Companion Plants

Emily~
What a sight! Sunflowers AND scarlet runner beans, so beautiful! Another reason we companion plant, for BEAUTY! i have a few beans up from the seeds you sent me last year. No true leaves yet, but they sure are big!!!

I re-read this whole thread, and the only place i see peas and beans mentioned together is near the top "Mostly I have learned what not to plant. Like peas or beans near onions (or other allliums). And peas or beans near sunflowers, also no potatoes near sunflowers."

I said that, but I didn't mean not peas WITH beans, just referrin gto them together, as they are both legumes, i.e. not legumes with alliums. The jury is still out on that. I used to theorize that it depended on the culitvars, as so many are bred (or hybridized) for other characteristics, they could lose the gene for their natural ability to ward off certain things, inculding each other.

But recently, I have had more experiments with companion planting in intensive square foot beds. Now it seems to me that some of these "good/bad neighbors" applies to planting distance. With standard row planting, there is usually a walkway of 3 or so feet between the rows, sometimes more between different beds. When you plant intensively (closer together than recommended on the package), or interplant (1 onion, 1 lettuce, 1 onion, 1 spinach), or successive plant (pull up green oinion, replace with lettuce seedling), all of these "neighbors" are MUCH closer. So that could be what changes or establishes, these "rules".

Haven't tried peas and beans together. Peas go into the ground earlier in the year. Maybe if they had the shade of the bean trellis, and it wasn't too hot in your area, that could extend your pea season?

A few things to keep in mind when practicing "family planting". Their needs are the same, or similar. So, they may need twice the care. If both like lots of water, then planted together, they would be water HOGS. Same goes for heavy feeders, they would need lots of nitrogen or other fertilizer. You also dont' want them competing for space and sun, so if they are in the same "family", they could also be the same height, and that could pose a problem. And blooming at the same time would also cause them to compete.

But there are many benefits of planting families together as well. Sally Jean Cunningham goes into great detail in her book Great Garden Companions. She has her beds set up into 6 different families, and then plants family members together. Basically, all the above applies, but you use their similarities to your advantages.

Next time I pick her book up, I will check and see if she says anything about planting peas with beans. Meanwhile, let us know on this thread how your planting goes!

Anyone have a favorite companion? For beauty, Corn and Sunflowers just can't be beat IMHO. But the most practical companion planting I have tried so far seems to be the potatoes with bush beans... What's your favorite combination?

Hmmmm, potatoes & bush beans.... I have both, but I'm late starting them, so neither are planted yet.... could you please describe how you interplant or companion them? Thanks!

Let me know if you want any more scarlet runner seeds as I have plenty left over.

Emily~You still have my addy? Anything you need?

Critter~ The details escape me at the moment. Sally Jean Cuningham's book has a photo showing where you dig the trench for the potato, leaving some of the dirt in a row on one side. When the potato is up, (and past frost date) you plant beans on the OTHER side of the trench. When the potato plant is high enough to poke out of the trench, you "hill" it with the pile of dirt, and plant the beans on the other side.

Shoot, all I did last year was plant one double-row of burgundy bush beans about hald the length of one side of the potato patch. The potatoes never gone any beetles. One tomato hornworm showed up and freaked me out once. And some uninterested flea beetles gave them a try.

This year, I am just planting a row or two of bush beans (soon), in between the double-rows of potato plants. And anywhere that something doesn't come up, I will stick in a marigold or tansy.

If you don't have that book, Great Garden Companions, I HIGHLY recommend it. Think I got mine for less than$10 with shipping from www.alibris.com last year. Don't know what I would do without it. Sorry I don't have it handy at the moment, or I would just type what she saysabout the pair LOL It is the edition that is out of print. If you want to pay thirty bucks, she has a new one out, with a prettier cover...

My potatoes are "up!" They're actually ones that sprouted during winter storage during a warm spell. I may chuck a few between the bean rows & see what happens! They're certainly not edible as they are, but who knows, maybe they'll produce a few potatoes for me. Nothing ventured....

Thanks for the info, Tamara!

Your potatoes and your beans will love you for it :-)

And don't forget, leave a deadly nightshade or two, and a dandelion or two, for a little extra protection...

I'm doing bush beans with potatoes too, but using the other side of the bed to do it. Can't grow deadly nightshade: not worth it with the babies. "Great Garden Companions" is at our local Green Valley Book Fair for seven bucks. I'm going to pick one up...

I almost got rid of those poisonous plants. Then I started realizing how many of my vegetables are also poisonous. Luckily my kids are old enough to understand poison, and we just NEVER pick and eat ANYTHING outside (well, I might eat corn in the field, but it's when I am by myself LOL).

You will LOVE that book, worth it's weight in CORN....

leave a dandilion or two.... no problem!! LOL! That pretty much happens regardless....

They have to be blooming to work, and it only works for potatoes. Wish they would protect everything! They are good for compacted soil too...

Emily-Those look lovely! I planted scarlett runner beans too but the rabits keep eating the leaves. I'm trying this experiment with blood meal to see if it repels the rabbits. I've tried the owl thing, they laughed at it and hopped right passed it. FIL bought me an owl that has a motion sensor and its head moves in circles like the girl in exorcist and it hoots. The rabbits thought this was a floor show and stayed and ate even more. I bought a granular deterrent but some nights it works and some it don't. As for my sunflowers, well, they actually dug them up where they were planted and ate the seeds. I've bought some chicken wire but need to get out there and put it up.
-Juli

Juli - I like rabbitt - baked, fryed or stewed - if you need to lose some of them there critters just let me know.

Dyson, come on up to your place and help yourself to all the tender young bunnies you can catch! We've trapped 3 this last week (took them for a ride in the country). They were various sizes, but unfortunately the "fat" one we saw carrying grass in her (definitely her) mouth is still at large, so we've got a pregnant bunny nesting somewhere nearby.... trou-ble!

juli - thanx for the invite - but "out of state" hunting fees are usually real expensive & since I plan to be semi retired soon .... (why wait till you are too old enjoy it?). good luck w/the rabbitts.

Currently, in regards to those wascawy wabbits, I let my dog (mixed hunting breed) loose on occasion to keep them scared. Row covers, shade cloth, even window screen without the frame. I have one small fenced area, or I would have no greens at-tall!

My first planting of corn is over a foot high, but still has row covers on top LOL. And since I didn't want bloodmeal direclty in my garden, I got a metal bucket, that heats up real well in the sun, and mixed some with male urine and water. Then when I go check the corn, I move the bucket upwind, since the wind changes regularly here. And the sun dries it up, so I add liquid to it weekly.

Those bunnies live in the old barn and in a dirt mound right around this bed. yet they have yet to touch so much as a radish leaf (planted in the corn bed) or flowers. So hopefully that means the bloodmeal mixture is working. I have to justify putting up with that stench when I go ou tthere lol.

When my boys are a little older, they will get sling shots!

On the subject of companion planting, mugwort or wormwood is supposed to deter mice and rabbits, not just one plant, but a hedge of it. I started some, but some packrats ate the seedlings, so I am gonna try agian.

Shoe- I planted the sunflowers with the moonflower vines next to them outside my bedroom windows but it was either mice or rabbits dug them up and ate them. I did plant the moon flowers along with some morning glories inside the garden growing up a bean tower. Should look nice when it's grown.
-Juli