Joint planting of vegetables is practiced by many well-known agronomists throughout Russia. This technology allows, by planting different types of garden crops together, to obtain huge yields even from the smallest plots.

In this article we will cover:

• Why do they plant vegetables together?
• How to make joint plantings in the garden.
• Which plants are compatible with each other?
• Examples of joint plantings.

Why do joint plantings take place?

Planting vegetables together (or compacted planting) is one of the favorite “lazy garden” techniques. There is no point in caring for a garden of ten acres when the same crop can be grown on two. In addition, planting two or more crops together in one bed can really increase yields; The main thing is to choose these crops correctly.

In the article about a smart garden, we talked about how to make smart beds and how to place them in the garden. But experienced amateur vegetable growers also use in their work the ability of plants to influence each other.

Any plant, through its leaves and roots, releases substances that can harm or help its neighbors; or harm and help at the same time. So, a plant can scare away a pest from a neighbor, but at the same time inhibit its growth.

Leaves (especially of aromatic crops) may release either volatile or water-soluble substances that return to the soil when watered or rained.

The roots simply release biologically active compounds into the soil, which are absorbed by the roots of neighboring plants.

How else do plants influence each other?

Tall plants can be planted together with shorter ones - they will create the necessary shade and protect from the wind.

All legumes are capable of accumulating nitrogen in their nodules, which they absorb from the air. Not only do they not take nitrogen from the soil, but they also share their own accumulations with their neighbors, releasing it from the nodules in a form that is easily digestible by other plants.

Substances released from the roots and leaves of some plants can repel pests from others, or throw them off the scent with their strong odor.

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The main thing is to confuse the pest, because it follows the smell.

4. The onion fly will be scared away from the onion by the smell of carrots, and the spider mite will think three times before attacking the carrots; onions are planted next to the bark. Cruciferous flea beetles cannot tolerate the smell of garlic, etc.

5. The most delicious, large, non-bitter, clean radish grows in the same bed with bush beans. In such plantings, beans are sown two weeks later than radishes.

Why plants may not be compatible

In the plant world, cooperation and mutual assistance can be found more often than hostility. But leaf and root secretions of some plants can still inhibit the growth of others. Garden crops can also compete for sun, moisture, nutrients in the soil and suppress each other. All this must be taken into account when planting plants together or in adjacent beds.

When planting two crops in the same bed, remember that one of them should be the main one, and the second should be a compactor or accompanying crop. It is planted to thicken and fill gaps. In this photo from the album of user FORUMHOUSE with the nickname Gardener The main crop is carrots, and the accompanying crop is garlic.

Gardener

The principle of combining crops on a narrow ridge. Garlic (onion) will protect carrots from carrot flies.

Compatibility table for garden plants in dense plantings

Tables of joint plantings can help the gardener with the selection of plants. .

The main crops in joint plantings are vegetables with a long ripening period. Spicy herbs and marigolds are planted between them (this plant copes with many pests).

Gardener

Plant marigolds throughout your garden. In the fall, their stems are embedded in the soil to repel soil insect pests and prevent wintering beetles (for example, the Colorado potato beetle) from entering the soil. Wireworms and aphids cannot stand the smell of marigolds.

Early ripening varieties of vegetables can also be accompanying crops. Early ripening varieties ripen, they are harvested, and the main crop receives more space, sun and nutrition for its development.

In the photo above we see joint plantings of cabbage on the “smart beds” of the famous agronomist Igor Lyadov.

Gardener

Cabbage is planted in a checkerboard pattern, alternating late and early. When the early one is eaten, the later one scatters leaves in the vacant space.

Joint planting schemes

We offer you several well-working schemes for joint planting of popular garden crops.

Planting cucumber and dill together: in a narrow bed, cucumbers are sown in two rows, 60 cm apart. Dill is sown between the cucumbers and along the edges of the bed. The plants mutually increase each other’s productivity; dill grows just in time for pickling cucumbers.

Joint planting of onions with carrots, radishes and parsley: a very good scheme in which onions are sown first - 5 rows every 15 cm, several radish seeds are sown in each row of onions. A row of carrots, a row of parsley, another row of carrots, and another row of parsley are sown between the onion rows. The radishes are harvested first, then the onions. With this planting scheme, carrots and parsley receive protection from pests at the beginning of summer, and in the second half of summer they have the opportunity to develop good root crops.

Quail

I removed the onions, and there was more space and light for the carrots.

Combined planting of beets and lettuce. Seedlings of any lettuce are planted in rows every 30 cm; when they take root, beet seedlings are planted (the distance between beet plants in a row is 15 cm). The lettuce is harvested after 30-40 cm, the beet roots develop to full maturity.

In all these schemes, the principle of complementarity of crops in joint plantings is clearly visible: plants have a beneficial effect on each other’s growth and development, protect against pests and do not compete for nutrients.

The crop that needs nutrients more is always placed in the middle of the bed, and additional crops are placed at the edges.

One of the secrets of successful gardening is allelopathy - the compatibility of vegetable crops. In other words, this is knowledge about how plants are "friends with each other." This approach will help not only achieve high yields and healthy crops, but also preserve the natural fertility of the soil, which is an essential condition for any type of farming.

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  Features of plant interaction

  When a summer resident draws up a planting plan for his plot, he needs to know what grew on it in previous seasons. This is very important, since when growing monocultures, one-sided depletion of the soil occurs, which means that not all plants will be able to survive and produce a good harvest.

  Crops differ in the time of fruit ripening. This allows you to rationally distribute plantings and make sure that the land does not stand idle. The size of the plants, their need for light and soil moisture, resistance to pests, and requirements for fertility must be taken into account. In the latter case, there are strong consumers of nutrients, and there are weaker ones, which is one of the factors influencing the compatibility of vegetables in the garden.

  All of the above criteria lay the foundation for natural farming called “mixed plantings”.

  Planting vegetable crops - after which predecessors can you expect a good harvest?

  What are mixed plantings?

  This is a method of organic farming, based on many years of experience of famous gardeners who carefully observe natural processes in the plant world and implement them in their plots. It was this approach - observation and application - that made it possible to accurately determine the compatibility of plants in the garden.

  The essence of this method is to plant different vegetable crops on one plot of land in such a way that they have a beneficial effect on each other, creating a good microclimate that provides a rich harvest and natural protection from pests.

  Advantages of the method

  People who have been planting vegetable crops using a mixed principle for several years now note the following positive aspects of this approach:

  • The yield has increased significantly - 15-20 kilograms per 1 m 2;
  • there is no need to thoroughly weed out;
  • the time spent on gardening work has been reduced;
  • vegetables in the garden practically stopped getting sick, their appearance became healthier;
  • it became possible to obtain fresh vegetables before the first frost;
  • the taste and aroma qualities of products have improved;
  • mixed plantings attract more pollinating bees;
  • the plants' need for watering has been reduced;
  • the available land area began to be used more rationally;
  • soil depletion has stopped with further prospects for its improvement;
  • the need for crop rotation disappeared.

  When creating the right mixed plantings in the garden, a separate “kingdom” is formed, which has its own laws that do not require unnecessary human intervention. Vegetables and other plants, above- and below-ground insects and other fauna coexist in harmony, maintaining a natural balance, just as in the wild. Of course, a person is not completely removed from work, but his physical labor in the garden is reduced to a minimum.

  

  Basic rules for mixed plantings

  A few simple rules will help you get a good harvest without the use of chemical fertilizers:

  • The optimal width of the bed is considered to be 1 meter.
  • The main crop is planted in the center of the bed, and the accompanying crop is planted on the sides.
  • Slowly ripening species are chosen as the main ones, which grow strongly by the time of fruiting, for example, tomatoes.
  • Accompanying plants are low-growing plants with fibrous root systems that retain moisture in the ground and ripen quickly, for example, greens. By the time the main crop begins to mature, the friendly ones around it will already be gathered and make room.

  For the correct combinations of plants in the garden, you can use the vegetable compatibility table when planting.

  Compatibility of vegetable crops with each other

  The plant compatibility table clearly shows what can be planted with what and how plants influence each other.

  Name of culture	Friendly neighbors	Beneficial features	Unfriendly neighbors
  Watermelon	beans, potatoes, sow thistle, pigweed, oats
  Basil	sweet peppers, peas, all types of cabbage, tomatoes, eggplants, asparagus	repels ants, aphids and other pests; protects tomatoes and corn from hornworms, beans from bean weevil	cucumber, rue
  Eggplant	pepper, bush beans, onion, spinach, lettuce, peas, thyme, basil		fennel, cucumber, pumpkin
  Vegetable beans	all types of cabbage, peas, carrots, radishes, rhubarb, cucumber, beets, corn, potatoes, pumpkin, sage, zucchini, strawberries, mustard, lettuce, rosemary	legumes are able to enrich the soil with nitrogen; repel the Colorado potato beetle, get rid of wireworms	fennel, peas, onions, garlic, marigolds
  Peas	basil, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, eggplant, Beijing, legumes, carrots, turnips, cucumber, radish, radish, parsley, zucchini, pumpkin, watermelon, corn	improves the taste of watermelons and their growth; enriches the soil with nitrogen	hyssop, wormwood, rhubarb, beans, rhubarb, tomato, onion, garlic, beans
  Mustard	all types of cabbage, radish, legumes, peas, beets, spinach		beets, rapeseed, turnips
  Melon	corn, radish, radishes, beans		potatoes, cucumbers
  Zucchini	onions, corn, beets, legumes, bush beans, mint, radishes, nasturtium		Potatoes, pumpkin
  White cabbage	radishes, beets, potatoes, lettuce, cucumber, celery, beans, spinach, onions, fennel, dill, beans, mint, sage, coriander, rosemary, thyme, basil, thyme, marjoram	stimulates the growth of celery	carrots, tomato, grapes, turnips, garlic, parsley, tansy, cauliflower
  Broccoli	parsley, beans, potatoes, onions, beets, lettuce, carrots, sage, celery, dill, rosemary, oregano, nasturtium, mint, chamomile		tomato, turnip, strawberry, cauliflower
  Brussels sprouts	potatoes, beans, mustard, sage, mint, celery, hyssop, lettuce, dill		Strawberries, tomatoes
  Kohlrabi	cucumber, lettuce, radishes, onions, beets, spinach, peas, mint, dill, potatoes, fennel, basil, mustard, pepper, chamomile, sage		tomato, beans, strawberries, horseradish, garlic
  Cabbage	potatoes, mint, sage		tansy
  Cabbage	peas, beans, spinach, lettuce, carrots, mint, mustard, sage		Strawberry, tomato
  Cauliflower	lettuce, cucumber, celery, potatoes, beans, mustard, hyssop, mint, nasturtium, thyme, sage, grapes		tomato, strawberry, white cabbage, beets, broccoli
  Potato	onions, white cabbage, corn, horseradish, garlic, beans, radishes, eggplant, radish, calendula, legumes, spinach, lettuce, horseradish, nasturtium, marigolds, thyme, coriander, beets, watermelon, amaranth		fennel, pumpkin, quinoa, tomato, cucumber, melon, celery, sunflower, zucchini, rhubarb
  Watercress	radish, radish, turnip, onion, nasturtium, spinach, tomato, grapes	improves the taste of radishes	cucumbers
  Corn	potatoes, lettuce, beans, beans, zucchini, pumpkin, cucumber, peas, watermelon, artichoke, melon, tomato, soybean, basil, grapes, sunflower, lettuce	provides good shade for watermelons, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers and improves their growth and taste	fennel, onion, beets, celery
  Bulb onions	carrots, cucumber, beets, tomato, cabbage, chicory, strawberries, spinach, watercress, chamomile, zucchini, watermelon, melon, fennel, savory, marjoram, pepper, potatoes, dill, parsley, borage	repels pests from carrots; improves tomato growth	sage, beans, beans, radishes, radishes, peas, turnips, asparagus
  Leek	celery, parsley, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, beets, borage, beans, strawberries	repels aphids and cabbage cutworm caterpillars	beans, broccoli, peas
  Carrot	cucumber, onion, radish, peas, beets, sage, parsley, radish, spinach, lettuce, peas, rosemary, sage, tobacco, tomato, garlic, chives, marjoram, strawberries	repels onion fly	beets, anise, parsley, fennel, dill, celery
  Cucumber	corn, late white cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, beans, dill, fennel, peas, lettuce, radish, kohlrabi, spinach, beets, radishes, celery, chamomile, eggplant, legumes, cilantro, peanuts		tomato, marjoram, potatoes, watercress, melon, eggplant, basil, rhubarb, sage,
  Pepper	tomato, basil, lovage, spinach, geranium, petunia, marjoram, carrots, onion, eggplant, tomato, thyme, coriander	promotes the growth of basil	kohlrabi, pumpkin, beans, cucumber, fennel
  Parsley	onions, grapes, strawberries, spinach, thyme, asparagus, lettuce, dill, peas, zucchini, radish, radish	improves the taste of tomatoes; heals vineyards; repels slugs among strawberry plantings	carrots, celery, lovage, cilantro, white cabbage
  Rhubarb	celery, cabbage, lettuce, beans, peas, spinach		potatoes, turnips, radishes, onions, carrots, radishes, radishes, peas
  Radish	tomato, beans, spinach, carrots, cabbage, celery, lettuce, beans, zucchini, pumpkin, peas, onions, parsley, cucumber, potatoes, watercress, garlic, grapes, strawberries, clover, beets, melon, turnips	stimulates grape growth	fennel, rhubarb, hyssop,
  Radish	cucumber, melon, tomato, carrots, spinach, beans, fennel, beets, cabbage, parsnips, beans, grapes, watercress, parsley, strawberries	protects cucumbers from leaf beetles and spider mites and improves their taste; has a beneficial effect on the soil	hyssop, beets, onions, rhubarb, celery
  Turnip	radishes, peas, watercress, spinach, beans		tomato, rhubarb, mustard, onion, grasshopper, knotweed
  Salad	legumes, parsley, beets, peas, potatoes, strawberries, corn, onions, peppers, radishes, turnips, pumpkin, beans, celery, spinach, eggplant	improves the growth and taste of tomatoes; protects crops from flea beetles	carrots, beets
  Beet	onion, radish, cucumber, carrots, garlic, cabbage, zucchini, beans, tomato, fennel, beans, peas, lettuce, potatoes	stimulates grape growth	chives, celery, corn, dill, mustard
  Celery	cabbage, cucumber, spinach, onion, beans, tomato, beans	protects crops from flea beetles; repels white butterflies from cabbage	corn, potatoes, carrots, radishes, beets, parsley
  Asparagus	basil, parsley, tomato, potatoes, cabbage, lettuce		spinach, beans, onion
  Tomato	basil, radishes, parsley, onions, garlic, lettuce, beans, carrots, sow thistle, corn, spinach, sage, asparagus, beans, early cabbage, beets, celery, radish, lemon balm, marigolds, stinging nettle, pepper, thyme, mint		quinoa, turnip, potatoes, dill, peas, fennel, pumpkin, kohlrabi, cucumber
  Pumpkin	corn, mint, peas, beans, radishes		potatoes, peppers, pumpkin, tomato, zucchini
  Dill	broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, spinach, onion, lettuce	increases the yield of cucumbers and cabbage; repels aphids and caterpillars	carrots, tomato, beets, basil, potatoes, beans
  Bush beans	cabbage, potatoes, cucumber, radish, lettuce, turnip, celery, tomato, savory, spinach, eggplant, grapes, pumpkin, strawberries, beets, corn, zucchini, borage	enhances the taste of radishes and potatoes, protects against pests	garlic, onion, peas, kohlrabi cabbage, dill, pepper, asparagus
  Fennel	White cabbage, kohlrabi, cucumber, onion, radish, beets		eggplant, cumin, radish, beans, carrots, tomato, potatoes, coriander, pepper, spinach, corn
  Horseradish	potato	protects against potato bug	kohlrabi, radish, radish
  Garlic	parsley, tomato, beets, carrots, lettuce, cucumber, radish, strawberries, potatoes		beans, beans, cabbage, peas
  Spinach	compatible with almost all crops	accelerates the growth of onions, creates a favorable microclimate	asparagus, fennel, zucchini

  Planting strawberries

  To get a good harvest of this tasty and tender crop, you need to choose the right proximity of vegetables in the beds with it. The best neighbors for strawberries are parsley, which repels slugs, as well as leeks, which protect against gray rot.

  Calendula and marigolds help control nematodes. In autumn, these flowers can be crushed and mulched between the rows. Irises protect strawberry bushes from frost. Sage improves taste.

  Neighborhood with carrots increases the yield of both crops. Onions and garlic repel harmful insects. Spinach, lettuce, beans, beets, radishes and radishes have a positive effect on the growth of strawberries.

  Strawberries have no bad neighbors in the garden among vegetables, although the opinion regarding the proximity of different types of cabbage to them remains ambiguous. It is believed that the culture does not like close proximity to birch trees, but it does well near spruce and pine trees, whose needles can be used as mulch.

  Nutrient requirements of vegetable crops

  Different crops consume different amounts of nutrients, mainly nitrogen, which greatly affects the compatibility of plants in the garden. According to this principle they can be classified:

  • Strong consumers: cabbage - white, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red, Peking; pumpkin, cucumbers, zucchini, celery.
  • Average consumers: radishes, potatoes, eggplants, beets, carrots, spinach, chicory, lettuce, onions, fennel.
  • Weak consumers: radishes, beans, peas, spices, herbs.

Combined crops of garden crops. List of vegetables that can be compacted. Sealing plants Proper combination of several garden crops during dense planting in a garden bed so that each of them has a specific benefit is a real art. Therefore, with the right selection of plants, the garden will bloom and bear fruit, like a living organism. What is compacted planting? Everything is simple here. This is when we plant a compacting crop after the main crop (usually between the rows of the main one) Why are compacted plantings done in the garden? The advantages are as follows: Saving space on the plot of land. Increasing the duration of land use during the season, i.e. more efficient use of it. In some cases, plants help each other grow. There is perhaps only one drawback. It becomes more difficult to cultivate the soil between rows, in particular, to loosen it. What is compacted with what? Most often, carrots, parsley, cucumbers, onions andparsnip When choosing a sealant, you must take into account the need to grow a particular plant, the characteristics of the variety and the conditions for its cultivation. Late cabbage usually packed with onions, tomatoes, beans, and cauliflower. Good effect on productivity combination of carrots, beets, chicory with onions and cucumbers. In the first half of the growing season, onions develop very quickly, while root vegetables, on the contrary, develop slowly. Root crops begin to actively grow when the onion is already without leaves and begins to “prepare” for the fact that the harvest will soon take place. As sealants for cucumber tomatoes, cabbage, or tall-stemmed fruits can be used. Another type of seal is often used, which consists of in joint sowing or planting of several varieties of the same crop. As a rule, late and early ripening varieties are most often combined. Corn can be compacted with zucchini, beans, pumpkin. In this case, the corn stalks serve as a kind of support for such compactors, and thanks to the beans, nitrogen begins to accumulate in the soil. Potatoes can be thickened with late cabbage. If you plan to dig up the potatoes young, then you can compact them with medium-sized cabbage. Garlic - bell pepper, hot pepper, low varieties of eggplant. In this case, the distance between the rows of garlic should be slightly larger than usual. Garlic is harvested in the summer, but peppers and eggplants continue to bear fruit until the cold weather. The same vegetable crops can be used to compact onions. It is worth paying attention to spinach. This is a good compactor for many garden crops. Spinach compacted white cabbage, squash, zucchini, carrots, beets, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, garlic. They even sow spinach after spinach at different planting dates. One is being removed, the other is still growing. Radishes compact white cabbage. Cucumbers are compacted carrots, beets, parsnips, garlic. Pumpkin canteen Early cabbage and early potatoes are compacted. The same can be said about watermelons As you can see, there are many options and schemes for combined plantings, to suit every taste. In fact, you can choose something for yourself. Features and subtleties of compacted crops As for the plant density of the compacted crop, which is considered the main one in this case, it is almost the same as in the case without compaction. However, the seeding rate of the compactor should be chosen such that during crop formation it does not inhibit the main crop. In addition, intercropping crops are often sown in the same rows. This is how onions, potatoes, cabbage, etc. are grown. True, sometimes the seeding rate is increased, which is associated with the supposed breakthrough to obtain bunched products of carrots, beets, etc. Meanwhile, planting crops with combinations must be used very carefully, so that God forbid, the plants do not start harming each other. Because plants need light, warmth and water. It follows from this that in the case of mixing, each plant must know “its place.” Those. one plant will be the main one, and the other will be an auxiliary plant, whose task will be to create a favorable environment for the development of the main plant. And then - different plants have different requirements for light and the amount of water consumed. Therefore, the main plants should grow in the very center of the beds, and auxiliary plants should grow along the edges or between the rows. I will also add that compacted planting is a method of growing vegetables proven by popular experience. And scientists also recommend it. In my garden, I actually used some compacted planting schemes. Everything is growing beautifully. I wish the same for you!

Eggplant.

Beans.

The most favorable relationship, which can be characterized as mutual assistance, exists between beans and cucumbers. Therefore, it is recommended to plant beans around the cucumber beds. They go well with sweet corn, potatoes, and radishes. radish, spinach, mustard. Interspersing beans into the planting of these crops improves their nitrogen supply. Fragrant basil, planted next to the beans, reduces damage to them by the bean weevil. Other useful herbs for beans: borage, lavender, oregano, rosemary, yarrow. It is not recommended to plant beans with onions, leeks, chives and garlic. The proximity of marigolds and wormwood has a bad effect on beans.

Grape.

In Moldova, as mentioned earlier, a large number of cultivated plants were studied for their compatibility with grapes. Corn, beans, rye, potatoes, radishes, and oilseed radishes had a stimulating effect on grape growth. Negative effects were noted during joint plantings with onions, barley, soybeans, and cabbage. The incompatibility of grapes and cabbage has been known for a long time. Already in ancient Greece they knew that cabbage was the enemy of the grapevine. This may seem surprising, because other plants of the cabbage family are not so hostile to grapes, but radishes and oilseed radishes, on the contrary, have a beneficial effect on them.

Peas.

Relationships of mutual assistance are noted in peas with carrots, turnips, and cucumbers. It grows well between the rows of these crops, helping them in turn by the fact that, like all legumes, it enriches the soil with nitrogen. Peas can be combined in the same bed with radishes, cabbage lettuce, kohlrabi, and parsley. Combinations of peas with onions, garlic, and tomatoes are unfavorable. Among herbs, wormwood has a bad effect on peas. There are conflicting opinions about the relationship between peas, potatoes and cabbage: some authors consider these combinations to be quite possible, others have a negative attitude towards them.

Cabbage.

Different types of cabbage are characterized by fairly similar preferences regarding accompanying plants. Relationships of mutual assistance are noted in cabbage with bush beans and celery. These species have a beneficial effect on each other, and celery, in addition, protects cabbage from flea beetles. Dill planted between rows of cabbage improves its taste and repels caterpillars and aphids. The proximity of borage is also beneficial for cabbage; it has a good effect on cabbage and, with its hard, hairy leaves, drives away snails. A very good accompanying crop for cabbage is all types of lettuce. They also protect it from the flea beetle. Cabbage also needs protection from a variety of cabbage butterflies that lay eggs on the leaves. This role can be performed by aromatic herbs, which mask the smell of cabbage with their strong smell. Therefore, it is recommended to plant thyme, sage, rosemary, mint, hyssop, medicinal wormwood, and chamomile around cabbage plantings. Leeks repel cutworm caterpillars. Cabbage can be combined in the same bed with cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, beets, chard, potatoes, and chicory. There is no consensus on its compatibility with strawberries and onions. Of all types of cabbage, kohlrabi is the most suitable partner for beets and a bad neighbor for tomatoes. Cabbage does not go well with parsley and suffers greatly from nearby grapes. Tansy has a bad effect on kale.

Potato.

Growing potatoes in a mixed culture is beneficial. It gets sick less and can grow longer in one place without reducing the yield. The best partners for potatoes are spinach, bush beans and beans. Beans planted between rows enrich the soil with nitrogen and repel the Colorado potato beetle. Potatoes go well with cabbage, especially cauliflower and kohlrabi, types of lettuce, corn, and radishes. Many authors note that a small number of horseradish plants planted in the corners of a potato plot has a beneficial effect on potatoes. The Colorado potato beetle is repelled by catnip, coriander, nasturtium, tansy, and marigolds. It is not recommended to plant potatoes with celery; sunflower and quinoa have a depressing effect on potatoes.

There are opposing opinions regarding the relationship between potatoes and tomatoes, beets and peas.

Strawberry.

Bush beans, spinach, and parsley have a beneficial effect on strawberries. It is recommended to plant parsley between strawberry rows to repel slugs. Strawberries can be combined with garlic, cabbage, lettuce, onions, radishes, radishes, and beets. Among herbs, borage (borage) and sage work well on it. Mulching the soil with spruce and pine needles significantly improves the taste of strawberries.

Corn.

It is a very demanding plant when it comes to nutrition, so it is recommended to alternate blocks of corn with blocks of bush beans; it benefits from the proximity of this legume, a soil improver. Corn is combined with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, and early potatoes. These crops stimulate its growth. Cucumbers are recommended to be planted around corn plots. From an allelopathy point of view, corn is a very friendly plant for many crops. It has a beneficial effect on sunflowers, potatoes, and grapes. Bad neighbors for her are celery and red beets.

Onion.

The classic combination is onions and carrots. These two crops protect each other from pests: carrots repel onion flies, and onions repel carrot flies. Due to its compact shape, onions are used as an additional crop, which is placed between the rows of the main crop. It goes well with beets, lettuce, cucumbers, strawberries, spinach, radishes, and watercress. There is no consensus regarding the combination of onions and cabbage. Some authors believe that onions have a good effect on cabbage and drive away pests. The edging of savory is beneficial for the growth of onions; chamomile also works well on it, but in small quantities: approximately one plant per 1 linear meter. m beds. Onions do not combine with beans, peas, and beans. The proximity of sage is unfavorable for him.

Leek.

Companion plants for leeks are celery, bush beans, head lettuce, carrots, beets. Leeks and celery have a mutually supportive relationship, so it is recommended to plant them in alternating rows.

Perennial onion (chives).

Goes well with tomatoes, celery, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, strawberries, endive; it is not recommended to plant next to peas, beans, and beets.

Carrot.

It tolerates the proximity of many crops, grows well next to onions and spinach, and also goes well with tomatoes, radishes, chard, chives, garlic, and lettuce. But the closest plant to carrots, with which it has a relationship of mutual assistance, is peas. It is recommended to surround carrots with the following crops to repel carrot flies: rosemary, sage, tobacco, onions. Hostile herbs - dill, anise.

Cucumbers.

For cucumbers, companion plants are bush and climbing beans, celery, beets, lettuce, cabbage, garlic, onions, chives, radishes, spinach, fennel. Beans have the most beneficial effect on cucumbers, so it is recommended to plant beans around the cucumber plot. The cucumbers themselves are planted around corn, which greatly benefits from such proximity. Favorable herbs for cucumbers are chamomile, dill, borage. The question of the compatibility of cucumbers with tomatoes is not clear. Different authors express directly opposite opinions on this matter: some believe that this is a good combination, others that this is an absolutely impossible combination. So every gardener will have to find out this question himself through experience.

Parsley.

It is a companion plant for many crops: asparagus, roses, celery, leeks, peas, tomatoes, radishes, strawberries, lettuce. It is recommended to plant it along the edges of beds with tomatoes. Planted next to roses, it reduces the number of aphids on them; planted between rows of strawberries - drives away slugs.

Pepper.

Companion plant - Basil, carrots, lovage, marjoram, oregano, onion, hostile plant - fennel.

Radish.

It tolerates mixed plantings with tomatoes, spinach, parsley, chard, onions, garlic, cabbage, strawberries, and peas. It is especially beneficial for radishes to be combined in a row with leaf and head lettuce, which protect it from flea beetles. Radishes planted between bush beans have a particularly delicate flavor and large root vegetables. Beans also protect radishes from pests. Since radish seeds germinate quickly, it is recommended to sow them along with slow-germinating crops (beets, spinach, carrots, parsnips) to mark the rows. Radishes do not like extreme heat, so they are often sown in alternating rows with chervil, which shades them a little and protects them from overheating. Nasturtium and watercress, bordering the beds of radishes, improve the taste of the radish, giving it a sharpness, and under the influence of lettuce, it acquires a more delicate taste. The proximity of hyssop is unfavorable for radishes. Some gardeners believe that cucumbers are a bad neighbor for them.

Turnip.

Companion plant - peas. Gulyavnik, mustard and knotweed (knotweed) are unfavorable for turnips.

Salad.

Head and leaf lettuce (chives) go well with most garden crops. It is a good companion for tomatoes, cucumbers, climbing and bush beans, chives, spinach, strawberries, and peas. Its proximity is especially favorable for vegetables from the cruciferous family - all types of cabbage, radishes, radishes, as it repels the flea beetle. And for him, the proximity of onions, which repel aphids, is useful. Lettuce does not like overheating and needs partial shading, but only partial, so the close proximity of plants with dense foliage, such as carrots and beets, is unfavorable for lettuce. Lettuce bushes can be placed in different places in the garden, where it will grow under the cover of taller plants. The proximity of chrysanthemums is especially favorable for him.

Table beets.

Hubmann, who has tested the compatibility of beets with other vegetables for many years, claims that five types of vegetables - potatoes, tomatoes, bush beans, beets and spinach - stimulate each other. According to his observations, beets. also has a very good effect on cabbage of all types, lettuce, radishes and radishes; for beets, the proximity of onions, kohlrabi, spinach, lettuce is especially favorable, in addition, it tolerates joint planting with garlic, cucumbers, strawberries, and celery root. There is no consensus regarding the incompatibility of beets with other crops. Some gardeners claim that it does not grow well in the vicinity of chives, corn and potatoes. There is also controversy regarding chard, which belongs to the same botanical family as beets. One author claims that it has a beneficial effect on beets, another that vegetables of this family cannot tolerate each other’s root secretions and therefore cannot be planted next to each other. There are suggestions that beet root secretions have antibiotic properties and therefore adding it to some crops, in particular carrots, can have a healing effect on them. But at the same time, we should not forget about maintaining a sufficient distance between plants, since the powerful foliage of beets shades neighboring crops.

Celery.

Celery and white cabbage have a mutually supportive relationship: cabbage stimulates the growth of celery, and celery drives white butterflies away from cabbage. Celery goes well with tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers, lettuce, and beets. Chives and bush beans have a particularly beneficial effect on it; it is not recommended to plant celery next to corn, potatoes, parsley, and carrots.

Tomatoes.

Some consider tomatoes to be "selfish" plants that like to grow on their own, apart from other crops. But the experience of German and Swiss gardeners says that tomatoes tolerate the proximity of other vegetables well and are quite suitable for mixed plantings. They go well with celery, endive, radishes, radishes, corn, lettuce, cabbage, garlic, carrots, and beets. A mutually beneficial effect was noted with chives, spinach, bush beans, and parsley, which is often planted as a border to tomato beds. Tomatoes have a hostile relationship with kohlrabi, fennel and dill. As for the relationship between tomatoes and potatoes and cucumbers, opinions differ, perhaps it depends on the planting method. The proximity of the following herbs is beneficial for tomatoes, improving their taste and condition: basil, lemon balm, borage, chives, marigolds, mint, sage, savory. Stinging nettle growing next to tomatoes improves the quality of tomato juice and extends the shelf life of the fruit.

Pumpkin.

It is recommended to place pumpkin holes between corn plants. Corn shades the pumpkin in hot weather and saves it from overheating.

Beans.

Bush beans are the friendliest vegetable of the legume family. Relationships of mutual assistance and mutual stimulation were noted for beans and radishes, all types of cabbage, corn, celery, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, and spinach. With root secretions rich in nitrogen, beans help other types of vegetables growing next to them. In addition, it is compatible with chard, lettuce, strawberries, and leeks. Beans do not tolerate the proximity of onions, garlic, fennel, and peas. Among the herbs for beans, savory is recommended, which protects it from black aphids.

Garlic.

Apparently it is not very popular in Western Europe, so it is rarely used in mixed plantings. It is known that garlic goes well with tomatoes, beets, carrots, cucumbers, strawberries and has a bad effect on beans, peas, and cabbage.

Spinach.

Spinach is a beloved member of the vegetable community in Germany and Switzerland. It is credited with many positive qualities, including cold resistance, short ripening period, and compact shape. All this makes it a very convenient crop for successive and combined plantings. In addition, spinach roots have a beneficial effect on the properties of the soil, and saponin, which is part of its root secretions, stimulates the absorption of nutrients by the roots of vegetables growing next to it. Relationships of mutual beneficial influence were noted for spinach and potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and beets. The most common combinations are spinach with kohlrabi, radishes, and lettuce. It also goes well with carrots, onions, parsley, watercress, celery, cabbage, and strawberries. Spinach does not have a hostile relationship with any plant species.

All of the advice given regarding planting vegetables together should be taken as recommendations, and not as absolutely firm rules. Each gardener should test them on his site with the varieties at his disposal in relation to local conditions.

The described methods of joint planting of vegetable crops provide for the effective use of the entire garden area throughout the summer season. With this growing method, a plot of 100 m2 can feed a family of four.

One more important piece of advice from experienced gardeners should be mentioned. This applies to drawing up an annual planting plan. It is needed in order, firstly, to observe the correct rotation of crops from year to year in accordance with the rotation rules described above, and secondly, to plan reseeding and replanting of some crops with others at the beginning of the year. All this is difficult to remember and keep in mind, especially with a wide variety of crops, so a garden plan is absolutely necessary.

Description:

Planting vegetable crops together will make your garden not only more beautiful, but also more resistant to various diseases and pests.

Compatibility of aromatic and medicinal herbs in the garden.

Basil - grows well with tomatoes, repels flies and mosquitoes.

Elderberry repels mice.

Tagetis - repels insects (should be planted in different parts of the site).

Borago - is friendly with tomatoes, pumpkin, strawberries: improves the growth process and taste of the fruit.

Valerian is generally good to have somewhere in the garden.

HYSSOP - loves cabbage. Jealously scares away the cabbage moth.

Melissa officinalis - preferably grown in different parts of the garden.

Lovage is also good to grow in different parts of the garden: it improves the growth and taste of the fruit!

Euphorbia spurge repels moths and mice, which means that God himself ordered it to be grown in different parts of the garden.

Monarda tubularis - looks good with tomatoes: improves the taste and growth of fruits.

Mint is good with cabbage and tomatoes: it improves the general condition of plants and repels cabbage cutworms.

Peppermint - planted on cabbage, repels cabbage whites.

Nasturtium - very tolerant of radishes, cabbage, pumpkins; Sow it under fruit trees: it repels aphids, bedbugs, and other flea beetles.

Calendula is good with tomatoes; it can be sown in any part of the garden: it repels various insects.

Petunia - protects legume plants!

Chamomile - grows well with cabbage and onions.

Dill - like hyssop, loves cabbage very much and grows well with it.

Garlic - plant it near roses and raspberries!

Tarragon - plant it throughout the area!

Sage - plant near cabbage, carrots, BUT - away from cucumbers.

http://www.omsk.com/viewtopic.php?p=3718066&sid=

Sow dill next to the apple tree

It has long been noted that some plants influence others in a certain way. For example, cabbage planted as a compactor on cucumber crops is not affected by pests until harvesting, whereas in a pure cabbage field there are many of them, especially aphids.

By the way, a good remedy for fighting aphids and some other pests is the roots of horse sorrel, chicory (200 g per 10 liters of water), quickly crushed in a meat grinder and immediately used, or their aerial parts (400 g).

The folk method of growing onions mixed with carrots is widely known. The last third of the plot is sown only with carrots. From the middle third of autumn you will reap a wonderful harvest of both crops, and around the edges there will be a mass of wormy carrots and wormy onions. In many areas, it is practiced to sow hemp and dill scattered throughout the garden. At one time this technique was called ignorance. But pests do not live in such ignorance.

Amateur gardeners practice sowing onions in rows and between rows of strawberries. The leaves of these crops must be in contact, and picking onion feathers onto the greens increases the strength of the phytoncidal secretions. These two cultures perfectly disinfect each other. There should be a lot of onions so that the greens of both crops are equal.

What happens in such a neighborhood? In the process of evolution, the onion fly has become accustomed to onion phytoncides, although its secretions are fatal to all other flies. Conversely, the strawberry mite or weevil has adapted to strawberry phytoncides. But just as the onion fly cannot tolerate the phytoncides of strawberries, so strawberry pests cannot tolerate the phytoncides of onions. Moreover, gray rot does not occur on such plantations even in damp summers.

Many plants are capable of protecting each other. It is known, for example, that there are no pests on the lower branches of apple trees if dill, tomato and other phytoncides grow nearby. It was also noticed that in a garden where corn is planted between the rows, there are fewer pests on both crops. This phenomenon will be even more pronounced when sowing the rows with wild hemp - a highly phytoncidal plant of enormous potential (not to be confused with Indian hemp, which is a raw material for the manufacture of drugs. Our wild hemp does not have similar qualities).

To prepare a spray, simply grind the leaves or roots in a juicer or grind through a meat grinder, quickly rinse with cold water, strain and pour the solution into a sealed sprayer. These sprays, despite their killing power for harmful organisms, have nothing to do with poisons.

When using underground parts of plants, the highest effect is obtained from the roots of horseradish, garlic and onions. The roots of dandelion, horse sorrel and burdock were also tested (200-300 g of crushed roots per bucket of water). From the above-ground parts of plants the following were tested: onion and garlic; leaves of elderberry, hemp, sea buckthorn, poplar, alder; needles; all nightshades (tops of tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco). Up to 400 g of above-ground parts of plants were taken per bucket of cold water. The method of spraying (with a broom) currant bushes with infusions and decoctions of onion peels to combat bud mites has long been known. These are different, more persistent fractions of phytoncides. These include infusions from dry plants. If you start spraying with an infusion of onion peels from the beginning of the flower cluster extending until the formation of the first berries every five to seven days, then not only mites, but also no other pests will appear on the bushes.

The results are similar when spraying currant and gooseberry bushes with preparations from horseradish, elderberry, and poplar. The plants turned out to be clean of moths, sawflies, gall midges, and glass beetles. This does not harm beneficial insects. By hunting for pests on different plants, they become immune to their phytoncidal secretions.

During flowering, elderberry branches are stuck into gooseberry and currant bushes. This protects against fire. For the same purpose, the bushes are doused with mullein solution.

Our grandfathers protected themselves from the codling moth this way: tow soaked in tar was hung on the branches of apple trees after flowering. The best results are obtained by alternating spraying with a solution of elderberry leaf juice with treatment with other phytoncides (infusion of onion peels, squeezes of horseradish, garlic, etc.). Lupines and tomatoes growing near the bushes repel flying pests. The effect increases if the leaves of phytoncidons and protected bushes come into contact.

A provocative method of protecting plants from pests opens up very great prospects. If you spray cabbage with pomace from potato tops, then all cabbage pests stop it<узнавать>and immediately fly away, and crawling pests are generally killed by potato phytoncides. If a potato plot is sprayed with cabbage leaf pomace, cabbage pests flock to the smell and begin to lay eggs there. But when caterpillars emerge from the eggs 10 days later, they are immediately killed by the phytoncides of a plant alien to them. Similar pairs can be found among any plants. An apple tree, for example, can be sprayed with equal success against codling moths with a solution of woodlice grass, tomato leaves, poplar, and pine needles.

Victor Mikhailovich NACHAROV, Samara

Alternation of crops in the beds. There are two approaches to classifying plants into good and bad precursors, which will be discussed later.
Predecessor- a crop grown in the previous planting season or 1-5 months before the current crop.

Green manure- plants such as: white mustard, phacelia, buckwheat, rye, legumes. In summer cottages, they are grown not for harvesting (except for legumes, of course), but for subsequent crushing and incorporation into the soil in order to enrich it with many minerals, primarily nitrogen. Where does nitrogen come from in these plants? The roots of green manure contain entire colonies of special bacteria - nitrogen fixers. Another benefit of green manure: their roots do not need to be painstakingly pulled out and chopped, let them remain, because the passages from them allow the soil to “breathe”, and the roots of vegetables planted after green manure will develop better. That is, the roots of green manure loosen the soil. Again, it’s less work for us; we don’t have to loosen and fertilize the soil with pre-dissolved mineral fertilizers from sachets. And green manure costs much less than fertilizers in powders and ampoules. They are cold-resistant, you can plant them any time, they grow very quickly. Three harvests of legumes will enrich the soil as if you had fertilized it with a good dose of manure. Green manure also allows you to deoxidize the soil. And this problem exists for many summer residents, because our allotment was given to territories previously used for collective farm fields, therefore, the soil was depleted.

Organic farming- a method of caring for an area that does not use artificial mineral fertilizers sold in bags in stores. But this does not mean a complete abandonment of mineral fertilizers. You can use peat (to loosen the soil); lime - ordinary, for whitewashing ceilings (to deoxidize the soil); ash as a source of easily soluble potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, manganese and other micro- and macroelements. You will read the same list of chemical elements from the periodic table on bags of mineral fertilizers, which you also need to work with gloves and even sometimes in a respirator, without children nearby. The best ash comes from burning wood; it has the most balanced composition. But it can also be used from the burning of the thick stems of some plants - sunflower, for example. If you add ash, do not use other mineral fertilizers, otherwise you will upset the balance in the soil. Also, with organic farming, they do not diligently dig up the soil, only loosen it superficially, so as not to mix the beneficial bacteria of the upper and lower layers, because These bacteria work only in their native layer. Also, with this method of farming, the soil should not remain “bare”; there should always be something on it: either a growing crop or green manure, or at least the soil should be covered with a layer of cut lawn grass, or, temporarily, rotted weeds, or mulched compost.

Mulching- a technique used in the above farming method. We finely chop the weeds (without fanaticism, you can just chop them with a sharp shovel or weeder), put them around the sprouted and more or less developed plants on watered and loosened soil, otherwise a thick layer of mulch will crush the young shoots and they will rot. That’s it, until the end of summer you don’t have to worry about frequent watering and loosening after each watering.

Mixed plantings- when different crops are planted in one bed. They allow us to save space for sowing on our small plots, cover the soil with leaves so that it does not dry out, repel various pests of one crop by secretions of neighboring crops into the air and soil, and even serve as a support for neighboring climbing plants. Sometimes plants even improve each other's taste, such as beans planted in a narrow strip among strawberries. But there are also irreconcilable enemy plants that cannot be planted nearby.
I'll tell you about all these techniques.

Basic principles of crop rotation - two ways to separate plants into good and bad predecessors

The first way to divide plants into good and bad predecessors is based on the plant's need for nutrients. Vegetables “take” from the soil and also add useful substances to it in different ways; all plants are divided into three groups according to their need for nutrients: with high need, with medium need, with low need. It is necessary to alternate crops of different groups so that the soil is not depleted.

Plants with a high need for nutrients are easy to remember; they mostly have large fruits: potatoes, cabbage, pumpkin, zucchini, rhubarb, but they also include small ones: spinach and celery. However, it is necessary to note some peculiarities of crop rotation for this group of crops - for several years in a row (2-3 years exactly) you can grow potatoes and cabbage in one place, not forgetting about sowing green manure before winter or early spring, this even allows you to “cleanse” the soil of weeds , because we field and loosen and hill these crops twice a season, or even more often.

With an average need for nutrients - smaller plants: cucumbers and melons, kohlrabi and radishes, eggplant and tomatoes, climbing beans, leeks, beets and carrots, and horseradish.
Finally, plants with a weak need for nutrients: peas and bush beans - they can even be used as green manure, they bring a lot of nitrogen, as well as onions, radishes, lettuce, and herbs.
The second way to divide plants into good and bad predecessors is by what family the plants belong to. It’s easier to navigate here; just remember your school knowledge. The principle of crop rotation here is as follows: you cannot plant plants of the same family in the same place for two years in a row. The most common crops in our areas are from these families: brassicas (cruciferous) - radishes, turnips, radishes, daikon, cabbages (naturally), horseradish and watercress. Nightshades - you need to be especially careful here, because... this family has many diseases and pests: potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, physalis. Pumpkin - they need to be distributed not only at the time of planting, but also in place, since they are cross-pollinated - zucchini and squash, pumpkins with melons and watermelons and, of course, cucumbers. Butterworts are excellent green manures, so it is not advisable to plant them in the same place every year - peas, beans, beans and lentils, the latter is rarely grown.

How to draw up a crop rotation scheme on your site

Anyone can draw up a correct scheme for the alternation of cultures, although at first glance it seems impossible - as if solving a complex logical problem of Einstein. It is enough to draw a diagram of your beds and number them. In the table, write down the numbers of the beds in rows and the years in columns. Then arm yourself with a pencil, an eraser and spread the names of the crops across the table. Remember the two principles of crop rotation, that is, do not plant plants of the same family in the same place, as well as plants with the highest need for nutrients ahead of plants with a lower need for them. That, it would seem, is all. But it turns out that there is also the concept of mixed plantings and plants, “good neighbors” and “bad”, because our plots are small, we cannot spread different types of crops across fields the size of half a hectare, we have to not only distribute crops over time , but also locally, and this is for one season.

List of good and bad predecessors

So, a list of crops, good and bad predecessors, at the end - what to plant after this crop (so as not to search through the list of bad and good predecessors again).
I note that green manure, including grains and legumes, can be considered as good predecessors for any crops except legumes, and they can also be planted after any crops except legumes.
Watermelon, melon, pumpkin. Good predecessors are onions, cabbage, root vegetables. The bad ones are sunflower, potato, pumpkin. After planting: beans, lettuce, peas, beans, herbs.
Cabbage. Good predecessors are carrots, onions, cucumbers. The bad ones are all cabbage (with turnips, radishes and radishes), beets, tomatoes, horseradish. After planting: watermelons with melons, pumpkin, cucumbers with zucchini and squash, onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes with peppers and eggplant (after fertilizing with green manure), garlic, and possibly potatoes, the latter only after fertilization.
Peas. Good predecessors are cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes. The bad ones are legumes. After planting: everything except legumes.
Carrot. Good predecessors are cucumbers and zucchini, cabbage, onions, and tomatoes. The bad ones are carrots themselves, potatoes, as well as related parsley and, oddly enough, beans. After planting: onions are the best, as well as garlic, and maybe tomatoes. I don’t recommend potatoes; I didn’t have a successful harvest after carrots, although the crop rotation tables advise. Apparently, they still don’t plant root crops after root crops.
Parsley. Good predecessors are cucumber, onion, and tomatoes. The bad ones are carrots, parsley itself, celery, especially after root parsley. After planting: zucchini, squash.
Radish, turnip, radish. Good predecessors are potatoes, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. The bad ones are cabbage vegetables, as they are also classified as cruciferous vegetables. Also, carefully weed such beds to remove the weeds, for the same reason. After planting: zucchini, squash.
Celery. Good predecessors are cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers. The bad ones are carrots, root parsley, and especially celery itself. After planting: lettuce, bush beans, onions, herbs.
Beet. Good predecessors are cucumber, onion, garlic. The bad ones are the beets themselves, as well as other root vegetables - carrots, celery and chard, although they are leafy, but still a relative, as well as cabbage. After planting: zucchini, squash, potatoes, lettuce.
Nightshades - tomato, pepper, eggplant. Good predecessors are cucumber, cabbage (only after green manure), and onion. The bad ones are all nightshades. After planting: onions, garlic, carrots, parsley, cruciferous vegetables (radishes and radishes), cucumbers. Often they even alternate planting cucumber, tomato, and pepper plants in greenhouses, which is very convenient.
Cucumber. Good predecessors are tomato, cabbage (after green manure). Bad ones - zucchini, squash, pumpkins, melons, watermelons. After planting: tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants, carrots, parsley, beets.
Zucchini, squash. Good predecessors are cabbage (after green manure), radishes with radishes and turnips, onions, carrots, and greens. The bad ones are pumpkin ones. After planting: carrots, bush beans, lettuce, radishes.
Onion. Good predecessors are nightshade, cabbage, and legumes. The bad ones are the onions themselves, garlic, cucumbers. After planting: everything except onions, garlic and cucumbers.
Garlic. Good predecessors are tomato and cabbage. The bad ones are onions and garlic, cucumbers, carrots. After planting: everything except onions, garlic and cucumbers.
Potato. Good predecessors are beets and cabbage (after green manure). The bad ones are the rest of the nightshades. Then plant (but only after green manure): cabbage, pumpkin, garlic, onions, root vegetables, herbs.

Mixed plantings

To enhance the effect of proper crop rotation, you can experiment with mixed plantings.
A few rules for mixed plantings. Basically, you can use the above table of bad and good predecessors. Plants of the same family should not be planted next to each other; there will be many pests.
Tall ones will shade short ones; when orienting plantings, take into account where the sun rises and sets.
Shade-tolerant: dill, parsley, rhubarb, spinach, sorrel (especially), lettuce, zucchini, Chinese cabbage.
Photophilous: tomato, pepper, eggplant, melon, watermelon, cucumber, peas, beans.
Moderately light-loving (meaning, if there is shadow for some part of the daylight hours, then this is even beneficial): onions, garlic, cabbage, beans, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, radishes.
Consider which group the plants belong to based on their nutrient needs, so as not to deplete the soil.
The densely branching roots of some plants can entangle the thin roots of other plants.
Fast-growing crops can be planted in slow-ripening ones; a classic example is the proximity of carrots and onions.
No plant is compatible with fennel (a relative of dill), so it is planted in the farthest corner of the garden.
Most aromatic herbs and seasonings, and even dandelions, have a beneficial effect on plantings by repelling insect pests; this knowledge has been used since medieval times, in monastery gardens. Those interested in medicinal herbs can find the article by N. M. Zhirmunskaya “Good and bad neighbors in the garden bed”, which describes herbs in detail. I don’t plant grass yet, because... I don’t use them much in cooking, so we’ll focus on vegetables.

Examples of beds with mixed plantings

Classic - carrots and onions. Onion and carrot flies will not grow in such a bed. You pull out the onions in August, and the carrots a little later; also, with this method, very few weeds grow.
Planting corn, pumpkins and beans has been a classic since Indian times. The pumpkin provides shade to the soil, fewer weeds grow, and tall corn prevents the sun from burning the pumpkin, while beans simply enrich the soil with nitrogen. I tried corn next to potatoes. Liked.
From unusual neighbors: cucumber and corn (or sunflower). The cucumber wraps around a thick stem, oddly enough, without interfering with its support to develop, and they, in turn, protect the cucumber from the wind. I wrote down this method for myself, maybe I’ll try it.
Garlic, and around the edges - plant radishes or beets individually. Then plant green manure.
Onions, along the edges there are a few early radishes, I especially liked the “Early Red” variety, very large. But such a load on the garden bed - root crops pull out a lot of nutrients from the soil, although onions clean it - must be accompanied by sowing green manure in the fall or August.

Rice. 1. Beds prepared for sowing onions and radishes.

Rice. 2. The same beds after harvesting the radishes.

Rice. 3. After harvesting the onions, with already sprouted green manure (white mustard). Early October.

Daikon, around the edges - early radish. Despite the fact that these are both root vegetables, the ripening period is different, so the daikon will still be huge, 30-35 centimeters.

Rice. 4. July. Daikon 'Minowase', grown with early radishes, was planted in early June.

A row of radishes, a row of spinach, lettuce, dill around the edges. The very first planting, the earliest harvest, dill is picked last. In general, dill can be sown in many crops. They say that the proximity of spinach to lettuce improves the taste of the latter.
Cabbage, marigolds around the edges. It’s beautiful and repels pests.
Cabbage, cauliflower and regular cabbage, with dill is the most ideal combination. Dill also benefits from this placement.
Onions on greens among tomatoes in a greenhouse - while the tomato stem is developing, the onion grows quickly in such luxurious greenhouse conditions.
A row of onions, a row of beets, a row of lettuce, another row of onions. Looks good. The salad was ripe - it was quickly removed, the beets and onions had more space to develop. The next harvest is onions, again there is room for further development of beets.
I tried other mixed planting options recommended on the Internet, but I didn’t like some of them.
I didn't like the beans and beans among the potatoes. They only interfere with hilling and wrap around the potatoes. In addition, these crops are potassium-loving crops and draw potassium from the soil. However, it is good to grow black beans around the potato plot, it seems to repel the moles a bit. But you need black beans to grow around the entire perimeter, in a closed loop. This method of repelling moles came to us from Estonia. I'll definitely try it.
There is also a means to control mice; our neighbors have almost successfully tested it. It is necessary to plant white mustard around the perimeter of the plot. In the fall, use it again to incorporate it into the soil and enrich it with nitrogen.
Lettuce and spinach did not grow among the winter radishes and daikon. They crushed him under the shadow of their powerful leaves. Although I also read this method on the Internet. Like, lettuce and spinach are harvested early, and radish and daikon much later. Nothing like this. Cruciferous leaves grow very quickly and shade lettuce and spinach.
The spinach among the leeks was small in size and absolutely unimpressive.

Rice. 5. Spinach among leeks as an example of an unsuccessful mixed planting.

Garlic among strawberries never grows large for me, although this is considered a classic planting. But he grew well after green manure.

Rice. 6. The size of huge cloves of garlic after green manure.

Rice. 7. Medium-sized garlic grown among strawberries.

Technology 1-2-3-4-5-6 for creating a bed for strawberries - immediately applying the principles of crop rotation and mixed plantings

A widely known scheme of crop rotation using joint planting is the “1-2-3-4-5-6” technology, as I called it, for creating a good bed for strawberries in the sixth year.
Based on the creation of high beds. It is possible with fencing with boards, or without. Branches are laid down for drainage - from berry bushes, for example. But they need to be chopped. I didn’t chop some of them, but by spring they sprouted and even produced leaves. Apparently, they were very tenacious. You can even put an old chain-link under the branches to protect against rodents. Then a layer of soil is laid, then compost, and so on, we also throw in the weeded weeds, preferably those that have not had time to produce seeds, without roots. In the spring, we cover everything with a small layer of soil with compost and use “new technologies.” Such a bed already has time to warm up when there is snow everywhere, because it is closer to the sun, although only 20-50 cm from ground level.
Compost can be used from annual plantings of zucchini, even though it is immature; compost specially collected and rotted for 2-3 years, already black and crumbly; purchased - but it is very expensive; as well as just pea tops and the topsoil of the pea bed.

Rice. 8. Such dry pea tops, as well as the soil from under them, are an excellent source of nitrogen and can be planted in any garden bed.

Rice. 9. Unripe annual compost from under zucchini.

But you can use it as soon as you have created a bed, even from unrotted compost. For this purpose, the 1-2-3-4-5-6 technology was created. You just need to cover the entire bed with black film or, better yet, black agrotex, and cut out the holes.
In the first year When the weeds have not yet had time to rot and release a lot of nitrogen, we plant plants that do not accumulate nitrates - cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini. Under no circumstances should you plant greens, cabbage, beets and radishes. At the end of summer we will plant white mustard, since pumpkin plants, as we remember, draw out a lot of nutrients. If we have time, we will chop the mustard in winter and plant it in the garden bed, then cover it with film for the winter. If we don’t have time, we’ll cover up the remains in the spring, but without using a shovel, only with weedgrass, loosening the soil shallowly.

Rice. 10. Beginning of construction of the first year bed.

In the second year Don’t forget to create a similar bed next to it, a second one. We plant on it what is supposed to be planted in the first year. And in the first bed, which has been living for the second year, we plant kohlrabi, cauliflower or tomatoes; you can also plant beets from the edge, if the bed is flat and not fenced with boards. For the winter we do everything the same as in the first year.
In the third year We are creating a third bed, so we already have three such high beds for this technology. On the third we grow what we are supposed to grow in the first year. On the second - what is supposed to be grown in the second year. And on the first one, which is now three years old, we grow early cabbage, carrots or celery, peppers and eggplants can also be used. Along the edges you can use nigella onions. We remember what to do in the fall.
In the fourth year adding another bed. We place crops by analogy with previous years. And in the oldest bed, four years old, there are beets or carrots, along the edges you can have onions for turnips, large ones grow. In the fall, don’t forget to take care of the garden bed again.
In the fifth year in the oldest, five-year-old bed, we will grow greens - lettuce, dill, parsley, because a lot of nutrients have already been drawn out of the soil by the plantings of the previous four years, despite the fact that we planted green manure for the winter. And greens do not require highly nutritious soil. And in the four-year-old, three-year-old, two-year-old and (don’t forget to make one new high bed every year!) in the new bed we plant what is supposed to be planted in beds of that age. In the fall, we have already sowed green manure in five beds.
In the sixth year the oldest, six-year-old, bed will no longer be as high as before. It’s just right for strawberries, since high beds require watering more often than ordinary ones located flush with the ground, because the berry requires rare watering. We plant radishes on it in early spring, and then, after harvesting, strawberry tendrils, which will grow in such a bed for three years.
Then, three years later, after harvesting the strawberry tendrils from our oldest garden bed, we start all over again.

Don’t be afraid to get confused in the rules of crop rotation and the principles of joint planting: in any case, there will be a harvest, you will be able to indulge in berries and early vegetables, and you will certainly enjoy the experiment. Have a rich harvest!

In nature, there are no large areas occupied by one species. In the meadow there is always a mixture of herbs, in the forest there are not only different types of trees, but also shrubs, grasses, and mosses. Even in a field where only one crop is planted after plowing, weeds grow. We, too, can create a vegetable garden in which plants coexist.

Of course, there will be unwanted “aliens” here too, but they won’t cause much harm. This is because a rich, diverse ecosystem will be in balance! How to do this? The answer is simple - use the mixed planting method. To do this, you need to know which plants are good neighbors and plan the area to ensure that different crops are as close as possible. They should not grow in large masses, but in adjacent rows or holes.

It's better at the border

It has long been noticed that plants grow better at the border of different ecosystems: at the edge of a forest, on the shore of a reservoir, at the edge of a field. To recreate the border effect I use a spiral bed. On it, the border is twisted into a spiral and there is room for many microclimatic areas: the higher, the drier and warmer, there is a shady and sunny side. I usually plant aromatic plants in a spiral bed. Here is a variant of the plant sequence: sorrel, valerian, onions, peppermint, clary sage, oak sage, garden thyme, oregano, garden strawberry, sage, cumin, rosemary.

You can simply alternate rows, checking the crop compatibility table. However, we must remember that the influence of plants on each other depends on the conditions in which they grow. Sometimes in large numbers they oppress neighbors, and in moderate numbers they are helpers. In general, you will need a creative approach and your observations.

Culture compatibility

First of all, select a main crop (for example, tomatoes). Then choose a neighbor that has a beneficial effect on the main plant. In our case, it could be lettuce or spinach - they will produce a harvest before the tomatoes begin to bear fruit. Tall tomato plants will protect the greens from direct sunlight and create a more favorable microclimate for them. Lettuce can be sown again after harvesting. It is worth planting aromatic herbs nearby that repel pests. You just need to make sure that they don’t drown out the main culture.

Consider the timing of crop ripening. If you harvest one crop early, it is worth finding a replacement plant for it. You can't leave the ground bare. It is mulched and green manure is planted.

When choosing crops, you should pay attention to reducing competition between them. Plants with deep root systems will get along better with those with shallow roots; species with low nutritional requirements will not interfere with those who need a lot of nutrients; tall, spreading crops will protect those that like light partial shade from the sun.

Only the neighbors' water needs should be similar.

Plants with deep root systems:
Eggplant, legumes (except peas), cabbage, leeks, carrots, parsnips, peppers, radishes, beets, celery root, tomatoes, pumpkin.

Plants with a shallow root system:
Lettuce, peas, potatoes, kohlrabi, watercress, corn, onions, cucumbers, parsley, leaf celery, radishes, melon, spinach.

Mixed plantings perform several functions: protecting plants from diseases and pests, increasing yield per unit area, protecting the soil from one-sided depletion, reducing the number of weeds. Fruits and vegetables growing in community with other species taste better: mint improves the taste of potatoes, parsley improves the taste of tomatoes.

If you choose the right plants, they will help each other and delight the owner. This is the most efficient use of your plot of land.

I have been using compaction of crops and joint planting in my garden for a long time. I sow carrots through a row of onions, plant beds with cabbage with savory, and potatoes with beans. And such nursery plants as calendula, marigolds and nasturtium grow throughout the garden.

"Communal" for celery

I decided to compact the plantings of Brussels sprouts, broccoli and early cabbage by planting celery root between the rows. These cultures go well together. Cabbage stimulates the growth of celery, which drives white butterflies away from the cabbage.

At first everything went like clockwork: both cabbage and celery developed perfectly. But in the second half of summer, where Brussels sprouts and celery grew, I saw that the former was noticeably ahead of its neighbor in growth. Soon the top leaves of the cabbage closed, and my celery was in the lower tier, in dense shade.

I looked after this “communal” bed especially carefully. The cabbage was good, but the celery became “sad” day by day.

I realized that I had made a mistake - it was impossible to plant late-ripening crops nearby. And if you decided to do this, then you had to leave such a distance between them so that everyone had enough space and light. My celery was clearly not getting enough of this. It never formed powerful rhizomes; we had to be content with only greenery.

Celery planted together with early cabbage is another matter! Already in July, all the heads of cabbage were cut off, and the celery remained the rightful owner in the garden. The conclusion suggests itself: any plants first need to create optimal conditions for development, namely: adequate nutrition, watering, lighting. And then the crops planted nearby can remain friends for a long time.

Who is friends with whom?

Everyone knows that onions and carrots are the best friends in the garden. One crop repels pests from another and vice versa. After the carrots have sprouted, I plant onion seedlings into the gaps found.

I fill the same gaps in the beets with lettuce. The bed of early radishes can be sown with green manure. But it is more economical to sow radishes directly between the rows of carrots. Carrots grow slowly, the seedlings remain low for a long time and cannot in any way shade the fast-growing radish. This way I get a double harvest from one bed. I sow the seeds of early ripening dill into peas: after a while its tendrils will catch on the dill stems.

I sow beans along the perimeter of the potato plot. At first it is a little stunted in growth, but after digging up the potatoes it develops beautifully and manages to ripen. I add onions to the tomatoes - I plant the sets between the bushes, but only on the greens. After all, tomatoes grow quickly and greatly shade their neighbors.

Otherwise, someone will definitely start harassing their neighbor. In general, everything is like with people. How can one not remember the old saying: “Friendship is friendship, but tobacco is apart!”

Vegetable beds or why do plants need satellites?

Gardeners have long noticed that plants growing nearby influence each other. They release various substances into the environment that their neighbors “like” or “dislike.” For example, early cabbage and tomatoes, late cabbage and early potatoes, tomatoes and celery, beans and potatoes feel good next to each other.

Mustard leaves, marigolds, calendula, and basil heal the soil and help all crops. I plant them along the edge of the beds, at the entrance to the greenhouses.

There is another big plus in mixed plantings. This is the flight of our imagination. Let's get rid of the stereotype that cabbage should sit in even rows! I plant plants randomly (at the corners of a triangle, the contour of a circle), around - nasturtium with marigolds. And the garden bed looks festive. And the smell of flowers scares away butterflies.

I add several phacelia flowers to the cucumbers - and they attract pollinating insects with their smell. So simply the plot turns into a piece of paradise - a place where you can rest your soul.

I place satellite plants in row-spacings or in nests among the main crop. Such mixed plantings create a favorable background, increase resistance to disease and even affect the taste of the fruit. With mixed plantings, soil fatigue does not occur, and the number of pests is significantly reduced, since the smell of their “food” is interrupted by the smell of other plants. In addition, such beds create an ideal refuge for predatory insects that feed on garden pests.

Romance of onions and melons

I have my own method, proven over the years, of growing several crops in one bed. For example, onions with melons and watermelons. The harvest is excellent! In a garden bed (2-2.2 m wide), usually in April - early May (on the waning Moon), I plant onion seedlings along the edge in two rows with a distance of 40-50 cm between them. I place the next two-row from the first at a distance of 90- 100 cm.

At home I sow watermelon and melon seeds for seedlings. Then I carefully transplant the seedlings into open ground, in the center of the onion bed, at a distance of 70-90 cm from each other. To prevent stress and illness, I treat onions and melons with a microbiological preparation and an infusion of wood ash (200 g per 10 liters of water). I water using a drip irrigation system. In mid-summer I harvest the ripened bulbs. After the ovary appears on the vines of watermelons and melons, I leave only 2-3 fruits per bush. They will grow large and tasty. Using the same technology, I add melons to winter garlic.

Reasons for joint plantings:

1. PHYSICAL BARRIER
Taller plants provide natural protection for shorter ones from direct sun, strong winds and garden pests. They create a favorable microclimate for their smaller neighbors.

2. FERTILIZER
Legumes extract nitrogen from the deep layers of the soil and accumulate nitrogen in their root system, which their closest neighbors can use. Read more about green manure – plants that are called “green manure”.

3. ATTRACTING BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND BIRDS
Bright, fragrant and full of nectar flowers attract bees and butterflies, which at the same time “along the way” land on the flowers of neighboring fruit crops, pollinating them and increasing the harvest. Many plants attract birds and beneficial insects, which (or their larvae) naturally kill pests.

4. REPEALING PESTS – INSECTS AND RODENTS
Many aromatic herbs disorient insects with their smell and drive them away from vegetable crops. Others, on the contrary, attract insects to themselves, distracting them from vegetables. It is believed that onions repel rabbits and hares, and elderberries repel mice. Marigolds (tagetes) repel worms from root vegetables growing in the neighborhood.

5. CHEMICAL EXPOSURE – ALLELOPATHY
The mutual or unilateral influence of plants on each other through the release of biologically active substances (phytoncides, colins, antibiotics, etc.) is called allelopathy. The already mentioned marigolds are one of the most influential plants. Along with other substances, they produce thiophene, which has a pungent odor. It is believed that marigolds are capable of displacing bindweed from their immediate environment - one of the most malicious (albeit beautiful) weeds.

The effect of allelopathy should be taken into account not only when planting vegetables together, but also when storing and transporting crops (for example, bananas and apples emit ethylene, which contributes to faster ripening and further decomposition of other fruits nearby), as well as when making compositions from cut flowers .

6. IMPROVING THE TASTE OF FRUITS
Some gardeners believe that certain plants can even improve the taste of their neighbors' fruits. For example, many aromatic herbs (most notably basil and monarda) improve the taste of tomatoes. It can be assumed that these plants accumulate certain useful elements and enrich the soil around them with them.

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