Categories
Companion planting

Companion Planting Guide

  1. Plant short, shade-tolerant plants beneath taller, bushy plants.
  2. When you mix sun-loving plants, put tall ones at the north end of the plot and small ones at the south end, so all will get needed sun.
  3. Plant herbs throughout the garden, especially basil, mint, sage, and dill.
    EXCEPTION: Keep dill away from carrots.
  4. Plant cosmos and French or Mexican marigold here and there in and near the garden to repel pests and encourage beneficials that prey on them.
  5. Do the same with chives, garlic, or onions EXCEPT near or amongst beans.
  6. Exploit the different maturation rates of different crops: plant lettuce, coriander, spinach, or chard early where you plan to set out squash and melons later, so that weeds don’t have a chance to move in, and you get two crops instead of just one.
  • Don’t mix dill with tomatoes or with carrots.
  • Don’t plant garlic, onions, or chives with beans.
  • Fennel does not mix well with most other plants; keep it in its own corner.

Read the full article at Planet Natural

Categories
Companion planting Nurse Planting

Beans, corn & zucchini
(the three sisters)

I recently came across this great tip (an ancient method used by the Native Americans)… Can’t wait to try it in plot 23 when spring arrives!

  1. Sow eight corn seeds in a circular pattern (6 inches between each seed)
  2. A couple of weeks later once the corn has sprouted, plant about four beans around each corn stalk
  3. A week after your beans have sprouted and begin to grow up the corn, take 6-8 zucchini seeds (or and seeds from the curcubit / gourd family) and plant them evenly spaced outside the ring of corn and beans.

Beans provide nitrogen for the nutrient-hungry corn, the corn provides a support for the beans, and the zucchini suppresses the weeds.