of the same species planted later;
- When a crop is grown annually in one place, ideal conditions are created for the development of microorganisms that are dangerous to the plant.
The interaction of these three factors leads to the fact that plants, even if they are provided with ideal care, feel very uncomfortable in this area. And this cannot but affect the quality of the harvest. To avoid such troubles, you just need to follow the rules of crop rotation. They tell gardeners which crop to plant after which in their summer cottage.
How to grow beans in your garden
Unfortunately, not every gardener grows beans on their plot. But in vain. After all, this is a very valuable protein legume. By including it in your summer diet every year, you will prolong your youth by at least 10 years and protect yourself from stomach diseases such as gastritis and ulcers.
There are several varieties of edible beans. But in personal plots, as a rule, vegetables and legumes are grown, which are eaten along with the shoulder blades.
Beans do not require careful care. It grows well in most regions of our country and produces good yields. However, there are some features that you need to know when growing it.
In this article we will tell you how to grow beans on your site and tell you which varieties are best to choose for this.
Basic rules of crop rotation:
- The same crop is not planted on the site for two years in a row (with the exception of perennial plants);
- Root crops should be alternated with crops whose above-ground parts are eaten: stems, leaves, fruits;
- If a plant produces a poor harvest, it is not advisable to plant its close “relatives” in this area next year.
To organize crop rotation, it is recommended to divide the plot into several parts and change the plants annually. And in order to do this correctly, it would be useful to study information about crop diseases, their needs, and predecessors. And one more important question:
Planting bean seedlings in the ground
Beans are planted in the ground when there is no threat of spring frost and the temperature outside is above +20 degrees.
At temperatures below +16 degrees, bean plants are inhibited; this must be taken into account when growing seedlings. For this reason, it is better not to take bean seedlings into the greenhouse until the second May holidays. With high positive temperatures during the day, at night even in a polycarbonate greenhouse it can be quite cold. Before planting seedlings in the ground, harden them for a week: put them outside during the day; after May 10, you can bring the seedlings into a greenhouse, where you can keep them until planting them in the garden.
Landing in the ground is standard. For climbing varieties, it is advisable to provide supports before planting.
Planting climbing beans in the garden
Before planting, make holes into which add mineral complex fertilizer. Mix it with soil, water it and CAREFULLY!!! (the most important thing when planting bean seedlings in the ground is not to DAMAGE the root system) TRANSFER the bean seedling into the hole.
If you grew beans in peat pots, then to speed up its destruction, make several holes in it around the perimeter and cut the edges.
Who are the neighbors?
Some plants are not “friendly” with each other and cannot be grown next to each other: for example, a tomato will not want to grow next to kohlrabi, peas will not want to grow next to onions, potatoes will not want to grow in close proximity to sunflowers... Experienced gardeners also recommend avoiding growing on neighboring beds of crops of the same family, since they usually have common pests.
There are also plants whose company has a beneficial effect on other cultures. This mainly applies to spices. It has been noticed that the proximity of dill makes cucumbers more tasty, and onions repel carrot flies. In mixed crops, one should also take into account the timing of planting and harvesting crops, light requirements, plant sizes...
Difficult? Well, over time you will gain knowledge and experience, but in the meantime, the following will help you find the optimal planting location for each crop
Features of planting cabbage
When choosing ready-made seedlings, it is important to remember several rules. The appearance of the bushes should indicate their healthy condition, which means:
- strong stems without black threads and dots;
- absence of swelling by the nodules, which indicates a clubroot lesion.
Proper planting in the ground is the key to harvest
Before planting, the strongest, healthiest seedlings that have at least 5 fresh leaves are selected. The bushes are rooted into the soil to the rosette level so that the roots are completely covered with soil. After this, the soil is lightly trampled and then watered.
To get a good cabbage harvest, you should prepare the ground for seedlings. In the fall, humus is mixed with turf, adding ash to it, and mixed thoroughly. In addition to the fact that ash is an excellent source of useful substances and microelements, it also has an antiseptic effect that protects seedlings from the appearance of blackleg.
When choosing a variety, it is better to focus on options such as:
It is not necessary to limit yourself to just one culture. In addition to white cabbage, you can grow equally tasty and healthy cabbage varieties: Kohlrabi, red cabbage or Manoko (which is distinguished by an elongated cabbage shape) and others.
Growing seeds
The success of the event depends on the quality of planting material. Often seeds deteriorate due to improper storage and become unsuitable for use. Therefore, before planting seeds, it is recommended to check them for germination. First, they are wrapped in a cloth lightly moistened with water and left in this form for five days. Then the seeds are placed in cold water, after adding a nitrophoska solution to it.
Proper cultivation of seeds will yield results
You can acclimate seeds to cold by storing them in the refrigerator, setting the temperature to -1 degree Celsius.
Timing for planting cabbage seedlings
When exactly you can open the “cabbage” season depends on the type of product. Early varieties begin to be planted in mid-March, mid-late varieties - in early April. Before planting the seeds, wood ash and superphosphate are added to the soil. The finished soil mixture is placed in a box. Grooves are made on its surface. The distance between them should be at least 10 cm, and the depth of each of them should be on average 1 cm. The seeds are sprinkled with a little earth on top, and the seedlings are watered. From the moment well-developed stems appear and there are five leaves on them, cabbage is planted in open ground.
Crop rotation table
(based on the book “The Basics of Crop Rotation”, author I. Melnikov)
| Bad predecessor | Good predecessor | Bad neighbor | Good neighbor | Helpful neighbor |
| Cabbage | ||||
| - radish, radish, cucumbers, cabbage | + potatoes, onions, tomatoes | - parsley, tansy, grapes | + lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, chard, spinach, beets, bush beans, chicory | + celery will protect cabbage from flea beetles, leeks will repel cutworm caterpillars, dill will repel caterpillars and aphids, and borage will repel snails. Rosemary, thyme, hyssop, chamomile, sage, mint - protect against cabbage butterflies. |
| Carrot | ||||
| - celery, parsnip, scorzonera, carrots, parsley, fennel | + cabbage, early potatoes | - anise, dill | + radish, tomato, spinach, lettuce, chard, garlic, peas, radish | + sage, rosemary, tobacco, onion - repel carrot flies. |
| Potato | ||||
| - tomatoes, peppers, eggplants | + legumes, cucumbers, cabbage | - celery, sunflower, quinoa | + corn, beans, beans, spinach, radishes, cabbage, lettuce | + nasturtium, marigolds, tansy, catnip, coriander, beans - repel the Colorado potato beetle |
| cucumbers | ||||
| - rutabaga, melon, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers | + early white and cauliflower cabbage, tomatoes | - potato | + beans, beans, lettuce, onions, garlic, radishes, beets, dill, spinach, celery, cabbage, chamomile, sunflower, borage, fennel | + corn – stimulates growth |
| Tomatoes | ||||
| - peppers, eggplants, tomatoes | + early white and cauliflower, cucumber, legumes | - fennel, kohlrabi, dill | + bush beans, cabbage, celery, corn, radishes, lettuce, radishes, carrots, beets, garlic, spinach, parsley, chives | + borage, lemon balm, basil, marigold, mint, savory, sage – improve the taste and quality of tomatoes |
| Beet | ||||
| - spinach, beets, chard | + early potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes, pumpkin | - chard, corn, potatoes, beans | + root celery, tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, radishes, onions, cabbage, garlic | — |
| Eggplant | ||||
| - tomatoes, peppers, eggplants | + early white and cauliflower, cucumber, legumes | — | + thyme, bush beans | + beans repel the Colorado potato beetle |
| Pepper | ||||
| - pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant | + early white and cauliflower, cucumber, legumes | - fennel | + basil | — |
| Onion | ||||
| - corn, onion | + tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage, early potatoes | - sage, beans, peas, beans | + watercress, cucumbers, lettuce, beets, radishes, spinach, strawberries, savory | + carrots repel onion flies |
| Leek | ||||
| — | — | bush beans, carrots, celery, lettuce, beets | — | They are mutually beneficial with celery, so it’s good to plant them in alternating rows |
| Garlic | ||||
| — | + tomatoes, cucumbers | - cabbage, beans, peas | + carrots, cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, strawberries | — |
| Beans | ||||
| - legumes | + potatoes, root vegetables, tomatoes, early white cabbage and cauliflower | - fennel, onion, garlic, beans, peas | + strawberries, lettuce, chard, cabbage, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, potatoes, corn, spinach, celery | + savory protects against aphids |
| Beans | ||||
| - peas, beans | + potatoes, root vegetables, tomatoes, early white cabbage and cauliflower | - garlic, wormwood, marigolds, onions, leeks | + cucumbers, sweet corn, potatoes, radishes, radishes, spinach, rosemary, yarrow, lavender, oregano | + basil protects against bean weevil |
| Peas | ||||
| - beans, peas | + potatoes, root vegetables, tomatoes, early white cabbage and cauliflower | - wormwood, tomatoes, onions, garlic | + kohlrabi, radish, cucumbers, parsley, radishes, carrots, turnips, lettuce | — |
| Corn | ||||
| - corn, radish, onion, radish | — | - beets, celery | + early potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, beans, beans | — |
| Salad | ||||
| - lettuce, chicory, endive | + early potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers | - crops with thick tops (beets or carrots), celery | + spinach, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, radishes, cabbage, radishes, strawberries, chrysanthemums | + onions protect against aphids |
| Spinach | ||||
| - beets, spinach, pumpkin | + early potatoes, cabbage, radishes, tomatoes | — | + onions, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, carrots, cabbage, beans, radishes, radish, parsley, strawberries | — |
| Parsley | ||||
| - parsley, carrots, celery, parsnips | + cucumbers, cabbage | — | + tomatoes, radishes, asparagus, peas, lettuce, leeks, strawberries, roses | + planted parsley next to roses drives away aphids, and from strawberries - slugs |
| Celery | ||||
| - parsley, celery, parsnips, carrots, fennel | + cabbage, early potatoes | - potatoes, parsley, carrots, corn | + cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, bush beans, cabbage, beets, lettuce | + white cabbage stimulates the growth of celery, and celery drives away white butterflies from it |
| Radish and radish | ||||
| - radish, radish, cabbage, corn | + tomatoes, onions, cucumber, early potatoes | - hyssop | + watercress, peas, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, chard, onions, parsley, beets, beans, nasturtium, spinach | + lettuce protects against flea beetles |
| Pumpkin | ||||
| - melon, pumpkin, pepper, cucumbers | + potatoes, cabbage, root vegetables | - potato | + corn | + corn provides shade, saving from the heat |
Summarize.
After what crop to plant...
- Cucumbers can be planted after cabbage and tomatoes.
- Garlic - after tomatoes and cucumbers.
- Carrots - after cabbage, cucumbers, onions and early potatoes.
- Peppers are planted after crops such as early white cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, and legumes.
- Tomatoes are the same predecessors as peppers.
- Onions - after tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and early potatoes.
- Eggplants are the same crops as predecessors, after which it is recommended to plant tomatoes and peppers.
- Beets - early potatoes, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes, pumpkin.
- Cabbage is planted after potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.
