With the onset of spring, an active time begins for all gardeners and gardeners. They begin to spend more and more time on their plots, trying to grow as many different crops as possible, sometimes at relatively low small area. Strawberries (garden strawberries), with their juicy and tasty fruits, as a rule, are grown by almost everyone. But not everyone knows what to plant next to strawberries so as not to harm them and grow a rich harvest of these wonderful berries.
In fact, strawberries are enough unpretentious plant and peacefully coexists with many vegetables, fruit plants and flowers. However, some crops can have a rather negative impact on its growth and reproduction. We will tell you in detail how to choose the right neighbors for your strawberries.
The importance of proper crop rotation
First, let's talk a little about which plants are good predecessors for strawberries and which are not. Crop rotation is the most important agrotechnical measure, with its help the soil replenishes its natural reserves. Most crops are not planted in the same place each year because they draw different amounts of nutrients from the soil. Another reason for the need for crop rotation is that different plants respond differently to weeds, diseases and insect pests. Strawberries have some pests, but cucumbers, for example, have completely different ones.
This rule does not apply only to potatoes, tomatoes and legumes - they are able to successfully bear fruit for many years in one place without depleting the soil. Strawberries usually give good harvest 3-4 years, and then it needs to be transplanted to another area. Therefore, you should know which crops will be good predecessors for garden strawberries, and which ones are better to plant after it.
What to plant after strawberries
Each plant has its own requirements for soil, fertilizers, etc. Strawberry loves organic fertilizers, loose and well-fertilized soil, which should contain sufficient amounts of potassium, nitrogen and trace elements. This plant has deep root system, therefore, observing the principle of alternation, it is better to plant crops with more short roots. Also important point crop rotation is that after a disease suffered by the previous plant, in this place in next year a crop must be grown that exhibits sufficient resistance to it.
When deciding what to plant after strawberries, experienced gardeners usually opt for root vegetables or legumes.
You can safely plant:
- cucumbers;
- radishes and turnips;
- onion and garlic;
- , beans, lentils.
Old strawberry bushes must be dug up and burned to destroy pests and pathogens. Then carefully remove all weeds and dig the soil deeply.
- rosacea raspberries;
- cloudberries;
- rose hip.
These plants have many diseases and pests in common with garden strawberries. They also have almost the same requirements for soil composition.
The best predecessors of strawberries
The best crops that grew in the garden bed before planting strawberries on it are:
- radish;
- parsley;
- spinach;
- garlic;
- turnips and radishes;
- legumes;
- carrots and beets;
- corn.
Bulbous flowers will also be useful predecessors:
- hyacinths;
- tulips;
- daffodils, etc.
If the area of the plot allows, agronomists recommend growing strawberries after black fallow or rehabilitating the soil with the help of green manure plants:
- wiki;
- alfalfa;
- buckwheat:
- clover;
- grain crops, etc.
Among other green manures, alkaloid lupine is considered the most suitable for strawberries. It produces substances that are poisonous to wireworms, but is absolutely harmless to berries, without affecting their taste or edibility in any way.
After digging, the plants will remain in the soil. They will improve its structure, enrich it with nitrogen and have a positive effect on weed suppression. It is strictly not recommended to plant strawberries after potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Rules for planting strawberries
Combined planting allows you to economically and rationally manage the space of your garden, especially if it is small. In addition, beneficial neighbors have a beneficial effect on each other, improving the condition, taste and nutritional value of the fruit. Another advantage of such plantings is that the plants protect each other from diseases and pests.
There are four rules for planting plants together that it is advisable for every gardener to know and follow.
- Rule 1. Crops that need the same nutrients should not be planted next to each other. They will try to take them from each other, and as a result, both plants will not develop well and bear fruit.
- Rule 2. The proximity of plants that have different watering requirements is also undesirable. It turns out that one crop will not have enough water, and the second may suffer due to excessive watering.
- Rule 3. Plants should not shade each other. This can only be done if one of the crops requires shade or diffuse lighting.
- Rule 4. If plants that have common diseases and pests are planted in the same bed or nearby, you can destroy two crops at once. Such a landing is strictly not recommended.
In the case of growing in greenhouses, it is important that the humidity, light and air temperature are suitable for each of the plants.
As for strawberries, they require soft, loose soil rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. It also needs plenty of watering and sufficient, but not too bright, lighting. Garden strawberries can be affected by late blight, so plants that carry this fungus should not be planted next to them. Of the pests, the most dangerous for berries are and.
Mulching strawberry beds with coniferous (spruce or pine) needles has a positive effect on its taste.
To get a good, abundant harvest, you need to select neighbors for strawberries, following the above recommendations and rules of crop rotation.
Neighborhood with root vegetables
The best neighbor for garden strawberries among root crops is root parsley. planted between berry bushes, it will repel snails and slugs. Also good combination– strawberries and carrots, just don’t mix them with parsley, you need to choose one thing. But both carrots and parsley go well with garlic or onions.
You can also plant next to strawberries:
- beets;
- radish.
It is better to choose varieties for planting whose fruiting time coincides with that of strawberries. Radishes can be planted directly between the rows; to do this, leave a distance between the rows of 50-70 cm. And it is better to place radishes or beets in adjacent beds, but without combining them with each other, but by choosing one of the crops.
Combination of strawberries with onions and herbs
Among bulbous plants Strawberries get along well with garlic and onions. Just don’t plant them next to each other, since onions and garlic have common diseases and pests. In terms of usefulness, garlic is especially worth noting. It repels the fungus that causes late blight, and the berry is very susceptible to this disease, especially some varieties. Root parsley, already mentioned above, works well with garlic.
Strawberries and onions also go well together. If you also plant carrots nearby, these crops will repel pests from each other, and at the same time protect the strawberry beds. Onions as a neighbor also contributes rapid growth berries and strawberry propagation, eliminates the problem of rotting bushes.
Among green crops, the berry goes well with plants such as:
- sorrel;
- spinach;
- borage;
- various types of salads.
The majority of green crops are unpretentious and do not deplete the soil. They do not share any common pests with strawberries. And also when correct scheme plantings can create some darkness - in the southern regions, where there is active sun, this will be very useful. According to reviews from experienced gardeners, greenery accelerates the growth of strawberry whiskers, which is important when vegetative propagation. In addition, green crops do not require special care, and herbs (coriander, basil, thyme, anise, tarragon, etc.) repel many pests.
Legumes and strawberries
Plants of the legume family occupy one of the leading positions in the list of neighbors useful for garden strawberries. These are peas various varieties beans and lentils and other crops. Thanks to their root system, they “loose” the soil and supply it with nitrogen, which is beneficial for the berries. The beds with legumes can be positioned so that the strawberries are slightly shaded and receive diffused rather than direct lighting.
However, legumes, by producing nitrogen, can make the soil too acidic. To avoid this, you can use fertilizers containing alkali. And you will have to do more careful weeding, because many weeds also grow very willingly next to legumes.
Strawberries and flower crops
In addition to vegetables and herbs, strawberries go well with flowers, especially tulips and irises. According to experienced gardeners, they are able to increase the yield of garden strawberries several times, well promoting their growth. This applies to the greatest extent to varieties of remontant strawberries. In addition, irises and tulips help the heat-loving plant endure cold winter periods more easily.
In addition to them, you can plant other flowering plants next to the strawberry bed (or directly on it):
- peonies;
- fern;
- jasmine;
- marigolds, etc.
These flower crops also have a beneficial effect on the growth and development of garden strawberries.
Flowers such as are worthy of special attention. With their properties they repel many pests:
- nematode;
- weevil;
- mole cricket;
- onion fly, etc.
In addition, these flowers protect against fusarium, which is very important for strawberries.
You can plant marigolds not only in beds and between rows, but also along the entire garden perimeter. It is also useful, when digging up the soil in spring, to scatter finely chopped marigold stems in it.
The proximity of strawberries to trees and shrubs
The proximity to various trees and shrubs is also favorable for strawberries. They have a good effect on berries, pines, sea buckthorn, grapes, etc. The main thing is that the trees do not shade the beds too much.
Under no circumstances should strawberries be planted next to a birch tree; it does not tolerate such proximity very well. So much so that you may not see any harvest at all, destroying all the berries.
Plants that should not be planted with strawberries
For some reason, some gardeners have an ingrained opinion about the almost absolute unpretentiousness of strawberries and the ability to plant them with the most different plants. This statement is partly true: you can plant anything and with anything. The only question is how this will affect the harvest, and simply the survival of the plant.
Here is a list of plants that agronomists categorically do not recommend planting strawberries next to:
- crops of the nightshade family;
- plants of the clove family;
- raspberries;
- cabbage;
- horseradish;
- sunflower;
- Jerusalem artichoke.
The most worst neighbors for garden strawberries, crops of the nightshade family will become: tomatoes and potatoes, especially the latter. In addition to the fact that it consumes substances necessary for strawberries, it is a carrier of late blight. Such a neighborhood can very quickly (in 1.5-2 months) destroy a strawberry bed.
Garden strawberries also do not get along well with plants of the clove family. And sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke deplete the soil for a long time and can harm not only strawberries, but also other plants, especially considering that the husks of sunflower seeds are poisonous. It is strictly not recommended to plant these plants near strawberry beds.
This also applies to raspberries, which many summer residents often try to plant next to strawberries - and completely in vain, since raspberry bushes shade the strawberry beds and greatly dry out the soil. As a result, garden strawberries often stop bearing fruit altogether.
Cabbage is an undesirable neighbor, as it needs the same substances as strawberries. In addition, it needs constant and abundant watering in much large quantities than garden strawberries. These incompatible crops should not be planted in the same area.
Every gardener who grows strawberries always hopes to get a bountiful harvest of these delicious, wonderful berries. Today we told you about which plants will contribute to this, and which will only cause harm. If you take into account local climatic conditions, do not forget about proper crop rotation, and also provide careful care for the plant (timely watering, fertilizing and removing weeds), then the grateful berry will certainly please the owner with a rich harvest.
» Vegetable garden
When planning garden beds, it is important to consider the compatibility of vegetable crops. Gardeners have more than once had to deal with the problem of low yields in the absence of any prerequisites for this. And the reason may be trivial - an inconvenient neighborhood, so you need to know what can be planted with and what not.
This article reveals all the secrets of arranging a vegetable garden, because the growth and development of both crops depends on which plant is planted in close proximity, and what is important is their fruiting.
When landing, taking into account compatibility, it is quite possible increase productivity by 15-20%. You should be especially careful when choosing a neighbor when placing several types of vegetables in one garden bed or greenhouse.
Approximately the same growing conditions make it easier to care for shoots:
- lighting intensity;
- watering mode;
- preparing the soil for planting;
- introduction of fertilizing.
If you plant bad neighbors- this is fraught with the following consequences:
- attracting insects that create many problems for young shoots;
- fungal infection as a result of waterlogging;
- the negative impact of waste products, as a result of which the neighbor develops poorly or stops growing.
Experienced gardeners use invaluable knowledge in practice, annually observing the interaction of nearby plants.
To make planning easier, they draw up a plan for the garden, dividing it into beds for vegetables and berries before planting. Thus, the rules of crop rotation and the laws of compatibility in open ground are taken into account.
What can you plant next to potatoes?
One of the most popular vegetables, which is included in the list basic products for winter preparations. Before it is planted, its predecessors are taken into account.
The best are considered:
- carrot;
- green manure;
- cucumber;
- legumes;
- pepper;
- cabbage;
- beet.
Not worth it use the same area annually, it will not be possible to get a good harvest with such a layout. Low rates of fruiting of potatoes are also noted if they are placed on a former tomato bed.
In relation to its neighbors, the plant shows more tolerance than mutually beneficial consolidation. The most best compatibility noted only with beans.
The vegetable does not like to be friends with cucumbers, onion sets, tomatoes and cabbage. And you definitely shouldn’t place potatoes nearby: peas, beets and celery. The root crop gets along well with other plants.
Neighbors for tomatoes
A favorable place for growing tomatoes is considered to be areas where the following crops were previously grown:
- cauliflower;
- turnip;
- cucumber;
- greenery;
- carrot;
- beet.
Among worst predecessors: potatoes, peas and zucchini. According to the rules of crop rotation, vegetables are planted in the same place after 3-4 years, therefore, you should not use a former tomato bed for tomato seedlings.
- beans;
- radish;
- corn;
- radish;
- cabbage;
- pepper;
- onions and other green vegetables.
There is no negative impact on tomatoes from neighboring beds with parsnips, strawberries, kohlrabi, lettuce, and spinach.
Planting peppers with other vegetables
When planting pepper, it is worth considering its identity varietal feature. Sweet, Bulgarian and bitter varieties are placed separately from each other to prevent cross-pollination. The most suitable predecessors are:
- legumes;
- cabbage (early varieties);
- greenery;
- cucumbers;
- wheat (winter);
- perennial herbs.
Not worth it choose areas after potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes and physalis. When growing other plants in the planned bed, there are no strict restrictions on pepper.
Arranging a bed of peppers Can close to the following crops:
- carrots;
- basil
- onions;
- coriander.
If you plant marigolds, oregano, and nasturtium for decorative purposes or as a preventative against pests, then the pepper will simply smell fragrant from such companions. And you should avoid proximity to fennel, beans and kohlrabi.
cucumbers
The soil environment is more suitable for growing greens after cabbage and tomatoes. And the predecessors from the pumpkin family are the most undesirable.
Has a positive effect on the yield of cucumbers dill, so it is taken not only as a companion, but also sown interspersed.
The following have a beneficial effect on the development of crunches: onions, beans, peas, garlic, spinach. Calendula placed between the rows will create reliable protection from insects feeding on young cucumber leaves.
Recommended from proximity to potatoes, radishes and tomatoes refuse, plants have a negative effect on each other.
Cabbage
Cabbage planting is planned after peas, beans, cucumbers. Do not spoil the soil environment: peppers, carrots and herbs. And fodder beet and other representatives of cruciferous crops are considered bad predecessors.
It’s easy to choose a cabbage companion for your immediate surroundings fit many plants:
- beet;
- beans;
- sage;
- celery;
- dill;
- salad.
It is allowed to plant flowers and herbs: oregano, chamomile, nasturtium, mint, etc. Won't fit strawberries and tomatoes as companions.
Good neighbors for carrots in the garden
When choosing a place for sowing carrots, preference is given to the following predecessors:
- cucumbers;
- tomatoes;
- potato;
- cabbage;
- leek;
- greenery;
- legumes
Experienced gardeners notice that after zucchini, celery, parsnips and parsley it turns out bad harvest carrots, the root crop develops poorly, as if it lacks nutrients (although fertilizing is introduced according to schedule).
The carrot bed should be planned in close proximity from such crops:
- garlic;
- tomato;
- radish;
- peas.
Sage, marigolds and scorzonera can be planted between rows to repel pests.
Unfavorable neighborhood celebrated with beets, beans and dill. Carrots get along with other plants without any problems.
Zucchini
Everyone's favorite zucchini bear fruit well on the soil after legumes and early varieties of cabbage. Do not spoil the structure of the soil and the environment: greens, onions, garlic.
And such predecessors as carrots, tomatoes and cabbage late date maturation is considered most unsuccessful.
Zucchini (squash) can be safely planted next to the following plants:
- beans;
- corn;
- peas;
- beans.
Pumpkin
Disembarkation rules pumpkins in many ways similar to zucchini, they have the same recommended predecessors. However, the neighborhood is slightly expanded; additional tomatoes, radishes and sunflowers can be planted.
Can't stand it pumpkin culture only potatoes. Gets along well with other plants.
Beet
Beet sowing can be done on former beds:
- carrots;
- potatoes;
- cucumbers;
- Luke;
- greenery
The root crop develops well after green manure. In addition, after such a change in layout, there is a decrease in weed growth.
Beets and onions are a good combination You can safely add: cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, and onions to beets. To repel insects, you can plant catnip, mint, oregano between the rows.
- potato;
- corn;
- spinach;
- bulb onions;
- carrot.
Growing in a garden with other neighbors does not cause any particular concern.
Where to plant strawberries in open ground
Strawberry crop doesn't show capriciousness to the soil environment, so there will be no difficulty in choosing a place for planting young shoots. Useful precursors for strawberries are:
- parsley;
- radish;
- garlic;
- legumes;
- corn;
- carrot;
- dill, etc.
You should refuse to use a plot of land for strawberries if there is were previously grown:
- potato;
- tomatoes, peppers;
- eggplant;
- cabbage;
- raspberries
Arranging vegetable beds, as neighbors for strawberries it is recommended to choose:
- spinach;
- salad;
- radish;
- cabbage;
- carrot.
The sweet berry will also be comfortable with other plants, since there is no obvious competition between them.
What crops are suitable for proximity to eggplants?
When choosing a place to plant eggplants, preference should be given to the following predecessors: onions, cucumbers, early ripening cabbage, perennial herbs.
From former beds with potatoes, tomatoes, physalis and pepper it's better to refuse. It is also necessary to follow the rules of crop rotation, It is impossible to place and grow a crop in the same place every year(an interval of at least 3 years is observed).
When planning an eggplant bed Can select as companions:
- peas;
- beans;
- basil;
- salad;
- tarragon;
- thyme.
The representative of the nightshade family gets along quite well with the rest of its neighbors. The blue ones have no special prohibitions on combining.
Peas and beans
The best predecessors For peas and beans, root vegetable crops, cabbage, and representatives of the pumpkin family are considered. The legumes themselves create the most favorable environment in the soil when growing, so after them you can grow almost anything.
Not worth it When organizing a bed after sunflower, the quality and yield are significantly reduced due to fungal infections and contamination with carrion.
When selecting companions, first of all, the proximity to each other (peas and beans) is excluded. This is caused by several factors:
- attracting pests;
- interweaving of stems;
- possibility of cross-pollination.
The most suitable for close proximity are:
- kohlrabi;
- carrot;
- salad;
- radish;
- celery;
- corn;
- cabbage;
- potato.
Planting with other crops has no special restrictions.
Greenery
When selecting precursors for greens (onions, dill, parsley, garlic, cilantro), preference should be given to legumes and vegetable root vegetables.
Not recommended plant greens after umbrella crops; the relatedness of the plants indicates their identical nutritional needs. Because of this, the yield will decrease significantly every year.
Close to green planting can be placed beds with cabbage, kohlrabi, cucumbers, strawberries, peppers and other green vegetables. Definitely not suitable for growing together: carrots, parsnips, tomatoes. The proximity of greenery to early varieties of potatoes and representatives of legumes is allowed.
Crops table
It is useful to supplement the gardener’s diary with a table of compatibility of crops grown on your site.
In red indicates incompatibility of cultures, green- the most favorable neighborhood for development and fruiting. Colorless window indicates the neutrality of interaction between plants, which does not exclude their proximity in the garden.
There is absolutely no difficulty in planning beds if you think everything through in advance. Autumn processing soil cultivation should be carried out taking into account the agricultural technology of those vegetables and berries that will be grown on it next season.
Potatoes are planted everywhere. When planting, the choice of site, soil fertility, its condition, as well as predecessors and nearby crops are important. What can you plant next to potatoes?
What crops are undesirable to grow next to potatoes?
When planning to plant potatoes on a site, it is necessary to take into account the biological suitability of the plants. In this regard, the beds must be positioned so that the crops placed next to the potatoes are combined with each other. First of all, it is necessary to identify plants with which potatoes do not get along. Suppressive effect on potatoes:
- cucumbers;
- pumpkin;
- tomato;
- turnip;
- celery;
- wild radish.
It is undesirable to plant potatoes next to apple trees, since when the apples ripen, the growth of the potatoes is inhibited. And potatoes, in turn, prevent nitrogen and phosphorus from being absorbed by apple trees.
What crops do potatoes get along with?
Potatoes planted nearby, beans and corn, as well as cabbage, eggplant, and onions have a positive effect. Mixed plantings of crops are also used, which helps reduce diseases and increase yields when grown in one place for several seasons. The best partners in this case are bush beans, broad beans and spinach. If beans are planted between rows of potatoes, the soil is enriched with nitrogen, and the crop is less affected by the Colorado potato beetle.
TO the best varieties cabbage combined with potato plantings include cauliflower and kohlrabi. Lettuce and radishes also go well with potatoes. Some gardeners note a good effect on horseradish potatoes, which can be planted in the corners of the bed.
Late potatoes grown together with peas give good result. Peas can be sown both between rows and in holes with potato tubers. The peas are harvested early, and their roots are a kind of food for the potatoes. Beans planted near potatoes have a similar effect. Their specific smell repels insects, including the Colorado potato beetle.
When using mixed (compacted) crops, cabbage, radishes, and onions can be added to the main crop – potatoes. The disembarkation scheme is as follows - in early spring Radishes are sown on the sides of the arranged bed, onions grown for feathers and early cabbage are sown in the middle. After the radishes are harvested, potatoes are planted. Will be removed in June early cabbage and there will be potatoes left.
You can also use joint planting of cauliflower, lettuce and late potatoes. As field work begins, lettuce and cauliflower are planted. Potatoes are planted at the appropriate time for this crop. Lettuce and cauliflower will be harvested in early summer, and late potatoes will continue to grow into the fall.
If you plant potatoes early variety, alternating rows with sweet corn, on sufficiently fertilized soil you can expect a good harvest of potatoes and corn. By planting onions, sorrel, dill, and radishes in potato rows, you can have fresh greens all summer long.
Each plant has its own developmental characteristics. Excretion from leaves and roots can either inhibit the development of a neighboring crop, or, on the contrary, protect it from pests and diseases, promote growth, and improve taste. When deciding what to plant next to potatoes, it is necessary to take into account the positive and negative influence of plants on each other.
Compatibility of potatoes with nightshades
You cannot plant potatoes next to other plants from the nightshade family: they have the same diseases and pests. Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers growing next to potatoes are automatically at risk of being eaten by Colorado potato beetles or dying from late blight. The problem is that if other nightshades are sprayed with pesticides in the same concentration as potato tops, their fruits will accumulate too large doses of toxic substances.
If the plot is very small and you cannot find a separate place for tomatoes or eggplants, it is recommended to separate them from the potato plantation with a strip of calendula or marigolds (they repel the Colorado potato beetle) and a “curtain” of 2-3 rows of tall plants: green beans, beans, corn.
Potatoes and legumes
The best neighbors of potatoes in the garden are plants of the legume family, the root system of which is inhabited by bacteria that enrich the soil with nitrogen. The smell of legume roots repels the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm (the larva of the click beetle).
But each plant from this family has its own “relationship” with potatoes:
- Of all the legumes, bush beans go best with potatoes. It can be planted not only next to the potato plantation, but also between the rows;
- beans require a large amount of useful substances for development and in the struggle for them they turn out to be stronger than potatoes, which affects both the size and taste of the tubers. Therefore, it is useful to sow beans only along the edge of the potato plantation, but not between the rows;
- Some agronomists generally do not recommend sowing peas next to potato beds. The problem lies exclusively in agricultural technologies: the ripening of peas coincides in timing with the treatment of potatoes with pesticides against the Colorado potato beetle. If only organic methods are used when growing root crops and pests are controlled without the use of chemicals, then the proximity of two cultures is quite acceptable. The rows of peas should be placed from north to south, so that they do not shade the potato tops;
- green beans - allowed to be sown along the edge of a potato plantation.
Potatoes and pumpkins
A common problem with potatoes and plants from the pumpkin family is late blight. Cucumbers are especially susceptible to it. Therefore, in the literature there are categorical prohibitions on planting cucumbers and pumpkins near potatoes.
In practice, cucumbers can be planted near potatoes, but only in a mini-greenhouse. Wooden or metal arches are installed on the bed, and a film is stretched on top. In dry weather, the film is removed, giving the cucumbers access to air and sunlight. But at night the plants must be covered, protecting the leaves from dew. Also, you should not allow pesticides to come into contact with cucumbers when spraying potatoes.
Zucchini and squash are less vulnerable; they do not require a greenhouse. As for the pumpkin, you need to constantly adjust its vines, preventing them from getting close to the potato tops. When the pumpkins begin to fill, it is better to prevent their contact with the ground by placing planks under them.
Potatoes and cruciferous vegetables
Potatoes go well with all types of cabbage. Beds with these crops can be placed nearby, but it is not recommended to follow the advice of planting cabbage in potato rows: cabbage needs a lot of light, and potato tops shade it. In dense plantings, cabbage and potatoes become infected with blackleg.
It is also allowed to plant potatoes with other cruciferous vegetables: radishes, radishes. To save space, radishes are sown in early spring in the middle of double potato beds. In May, potatoes are planted along the edges, and radishes are soon dug up. If the row spacing is wide (1 m or more), sowing radishes in them is allowed.
Mustard is one of the best green manures; the secretions from its roots disinfect the soil. The plant is sown between rows, but is completely cut off when the shoots are equal in height to the potato tops. Mustard roots remain in the ground, decompose and serve as additional fertilizer.
Potatoes and other root vegetables
Carrots and potatoes do not interfere with each other’s growth, so they can coexist (but carrots cannot be sown in potato rows). Potatoes have a “neutral” relationship with beets.
The obvious enemies of potatoes are celery (root and petiole) and parsley. If you place the beds with them close to the potato ones, you won’t get a good harvest.
Compatibility of potatoes with onions and garlic
Onions and garlic release phytoncides that repel pests. Plants are planted both next to potatoes and between rows.
Potatoes and green vegetables
Potatoes go well with dill, lettuce, and spinach. They are allowed to be sown both nearby and between rows.
Potatoes and strawberries
Planting strawberries next to a potato plantation is tantamount to inviting all the surrounding wireworms to dinner. In addition, in rainy weather the berries are susceptible to gray and black rot. The infection inevitably affects potato tubers.
Another common enemy of strawberries and potatoes is the nematode. To prevent its spread, marigolds are planted on the border of the potato field. Potato and strawberry beds must be separated by a strip of carrots, beets, radishes or spinach.
Potatoes and corn
It is useful to sow corn along the edge of the potato field, but so that it does not shade the tops. When planting corn between rows, the following conditions must be observed:
- the direction of the beds is strictly from north to south (otherwise the potato tops, shaded by the corn, will begin to stretch);
- row spacing – at least 1 m;
- the distance between corn plants is at least 1 m.
Potatoes and sunflowers
Sunflowers growing along the border of a potato field - an ordinary village landscape. However, many gardeners consider these crops incompatible. The fact is that sunflowers need a lot of useful substances. To prevent potato tubers from growing to the size of a pea, the soil must be well fertilized with organic matter. Sunflower cannot be sown between rows. The bed with sunflowers is placed from north to south, so that they do not shade the potato tops (the distance between the sunflowers is at least 1 m).
Compatibility of potatoes with trees and shrubs
If potatoes grow under an apple tree, the apple harvest will be smaller and the taste will be worse. When laying out beds for potatoes, it is better to avoid cherries, chokeberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn and grapes.
There is a certain interaction between plants located nearby. Some of them are true friends and buddies, ready to help each other in every possible way, others remain neutral, and others tend to be at enmity with others. To use this influence to get a decent harvest and avoid annoying mistakes when planning your garden, you need to understand which crops can be planted side by side, and which proximity of vegetables in the beds is extremely undesirable.
What are mixed plantings?
If the garden area is small, but you want to get a variety of fruits, and more, circumstances suggest a way out: compacted crops or mixed plantings. This is the method organic farming when several different crops are cultivated in a garden bed at the same time: vegetables, herbs, berries, flowers, planted taking into account the compatibility of the plants, mixed together or according to a certain pattern.
Mixed plantings: benefits and beauty
The natural question is: is the topic of combined plantings relevant for owners of spacious plots? Every gardener, planning to populate his plot with “green friends” in the spring, dreams of getting the most out of each bed. At the same time, any experienced vegetable grower knows that to obtain a significant harvest, fertile soil, high-quality seeds, healthy seedlings, application effective fertilizers, competent care of plantings in the neighborhood.
However, few people take into account another significant circumstance: allelopathy. Don’t be intimidated by this scientific name for the phenomenon of the biochemical influence of some cultures on others or their mutual influence. Allelopathy is capable of providing mutually beneficial conditions for the coexistence of vegetables adjacent to the garden when planted together, but it can also serve as a factor suppressing the development of individual species.
Good neighborhood
The essence of the effect is that all parts of plants are released into environment(air, soil) biologically active substances - phytoncides, antibiotics and others. These compounds, depending on the type, can either be absorbed and have a beneficial effect on neighboring crops, or oppress their neighbors in the garden. Successful selection of green “cohabitants” allows you to harvest more from your garden and grow healthy, beautiful fruits with improved taste.
In addition to the positive manifestation of allelopathy, there are many more benefits that encourage the organization joint plantings on the site, even if there is enough space for separate cultivation.
Isolated neighborhood
Advantages of mixed plantings
It is worth noting that combining vegetables in the garden is not the latest trend in garden farming technology. Since ancient times, the American Indians have known a successful trio: peas, corn, pumpkin. The classic community of plants has successfully migrated to the present day and is successfully used by many vegetable growers: peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, corn serves as its support, pumpkin, covering the ground, fights weeds.
Classic trio
Organizing joint plantings is a more promising and exciting activity than cultivating monocultures on separate sites. However, the approach to planning “communal” beds must be responsible. It is not enough to know what vegetables and other crops can be planted nearby; you need to be prepared to make observations and analyze the results of the neighborhood. But people who have decided to experiment and have harvested more than one harvest from combined plantings note many advantages of this approach:
- The available land area is used more rationally, and more is harvested from it than when planted with a monoculture.
- Vegetables in the garden have good appearance, are healthy or get sick less.
- The need for crops to water is reduced.
- There is no need for frequent thorough weeding of the beds.
- The time required for preparatory gardening work is reduced.
- There is an opportunity to reduce or eliminate the use mineral fertilizers, due to nitrogen fixation by legumes.
- Unilateral soil depletion and “fatigue” are prevented, and the need for crop rotation gradually disappears.
- The elimination of pesticides is becoming a reality, as many plants attract beneficial insects and birds that destroy pests. There are also flowers and herbs that repel harmful insects and rodents.
- The harvest is obtained throughout the season if other crops are sown on the area vacated after the early ones.
- It is possible to create a unique microclimate in the garden bed, using tall, stable plants as curtains to protect delicate neighbors from winds and direct sun.
Cabbage, marigolds, calendula - a wonderful neighborhood
Rules for the formation of combined plantings
Experience and observations accumulated by gardeners indicate that, in addition to the listed advantages, mixed cultivation even affects the taste of vegetables. In particular, herbs such as basil, celery, monarda, and parsley improve the taste of tomatoes. Bush beans can make radishes more savory. A cucumber planted next to a sunflower will delight you with especially sweet, crunchy greens.
These tomatoes are especially tasty
Choose the right combination vegetables with each other in the garden and realizing all the benefits of growing plants in a mixed type is possible only if certain rules are followed. When planning the organization of a “communal” garden bed, you must:
- Consider the climate in the region.
- Explore specific features own plot and focus on them: is the garden in the sun or in the shade, is it protected from the winds, what are the agrotechnical characteristics of the soil, is there a possibility of watering.
- Orient the beds in such a way that tall specimens do not shade light-loving neighbors and, on the contrary, shade those for whom the hot sun is harmful.
- Combine plants with different growing seasons. Early vegetables, greens (onions, radishes, Chinese cabbage, salad) in mixed plantings should be added to crops with a long ripening period (cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants, beets, tomatoes).
- Decide whether the food area will be sufficient for all the “tenants” of the garden bed. This depends on the development of their root system. Plants with deep, strong roots should be placed adjacent to crops with shallow root systems.
Scheme of a small bed with combined plantings
As a rule, on mixed bed Three crops are grown: the preceding early one, the main one and the partner plant. With sufficient knowledge and experience in gardening, you will draw up schemes for combined plantings yourself. If you don't rely on your own experience, use ready-made diagrams landings, using special tables from the examples below.
Compatibility table
Compatibility of crops in one bed
Now we should dwell on the compatibility of some common crops with other plants in a common garden bed and figure out which proximity is beneficial for them, which is acceptable, and which is harmful.
Onion and the best neighbors for it
It’s hard to imagine a Russian’s diet without onions; every summer resident hopes to stock them for the whole winter. It is interesting to find out how he behaves in a mixed bed, whether he makes his neighbors cry.
It is reliably known that onions are not only useful for humans - they are an excellent companion for many other crops, diligently protecting them from diseases and pests. Thanks to this, plants placed nearby develop well and produce increased yields. But a gardener aimed at obtaining a solid harvest is also interested in which neighborhood is favorable for the onion itself.
We can immediately say that this vegetable will be comfortable in the company of salads, radishes, tomatoes, parsley, beets, cucumbers, and strawberries. And you should keep it away from grapes, legumes, and sage.
Comfortable neighborhood
Many vegetable growers who are mastering the technique of growing vegetables together are wondering whether it is possible to plant onions and garlic in the same bed, because they are so similar: they have the same sowing time, requirements for soil, lighting, and agricultural technology. However, these crops are from a common family - their similarity is also manifested in the presence of common pests and diseases, from which they cannot protect each other.
Onions and garlic have superficial root systems, which means they can compete in terms of nutrition and moisture. There are more disadvantages in such a neighborhood than advantages, and it is not worth planting them mixed in a small area. As a last resort, you can divide the “living space” in half between them. But the best option would be to plant onions and carrots in the same bed - this combination has become a classic in the practice of growing vegetables together.
Carrots and onions are friendly
Carrots and the ideal growing environment
Carrots and onions are the perfect duet. They not only coexist peacefully - their position is active in relation to each other’s pests. Carrots will safely repel the onion fly, and carrot fly will not even approach the area where the onion protector stands side by side with a tasty root vegetable. The simplest example such a bed: a central row of onions along its length and two rows of carrots on the sides.
Classic neighborhood
However, it is worth noting that these crops have different watering requirements. When the bulbs are full and begin to ripen, the onions do not need water, it is even harmful to it, and at this time just give the carrots a drink. If the climate in the region is such that vegetables cannot be grown without watering, you have to either leave the onions only as a protector, or say goodbye to part of the carrot harvest, trying to protect the ripening onions from rot.
A way out of the described situation could be to grow perennial onions or onions for greens together with carrots. Or you should find out what else can be planted in the same bed with carrots and implement the idea. Having studied the table above, you can make sure that carrots are good next to radishes, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and garlic. Its proximity to parsley, celery, and dill is undesirable.
Carrots are comfortable next to radishes
By the way, many are surprised that the delicate sprigs of self-sowing dill should be removed from the carrot bed. But everything is natural: these plants from the same family compete for water and food. In addition, both of them (like all umbrella species) are attractive to the carrot fly. Therefore, it is not advisable to leave cute dill bushes among carrot crops. Moreover, it is unacceptable to deliberately plant carrots and dill in the same bed - this is an unfortunate juxtaposition.
The result of a bad neighborhood
Garlic and other plants in one bed
Garlic is a wonderful plant that endows the space around it with phytoncides that bring health. This is a natural fungicide that works well in the fight against fungal infections. Most of garlic’s neighbors like this quality: in its environment, potatoes can cope with late blight, carrots will not be damaged by carrot flies and psyllids, and strawberries will not be attacked by harmful insects.
Garlic - a natural healer
So you can plant a lot of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the garden next to garlic. It likes carrots, cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, beets, tomatoes, and especially favors celery. And they are the best neighbors for garlic itself. Many flowers feel great in the presence of a fragrant vegetable. Of those with whom garlic is friends in the garden in particular, we can name roses and bulbous flowers: tulips, gladioli, daffodils.
Good partners of garlic
Despite his beneficial features, the proximity of garlic is contraindicated in peas, lentils, beans, and peanuts. They cannot be placed not only in the same bed, but also near a plot planted with garlic, which has such an adverse effect on legumes that they stop developing normally and hardly bear fruit. It is also unacceptable to plant cabbage and perennial onions next to it. But for raspberries and strawberries, garlic will be the best companion.
For tulips, proximity to garlic is beneficial
Strawberries and suitable neighbors
When setting up a strawberry plantation, summer residents often think about what can be planted next to the strawberries in the same bed to protect the berries from pests and diseases. Inquisitive farmers have found a solution: garlic, a natural healer, copes with this task perfectly. The following pests are afraid of him:
- ants;
- strawberry weevil;
- nematodes;
- wireworm;
- spider mite
Garden strawberries (commonly known as strawberries)
Glorious protector sweet berries planted in a row in the rows of a strawberry bed and between holes with berry bushes. Strawberries (garden strawberries) reciprocate with garlic: the heads of garlic grow even larger and stronger than when planted in a separate “living space”. Everyone who practices growing strawberries and garlic in the same bed is sure that their proximity is very beneficial.
Bittersweet couple
Good companions for aromatic berries include beans, onions, eggplants, radishes, spinach, and parsley. The latter drives away slugs from ripening berries. But there are no crops with which strawberries would be poorly compatible: apparently, they are very friendly to their neighbors and are loved by all of them.
Strawberries' best neighbor is beans
It is known that different varieties individual crops(for example, potatoes) can quarrel not only when planted nearby, but even when storing the crop. Therefore, there are often disputes between garden owners on the topic: is it possible to plant different varieties of strawberries in the same bed or will this lead to civil strife or cross-pollination. There is no reason to be afraid of one or the other: garden strawberry bushes simply do not know how to quarrel.
Cross-pollination occurs, but it will affect the appearance and quality of the berries only if strawberries are propagated by seeds. During vegetative propagation, the grade will not be affected - the main thing is not to confuse which mother plant the rosette is separated from. For these reasons, it is worth planting varieties of garden strawberries, if in the same bed, then in separate groups.
Parsley will protect against slugs
Cucumbers in joint plantings
Pimpled, crispy greens - what could be better at the beginning of summer? And if you are already determined to grow vegetables together, you should know which neighbor of the cucumbers in the garden will be it faithful assistant, and which one will oppress. Cucumbers are not picky, a good neighborhood is not a problem for them - in this regard, they are compatible with most vegetable crops. It is easier to list those plants with which cucumbers do not have a good relationship.
Corn curtains protect from the wind
The list is short:
- potato,
- radishes (specialist opinions differ here),
- tomatoes (a controversial issue),
- spices.
Dill is a wonderful partner of cucumbers
Much more than the neighborhood, the development of this vegetable is influenced by the microclimate and soil. Therefore, when deciding what to plant in a bed of cucumbers, more attention should be paid to the ability of companions to protect growing vines from the aggressive influence of the environment. For example, corn curtains will provide excellent protection for cucumber vines from the winds, and beans will supply them with nitrogen. From the number herbs There is one exception: dill goes well with cucumbers.
Another example of a pleasant neighborhood
Beets in a common garden
When deciding what to plant beets with, you should rely on scientific data and use common sense. The German scientist Hubmann, who studied plant compatibility for many years, concluded that plants such as beets, potatoes, tomatoes, bush beans, and spinach can coexist perfectly, stimulating each other. Good neighbors for beets, in his opinion, are also onions, kohlrabi, lettuce, garlic, and strawberries.
Community of Root Vegetables
Regarding the incompatibility of beets with other vegetables, there is no consensus. Some vegetable growers, contrary to Hubmann, argue that this root crop does not grow well next to potatoes. However, many gardeners successfully grow it along the edges of potato ridges. Neither scientists nor practitioners have decided on the usefulness or harmfulness of the proximity of beets to corn, chard, and chives.
There is a version that the substances secreted by beet roots have antibiotic properties and have a healing effect on neighboring plants. Therefore, growing, for example, beets and carrots in the same bed will have a positive effect on both crops.
Joint cultivation of beets, onions, carrots
True, you will need to take care to maintain a sufficient interval between the rows, remembering that the powerful foliage of beets can greatly shade their companions. A good option mixed cultivation of vegetables will be a bed, in the center of which a row of onions is planted, along the edges a row of beets and a row of carrots.
Pumpkin in the vicinity of other crops
Pumpkin does not have any special preferences or hostility towards vegetables growing nearby. However, it can be considered quite successful in its proximity to the previously mentioned corn, peas, as well as other legumes, radishes, and nasturtium. Sometimes gardeners, trying to make maximum use of the area compost heap, zucchini is planted on it together with pumpkin.
Friendship is friendship, but garden beds are better apart
But pumpkins and zucchini cannot be good neighbors in the same garden. As a result of cross-pollination, fruits grow in a shape and color unusual for both vegetables. Hybrids on zucchini grow round, and on pumpkins oblong. Their taste also suffers. This shining example unsuccessful use of the mixed growing system, and you should not decide on such an experiment.
This company is better for pumpkin
Tomatoes surrounded by neighbors
Some people consider tomatoes to be as individualistic as pumpkins. But, if you turn to the experience of Swiss, German and domestic gardeners, it is not difficult to see that cultivating tomatoes in the vicinity of other crops is quite possible. They go well with radishes, lettuce, carrots, celery, parsley, beets, and garlic. There is no doubt that you can plant these vegetables and herbs in the same bed with tomatoes.
Their mutual influence may be different. For example, the relationship between garlic and tomatoes is favorable for the latter: garlic protects them from spider mite and reduces the risk of late blight. And basil is considered the best companion for tomatoes, not only promoting the growth of the vegetable, but also improving its taste. By the way, other aromatic herbs have the same property: borage, lemon balm, marigold, mint.
The effect of nettles growing nearby on tomatoes is interesting: it increases the shelf life of tomatoes and improves quality tomato juice. As a rule, those who grow tomatoes and carrots in the same bed, the row of which is placed along the row of tomatoes, are satisfied with the results. But tomatoes have almost no enemies - only fennel can be considered an obvious antagonist, which is such in relation to almost all vegetables.
The proximity of eggplant to pepper is a joy
Bell peppers in the center of a mixed vegetable garden
It is impossible not to mention the possible neighbors of bell peppers in the garden. It has a good relationship with basil, eggplant, dill, spinach, and thyme. Marigolds, coriander, and onions can act as protectors of pepper from aphids, with which it gets along well. And a plant like okra can be planted next to fragile pepper bushes to shelter them from the wind.
The combination of tomatoes, peas, cabbage, beets, beans, and carrots is contraindicated for pepper. Neighborhood is extremely undesirable sibling- hot pepper. It will not interfere with the development and fruiting of the “Bulgarian”, but the result of cross-pollination will be loss of harvest, since Bell pepper can no longer be called such. You can decide what to plant next to the pepper in the same bed based on the lists of successful and unsuccessful neighbors.
Cabbage is the best neighbor for vegetables and herbs
There are many types of cabbage; they grow and bear fruit in different ways. But they have common problems with pests and diseases, so the problem of how to plant cabbage in one bed is solved almost the same for all varieties. Celery is an excellent partner for cabbage, gaining additional flavor and being stimulated to grow thanks to the influence of cabbage. In turn, it drives away white butterflies and cruciferous flea from the beds.
Neighborhood is beneficial for cabbage:
- different types Luke,
- salad,
- potatoes,
- aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile),
- beans,
- garlic
Cabbage's Pleasant Neighbors
Cabbage and tomatoes do not get along in the same bed. Strawberries are also not in favor with the “garden lady.” But cabbage is still different from cabbage. By placing cauliflower next to its white cabbage sister, you can miss the calculations for the yield of colored heads: their set rate when adjacent to the white cabbage beauty is significantly reduced.
Potatoes and crops useful for them
Growing “second bread” in a mixed crop is beneficial: it suffers less and does not require crop rotation as much. Beans and spinach are good neighbors for potatoes in the garden. A remarkable result can be obtained if you plant bush beans in the spaces between potato rows - they repel the malicious pest, the Colorado potato beetle, and enrich the soil with nitrogen. The harmful beetle is also repelled by tansy, marigold, coriander, and nasturtium.
Potatoes and beans in the garden
Potatoes also feel good in the company of radishes, corn, varieties of cabbage, and salads. The company of horseradish planted in the corners of a potato field is favorable for him, but the proximity of sunflowers and quinoa has a depressing effect. The combination of potatoes and celery is undesirable. There are conflicting opinions regarding the compatibility of potatoes and beets, peas and tomatoes.
You have gained some idea of the benefits of joint planting of garden crops. If you are fascinated by this idea, do not stop: study the characteristics of the plants that you plan to cultivate, consult with experienced gardeners and specialists, and success will certainly come. Your favorite vegetable garden, sparkling with new colors, will delight you with its appearance and decent harvests.
