Anyone practice companion planting or guild gardening?

I do not think we can ever be pest free but I think we can minimize the damage and loss. I am willing to share a little but I would like to see a decent harvest.

Here's a new article on planting Columbines with Irises.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2091/

Interested!

thanks for posting teri. Hopefully if more folks show an interest we can get an actual companion planting forum. DG does not think there is enough interest for one.

I would love to try companion planting this coming season. I have a rather small space that I can use for vegetables as the rest of the garden doesn't get enough sun. Apart from the obvious advantages as far as pest control goes, I would love to be able to harvest as much as possible, and as great a variety of veggies as possible.
I am going to start planning on my winter garden straight away... Will keep you posted.

Gardening in a small space is a challenge if you don't think outside the normal box. We seem to work against ourselves by following planting techniques used by the big guys who have to leave room for their big planters and harvestors. In our home garden, we do not use these big machines. With careful planning, it is possible to have great yields in small spaces.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated...

What did you have in mind to plant and why? Are you trying to feed a family? I am not real familiar with your soils and weather but the same rules apply no matter what you are growing. Some plants prefer shade, some like lots of sun, some want plenty of water and others want to be kept on the dry side. I can give you suggestions but maybe you do not like brussel sprouts as much as I like them LOL. What did you have in mind?

I'm a novice at all of this, but I just attended a "spring vegetable garden" workshop tonight. The instructor said she hates radishes but she always plants some because they come up fast and keep the bugs busy munching on the leaves so the bugs don't pick on the other stuff trying to come up through the soil. Then at 21 days, the radishes are ready to pick, leaving a handy hole form some other transplant to take its place. Makes sense to me.

Elsa123, my yard is pretty shady too. I've got one small bed that may or may not be able to get enough sun (we'll see!), and then a couple other sunny spots and a relatively sunny patio (no roof). So I'm thinking about containers a lot -- hanging baskets, floor pots, window boxes, etc. I'm using a couple of large heavy soil bags to try to grow potatoes in.

For the smaller plants I just picked up 6 pots at a yard sale that are meant to attach to vertical rain gutters (they have little plastic "belts" attached to them) but I am hanging them on the lattice sides of our patio and putting lettuce, spinach and scallions in them.

Just some thoughts.
LiseP

Suggestions for maximizing the yield of any vegetable garden: http://hgtv.com/decorating/maximum-veggies/

More ideas for vegetable gardening in a small area:
http://hgtv.com/landscaping/contain-your-veggies/ (container-grown veggies in a small, shady area)
http://hgtv.com/landscaping/urban-rooftop-gardens/ (urban rooftop gardens)
http://hgtv.com/landscaping/gardening-on-a-houseboat/ (gardening on a houseboat)
http://hgtv.com/landscaping/balcony-and-deck-gardening/ (balcony & deck gardening)

In the theme of this thread and a diversion to the container vegetables, these are a few recommended container companion plants.

In regards to trap crops, such as radishes: Once the bugs start showing up, you can't just leave them unattended - or can you? Would you use your normal methods for eliminating them?

Seems like if you just let them go, they'd multiply quickly, run out of radish leaves, and spread to the rest of your garden. I'm interesting in using trap crops, so any information you can provide is appreciated.

Indy_V: I'm not too sure about radishes, but nasturtiums are an infamous trap crop for aphids. For whatever reason, the little bugs just LOVE nasties and seem to prefer them to everything else. At the same time, the nasties seem to thrive covered with aphids. Not too attractive, but they never seem to exhaust the leaves and move on. I admit, however, that I have been known to pull up dozens of aphid-covered nasturtium plants midway through the season, feed them and their little guests to the garden fire, and put out new plants!!!

Potagere, I do the same thing. Nastutium seeds are something that start lots of so I have plenty to move around.

OK, gang, Question: I am now planning my summer garden. I see from some sources that aubergines/eggplants like beans and peppers; that beans like eggplants. All 3 like a pH of around 6.0 to 7.0, need regular watering and fairly high amounts of NPK. So, assuming I have a bed that is 80 cm wide and 180 cm long, could I plant 4 aubergine plants along the 40 cm centre axis at 25 cm, 70 cm, 115 cm and 160 cm; then 2 rows of 5 chiles, each parallel to the row of eggplants, each 12 cm in from the edges of the bed, at 33 cm, 62 cm, 91 cm, 120 cm and 149 cm; and finally 2 parallel rows of 6 bush beans at 26 cm from the edges of the bed (i.e. 14 cm off the center line) positioned to be in the "interstices" between the chile plants and between the end chile plants and the long ends of the bed?

Crowded, I know, but my "potager" is made up of intensively planted beds of either 80cm X 180 cm or 180cm X 180 cm with rough stone walkways between them.

Do you thinkj this combo would work? Should I plant just 4 bush beans in each row with 2 marigolds/tagetes in each row to deal with aphids (which attack the beans but have never bothered either eggplant or peppers in my garden)?

No, kathy, I refuse to put the nasturtiums right in there; I keep them on the edge. I'm AFRAID to mix them in too deeply. I do love my beans so much!

Jim

I'm having trouble visualising enough room for the bush beans...pole beans, yes...but...if the peppers coul be convinced to grow out toward the edges....hmmm.

Thanks for thinking about this and commenting, grownut!
I'm a bit afraid that pole beans would grow up and shade the chiles and aubergines. (And of course, I would also need poles or netting.) On the other hand, I was hoping the bush beans might shade the soil, help retain moisture and keep down weeds, kind of like the closely planted lettuces do in my onion beds. [I always have more lettuce than I can eat or even give away, because I really use a lot of it as "weed control" in the onion, garlic and shallot beds!]

If the pole beans are on the north side/end, they should not be much of a shade problem.

How big do your peppers get? If they are of a type smaller than the bush beans you may be able to move them slightly (provided you can still walk between the beds I would think even 10-12 cm in from the side would work with good soil) closer to the edge of the bed to allow them to hang over the side. My bush beans also do very well toppled---never intentionally, but somehow there are always 1 or 2 that get tipped, pulled or something and yet still thrive...

Another option I just thought of (and again you know your varieties and options in ways I don't so this may be further out there than I think...) is to plant more rows but on a diagonal. Say 2 eggplant/aubergines at each end [ /]with peppers along the fronts at similar spacing to your above post and filling in with beans. There should be enough space really...but I am a chronic sufferer from Should-be-enough-space-itis...LOL. Good luck.

Can't really do that in this layout, Kathy. And I have 2 rows. Also, if they were to the north, they'd shade that further north row of chiles.

Grownut, you know, I even made a diagram in MS-Word (I'm not a computer nifty, especially when it comes to drawings/graphics) so I could copy it to show what I meant. Well, I made it, but could not copy it --- only its disparate elements!
All that just to say, I just cannot visulaize what you are suggesting!!!

Grownut, I also am a chronic sufferer from Should-be-enough-space-itis. Sometimes it works. Sometimes I have to get the shovle and make enough space but sometimes....

Something like this...

I was thinking of this in terms of utilizing light and corners to get extra space around plants--I may be totally out there...

You've moved further outside the box than I. That's an interesting arrangement. Any measurements? (I won't even ask you to teach me how you did this! It's just what I wanted to do!)

In general, do you foresee any problems with the plant mix?