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Didn't find much info on companion planting via my research. What I did find is VERY general. No links to companion gardening plz...could use advice from ppl here.
Have limited space, want to maximize it; short season too, want to extend harvest.
Would like to grow cool weather stuff in summer w/companion planting.
Have ideas below, dunno if they'll work.
Beans w/green
Corn w/melons/squash (NOT 3 sisters )
Toms, peppers, and eggplant w/root veggies; need potassium and phosphorus, would planting together cause to compete for food?
Welcome to our forum SeedAddict!
We'll do our best to help you out!
Which zone do you live in?
What is your soil type?
Your answers to these will help us to define what help you require!
I use container gardening so I make my own soil; it's a soilless mix and comprised of spaghnum peat moss, pine bark mulch vermiculite, lime (not fast acting), and a dry pelleted fertilizer designed for container gardening...Osmocote, which is a 19-6-12.
When I say limited space, it's a 20' x 20' plot, and a small walkway. Also have a small area behind shed, but it's used only for summer crops, as it's covered in shade in spring and fall.
All areas mentioned I'll use container gardening, as our native soil is not fertile, and nutrient poor.
Make my 'soil' in lg. batches; one batch yields about 30 gallons.
Tried to use a regular soil (ie dirt in ground) for container gardening. This was a disaster...too heavy, too compact.
Regarding my zone, it's 4b/5a and I live in northern MI.
Growing season starts in end of May (early to late April for cool weather stuff if weather cooperates) and ends in Sept.-Nov. (again depends on weather cooperating).
We can still get frosts in early June because of how far north I am.
Summers are hot, but much milder than summers in deep south.
Unfortunately the weather here is erratic and unpredictable.
Stuff that is most challeging to grow here is stuff that requires a long, warm season. This would be late maturing tomatoes (70-90 days), any melon, okra, lima and soy beans.
Even early maturing okra, lima, and soy beans are challenging due to cool climate.
Also, could use advice with what to pair w/brassicas as I've heard they're tough to find stuff that grows well w/them.
There are several great books on the subject. When I have time I would also like to apply more companion planting. At one time I had posted a list of companions. I'll see if I can find it for you. If I can I will PM you the link.
I just don't see where companion planting is AS BIG a deal as some of these garden writiers would have us believe. Perhaps I'm just a cynical old man, that's a real possibility, lol. I mean I think there are some plants that can grow good with certain others, and definitely some (like morning glory) that should not grow with some others. I just think there's not enough there for a whole culture to grow out of it, sorta like a small thing is being fluffed up to make it seem like a bigger deal than it really is. YMMV and no offense meant to previous posters, JMO.
You may be right Rock to a certain degree!
A good example of companion plants for the veggie garden is mixing in marigolds! I find that they attract aphids! So they can be used as a bait annual so the aphids leave other plants alone! Their roots are suppose to deter nematodes!
A lot of the information comes from 'Old Wives Tales', but there is always some basis of truth even though the info is based on subjective observations rather then using the scientific method to prove the effects companion plants have on surrounding plants are real, or not!
I used to plant a lot of marigolds in the garden when I had a bigger place with more room. I heard they help with insects and I know they add a little color and maybe attract a few pollinators but they help a lot to keep the gardener cheerful too. I choose marigolds because they make so many seeds, once you plant a few you never have to buy seed again. On the subject of trap crops, I know here (z6b TN) you can't beat favas for attracting aphids or eggplant for catching a good crop of flea beetles.
Ahh I do know for a fact that some flowers , such as marigolds, do deter some pest. That does not mean you don't have to do your job as a diligent gardener, it simply means that some pest will not be as bad if planted with other plants.
The other portion of companion planting is; every plant has different soil nutrient and mineral requirements. Planting plants together that require different minerals means that each plant will have what it needs with out robbing it's neighbor of valuable nutrients. i.e. Tomatoes are calcium hogs, peppers are sulfur hogs, they do well together because they are not competing for the same minerals.
Think of the garden as a gangland. If 2 or more gangs are in the same neighborhood they are competing for the same things. Therefore, none of the gangs can survive completely unless one kills the other. Same with plants. If the competition for nutrients is to great you must work that much harder to get all to survive and be productive.
Do not forget that flowers and herbs also make excellent companions as they are strongly scented and so deter many pests. Basil is good with tomatoes and nasturtiums attract the cabbage white fly as a sacrificial plant. Nicandra flowers attract hoverfly that eat aphids. The scent of any allium will disguise carrots from root fly so that includes chives.
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