It turns out that the proximity of some plants to garlic can protect the former from pests and diseases and increase yields. But not every crop will like to grow next to this fragrant vegetable.
Garlic has long been known for its fungicidal and antibacterial properties. But he helps not only people. Garden plants also experience the beneficial effects of phytoncides secreted by vegetables - active substances that suppress the growth of pathogenic microflora and repel pests.
Research in this area is still ongoing, but there are already many facts confirming the benefits of garlic in mixed plantings. This way you can solve two problems at once: save the area of land for growing crops and reduce the use of chemicals against pests and diseases.
But garlic does not have to be planted in a bed with other plants. It often exhibits its protective properties even when planted in a neighboring bed. You can also plant garlic between the rows. Choose the method of planting spring or winter garlic that is most suitable for your site.
In rare cases, when mixed plantings with other crops, garlic does not produce a large yield. Therefore, if you want to grow a lot of this vegetable, give it a separate bed and provide it with individual care.
Is it possible to plant tomatoes next to garlic?
Tomatoes will really like the proximity to garlic. It will protect plants from aphids, spider mites and whiteflies, and reduce the activity of late blight and rust. And tomato bushes, in turn, will reduce the likelihood of garlic becoming infected with scab. It is best to place the garlic bed at a distance of at least half a meter from the tomato bed. You can plant garlic next to tomatoes both in a greenhouse and in open ground.
Planting garlic next to tomatoes gives a nice bonus: the garlic heads will grow larger than usual.
Good neighborhood
The following crops will interact comfortably with garlic.
Carrot
Garlic secretes phytoncides that repel psyllids, carrot flies, and aphids. This property is especially important at the beginning of the development of root crops. A good and strong carrot harvest will be better stored.
Proximity to carrots also benefits garlic. It releases substances that have a beneficial effect on the safety of its tops. The garlic head will grow large and will be stored well.
Carrots are one of the few plants that cannot be grown by seedlings, otherwise the roots will grow underdeveloped and twisted. It is sown directly into the garden bed.
Spinach
Both crops can tolerate low temperatures. Garlic's scent repels harmful insects from spinach.
Spinach greens sprout and ripen early. It creates light partial shade, which is necessary for garlic during the initial period of growth. Under the shelter, moisture does not evaporate from the ground. The spinach then suppresses quickly developing weeds.
Cabbage
Cabbage is susceptible to attack by fleas, aphids, and mites. To get rid of pests, insecticides are used. But, if you plant garlic next door, you can do without treating it with pesticides.
Cabbage produces large leaves, so the bushes are planted at a distance of 1 meter from each other. Place garlic in between. There will be no harm to him. When the cabbage spreads out a meter wide, they begin to remove the garlic from the garden bed.
Potato
This crop suffers from late blight and the Colorado potato beetle. Planting garlic nearby will help reduce their influence. It is planted between rows or along the perimeter of a potato bed.
For joint planting with potatoes, it is better to use spring garlic. Unlike the winter variety, it is planted in the spring.
Strawberry
The bushes of both crops are compact. They do not compete with each other for light or air. Both plants love water. The crops have no common pests other than soil nematodes.
Garlic is planted between the rows of strawberries, as well as between the holes. It helps the berry get rid of insects. Also, thanks to garlic, the cockchafer disappears from the soil in the garden bed. Garden strawberries help the tines grow larger.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes really like the neighborhood. Lily culture protects it from aphids, spider mites, rust, and late blight. Tomatoes, in turn, will prevent the appearance of scab on the garlic and will help the heads grow larger.
It is better to choose low or medium-sized tomatoes. Tall varieties of tomatoes can create shade for garlic. Crops are planted at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other.
cucumbers
There will be no particular benefit to the cultures from the neighborhood. But also harm. Garlic should be planted at a distance of 60-70 centimeters from the cucumbers, otherwise they will block the light of the lily crop with their lashes.
The cloves are planted between cucumber rows or along the edges of the ridge. They can also be placed between the holes.
Not only the neighbors, but also the predecessors of garlic have a great influence on the yield. The best of them: potatoes, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, peas, cabbage.
Beet
The root system of crops is located underground at different levels. Beets are able to penetrate deep into the soil. There is no competition for food and moisture between them.
Garlic is often used as a beet sealant. It is removed from the garden at the beginning of July. The beets have plenty of room for further development.
Fruit bushes
Lily crops are planted between currant and gooseberry bushes. Their shoots are erect, so they will not interfere with the development of garlic. And it will protect the bushes from bud mites and aphids.
Also, tines can be planted around the perimeter of the raspberry ridge. In this case, the number of beetles and ants on the shoots will be reduced.
Flowers
To save space on the plot, garlic is planted in a flower bed. Daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and hyacinths bloom early, leaving plenty of room for garlic to develop.
To prevent competition between the flower bulbs and the teeth, leave a distance of 15-20 centimeters between them.
It is best to plant beneficial flowers next to garlic. Calendula and marigolds secrete substances that heal the soil, protecting garlic from onion flies and root nematodes.
Is it possible to plant garlic next to cabbage?
Experienced summer residents have long practiced planting cabbage and garlic together, usually spring. Garlic reliably protects heads of cabbage from various pests: aphids, cruciferous flea beetles, caterpillars. It also improves plant immunity. In mixed planting, garlic is planted first, and after germination, cabbage. Since they have different root systems, the crops do not compete for nutrition in the soil, but be prepared for the fact that the garlic heads will not grow too large.
To enhance the release of phytoncides, we recommend slightly trimming the garlic arrows once a week.
Why plant compatibility is important
Each plant takes certain substances from the soil and introduces its own into it. Therefore, it is important to understand how compatible the cultures that will be nearby are. For every vegetable, fruit, and berry, plants are needed that will help it and stimulate growth. This symbiosis is very useful, because then it will be possible to achieve the highest possible results and reap a good harvest. Also, crops that are suitable for each other will help each other in the fight against insect pests, while conflicting species will provoke diseases of partners, suppress, oppress them.
Purely theoretically, onions and garlic in the same garden are compatible, but these plants are related, so they can compete with each other, fight for survival and nutrition. In addition, they are affected by the same diseases, which they can easily adopt from each other. Therefore, the proximity of onions and garlic in the garden should be treated very carefully, and their growth and development should be monitored.
Is it possible to sow carrots next to garlic?
Yes, you can, because such a neighborhood will benefit both vegetables. Thanks to the effects of phytoncides, carrots will not suffer from carrot flies, aphids and psyllids. This is especially important at the stage of root crop development. Also, the resulting harvest will be stored longer. It is best to place the garlic bed next to the carrot bed. If this is not possible, planting garlic between rows or mixed planting will help out.
- Who eats the harvest? 3 most dangerous pests of carrots
Signs of pest infestation, effective ways to combat them and preventive measures.
Interestingly, carrots also help garlic grow healthy. The substances it secretes allow winter garlic to preserve green, juicy tops longer. As a result, both crops can be harvested almost simultaneously. At the same time, the garlic heads grow larger and are stored well. Another plus: you can plant carrots and garlic together before winter.
Garlic is also useful for other root vegetables. Planted next to beets, it will repel beet flies and slugs. But in general, beets prefer proximity to tomatoes or spinach.
Is it possible to plant onions after garlic?
In this situation, all of the above is relevant. As an exception, you can try the following technique: plant winter garlic, in the summer, after harvesting, sow the beds with green manure (legumes, clover, alfalfa, vetch), do the same in the fall, and plant onions in the spring.
Did you know? In an ancient Egyptian treatise on medicine dating from around the mid-16th century BC, garlic is mentioned more than two dozen times. Pliny the Elder in one of his works offers more than 50 recipes for the medical use of the crop, and the senior physician of the Roman legions, Dioscorides, approved garlic in the army as the main remedy for helminths.
Using simple rules of crop rotation when growing onions and garlic, you can get a bountiful harvest without putting in extra effort or using a lot of fertilizer.
Is it possible to plant garlic next to strawberries (garden strawberries)?
There are legends about the “friendship” of garlic and garden strawberries. These crops are considered one of the best candidates for mixed plantings. Although some summer residents believe that it is still more effective to plant garlic in an adjacent bed or between rows. In any case, phytoncides will have a beneficial effect on garden strawberries: slugs, spider mites, May beetle larvae and other pests will disappear, and the incidence of gray rot will decrease.
Sometimes proximity to garlic makes garden strawberries healthy and strong, but, alas, low-yielding. To solve this problem, you can plant strawberries after garlic, and vice versa. This crop rotation is very effective and allows you to get a rich harvest of both berries and garlic heads.
Crop rotation and its importance
Proper crop rotation is of great importance in any gardening enterprise. Experienced gardeners carefully plan where and what beds will be located, what will grow on them. It takes into account what crops grew in the garden in the previous year. Compatibility with other crops is important; if the combination is chosen correctly, berries, vegetables, and green crops will not get sick, and in the fall they will delight you with a healthy and rich harvest.
Unsuitable crops can inhibit plant growth. They will “reward” the plant with many diseases, fungal infections, which will adversely affect the harvest or lead to death. All this fully applies to garlic, the most popular vegetable in the garden.
Is it possible to plant flowers next to garlic?
If you see arrows of spring or winter garlic in some flowerbed, do not be surprised. The fact is that it perfectly protects flowers from fungal diseases (downy mildew, gray rot, etc.), repels aphids, thrips and other pests. Plant some garlic next to roses, carnations, tulips and other bulbs to strengthen the plant's immunity.
Calendula, in turn, will protect garlic from onion flies.
What not to plant next to garlic
Not all plants will agree to live next to garlic and regularly receive phytoncidal protection from it. Legumes (beans, peas, etc.) will react worst to this. They will have few flowers and ovaries, and the harvest itself is unlikely to amaze the imagination. So choose beds for these plants away from garlic.
Good neighbors for onions in the garden
Garlic and onions combine perfectly with other crops. For the first, the “neighborhood” with the following plants will be optimal:
- strawberries;
- strawberries;
- potatoes;
- tomatoes;
- legumes;
- gladioli, roses, tulips and asters;
- raspberries
Due to the fact that garlic produces a huge amount of phytoncides that fight harmful microorganisms, it will become an excellent “neighbor” for many plants. Its smell will also help kill bacteria that are harmful to humans, for this it is valued and widely used in folk medicine.
Onions are best planted with the following crops:
- tomatoes;
- parsley;
- radishes;
- salad;
- strawberries
Particular attention should be paid to the successful symbiosis of onions and carrots, as well as strawberries. These combinations will lead to a good harvest of both crops.
"Neighborhood" with carrots
Onions planted next to carrots make an ideal combination with them, since they protect each other from parasites that often attack these plants separately: carrot and onion flies.
“Neighborhood” of vegetables with carrots
"Neighborhood" with strawberries
Onions are the best “neighbor” for strawberries. With its help, the plant will grow and develop beautifully, and will not be affected by various rots and parasites. This property of onions is needlessly underestimated.
Spring and winter options: planting features
Spring onions and garlic should be planted in early spring. Of course, each plant uses its own methods for planting. Technologies for preparing seed (onions and cloves) are also individual. But be that as it may, the gardener will still need to thoroughly loosen and prepare the beds. One of the stages of such preparation is watering the soil with a weak solution of copper sulfate or potassium permanganate. This is necessary to disinfect the soil.
Digging holes also requires a special approach. They should not be too deep - three centimeters is enough. The first sprouts of garlic and onions are small; it will be difficult for them to break through a significant layer of soil, which means that this crop will take longer to ripen.
Advice
You should not plant onions very close to garlic - the distance between the rows should be at least 15 centimeters. Both of these plants love light, and it is unacceptable for one to block the other from the sun.
After planting, the only thing left to do is to weed the weeds in time (in rainy spring, even watering is not required) and wait for the first vegetables to grow and become ready to eat.
As for winter garlic and onions (yes, there are those too), they are planted in the fall before the first frost. Many gardeners who plant winter variations of these plants together often get decent results. But it is worth remembering that planting these plants for the winter should be done in elevated areas that are protected from flooding. Also, the soil should be fertilized with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers before planting. With the onset of the first frost, the bed should be covered with spruce branches or a layer of fallen leaves to prevent freezing.
Why is it so important to choose the right neighborhood?
Any plant in the garden feeds on nutrients, affecting the composition of the soil. Only the level of nutrient requirements is different for all crops. This factor is taken into account when planning vegetable, berry and green plantings.
Every culture needs a friendly neighbor who will not oppress, but stimulate its growth . They must have the same requirements for salt content and moisture and assist each other in the fight against diseases and pests.
If crops planted in the neighborhood need the same substances, competition for survival will arise between them. In this case, soil depletion will occur at an accelerated rate. There is a risk that both plants will not receive the necessary nutrients.
The relatedness of cultures also poses a danger. Susceptible to the same diseases, they can infect each other. The result will be weak plants, small fruits and non-viable seeds.
Is it possible to plant onions and garlic side by side in the same bed?
Garlic and onions are very similar. For example, they love loose, moderately fertilized soil, but do not do well on dense, swampy soil. Their shallow root system feeds on moisture and substances from the top layer of soil. They have approximately the same ripening time and sowing time, so the decision to plant them nearby seems logical.
But keep in mind that both cultures belong to the Liliaceae family and are prone to the same diseases. It turns out that they are not able to provide each other with protection. Both garlic and onions prefer well-lit areas. There is a risk that grown plants will block access to sunlight. And the nutrition from one soil layer will quickly become scarce, and there will not be enough for both plants.
Important! When planting garlic and onions together, consider their need for good lighting. To avoid creating shading, maintain a distance between rows of at least 15 cm.
Early spring is suitable for planting spring varieties of garlic and onions.
The work is carried out using the following technology:
- soil disinfection - watering with a weak solution of copper sulfate or potassium permanganate;
- thorough loosening of the beds;
- planting in shallow holes no more than 3 cm.
In the fall, before the first frost, winter varieties of onions and garlic are planted.
To get a decent harvest, it is important to comply with the following conditions:
- place the beds in areas protected from flooding;
- add potassium-phosphorus fertilizers to the soil;
- To prevent freezing, cover the beds with fallen leaves or spruce branches.
Is it possible to plant garlic after onions and how to do it correctly
If you have a great desire to experiment, then you can. But don’t expect a rich harvest or strong plants. Onions take all the nutrients from the top layer of soil. The garlic will be left without the necessary nutrition and will not develop normally.
Attention! To ensure adequate nutrition, garlic is planted only in beds where vegetables with a long root system previously grew.
In addition, these crops are susceptible to the same diseases and pests. The soil after onions may be contaminated. Therefore, only plants resistant to onion diseases are planted in this bed. Good predecessors of garlic are potatoes, beets, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
Predecessors of garden crops
In order for plants to actively develop, you need to choose not only the right neighbors, but also follow the rules of crop rotation. Carrots are a rather capricious crop and quickly deplete the soil. For her, onions are not only a recommended neighbor, but also a favorable predecessor. The soil after it is saturated with nitrogen and potassium, so root crops will actively develop. Same recommendations for garlic.
You can sow onions after carrots: their roots are superficial, they will have enough nutrients. But for a fellow member of the lily family, this method of sowing is not suitable, especially for winter varieties. It simply does not have enough nutrients, next year it will grow small and its shelf life will decrease.
Features of growing onions
People have known this culture for more than 5 thousand years. The importance of this vegetable in human life can hardly be overestimated. It is not only a fragrant “zest” of many dishes, but also a medicinal remedy. Its substances are capable of destroying harmful microbes and bacteria, which is very important during the cold season.
Onions are a regular in vegetable gardens. Among all the varieties of culture: leek, batun, shallot, the set is the most popular. This variety is distinguished by its hardy character. It tolerates cool temperatures well and can grow at temperatures of 16-18°C. While seeds need only 5°C. The crop tolerates frost well in the fall.
The plant is resistant to many diseases and pests; when grown, only the onion fly poses a serious danger to it. The crop does not require much care and ripens very quickly. What really matters? This is the place where the vegetable is planted. He loves sunlight and nutritious loose soil.
Features of growing onions
He has complaints about the composition of the soil only if it is calcareous. Wood ash will help cope with this problem. In addition, it should be taken into account that with increased acidity of the soil, onions do not absorb nutrients well. Under such conditions, the plant may become infected with downy mildew.
The onion responds well to an abundance of water only in the first stages of growth. To ripen faster, it needs dry soil, so the groundwater level in the area should not be high. Ideally, it is 1.5-2 meters. The vegetable does not like weeds very much. They prevent it from growing, taking away the sun's rays. Regular high-quality weeding of the beds will rid the onions of unpleasant neighbors.
The best predecessors for onions are those crops that fertilize the soil. These include zucchini, radishes, potatoes, eggplants and legumes. The vegetable feels good after salad, dill, cilantro, and squash.
Important! Onions do not like being planted in the same place for many years. It will grow well there only after 3-4 years.
The vegetable will be grateful to the gardener if he fertilizes the soil with humus and nitrogen before planting. After 3-4 weeks, you can add potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Ash and a little salt are added to the furrows, and the bulbs themselves are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate before planting in open ground.
Important! Onions need nitrogen fertilizers to grow well.
When to plant onions, carrots, beets? These crops are the first to be grown in the garden. They do well in cool air. They need a temperature of 5-7°C for planting.
Features of crops and their soil requirements
Onions develop well and produce high yields on fertile soils. But it also grows on neutral and poor soils if fertilizers are applied in a timely manner. Given the shallow root system of the plant, the bulk of the nutrients should be in the top layer of soil.
The best options are alluvial or silt-clay soil with a sufficient amount of sand, as well as floodplain (moderately moist). It is recommended to plant onions in acidic soil only after liming to avoid downy mildew.
Onions are also picky about soil moisture. Lack of moisture affects the size of the bulbs, and excess moisture creates a favorable environment for the development of various onion diseases.
Reference. Poor soils are also used for growing onions. You shouldn’t count on a harvest with large heads, but you will have fresh greens throughout the season.
Garlic, like onions, does not develop well in shady, waterlogged and heavily manured soils. The best option for it is considered to be light, sandy loam soil. It is recommended to add sand or expanded clay into clay soil as drainage. For garlic, it is preferable to add peat or humus, and it is better to refuse fresh organic matter.
What crops can be planted in the same bed with garlic?
For rational use of land, gardeners use compacted plantings. Plants that do not conflict with each other are selected for this purpose. They should not compete for light, moisture and nutrition.
To understand what crops can grow next to garlic, you need to know the conditions under which it is kept:
- A well-sunny area is required. With a lack of light, the above-ground part will be thin and the garlic heads will be small.
- Planting is carried out in medium loamy, cultivated soils. In sandy soil, moisture will quickly sink deeper, and the garlic will need to be watered frequently. In heavy soil, liquid stagnation will occur, which can lead to the appearance of fungal diseases.
- Frequent watering is required at the beginning of the growing season. Irrigation is stopped 3 weeks before harvest, otherwise the garlic heads will crack and be poorly stored in winter.
- In order for a vegetable to grow large fruits, the area must be watered with a solution of mineral fertilizers.
Crops growing in the same bed with garlic should need approximately the same conditions. If they have different requirements, then their yield of a particular crop may decrease.
The following crops can be planted in one bed:
- carrot;
- spinach;
- salad;
- radish;
- marigold;
- sorrel;
- black radish.
In compacted plantings, one plant is the main one, the other is additional. The secondary crop is usually removed first. Then the main plant has space to develop.
Already in spring, garlic may stop growing, and its above-ground part turns yellow. This indicates that the soil is acidified and lacks phosphorus.
Unwanted neighbors
There are plants whose proximity will not benefit garlic. Some of them may even harm him. The unwanted neighbors are as follows.
Onion
Plants belong to the same family. There is a high probability that they will be attacked by pests and diseases characteristic of lily crops.
But, if there is not enough space on the site, you can still plant them nearby. In this case, they will need to be inspected more often to prevent damage from pathogens or pests.
Peas
This plant is suitable as a precursor to garlic. Pea roots saturate the soil with nitrogen. But as a neighbor, it is better not to plant it with garlic, since garlic becomes susceptible to fungal diseases and its yield is significantly reduced.
Beans
Just like peas, beans belong to the legume family. It is also undesirable to plant it near garlic, especially the climbing variety. In addition to attracting pathogenic microorganisms, such beans can also drown out the garlic bed.
Basil
It is a herb that contains and diffuses essential oils. The root system of garlic, absorbing basil secretions, begins to be inhibited, and the development of teeth slows down.
Fennel
This plant does not get along well with all garden crops. It is given a separate bed, located at a distance from other plantings. With a lack of moisture and nutrition, the fennel root system invades a foreign habitat.
Pumpkin
It is not advisable to plant pumpkin next to garlic because of its long vines. Pumpkin is growing quickly. Its shoots and large leaves can shade the lily crop. But, if there is enough space on the site, joint planting is possible.
Sunflower
The plant reaches a height of 3-4 meters. Large caps with seeds form at the top. A tall sunflower will create shade, which negatively affects the development of garlic.
Horseradish
This plant is so unpretentious that it can withstand any conditions. It has a long root, with which it draws moisture from the depths of the earth. Horseradish is usually planted near a fence or along the edges of a plot due to its aggressiveness.
Garlic is still a more demanding crop that requires some care. Therefore, planting next to horseradish is undesirable.
Planting onions and garlic side by side: pros and cons
But can onions and garlic really coexist in the same bed? There are different opinions on this matter, but most farmers say that these plants should not be planted nearby. It is not strictly prohibited, but objectively this is not a very successful pairing.
Both onions and garlic belong to the Liliaceae family. This means they have common diseases. That is, one plant cannot protect another in any way. In addition, both plants love light very much, and, accordingly, it is better to organize separate beds for growing them.
But in conditions where there is not much space in the garden and there is a desire to fit as much as possible into a modest plot, they can be placed side by side. There is a logic to this. Both onions and garlic are fast-ripening crops. And their sowing time is approximately the same.
The principle of fruit change
One of the key rules regarding planting onions and garlic is that they cannot be planted in the same soil where they grew a year ago, last season. This will allow you to observe the so-called principle of fruit replacement. This principle makes it possible to optimally prepare the land for the next planting. Its meaning is as follows: after sowing crops that have a shallow root system (this includes onions and garlic), it is necessary to plant vegetables with a deep root system. And if some plants are affected by some disease, then in their place it is necessary to plant crops that are immune to it.
That is, on a piece of land where onions and garlic grew last year, it is advisable to plant something else in the new season, for example, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, beets, and white cabbage. Experts advise giving the soil a break from garlic and onions for 2-3 years. This approach will prevent the risk of soil depletion.
Many people are interested in whether it is worth planting garlic and onions side by side in a greenhouse. The answer here is: in fact, there is no practicality in this. These vegetables will ripen well in free space. And inside the greenhouse they will not be allowed to develop tomatoes and cucumbers normally - they will take away most of the nutrition and light.
