What not to put next to each other...

I read in a gardening book that said there are veggies and herbs that shouldn't be planted next to each other like onions near beans and peas cuz it affects the growth of both plants. Then there are things that help each other like dill and carrots. Anybody got any ideas on this? I'm trying to pretend like I'm actually organized this season and plan things out half inteligently. I'm trying to find plants that like the same types of soil to put together and stuff. Maybe it's over-thinking, but....
-Juli

i think its good to grow basil next to tomatoes but thats about it.

Companion planting can be considered an entire gardening category. Plants that repel one another are said to alleopathic. Then some plants are mutually helpful ("companions"). My favorite author on the subject, Louise Riotte, wrote "Carrots Love Tomatoes"among other books. Then some plants act as guards, such as tansy. It repels cucumber betles and squash bugs. Soil is not as critical in companion planting as is the enzymes each plant might exude.

Thanks! I've tried the tomato and marigold thing but it didn't work very well. I don't know if maybe I didn't plant enough of them or it was just bad soil that year cuz nothing else came out good either. This year I'm at a new house so I'm starting from the begining.
-Juli

Juli, if nothing else came out good, maybe you need to recheck the whole soil structure situation. Victorville's soil is most likely alkaline (I lived and gardened for quite a while in San Bernardino) so getting a soil test for ph factor would be a good idea. Your local nursery or Master Gardeners group can help with that. You probably have a sandy loam? That's great to work with, but in a climate of heat and low humidity the humus in the soil gets used up fast. Add as much good compost as you can and mulch to keep the soil temperatures lower and slow down evaporation. Companion planting is a big help, but beneficial soil has to come first.

We are on the other side of the San Bernardino mountains in the upper desert. It's much different here than "down the hill". We have clay soil here and we are going to be adding wood compost to it to help that part. I've tested our soil and the PH is 6.5 and so far the tests say that we need to add nitrogen and some phosphorus but the potash is ok. I'm at a new home from the one that didn't turn out good so it's a new begining. The only things that were growing here before we built this house were weeds and other desert brush, creosote and such. I think the factors that made my last garden at the old house come out bad were me and time and neglect. After I had planted it, my Father was diagnosed with C and my time was needed there. It got plenty of water cuz it was on a timer but everything else was let go. I haven't planted a garden since then. So....new home, new garden, new lease on life so to speak and I want to do it right. I think there is a lot of therapuetic help in gardening.
-Juli

Oh, I very much agree about the therapeutic factor. I'm sorry about your father...of course you had no time for a garden. I guess I was thinking of Victorville (is the county fair still held there?) as sandy because of the references to "high desert." Clay has a lot of challenge for us - the black goo I have here is finally beginning to respond - but it has lots of potential, too. I'll pull out my Riotte books and try to send you some companion ideas.

I heard something new recently but I'm not trying it!

Plant 'Stinging Nettle' yep - that's what I really typed lol - in your vegetable garden to scare away nematodes. I remember something the effect of - for some unknown reason vegetables really do well in the presence of this perennial herb/weed/ etc et..

Anyone want to try it? I would love to hear how it goes! LOL

Also, I just heard a lecture from a local University on heat tolerant lettuce. They use black plastic as a mulch with great results.

I did the basil and tomato thing last year and had very few hornworms!

Nicole

Yes the fair is still here and we are starting to get on the "monster truck show" circuit here which is nice. Yeah, "desert" is misleading. We even get a few days of snow every winter. I don't know what stinging nettles are but they don't sound nice. The basil/tomato thing sounds good. I've seen the black or even red mulch in catalogs. I don't know maybe I'm over thinking this. I just can't wait for the ground to hurry up and get warmer. So I need something to occupy my thoughts.
-Juli

I learned last year not to plant my snow peas near, or even downwind from my onions.
And I have pictures that prove you CAN plant your sunflowers too close to your corn. Allow three feet.
Beans and potatoes grow great together! I love all of L Riotte's books, and recently also fell in love with Great Gardening Companions (can't remember author, book is out on loan to VERY DEAR friend)

Thanks for the book recommendation, TamaraFaye. I found a copy at Amazon and ordered it. Author is Sally Jean Cunningham and publisher is Rodale Press.

Yes, that's it!!!

I bought three, and none are in my possession anymore, time to buy some more...

I love "Carrots Love Tomatoes"! What a terrific little book with great information in it. I plant my tomatoes with basil. I also plant scallions around each plant, along with marigolds and nasturtiums. To tell you the truth, my garden almost looks like a flower garden instead of a vegetable garden. I also plant marigolds and petunias in with my green bush bean rows, and I have a lot fewer pests. Have any of you every planted nasturtiums in with your garden plants? It's really beautiful.

Terri

I planted some orange nasturtiums in a pot cuz the packet said they were a fall/winter plant. I was so excited cuz they grew fast. But we got this snow right before Thanksgiving and they froze and died. So I bought some more but red ones this time for my hummy friends who will be back soon, hopefully. Anyways, nasturtiums are edible too.
-Juli

I read the book "How to Grow More Vegatables *than you ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine" by John Jeavons. He calls his theory "biointensive gardening" and it was really interesting. His research started in 1972, and the basis seems to be raised beds and companion planting!

He suggests that you grow strawberries and green beans together, but says onions stunt the growth of green beans. He suggests that you grow cucumbers with your corn, because the corn plants will provide partial shade for the cucumbers, and give it something to climb.

His methods are all organic, and he is really big into composting, and tells you what plants you can compost to gain the nutirients needed to grow certain things.

Not only does he suggest plant companions, but he will suggest putting a wren house in your berrie patch, because the wrens are insectivores and will not bother the berries but will eat all the bugs. Also, wrens will defend their home and attack any other birds that come near their nest.

I think the book is fascinating.

I love the Wren idea!!!

Great book!

I learned the hard way last year, alliums and legumes don't mix!

I hope to plant my corn, beans and pumpkins together the three sisters way.

Somewhere I have a photo of my corn with greens beans with Marigolds, with potatoes companion from last year.

Keep sharing the ideas, I love them...

Cornius

"Companion Planting" has its pros and cons, ups and downs, and myths and truths.

I've enjoyed reading about it for years, have worked the theory into my gardens over those years and also have gone so far as to find out for myself what works and doesn't work. What I've noticed is that there are so many variables involved that it makes it difficult to provide "scientific" proof.

I do know I sure do like the idea of it all but have also found that so many times I couldn't tell if one plant actually helped another or hindered another.

As for the "onions vs. legumes" theory...that is one I've especially never noticed as being a bad grouping. (Pic below is of garden peas and onions, both extremely healthy crops.) I do wonder sometimes how legumes would do if they were planted in ground that was previously planted with alliums, or vice-versa....hmmmm, maybe that'll me my NEXT experiment, eh?

Good points!

Reminds me of one I did by accident last year. Sage and Artesemia (spelling) are not supposed to be planted side by side I read somewhere. Anyway, mine were and they did fine!

The only thing I can think of is not to plant tobacco near tomatoes or touch them with nicotine on your hands.

what happens to the tomatoes if they're touched with nicotine?

They get addicted!


Sorry (ducking and running)

LOL [i needed that!]

HA!

they could get tobacco mosaic virus, even from a smoker who doesn't wash their hands before handling plants

Really! I didn't know that! I don't smoke either but that's interesting. I like the addiction thing, that was funny! This turned out to be a good thread.
-Juli

A most interesting point TamaraFaye .. Found lots of folks that are clueless about such.
Hee .. I make my smokin' friends & family members wash their hands thoroughly .. before goin' into my veggie gardens.

Some most wonderful tips you guys bringing up and posting ...

- Magpye

I am finding that some seed companies are suggesting companion planting, RIGHT ON THE PACKET. We could assume they are trying to sell more seed, but I would say they still would only do that in the case of scientific evidence.

Isn't it amazing the studies that have been done, and just aren't in common print for us to read? Who wants to sit around and read lab studies anyway? But Cornell University has done a lot, and I keep seeing those referred to in gardening books I read.

This year I will be planting lots of artemesia (sp?) with my brassicas to keep away flea beatles. Last year they had wiped out (in a matter of 2 days) my third and fourth planting of radishes, then moved on to the cabbage. They did enough damage to stunt what was they didn't consume :-(..... But in the meantime, I went to the store (smalllll town) and bought a cat toy(didn't have a cat). Took it apart and sprinkled some around the few heads that remained. The flea beetles LEFT. I was amazed...

So even when I read about what does and doesn't work, I kinda like to do a little experimentin myself! This year I decided to grow brussel sprouts, inspired by a DG memeber who sent me heirloom Catskill seeds. Just by chance, I started cilantro at the smae time. Then I started thinkin, now what can protect those sprouts? So I looked in several books, till I found the suggestion that cilantro would be a good thing to ward off bugs, and a ground cover is good for the lady beetles to hide in, waiting for their lunch! Talk about good planning by accident!

I have four brussel sprouts that came up in pellets, along with 10 cilantro plants. Now I just need to decide on a ground cover. Someone sent me a surprise of carpet bugle, but I am worried it will take over. Sooo, ...

can anyone tell me what ground cover NOT to plant with my veggies???

Horseshoe, way up the thread, you are allways a "sharp" man w/ good advice thank you.

Here is a link to a simliar thread from last year...

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/445430/

Hey Tamara! Great idea about the Cilantro - I don't personally like to eat it but will probably grow some now. I bet I know who sent you those brussel sprouts too b/c I have some of those myself!!! :) Isn't DG just awesome!!!!

Nicole

My gardening experience is nearly all theoretical at this point (been reading lots of books) and one of my favorite so far is Great Garden Companions by Sally Jean Cunningham, obviouslly talks a lot about companion planting & suggestions on how to design your own methods of companion planting (is very into mixing veggie, herb & flower gardens together too).

A big ol 'hearty' welcome to DG, to ya .. tinawind !!

- Magpye

What not to put next to each other:
A) the white cat and the black cat
B) the white cat and the dogs
C) the white cat & the white ferret
basicly don't put the white cat near anything breathing.

Good advice, Dyson, but it looks like your are in the wrong thread, were you looking for the PET forum, by chance? LOL Or maybe Jokes and Chat! That sounds like my cat...
Tina Wind, I liked that book so well, I bought three of them last year. I found it at http://www.alibris.com for about $3.00 plus shipping.

Sorry, could not help myself.
Seriously though there was an item in a recent copy of "Mother Earth News" on companion planting to attract benifical bugs, Did anyone catch it?

Oh you are forgiven (or at least understood)...I just subscirbed and haven't rec'd, but borrowed two latest issues from a friend, could you say which issue? If they have a web site, maybe you could place a link to the article here??? Pretty please...

I'll try to find the thing ol & post a link - or else I'll have to start digging through the mags, was w/in the last six months, won't be hard to find.

thank you ever so much... NOW STOP STALKING ME (j/k) looks like we are catching up on all our threads at the same time. Bet I beat you to the snatching thread...

Try this link http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/1804/ ,excellent story.

edited to say - older story,I'll keep looking for the newer one, but this is good also.

This message was edited Feb 20, 2005 1:03 AM

Found it -"Let Bugs Protect Your Garden", August/September 2004 (issue 205).