who does companion planting?

[peteyfoozer]

mostly just trying to get some ideas. I have to use the internet for all our info as we live several hours from town. Have had small gardens the past few years but haven't got it all nailed down yet, and the past 2 years have been horrendously cold thru June so my yields were less than desirable. I am hoping for a better season this year! I do like mixing flowers, plants and stuff and trying to decide what is going to go best with what so I can lay out next years garden.

 

[4grandbabies]

I seemed to have good luck with planting basil around my tomatoes.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

peteyfoozer What are you planning on growing? I am planning to grow my corn and squash/cucumbers together because the vines are supposed to keep the coons out of your corn. Most herbs to well with tomatoes. I am excited to get started also. I am really changing up my garden this year.

 

[Carol Dee]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants

Check this link. Besides telling you which plants work togehter it shows what to avoid planting together, benifits , etc... I thought it looked very helpful. Good Luck and have fun.

 

[April Manier]

This thread is fabulous. Keep it comin'!

 

[peteyfoozer]

peteyfoozer What are you planning on growing? I am planning to grow my corn and squash/cucumbers together because the vines are supposed to keep the coons out of your corn. Most herbs to well with tomatoes. I am excited to get started also. I am really changing up my garden this year.

I have had to relocate the garden area this year, so I am trying to refine things a little bit where i can rotate 'crops' as well as plant things that help each other out, or at least don't cause issues. We live hours from a grocery store so I really need to have some success so I can put up more in the pantry and freezer this year. The past two years have been nightmarish with the cold, wet weather all the way to July!

I have several varieties of squash, corn, green beans, peas, carrots, spinach, and a lot of other stuff along with the strawberries, raspberries and blackberries that have permanent spots. I have a small peach tree that should set some fruit this year, and hope to place a 3-way apple and apricot in the yard as well. We have several fruit trees in an old orchard but they are 100 years old and have suffered 50 years of neglect. They still bear some fruit tho, its just hard to get to and you can't thin it. The cows, sheep and goats LOVE It tho!

I know a vine in my corn sure kept the weeds down and kept the moisture in, it was just a bit tricky to harvest. I might put a winter squash with mine this year as they tend to set later. I put 4 O'clocks between my squash in rows last year and had no squash bugs, but that could be coincidence. It was pretty though! I think I will keep mixing flowers with the veggies from now on, if only because it is so pleasing to look at!

 

[lesa]

Gee, with that cold spring/summer weather, you might want to try row covers or a hoop house. I love mixing flowers with my veggies, too.

 

[lesa]

Just took a peek at your blog, what a lovely piece of paradise you have there! Great blog!

 

[peteyfoozer]

I am thinking you are right! I have been thinking about making some cold frames as well as doing something over the plants that I get in the ground, at least until things are warmer.

and thanks, we love being here, its a fabulous life!

 

[thistlebloom]

I was thinking along the same lines as Lesa about hoop tunnels or a hoop house. Is that beautiful rock wall anywhere around your garden area Petey? That would be a great place to grow your heat lovers, maybe with an additional frost cloth/ row cover arrangement until you got some consistently warm weather.

I hear you about long cold starts to summer, ours was ridiculous, my tomatoes didn't start to ripen till about September, then they just got ripe in dribs and drabs. This year I'm building a hoop house with cattle panels and they're gonna live in it all summer!
Ripe tomatoes or bust!