Before planting garden crops, people carefully. What to plant in the garden and how to do it right: the best tips and tricks

Landscaping and planning 04.03.2020
Landscaping and planning

Proper placement of plants in the beds affects their yield more than it seems. The fact that some crops grow better if they are planted together, while others, on the contrary, interfere with each other, was also noticed by the Indians who plant pumpkins, beans and corn together. Now many gardeners and summer residents know about the successful and unsuccessful neighborhood of vegetables in the beds. The table of "friends" and "enemies" of each vegetable has been studied in detail and is available to everyone.

Good neighbors in the garden

Joint planting of vegetables not only makes full use of the available land, but also positively affects the growth and yield of both plants. As a nice addition, such beds will look very nice from the outside. Smart garden planning and the interaction of plants in it combines many nuances that have been studied by both scientists and farmers in their own experience.

It is known that many plants emit chemical compounds that can both promote the growth of neighbors and suppress it. In addition, they can provide each other with protection from the heat, providing shade, enriching the soil, inhibiting the growth of weeds that are dangerous to another species, or repel pests. Each culture has its own list of useful and harmful companions in the garden.

Benefits of co-planting

Rules for joint planting of cultivated plants designed primarily to increase productivity. Observing them, a person receives the following benefits:

Different neighbors are good for each plant, so you need to carefully consider the layout of the garden before you start mixed planting vegetables in the beds. An example of a successful neighborhood: cucumber and corn, when cereals protect the vegetable from the scorching sun and at the same time serve as a support for it. Corn is also good in the vicinity of tomatoes, but it is better not to plant tomatoes with cucumbers themselves - they require completely different amounts of moisture and fresh air for optimal growth.

Vegetables can be planted not only next to other edible plants, but also with fragrant herbs or even flowers.

For example, basil improves the taste of tomatoes, while mint improves the taste of white cabbage. Almost all crops can be planted next to garlic and onions, because these odorous plants produce a large amount of phytoncides that work well on many vegetables.

All plants need pollinators, which can be attracted by planting flowers next to vegetables - they will not only benefit, but also serve as a garden decoration. In addition to them, herbs such as mint, lemon balm and marjoram will help attract pollinating insects. Earthworms also have a good effect on most crops - they loosen the earth, increasing the amount of oxygen available to plants. They like herbs such as chicory, valerian and green onions.

Universal neighbors that are useful for almost any vegetable are legumes. Nodule bacteria live on their roots, processing nitrogen from the air, which the beans can supply to closely growing plants. The most nitrogen-rich soil remains after the end of their growth, therefore legumes also serve as a good predecessor for crops demanding this parameter, for example, pumpkin or cabbage.

Another plant that is friendly with so many vegetables is spinach. It releases special substances that help plants better absorb the beneficial elements from the garden. In addition, spinach leaves quickly grow and cover the ground, protecting it from drying out and preventing weeds from developing, while neighboring vegetables are still small and occupy the entire garden.

All cultures prefer different friends - there are many factors to consider in order to understand what to plant with what in the garden. The compatibility table of the most popular vegetables looks like this:

Pest protectors

Many plants repel or lure insects or animals that feed on vegetable crops. They can be combined in plantings with vulnerable plants or planted between rows for preventive purposes. If you do it right, you can significantly reduce the use of chemicals in the garden or completely eliminate them. Different crops will help protect the garden from such pests:

Warring vegetables

In addition to friend plants that strengthen and support each other in the garden, there are neighbors that are very bad for some species, which inhibit their growth and have a bad effect on the crop. The consequences of joint planting of such "enemies" are often the attraction of pests, diseases, waterlogging, due to which fungi develop, or even the complete cessation of growth of one of the crops. Enemies of the most common garden plants:

Rules for successful combination

In order to get a rich harvest, it is not enough just to plant suitable crops nearby and protect their enemy plants - many more factors must be taken into account. It is best to combine species that are favorable to each other both horizontally and vertically, and also plant them at the right time so that vegetables that grow too early do not ruin their neighbors.

Plants in a joint bed should first of all be combined according to preferences for temperature and amount of water. It is also worth considering the structure of their root system - you need to plant vegetables with different root depths nearby so that they do not intersect and there is no competition.

Another important parameter is the amount of nutrients the plant needs. The culture most in need of them is planted in the center of the planting, and the less demanding crops are planted on the sides. You can never plant crops with the same height and width of leaves on one bed - one of them will definitely destroy a neighbor.

For the proper cultivation of vegetables, you also need to know after which crops they can be planted.

Onions, for example, prefer cucumbers, legumes and early varieties of potatoes as predecessors, but do not like it when celery, radish or carrots grew in front of it in the garden. Both in small and large crop rotations, you should not use plants of the same family twice in a row: this is especially true for beets, chard and spinach.

In a greenhouse, vegetables grow faster - this is also worth considering if you want to create joint plantings there. Before starting work, you need to carefully consider the layout of the beds - take into account the cardinal points (some crops, such as cucumbers and tomatoes, are grown on the southern sunny side of greenhouses), find those plants that are suitable for the same humidity and temperature, and make sure that none of them did not interfere with others.

Joint planting of vegetables is a very effective and useful way, which will help to grow a good crop even under adverse conditions or in a small area. Using the various tables, you can easily create your own combinations of suitable plants and enjoy delicious and juicy vegetables from the garden every year.

Compatibility of vegetables in the beds


The principle of changing crops or crop rotation has been known to farmers for a very long time. In the old days, such a technique of temporal and territorial alternation of plants was called multifield. In addition to changing crops, one of the fields was very often left unsown, that is, the land was kept fallow. With the development of science, multi-field has received justification from the point of view of agrobiology, agrochemistry, and economics.

In small areas, it is unlikely that it will be possible to organize a complete crop rotation, including fallow, however, we will try to find out what can then be planted in the garden. This will help to maintain the correct alternation of crops.

This article has helped many gardeners stop overworking on their plot and at the same time get a generous harvest.

I would never have thought that in order to get the best harvest on my garden plot in my entire “dacha career”, I just need to stop overworking myself in the beds and trust nature. For as long as I can remember, every summer I spent in the country. First on the parent, and then my husband and I bought our own. From early spring to late autumn, all free time was spent on planting, weeding, tying, pruning, watering, harvesting and, finally, conservation and trying to save the crop until next year. And so in a circle...

What gives the right change of crops in the garden

When a person receives a plot of virgin, previously uncultivated land for use, then in the first three to four years of growing garden crops on it, they give a good harvest. In the next two or three years, with the condition of applying fertilizers, mineral and organic, the harvest continues to be very decent. However, after a few years after the beginning of the cultivation of vegetable and other crops, their quantity and quality begin to decline steadily.

No fertilizers, tillage methods give the desired yield and lead only to short-term unstable improvements. Practical observations have shown that if there was a change of crops, at least once every two or three years, then the yield improved both quantitatively and qualitatively.

However, this technique was also not always effective. It turned out that both predecessor plants and neighboring plants play an important role. If you organize the change of cultures correctly, you can achieve the following positive results:

  • increase crop yields by 20 - 25%
  • reduce fertilizer costs
  • minimize or completely eliminate diseases and pests
  • reduce physical and material costs

In addition, the inclusion in the cultivation of the garden of such a technique as sowing plants - green manure, helps to clear the site of weeds, and serve as a means for fertilizing the land and enriching it with mineral and organic substances. If you do not adhere to the order of alternation of crops on the site, then this is fraught with the accumulation of pathogens and pests in the soil. Not following the order and planting plants after unfavorable predecessor crops depletes the soil, increases the cost of fertilizers.

How to organize the rotation of crops in the garden

To properly organize the alternation of grown crops, you need to follow a few rules. One of them is not to plant like after like. It follows from it that one should not just not plant, for example, potatoes after potatoes, but any plants from the nightshade family should not be planted after each other. To comply with this rule, you need to know that all plants are divided in terms of botanical systematics into families, each of which includes several types of cultivated plants.

Solanaceae family

Plants of this family include crops that are very important for every gardener:

  • potatoes
  • tomatoes
  • vegetable sweet and hot peppers
  • eggplant
  • tobacco
  • physalis

Also in this family are flowers such as petunia, decorative varieties of Datura. If the site is supposed to grow several nightshade crops, then all of the above vegetables and flowers should not be planted one after another. This is due to the fact that these plants primarily take available nitrogen from the soil and greatly impoverish it.

If tomatoes or eggplants were grown in the current year, then next year potatoes should not be planted in the same area. Now other plants from the Solanaceae family have appeared in culture, such as:

  • Saraha
  • sunberry
  • naranjilla
  • melon pear
  • cocoon

Although for many they are still exotic, they are gradually occupying their niche in the areas.

Cucurbitaceae family

This family includes both well-known names and plants unfamiliar to many:

  • cucumbers
  • pumpkin
  • watermelons
  • squash
  • zucchini
  • zucchini
  • chayote
  • lagenaria
  • luffa

These plants consume quite a lot not only organic matter, but also phosphorus and potassium from the soil.

Cabbage family

This family includes not only all types of garden cabbage, but also other garden and agricultural plants:

  • mustard
  • camelina

Some of the members of the family can be used as green manure crops.

Legume family

Plants of this family are distinguished by the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. Beans include:

  • lentils
  • peas
  • beans

Some plants can also be grown as siderates and plowed into the ground. In addition to the above families, other crops should also be remembered, such as:

  • Umbelliferae - carrots
  • Amaryllis - onion, garlic
  • Amaranth - beets
  • Cereals - corn
  • Asteraceae - sunflower

These plants can be both good predecessors and excellent neighbors for many vegetable crops.

Vegetable Compatibility, Crop Rotation and Ancillary Activities

Before the start of the gardening season, you need to think over a plan - a scheme for planting crops. In conditions of a limited area, it is more convenient to divide the territory into 4 parts. If you change crops every year, then plants of the same family will fall on the same bed in three years on the fourth. In addition, it is desirable that crops fall into the garden after the best predecessors.

Video about crop rotation and the best neighbors on your site:

The best predecessors for vegetable crops in the garden

For crops from the Solanaceae family, the following plants will be the best predecessors:

  • peas
  • cucumbers
  • cabbage

The best neighbors are:

  • watermelon
  • thyme
  • tarragon

It is very good if before any kind of garden cabbage and before other vegetables from the Cabbage family grew:

  • zucchini
  • potato
  • corn
  • carrot

Good neighbors for them will be:

  • dill
  • celery
  • chard
  • spinach

Before legumes it is best to plant:

  • any cabbage
  • beets
  • cucumbers
  • vegetable peppers

The best neighbors for plants from the legume family:

  • coriander
  • radish
  • pumpkin
  • sunflower
  • salad

If you need to plant pumpkin crops, then this should be done after:

  • any cabbage
  • garlic
  • eggplant
  • tomatoes
  • spinach

It is good to plant in the neighborhood:

  • rhubarb
  • basil
  • marjoram
  • beets
  • coriander
  • corn
  • sunflower

In addition to vegetable crops in the garden, you can also grow berry crops and shrubs. Strawberries and strawberries are best planted after:

  • dill
  • carrots
  • peas

The berry will grow well next to:

  • garlic
  • cucumbers
  • sorrel

For shrubs such as gooseberries and currants, the best predecessors will be:

  • peas
  • beet
  • corn

The best neighbors for them:

  • raspberry
  • peas

If it is not possible to organize an annual change of crops, then it is allowed to grow vegetables on the same area for two seasons. In addition, the situation will be saved by sowing green manure before planting crops or after harvesting. For spring planting, you can use:

  • peas
  • mustard

They do it immediately on the thawed earth. By the time of planting the main crop, spring green manure is plowed into the soil. In the fall, after the crop is harvested, you can plant the following crops:

  • mustard
  • phacelia

When planting in the fall, green manure either goes under the snow and the earth is dug up in the spring, or even in the fall they are embedded in the soil. It is advisable to record all the manipulations associated with the alternation of crops in the garden in a special diary, this will help to comply with the rules for changing crops on the site.

When cultivating the same crops in the garden for a long time, pathogens of bacterial and fungal diseases can accumulate in the soil.

Root and leaf nematodes characteristic of each type of vegetable affect subsequent crops of plants with constant cultivation in one place. Of the pests, cabbage, carrot and onion flies are widespread. You can fight them by alternating vegetable crops belonging to different botanical families.

Vegetables from one botanical family usually have the same set of pests and diseases that do not pose a threat to vegetables from other botanical families:

Aster family or Compositae

lettuce, tarragon, lettuce chicory, scorzonera, artichoke

beans, peas, beans. Peas and beans are an exception as they are incompatible

Nightshade family

tomato, pepper, eggplant, physalis, potato

gourd family

cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon, melon, zucchini, squash

celery family

celery, carrot, parsley, parsnip, dill, coriander, cilantro, etc.

Buckwheat

sorrel, rhubarb

The cabbage family includes all types of cabbage

white and red pumpkin, Savoy, Brussels, broccoli, colored, Beijing, Chinese, kohlrabi

Roots

radish, radish, turnip, swede, daikon, mustard, watercress, horseradish

Onion or lily family

onion, leek, lettuce, chives, slime, batun

beets, spinach

asparagus

Thus, eggplants and potatoes should not be planted in the garden where tomatoes grew in the past, since tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes belong to the nightshade family, which means they have the same set of pests and diseases. When keel appears, cabbage should not be returned to its original place earlier than six years later.

When alternating crops in a garden bed, it is also important to understand what effect a particular crop has on soil fertility. On this basis, three groups of cultures can be distinguished:

1. - crops that are very demanding on nutrition - all types of cabbage and celery;

2. - crops that are less demanding on nutrition - most root crops from the celery families, table beets, turnips, radishes, radishes;

3. Fertility-enhancing crops - legumes - are the best possible forerunner for most crops.

Vegetables from the pumpkin families (cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin), nightshade (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers), all types of onions, all types of lettuce, spinach, corn are intermediate between very and less demanding.

To avoid soil depletion, it is necessary to rotate vegetable crops in such a way that all three groups of crops are replaced in each plot within three years.

The following sequence is most favorable: very demanding crops are planted in the first year, legumes are planted in the second, which restore nitrogen reserves in the soil and improve its structure, and less demanding crops in the third. Then everything repeats.

how to alternate crops in a garden bed

Source:


When planting in a limited area, it is necessary to take into account the relationship of different crops so that there are no conflicts between them, which inevitably affect the yield.

Just like in wildlife, plants need different amounts of space, light, nutrients and water in the garden and in the vegetable garden. Under natural conditions, these requirements are met, since the relationships of plants are balanced, all of them, as well as insects and birds, help rather than interfere with each other. But even in a limited area it is quite possible to achieve harmonious coexistence of cultures, the main thing is to take into account several factors. Vegetables belonging to the same species should not be planted next to each other or one after another, since they have common diseases or pests. It is undesirable to simultaneously or alternately plant crops that need the same nutrients. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the depth of the plant's root system, as well as its height and ripening time. The latter is especially important when it comes to mixed landings.

The general condition of the plants depends on the assortment of the garden - the more diverse it is, the better the plantings grow and give a greater harvest. Nearby or one after another, it is necessary to plant crops not only belonging to different species, but also to different families. The most popular vegetables and root crops belong to two families - or cruciferous, and celery. The former are among the most vulnerable to pests.

It is extremely important not to plant nearby plants, the underground part of which is in the same layer, both in the garden and in the garden. To protect themselves from certain pests or pathogens, plant roots secrete complex compounds into the soil. Also, these compounds can protect neighboring plantings and promote their growth. For example, mustard root extracts are useful for peas, garlic, and a number of other plants. The flip side of this phenomenon is that compounds that are favorable for some plants can become toxic for others. Over time, the discharge can begin to oppress its owner - for example, it is undesirable to grow beets and spinach in one place for more than a year. But with mixed plantings, these crops can grow in one place for up to three years, since plants of other species absorb and process beet root secretions, preventing them from accumulating in the soil. Less sensitive in this regard are pumpkin, some cabbage, parsley, celery, peas and carrots. Corn, beans and leeks grow well without transplanting.

It is important to know how much nutrients certain vegetable crops need - this determines how much top dressing will need to be applied after harvest. All types of cabbage and celery are the most demanding for nutrition. Pumpkin, nightshade, as well as all types of onions, lettuce, spinach and corn occupy an intermediate place. Carrots, parsnips, root parsley, radishes, radishes, minimal conditions needed. Vegetables from the same family need similar nutrients. If they are planted one after another in one place, this leads to one-sided depletion of the soil.

There are plants that improve soil fertility. For example, some legumes, clover, alfalfa are able to enrich the earth thanks to nodule bacteria on the roots that absorb nitrogen from the air. And due to the deep root system, they enable the topsoil to receive potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Thus, perennial legumes are excellent predecessors for most vegetable crops. Improve the properties of the soil, especially heavy clay, also cumin, buckwheat, flax, rapeseed. In the first year, it is recommended to plant demanding crops, in the second - legumes, in the third - less demanding plants. Then the alternation is repeated.

An equally important reason why it is necessary to alternate plantings is the accumulation of pathogens and pests in the soil for the type of vegetables that has been growing in one place for several years in a row. Cucumbers, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, beans, lettuce are especially affected by this. Changing crops helps to control the most common pests, such as cabbage, carrot and onion flies, without the use of chemicals. After plants that affect certain diseases and pests, crops resistant to them are placed. It is especially important to observe this rule for the cabbage and nightshade families.

After tomatoes and potatoes grow well, for example, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, beans, beets. In place of cucumbers, zucchini, you can grow radishes, cabbage, beets, and beans. Carrots, dill, parsley, celery should be replaced by onions, potatoes, tomatoes. After beans, peas, onions and garlic, all crops can be planted.

This method is simple and lies in the fact that crops are combined in one garden not by year, but in one year. An excellent result is shown by the joint planting of tomatoes and peppers with early varieties of onions, parsley and celery. Zucchini and squash willingly make room for radishes, and cucumbers for dill and lettuce.

Since the ripening periods of garden crops are different, they should be taken into account. For example, radishes have time to grow before zucchini and squash begin to displace it. Cabbage and celery planted together become stronger, plus celery repels cabbage bugs. It is impossible to grow crops of the same species next to each other, but with different ripening periods, for example, early and late cabbage. If plants on the same bed require a different amount of top dressing, then at the borders, across the ridges, internal bumpers should be made.

Garden: crop compatibility


Some plants oppress each other either unilaterally or mutually, because of this, their productivity and resistance to diseases and pests are reduced. Therefore, crops should be planted so that they do not interfere with each other.

For example, not a single vegetable crop can tolerate the neighborhood of hyssop, wormwood - especially peas and beans, and fennel - especially tomatoes, spinach, bush beans. Of the herbs, you should also not plant sage near onions, marigolds near beans, tansy near cabbage leaves, and quinoa near potatoes.

For a better condition of plantings, it is recommended to sow ornamental plants that produce phytoncidal or insecticidal substances to the main garden crops: calendula, nasturtium, matthiola, etc. For example, marigolds reliably protect strawberry bushes from gray rot and weevil, while increasing both the quality of berries and their harvest. Excellent vegetable neighbors can be honey plants that attract pollinating insects: marjoram, savory, catnip, lemon. Flowering plants of the family are also planted - cumin, anise, dill, as well as sunflower, daisies, allisum, lavender, oregano, Turkish cloves, immortelle and many other plants.

How to combine cultures?

Name of the vegetable

Favorable Neighborhood

Unfavorable Neighborhood

celery, dill, lettuce

Tomato, bean, onion

Potato

cabbage, onion, eggplant

cucumber, pumpkin and celery

pepper, celery, onion, parsley

potatoes and kohlrabi

cabbage, lettuce, radish, peas

potatoes and herbs

onion, lettuce, beans

dill, carrot and mustard

Onion, lettuce, tomato, peas

beet, dill

Crop rotations and crop compatibility on the site

Very often, site owners ask themselves the question: how to arrange and alternate garden crops? What area should be allotted for this or that crop? When to sow seeds? And many other questions.

When determining the area allotted for a particular crop, it must be remembered that from 1 m2 of a vegetable garden area, subject to the requirements of agricultural technology, 4-5 kg ​​of white cabbage, up to 4 kg of tomatoes, 3.5 kg of cucumbers, 4- 5 kg of carrots, 3 kg of table beets, 2-3 kg of turnip onions, 3 kg of pumpkin, 3.5 kg of zucchini or squash, 1.5-2 kg of peas, radishes, sorrel or lettuce and up to 3 kg of parsley, celery or tarragon.

When planning a garden, it should be remembered that it is not recommended to grow the same crops from year to year in the same place, as this significantly reduces their yield. They should be changed according to a defined system. For the correct choice of the sequence of growing vegetable crops, see the table "", in which the predecessor crops are listed on top, and the crops following them are listed in the left column. Shaded intersections mean an unfavorable sequence of crop rotation, empty intersections - favorable. Correct alternation crops increases their yield up to 20%, reduces the weediness of the site, reduces the likelihood of plant diseases and their susceptibility to pests. At the same time, the correct alternation of crops increases the quality and keeping quality of products.

To use the soil of the site with the greatest efficiency, it is necessary to carry out mixed crops . On one bed, you can grow plants of two different vegetable crops. They consume different amounts of nutrients from the soil. When combining crops on the same bed, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that their leaves and stems do not oppress each other. So, it is more expedient to combine plants erect, bushy, wide-growing. Lettuce can be sown on both sides of a row of white-headed cabbage. Carrots with a deep root system are well combined with onions with a superficial root system, an oat root with an upright stem grows well next to a head lettuce. In the spring, when planning the sowing of a particular crop, one must take into account the compatibility of plants. It is advisable to jointly place cultures with different maturation periods. So, after harvesting an early ripe crop (radish, lettuce, kohlrabi), a later unripe crop continues to develop using an additional area. Therefore, it is necessary to draw up a plan for the placement of mixed crops in advance. The following year, the main culture is replaced by another. But an obligatory condition is a favorable mutual influence.

Particular attention is paid to biochemical interaction of various plant species , which is little studied.

All of the above is possible if the following rules are followed. Remember them.

Each plant can return to its place no earlier than two years later.

It is necessary to manage to feed all the inhabitants of the garden country, even if the supply of fertilizer is small. Keep in mind, not all vegetables need fresh manure. Beets, carrots, onions, tomatoes will be born well in the second, and turnips, beans, peas, beans - in the third year of fertilization. Consider where to plant them.

Make sure that in the garden country there is neither hunger nor disease. If you plant beets or peas in a garden where sick cabbage grew last year, cabbage disease will not stick to them. Plant a trouser-woo - it will get infected. Headed or cauliflower, kohlrabi, swede, turnip, radish are related plants from the same cruciferous family. Tomatoes and potatoes are both from the same nightshade family.

Relative plants take the same nutrients from the earth, suffer from the same diseases, and die from pests common to them. Alternating them in the beds, planting one to replace the other is impossible.

When planning sowing, it is good to listen to the opinion of agricultural astrologers. They advise sowing and planting seeds and seedlings of crops in the corresponding phases of the moon. So, for example, beans, eggplants and peas are sown in the 2nd phase of the moon, melon - in the 1st-2nd, zucchini - in the 2nd, all types of cabbage and potatoes - in the 3rd, corn - in 1 th, onion - in the 2nd; in the same phase of the moon, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins are sown or planted. In the 3rd phase, carrots, parsnips, rhubarb, radishes, turnips, rutabagas are sown. In the 1-3rd phases, parsley and celery are sown; in the 3rd-4th - beets; in the 2-3rd - chicory, and in the 1-2nd - garlic.

Vegetable crop compatibility

Vegetable crop compatibility table
culture

Beans

Eggplant

Cucumber

C o l r a b i

M a n g o l d

Carrot

Pasternak

Parsley

Leek

R ed

T o l o v a i with v e c l a

Celery

Spinach

Onion

Potato

Garlic

Beans . .
Eggplant . . .
Peas . .
Cucumber . . .
Kohlrabi . . . . .
Pumpkin . . .
Chard . .
Carrot . . .
Pepper . . .
Parsnip . . . .
Parsley . . . .
Leek . .
Radish . .
radish . .
Table beetroot . .
Salad .
Celery . . . .
Spinach . . .
Tomato . . .
Onion . . . . .
Potato . . . . .
Garlic . . .

These crops cannot be grown one after the other.

Table of compatibility of vegetable crops in mixed crops
Plants cultures
compatible incompatible
Asparagus Parsley, basil and tomato -
Beans Carrots, white and cauliflower, beets, cucumber, garden savory, corn, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, peas, eggplant, pumpkin, melon and watermelon Shallot, garlic and fennel
Beet Beans, onions, kohlbari, lettuce, cabbage Field mustard, pole beans
Broccoli Celery, parsley, sage, beets, onions, potatoes, carrots, head lettuce Tomato, bean and strawberry
White cabbage Celery, dill, lettuce, potato, onion Tomato and beans
Carrot Leek, onion, sage, lettuce, tomato and peas -
Cauliflower Celery Tomato
Celery Leek, tomato, cauliflower and white cabbage -
chayote Cucumber -
Chinese cabbage Brussels sprouts and cauliflower -
Corn Zucchini, peas, beans, cucumber, pumpkin and potatoes -
Cucumber Peas, beans, radish, tomato and cabbage Potatoes and aromatic herbs
Fennel Almost all cultures
Garlic Tomato Peas and beans
Horseradish Potato -
Artichoke Corn -
leafy cabbage Late-ripening cabbage and potatoes -
Kohlrabi Cucumber, onion, beetroot and aromatic herbs Strawberries, tomato and cola beans
Leek Celery, onions and carrots -
Asparagus Parsley, tomato -
Hyssop Almost all cultures
Basil kohlrabi, peas Cucumber
Savory Beans, onion, spinach, tomato, dill, parsley, watercress Cucumber
Stachys Onion, lettuce Root vegetables, potatoes
asparagus salad Strawberries, cucumber, beets, carrots, radish, cabbage -
Katran Potato -
Salad Strawberry, cucumber, carrot, radish and cabbage -
Melon Corn Potato
Mustard White and cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, radish, turnips and peas -
Onion White cabbage, etc., beets, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, garden savory, chicory Peas and beans
Parsley Carrot, asparagus and tomato -
Peas Carrots, turnips, radish, cucumber, corn, beans, potatoes and aromatic herbs Onion garlic
Potato Beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish, eggplant and onions Pumpkin, tomato, cucumber and celery
radish Beets, spinach, carrots, parsnips, cucumber, pumpkin, melon and tomato Issoop
Spinach strawberries -
strawberries Bush beans, spinach, lettuce -
Tomato Cabbage crops, asparagus, onions, beans and green crops Kohlrabi, fennel, potatoes and tall vegetables
Watermelon Potato -
Watercress Radish -
Marjoram Carrot Cucumber
Chicory Onion -
Sweet potato Soya -
Eggplant Green crops, onions and beans -

Plant once and enjoy forever!

Perennial vegetables are crops that you plant once and harvest year after year - a rarity in North American gardens.

With the exception of asparagus, rhubarb, and artichoke, most gardeners are unaware of the tasty, undemanding, and generous crops that can produce when most annuals are just starting to grow.

A Brief History of Perennial Crops

According to Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier, most North American gardening and farming traditions come from Europe, where there are few permanent crops at all, except for fruits and nuts. In a cold and unstable climate, Eurasian agriculture is centered around animal husbandry, the cultivation of annual grains and legumes. And the first European settlers to North America simply brought with them seeds and cultivation methods, as well as draft animals to work in the fields.

However, in most areas of the temperate and tropical climatic zones of the world, including most of North America, perennial root crops, starch crops and fruits were widely distributed, actively cultivated, and subjected to selective selection.

These perennial crops were popular, probably because they required less care to grow, and another reason was the lack of large livestock, since only hand tools were available to farmers.

But regardless of why these wonderful plants were forgotten, we should not ignore these useful and productive crops any longer. Perennial vegetables should be much more widely distributed, especially compared to annual crops, as they are more nutritious, easier to care for and more environmentally beneficial, as well as less dependent on water and other external factors.

Benefits of Perennial Vegetables

Perennial vegetables are unpretentious. Imagine vegetables that require no more care than flowers or shrubs - no annual digging of beds and sowing. They thrive and produce abundant and nutritious fruits regardless of the season. Once planted in the right place and climate, a perennial plant is virtually indestructible, even if left unattended. Established perennial crops are often much more resistant to disease, pests, drought and weed attack.

In fact, some perennials grow so well on their own that only timely and frequent harvesting is required as maintenance to prevent self-seeding. Ease of cultivation and a bountiful harvest are the main reasons to start growing them.

Perennial crops lengthen the harvest time.

The growing season for perennial vegetables often differs from the growing season for annuals, which helps increase the amount of food you gather from your own garden throughout the year. While you are planting seedlings of annual vegetables in your garden or waiting out the summer heat, many perennials are already grown and ready to harvest.

Perennial vegetables can perform a variety of functions in the garden.

Many perennials are, among other things, wonderful, ornamental plants that can brighten up your landscape, among other things. Perennials can serve as a hedge, act as a groundcover, or protect slopes from erosion. Other perennial vegetables can serve as fertilizer for themselves and other plants by enriching the soil with nitrogen. Some may provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators, while others may trellis to provide shade for other crops.

Perennial vegetables help structure the soil

Perennial crops are simply amazing for the soil. Because they don't require annual digging, perennials help create healthy and holistic soil food chains, including providing a habitat for a vast array of animals, fungi and other important soil micro-organisms.

If perennials are well mulched, they help improve soil structure, increase organic matter content, porosity, and the soil's ability to hold water.

Growing perennial vegetables structures the soil the way nature intended, allowing plants to naturally accumulate more and more soil organic matter through the slow and gradual decomposition of their leaves and roots. As they develop, they also help form the topsoil and sequester atmospheric carbon.

Disadvantages of perennial vegetables:

Some perennial vegetables develop slowly and may take several years before they begin to produce a good harvest (asparagus is the best example of this)

Like many annuals, some green perennials become bitter after flowering, so they are only usable early in the season.

Some perennials have a strong smell that some may not like.

Some perennials are so undemanding that they can quickly become weeds and overrun your garden, or "escape" and settle in your neighbor's garden (Daylilies are a good example of this)

You need to carefully approach the choice of a permanent place for planting perennials in your garden. How to separate plantings of perennials and annuals

Perennials can have specific problems in controlling diseases and pests, as you won't be able to apply crop rotation to minimize the problems. If a perennial plant once got sick with something, then it is often almost impossible to get rid of the disease, and the plant will have to be removed.

Perennials grown as annuals.

Some perennial crops are grown as annuals because they are easier to care for then. For example, potatoes are technically a perennial, but we grow them as an annual because pest and disease problems force us to rotate crops frequently. On the other hand, some plants that we grow as annuals can be successfully cultivated as perennials, such as cabbage.

Growing perennial vegetables.

One option for introducing perennial vegetables into your garden is to expand the area of ​​an existing vegetable garden. Just dig an extra meter and a half and plant perennials along the border.

Or, if you already have an ornamental shrub hedge, consider including perennial vegetables such as beetroot chard or sorrel. Many perennials have attractive leaves or flowers that can brighten up a garden.

You can also make use of currently unused spaces by selecting the appropriate conditions for perennials. There are perennial vegetables such as leeks, which will grow wonderfully in a shady, damp or cool place, where it is usually not possible to grow vegetables.

If you're already growing perennials and want to take your garden or yard to the next level, consider Permaculture.

By mimicking natural ecosystems, this approach promotes the best interaction between plants, soil, insects and microorganisms. In permaculture projects, edible vegetables, herbs, fruit shrubs, and vines grow as an undergrowth of second-tier fruit and nut trees. This technology is sometimes also referred to as "tiering".

Tiers need to be formed within a couple of years. In the first year, plant fruit trees as the outpost of your property. This year and the next few years, use sheet mulch to prepare the planting area under the trees for undergrowth plants. Leaf humus mulches seedlings within a radius of 0.5-1 m in the first year and, accordingly, increases the radius of mulching as the tree grows. In the second year, you can start planting perennials, berry bushes, and grapes in the mulched areas around the tree.

There are many perennial crops known and loved by gardeners around the world, including these ten well-known ones:

Blueberries, lingonberries and other berry bushes

Cabbage (usually grown as an annual)

Garlic (usually grown as an annual)

Italian chicory radicchio (usually grown as an annual)

Artichoke

lovage

Watercress

But in fact, there are hundreds more types of perennial fruits and vegetables that can grow in the temperate and warm climates that North America is found in.

Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier is undeniably the bible on this subject. This book describes over a hundred perennial crops that you can grow at home. You will be delighted and inspired to try something new in your garden every spring! For each plant in this guide, there are area maps, color photographs, climate and historical information, full instructions on how to grow, care for and harvest, and even recipes and ideas for new dishes.

Perennials make great additions to annuals in the garden. Here are ten delicious, easy-to-grow perennial vegetables that you may not have heard of before.

We selected these from a variety of perennial vegetables described in the Perennial Vegetables book based on criteria such as taste, ease of cultivation and preparation, and a wide range of climates.

Some of these perennials are found naturally in many parts of North America, but because they are overharvested or grow in fragile landscapes, it is best and safest to grow them on a piece of land near your home. You can also plant special cultivars (cultivars) of these wild edible plants, selected for traits such as taste and adaptability to garden conditions. No serious gardener or landowner considering growing their own food would be complete without perennials in their garden.

1. Egyptian or multi-tiered bow. (Allium cepa var. Viviparum)

Some types of onions, such as winter green onions or Egyptian onions, continue to produce a crop even if some of it has already been harvested. The Egyptian onion forms small air bulbs at the top of the shoots in late summer. You can use these miniature bulbs on their own, or you can plant them in the fall to grow even more Egyptian onions. For zones 4-8.

2. Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.)

As gardeners say, daylilies will flourish if they are not cared for. So much so that they have naturalized all over the United States. While grown primarily as an ornamental plant in North America, in Asia they are grown as a vegetable crop, their many buds are harvested daily and used as green beans. Flowers are added to salads, baked in batter or fried. For zones 2-10.

3. Whole-leaved marijuana (Chenopodium bonus-henricus)

Whole-leaved mari is a traditional European vegetable, known for its delicious shoots, leaves and buds. This spinach relative grows in full sun or part shade in moist, well-draining soil. Collect tender shoots in spring. Frost hardy up to zone 3.

4. American peanut (Apios Americana).

Native to eastern North America, the groundnut is a nitrogen-fixing plant, the six-foot-tall vine carries high-protein tubers that taste like nut-flavored potatoes. The peanut vine grows alongside shrubs that provide support. Grows in damp places, prefers sun or partial shade. Frost hardy up to zone 3.

5. Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus).

Belongs to the same family as the sunflower. Jerusalem artichoke is grown for its underground tubers. They can be eaten raw or cooked like potatoes. Their charming yellow flowers will attract beneficial insects to your garden. Jerusalem artichoke is a vigorous plant, spreads by underground roots and can be difficult to eradicate. Some gardeners consider them aggressive. Zone 4-6.

6. Ostrich fern. (Matteuccia struthiopteris).

Many gardeners grow the fern for its high ornamental value, not realizing that it can be grown for the delicious, early spring fern shoots that are a coveted delicacy in high-end restaurants across the country. They love cool, shady places and are very hardy. For zones 2-8.

7. Ramson or wild onion (Allium tricoccum).

Ramson is a relative of the onion, grows wild in deciduous forests east of the Mississippi, appears every spring. It is a local delicacy that many people gather from the forest (in the wild). Isn't it easier to grow it in your garden? Both leaves and bulbs are edible. Grows on the border of the shade in moist loams or under trees. Frost-resistant up to zone 4.

8. Red beans (Phaseolus coccineus).

Red beans are commonly grown as garnish in most gardens, but are just as edible and nutritious as green beans and dry beans. Flowers, young leaves and tubers are also edible if cooked. It is known that red bean plants can grow in one place for more than 20 years, practically gaining dominance in the garden. Frost resistance up to zone 4.

9. Seaside katran (Crambe maritime).

It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant, thanks to its gray-blue leaves and white flowers on a bush up to one meter. Shoots, young leaves and flowers are also edible. Frost hardy up to zone 4.

10. Sorrel.

Perennial herb with leaves that have a tart-lemon taste. The leaves are used to make soups, stews, salads and sauces. Two species of sorrel are grown, the common sorrel Rumex acetosa and the French sorrel Rumex scutatus. They are relatives of rhubarb and the leaves contain a small amount of oxalic acid, which is not harmful as it is present in small amounts (unless, of course, you are allergic to oxalates). Sorrel leaves taste best in early spring, and with the onset of warm weather, it becomes bitter. Sorrel is a delicacy that is hard to find in stores because it wilts quickly once picked. Garden sorrel is frost-resistant up to zone 5, French sorrel - up to zone 6.

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What, already about Lito?.. Then I have a toast.

May all those who thought of this get stronger and prosper!

Chapter 6
Viviparous combs of Vladimir Rozum

Vladimir Nikitich Rozum is a resident of the Ternopil region. Its soil is light yellow loam, turning into concrete in summer. There is no chernozem even in the upper layer. Droughts are common. Little water for irrigation. So what can you grow here? Rosum grows everything. And his students, too. And the yields are great.

It's all about the magic beds. They are similar to the beds of Oleg Telepov, and work on a similar principle. But there are serious differences. Vladimir Nikitich wedge-shaped deepens every second path for the accumulation and decay of organic matter on a bayonet - it turns out a compost ditch 55–60 cm wide. On the sides he makes two ridge beds 30–35 cm wide. double. Such is the bed: "comb - compost - comb" (Fig. 35). Between the beds - passages of 50-60 cm, covered with living grass turf.



Rice. 35


These beds, of course, need to be dug up and filled with organic matter. But the work is the same as just digging up a garden bed. And organics refuel for a very long time: below - thick branches and poles, above - weeds and grass-leaves, and then green manure and tops (Fig. 36). Laid once, the main organic matter includes humification for many years. Literally in the second year, the soil turns black, and in the third it gives excellent yields. Of course, neither the beds nor the aisles are ever bare, and by autumn it is a continuous carpet of green manure (Fig. 37).



Rice. 36



Rice. 37


An important plus of the Rozumovsky beds is the shallowness and wedge-shaped compost moat. In such a moat, organic matter does not sour, does not wander without air - everything happens here with the help of aerobic microbes and fungi, which ensure the process of fertility. Heat from the condensation of morning moisture and from the decay of organic matter is given to the soil in the root zone - it is not lost. Moisture under the layer of compost and foliage is always there and is used without loss. Plant roots feed on both sides of the feast of worms and microbes all summer long.

Convex ridges accommodate almost double the number of plants - there is a place, there is enough light. Everything grows just like I.E. Ovsinsky: plants, feeling tightness in the roots, tend to spread out into a free place - and they have it. Everywhere there is an edge effect.



Rice. 38


Hence the new opportunities to combine landings. On fig. 38 - a piece of just one comb. How good it is for vegetables here, you can see by the beets.

Chapter 7
You can compact landings

Everything has everything.

Wisdom!


The main thing: if you already know how to grow good vegetables and are satisfied with your result, you don’t have to combine anything at all. It is hardly necessary for those who are not prone to invention: finding a good way to combine is not an easy task. You have to think, plan, keep records. In general, for an amateur.

I see a lot of value in the combination. First, you can manage to squeeze two beds into one. Harvest carrots on a narrow bed - good. But growing a trellis of cucumbers here, even with an average yield, is even better. Most Russian summer cottages are 4-6 acres. Just think about it! Secondly, plants can protect each other from pests. In a combined garden, the pest is not so comfortable. "Combined" allows you to do almost without poisons - this is very important if you are trying to turn the site into a sustainable ecosystem. Thirdly, the combination gives a more permanent and dense vegetation cover, and this is better for the soil. Finally, it's fun to experiment! In general, this is a very reasonable path, full of pleasant finds.

Successfully combining plants is much easier in theory than in practice. Here I already "broken a lot of firewood." The hardest part is figuring out when to plant what. It is necessary to ensure that the plants do not jam each other. For example, if you plant seedlings of cabbage and cucumbers at the same time, the cucumbers will hopelessly lag behind - the cabbage will crush them. Among the plants there are "sprinters" that break ahead. There are also "invaders" rapidly occupying the area. But they also behave differently in different weather and on different soils. All this can only be found out by experience.

Here is the main combination fact: you will get the most luxurious and productive plant if nothing else grows on a whole square meter! Therefore, the combination is, in fact, a compromise between the freedom of plants, the scarcity of land and our unwillingness to work hard. And only for thinking gardeners - the art of making the most of the sun and soil.

In general, cultivated plants do not tolerate very close proximity. Once in the ring of neighbors, they are greatly inhibited in growth, and the more light-loving they are, the more they lag behind. However, having burst into the light, many quickly gain power. These are pumpkin, salads, tall tomatoes, cabbages. Cucumbers and climbing beans retain their vigor if they manage to stick out the tops of the thickets. In general, in order for all plants to receive and then give their own, it is necessary to divide between them not so much space as time.

The simplest and most reasonable thing is to combine vegetables in narrow beds, growing them in two rows. It is possible in three rows, the middle of which is a trellis. But there are good options for wide ridges. I came to the conclusion that it is much more convenient to combine rows or stripes than individual plants. It is even easier to combine "spots", plots of different vegetables the size of one to one and a half square meters. In the south, the “amphitheater” method works well. There are other observations as well. I offer them to you.

Conclusions on "square foot"

This method of placement, or rather, a way of understanding the placement of plants in a small area, was invented by the American Mel Bartholomew. His book This Extraordinary Square has been translated into many languages.

Mel proposed an extremely simple model of a combined bed - a square of 30 by 30 cm (square foot). It is very easy to place several plants of different heights on it, see the result and understand how they get along. For example, in the center there is a pepper bush, in the corners there are four carrots, and between them there are four parsley bushes.

I took a square half a meter closer to us. You can fit more here. For example, in the center - a tall tomato, a couple of cucumbers or four bean bushes on one vertical rack, the stems of which are exposed from below as quickly as possible; in the corners - four beets or four nests of three carrots; and between them along the edge of the square - three or four bushes of parsley, cilantro, cress or radish.

You can stretch the square in time. First, grow a radish from below - 30-40 bushes, in five rows, about 5 cm in a row. Then plant cucumber seedlings, sow carrots or beets. And after removing the root crops, sow radishes or lettuce again in September (Fig. 39).



Rice. 39


I tried to make a bed of 1 by 4 meters from such squares and failed: the plants that fell into the middle lagged behind and did not develop at all. The narrow bed won! Now I can say something to those who liked the idea of ​​squares.

1. Fact: A fenced and mulched square works best when it is alone, on its own, and the area is empty. Then all plants are well developed. Conclusion: no need to combine vegetable squares into large arrays. But you can make a strip of them one square wide. The central, high row in the strip will no longer be compacted by other plants. We got a narrow bed.

2. Plants that fall on the north side of the square will be underdeveloped due to the shadow of the central, taller plant. This means that tall plants should be planted from the northern side of the square. This is already a small "amphitheater".

3. If a wide bed consists of squares, it is better to plant only the smallest vegetables and undersized flowers. Zucchini, pumpkins, chard and all cabbages, except for kohlrabi, are not suitable for compaction: they crush everyone in a row with their “burdocks”.

4. Squares with spreading plants growing for a long time should also be staggered. If a flower garden is broken into squares, it is better to turn it into a “chessboard”, the light squares of which are rugs of bent grass, stonecrops or other unpretentious cover plants.

5. A box with squares, and especially a flower bed, it is better to immediately draw beautiful light slats. It is more convenient to plant in such a “net”, and you can better see what you are doing. But most importantly - the look is elegant!

The method of squares is good for experiments and a better understanding of alignment. Suitable for winter gardens, loggias and patios. It is also very good for small rectangular wall flower beds, where mostly the most compact plants are planted. In an ordinary garden, it is hardly applicable. A strip of squares is applicable - a narrow bed.

Triangles are better

This is about how to rationally fill the area.

Our machinery can sow, plant and cultivate only at right angles. That is why the "square" landing is more familiar to us. But she is not the most rational. There are no squares in nature, but there are hexagons: they use space more rationally. In our country, agronomists Vladimir Petrovich Ushakov and Petr Matveevich Ponomarev investigated this. Biointensifiers have long compacted plantings by placing vegetables in the corners of hexagons.

Sitting in the corners of a square, a bush striving for roundness is under pressure from its neighbors on four sides. It is enough to shift the rows relative to each other by about half the interval, and the bushes are in hexagons - we saw this in Fig. 28. The space of each bush increases, the pressure of neighbors decreases, and there are fewer unoccupied gaps. In narrow beds, it is recommended to plant bulky plants - cabbages, peppers and eggplants, zucchini. And the rest of the vegetables are not harmful to plant. And seedlings. On a large area, for example for potatoes, the effect can be significant: on the same area, under the same conditions, almost 20% more plants fit. So much less space is left for weeds - also good!

It is also better to make individual rows of plants not with a line, but with an "accordion" - a two-row winding strip. If the strip of plants is open in both directions, then the accordion can be moved more, almost to right angles between the plants (as in Fig. 29). In free space (say, along the tracks), it is always more rational to plant in two lines with a shift than in one.

Vertical alignment

Doctor! Give pills for greed. Yes, more, more!!!


Theoretically, it is possible to fill not only the area, but also the maximum volume - both above the garden bed and on the sides. So much air, and in vain disappears! It's so tempting that I keep experimenting all the time.

In a narrow garden, two or three crops can be combined. On the sides, with a shift, sit cabbages, beets, carrots, Pekinka, lettuce, peppers, and bush beans. And along the central line, cucumbers, tomatoes, climbing beans, cowpea, or sweet corn grow on the trellis. Three crops in a narrow bed are better at repelling pests than two. For example, on one side of the trellis - dill, and on the other - carrots. The main thing here is not sparing, quickly remove the lower shoots and leaves of vines. Otherwise, no combination will work: the vines will crush everything on the sides.

In practice, greenery most often sprouts by self-sowing, and the bed itself becomes a colorful lettuce carpet (Fig. 40).

If the bed is elongated from north to south, trellis plants should be planted one and a half times less than usual. Light must pass freely through them, otherwise each row of low vegetables will be in the shade for half a day. If the bed is extended to the east-west, the trellis should be placed along the northern edge. And this is already an “amphitheater”.



Rice. 40


The main problem: the central trellis is thermophilic, and the side rows are often cold-resistant. Therefore, early vegetables, planted on the sides as early as March-April, often jam the climbing "southerners" planted later. And once under the canopy of a cabbage leaf or in a bush of peas, a cucumber or bean just freezes and hopelessly lags behind. Even among the tops of carrots, cucumbers sit quietly waiting for freedom. Tomatoes are a little more hardy - they still knock out, but they linger in growth.

What do we have to do? 1) First, sow "ephemeral dwarfs": radish, watercress, cilantro. Then plant seedlings of vines. And sow the side rows even later, when the central plants are already climbing onto the trellis. 2) Make sure that the side rows are as far away from the trellis as possible. In a narrow bed, this is 20-25 cm in each direction. 3) Plant high-quality potted seedlings with intact roots in the center so that they do not stand idle. 4) Thin out the side rows in time and carefully so as not to retard the plants in growth.

Conclusion: the easiest way is to combine climbing vegetables with those that can be sown all summer, or it is not recommended to sow very early because of the flowering. These are beets, radishes, bush beans, Beijing cabbage, daikon, carrots, salads, kohlrabi, turnips, peas, chard, spicy herbs.

Especially it is necessary to say about onions: as it turned out, he does not tolerate any shading neighborhood at all. But we found a neighbor for him too: after the onion has begun, we sow carrots in the aisles. Onions are soon selected for food - carrots remain. But garlic gets along well with any trellis - it is shade-tolerant, it almost does not shade itself, and it leaves early (Fig. 41).



Rice. 41


Provided that the trellis is confidently ahead of the side rows, spreading cucumbers, zucchini, squash, zucchini, broccoli, and bush tomatoes are also suitable as lower crops. Bush beans are especially good under a trellis of tomatoes. Having dodged, I managed to grow another radish between them (Fig. 42).



Rice. 42


It is very convenient to sow side crops already in June, when the early harvest of greenery along the edges is removed, the central vines are already without lower leaves, and the bed is essentially free. Here you can sow all the early ripening vegetables that grow normally in summer - they are listed above. It is only necessary to achieve good seedlings by frequent watering, and then mulch the soil.

The combination of longitudinal rows in a wide bed is much more difficult than in a narrow one. The main thing: no matter how the bed is located, the row spacing should not be less than 15–20 cm. For example, on a bed 120 cm wide, you can fit three rows (strips) on each side of the center line. The rows closest to the trellis are dill, basil, marjoram: they can be plucked mercilessly so as not to interfere with the extreme rows.

It is useless to plant peppers or carrots here: squeezed in the middle, they do not produce a crop. Their place is in the extreme, side rows.

Vegetable "amphitheater"

It is even more difficult to combine three crops in a wide garden. The only simple way is stepped: a) the bed is extended to the east-west, that is, it is illuminated “in the face”; b) the trellis is on the north side of the garden; c) vegetables vary greatly in height. The bed resembles a stadium stand.

The main "rule of the amphitheater": the higher, "back" rows should be ahead of the growth of the lower "front" neighbors (Fig. 43). On fig. 44 cucumbers are just sitting from the north - in a week they will crawl out onto the trellis. First, seedlings are planted for the trellis - the "balcony". When she went to growth, the average culture is planted or sown - the "amphitheater". The last, ten days later, "parterre" is sown. Radishes, watercress or coriander just ripened in its place - they are removed.

As medium crops for the amphitheater, only peppers (sweet and bitter), eggplants, bush tomatoes on stakes and herbs: basil, catnip, dill are suitable. They are planted when cucumbers or beans grow a curly stalk. Tomatoes planted with beans are first choked. Peppers don't choke. Vigna and some varieties of curly beans are so thermophilic that they begin to grow only in the heat of June, although they sprout along with bush beans. Tomatoes and cabbages grow more powerfully and earlier than all.

It is better to separate the rows of vegetables in the amphitheater from each other by 30–40 cm. A high, back row is along the very edge: there is no need to leave room for weeds. After 30-40 cm - the middle row. Further, after 20 cm, there may be rows of carrots, beets. Bush beans can only grow from the edge - its bushes require a lot of free space and always fall apart on the path. The bow is also on the edge, it needs light.



Rice. 43



Rice. 44


The harvest of the "amphitheater" is definitely no more than with a monoculture. And yet it is quite a productive garden bed. Besides, it's beautiful. Best of all, the "amphitheater" looks near the house. The semicircle, open to the south, framed by tiles, is very beautiful.


The simplest - stains!

In fact, planting all the beds, of course, does not have enough patience. And all the methods mentioned are applied on a case-by-case basis, as the land is liberated from earlier crops. I want something simpler: I wave my hand once or twice - and so that everything is in the right places!

The closest thing to this simplicity is sowing with “spots” in wide boxes. This applies to "little things": greens and salads, root crops, onions, bush beans. The bed is sown with compartments with transverse rows, as in fig. 45. A meter of radishes, half a meter of lettuce - and something else can be sown in the vacant places. Ten rows of beets, ten rows of carrots, six rows of onions, three rows of parsley - and very simple, and colorful enough for pests. You just need to make sure that one does not crush the other: leave space on the border of the "spots" and use the edges of the beds more. In this mode, perennials along the edges of the beds get along well.



Rice. 45

A very simple combination

“He waved his hand”, like Vasilisa the Wise in a fairy tale - the dream of a lazy person! And I made it happen. There are very few weeds on compost beds, but I agree to weed thoroughly once. In the spring, at the end of March, I cut the bed with a rake and cover it with a film. After a week or two, I cut off the carpet of young weeds with a flat cutter. After a couple of days, I take the seeds of radishes, cress, cilantro and lettuce - and just scatter them around the garden as I have to. I close up with a rake, spill, cover with a film. After a couple of weeks, I sit down on the plank, slowly weeding and tearing through all that is superfluous. It remains to regularly choose young greens for the table - primarily from the central strip, where cucumbers or tomatoes are soon planted.

Do they want to live together?

Relatives are unrelated people who periodically gather to be counted and have a tasty meal on the occasion of a change in their number.

A. Knyshev


The more diverse the community, the more stable it is. It is difficult for pests to work in a diverse environment: it is more difficult to find their plant, there are many unpleasant and frightening odors, and there are many enemies. However, the plants themselves strongly influence each other: shade, produce aggressive volatile substances and root secretions.

Let us recall the experiments of L. Moser. He clearly showed that some plants stimulate the growth of grapes, while others suppress it, regardless of their size and with a guaranteed excess of nutrition and water. It is a proven fact that plants actively communicate chemically and by means of electromagnetic signals. There is even a science about this - allelopathy. However, it contains such a mass of data, moreover, often contradictory, that it is difficult to apply anything in practice. I tried to collect the data available to me in one bag, shook it a little and squeezed it. Here's what happened as a result.

1. Do not get along together: a) plants of the same height and lopiness, if planted very closely; b) representatives of the same family, that is, relatives. This is natural: you want the same thing, and similar things are thrown out. It’s the same with us: often relatives are the worst friends. Umbrellas quarrel especially strongly with each other: dill, parsley, celery, parsnip, lovage, cilantro. Only carrots are very loyal.

2. Oppress all, without exception, fennel and wormwood.

3. Onions and garlic are aggressive towards legumes and cabbage.

4. Carrots, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes - basically everything makes no difference.

5. Lettuce and spinach release substances that activate the roots of other plants and shade the soil. General helpers and breadwinners!

6. Protect everyone from pests: beans, parsley and herbs from the labiate family: lemon balm, basil, savory, thyme, catnip, hyssop, marjoram. As well as spicy flowers decorating the garden: calendula, nasturtium, marigolds, chrysanthemums, zinnia, kosmeya. Onions and garlic curb fungal diseases.

7. Corn, Jerusalem artichoke, sorghum and millet shade everyone, protect from the wind and create a good microclimate. Sunflower, on the contrary, can be aggressive towards many vegetables, and it is better to move it to the edges of the garden.

T. Yu. Ugarova cites some couples that help each other well to resist pests. These cultures can be placed in adjacent rows. Carrots and onions protect each other from carrot and onion flies. Celery repels whites from various cabbages. It is planted between cabbages, and it grows after the cabbage is removed. Spread cucumbers and dill get along great in one place - provided that there is not so much dill. Basil and tomatoes work well together. Not bad coexist in the same row kohlrabi and lettuce: the latter is removed earlier than kohlrabi. Cucumbers weaving on corn or sunflowers feel great and bear fruit until cold weather. Beans on poles get along well next to low cucumbers and tomatoes. It is good to sow radishes where zucchini, zucchini and other late vegetables will be later. But this is a matter of timing.

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