For centuries, gardeners have accumulated knowledge about mixed plantings of vegetables, the compatibility of garden crops, their influence on each other. Each summer resident tries to use this useful baggage on his site, as this makes it possible to use the land more rationally, get a better crop and spend less effort on caring for the beds. However, the information is often fragmented and contradictory, so our task is to find out how to grow vegetables properly. Landing compatibility is an important issue, despite the fact that we are used to not paying attention to such subtleties and cultivate each culture on a separate bed.
What is plant grouping based on?
Most often, through trial and error, it is established that some plants respond well to proximity to others. In this case, parallels are drawn according to the requirements of each species for moisture, temperature, soil composition and resistance to certain diseases. Based on this, choose the vegetables closest to each other. Compatibility during planting saves space in the garden, and also creates conditions for better growth and development of plants, which means it stimulates a good harvest.
Allelopathy
Today, not only agricultural workers, but also large agricultural companies are studying this area. Literally, allelopathy means compassion, that is, this direction of crop production studies the negative influence of individual plants on each other. Thus, agricultural technologists empirically determine the compatibility of vegetables during planting, identify species that do not tolerate close proximity.
But today this direction has received a new branch of development. The attention of specialists is no longer directed so much at dividing incompatibles as at grouping mutually complementary cultures. It is the grouping of species that allows you to get the best harvest and save your beds from diseases and pests.
Alternative gardening
Our cottages are planned in approximately the same way: slender rows of purely weathered beds, on which one type of plant grows. Why so? Because it’s familiar and convenient. And imagine a colorful, cheerful garden, on which, depending on the season, new fruits appear, and at the same time fragrant herbs are fragrant. This greatly saves floor space and makes maintenance easier. In addition, well-chosen neighbors help each other. So, how to organize crop rotation correctly, take into account the compatibility of vegetables during planting and correctly calculate the sequence of ripening? We’ll talk about this today. The ultimate goal is to organize a green conveyor, which will provide you with fruits from early spring to late autumn.
Mixed beds
“What is it,” you ask, “is it possible to plant different vegetables together?” Landing compatibility is determined by the characteristics of each species, its requirements for the chemical composition of the soil. Since these techniques have been worked out for centuries, they can be taken as the basis for country farming. Mixed beds - this is primarily a method of natural cultivation of the land, which is the most natural and natural. You can do without chemical additives and fertilizers, but at the same time get the highest yield. But this is not all: mixed beds allow you to observe crop rotation, which favorably affects the improvement of the soil and eliminates its overwork. Summing up, we can say that the use of mixed beds is not an innovation, but only an effective method, and it is based on many years of experience and the observations of gardeners who grew various vegetables. Landing compatibility is observed quite easily, because there are special tables by which you can plan your homestead.
What are the benefits of mixed gardening
We have already talked about the many advantages of such landings, but now let's emphasize each of them again. The most obvious benefit is the rational use of available space. You can get more crop due to the fact that planting of different species in terms of growth rate and maturation is compacted. Gardeners emphasize that the most successful combinations allow you to get 20 kg of vegetables per square meter per season. This is a very impressive figure.
The compatibility of planting vegetables in the garden provides a favorable effect of plants on each other, which simultaneously improves the condition of plants, their taste and nutritional value. In addition, thanks to this type of planting, you can get all the fresh vegetables from spring to fall. This is achieved by phased planting of seedlings in different beds. Finally, the combination and alternation of different types of plants, not identical in their needs for chemical elements, helps to avoid depletion and depletion of the soil.
Another important goal of mixed gardening is to reduce crop damage by pests and diseases. It is not for nothing that in nature plants always form communities - this allows them to survive. Using the laws of wildlife in your garden, you can do without modern chemistry.
Crop classification
Based on what is determined by the compatibility of planting vegetables in the garden? First of all, you need to learn that there is a main culture from which you expect the maximum harvest, and there is an accompanying one that is planted to create the most favorable conditions for the first. Its tasks include protecting the soil from weeds and drying out, it can act as a living mulch. Most often, aromatic herbs, flowers, siderates, and less often other vegetable crops are chosen as the accompanying culture.
If several types of vegetables are selected for a single bed, then slowly ripening is usually taken as the main crop, autumn - for example, cabbage. And between it, while it is still small, quickly ripening plants are planted, for example, cucumbers or radishes. When they are collected, the main culture will receive enough space for its growth and development.
Universal greenhouses
If you have a greenhouse on your site, this means that you can grow most of the vegetable crops there. At the same time, the compatibility of planting vegetables in the greenhouse has always been a question: most summer residents think that each individual species needs to be grown separately. This myth is successfully refuted by modern gardeners who grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and physalis under one "roof". Parsley and dill, basil and other summer herbs will not interfere here. If the size of the greenhouse allows, then it is possible to organize a phased planting of seedlings and enjoy fresh fruits until late autumn.
Placing plants in a greenhouse
To ensure good compatibility of planting vegetables in the greenhouse, it is necessary to build it correctly. It must necessarily be oriented from north to south along the length of the ridge, while along the entire length you need to make several narrow beds. They will also be directed from north to south. Each of them must be raised to a height of 15 cm and enclosed with slate or boards. In order to raise the bed, it is recommended to remove part of the soil, lay out brushwood, stumps, large branches and other improvised material. It serves as a drainage system in parallel.
Now it is very important to observe the characteristics of each type of combined plants: how much they like cold or heat, shadow or bright sun. The northern part is well suited for physalis, populate the central parts of the lateral ridges with tomatoes. At the same time, the central bed is best suited for cucumbers, and the most southern parts are reserved for pepper and eggplant. True, the last two species do not get along well with tomatoes, so between them you need to leave a strip that is sown with aromatic herbs. The compatibility of vegetables when planted in the ground remains exactly the same.
What beans are combined with
We often hear that representatives of this family should grow in the garden. Most favorable is their proximity to cucumbers. Be sure to plant a row of beans or beans along the bed - this way you will greatly simplify your summer. Describing the compatibility of planting vegetables in the garden, this couple is mentioned in the first place. Beans go well with corn, potatoes, radishes, and spinach. At the same time, fragrant basil reduces the risk of bean disease with viral infections. It is not recommended to plant them next to onions, spinach and garlic, they also do not like the neighborhood with marigolds.
Cabbage
Autumn culture, which gives the opportunity to grow more than one generation of radishes in its shade during the summer. It goes well with bush beans and celery. Since the compatibility of vegetables when planting in the country today is transferred from one gardener to another, many already know that dill growing among cabbage repels caterpillars and fleas. A row of cucumbers located nearby is a good protection against snails. The fragrant herbs have proven themselves excellently. The cabbage bed surrounded by them will be protected from the cabbage butterfly and its larva.
Potatoes
A frequent guest in our garden, he also has his beloved neighbors. Gardening magazines describing the compatibility of vegetables during planting (with a photo, which is very convenient) often show it in a company with beans, spinach, beans and horseradish. These plants enrich the earth with nitrogen, and also scare away the Colorado potato beetle. It is not recommended to plant sunflower and quinoa next to it. While gardeners are arguing over compatibility with potatoes, tomatoes, beets and peas.
Corn
The plant is rather capricious and demanding in nutrition. It is recommended to plant it in blocks, alternating with bush beans. It goes well with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and potatoes. Corn is a very friendly plant, many summer residents plant it on the edges of almost all beds on the site. This stimulates the growth of plants. However, with celery and table beets, it does not fit well.
Carrot
It tolerates the neighborhood of almost all cultures. It will grow well mixed with onions and spinach - with these root crops along the edge you can plant a bed with tomatoes, radishes, radishes, garlic and lettuce. With this decision, carrots do not take up too much space, perfectly complements the appearance of the beds and gives an excellent harvest, since it does not grow too often, which usually happens when sowing in the form of a continuous bed. The closest plant for carrots is peas. It is also recommended to sow rosemary, tobacco, sage and onions between it. This scares off the carrot fly. But dill and anise are her enemies.
Beet
Beloved by many root crops. Let's look at the compatibility of planting beets with other vegetables. It grows especially well in combination with potatoes, tomatoes, beans and spinach. These five plants will feel great on one bed, in a greenhouse or greenhouse. Beets have a good effect on cabbage, lettuce and radish. She especially likes planted next to onions, spinach and salad. It grows poorly near corn and potatoes.