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Vegetables That Don't Play Well
Together
We’ve all met
one. The kid who, no matter what you do
to encourage him otherwise, just
doesn’t get along with the group.
We’ll call him Johnny. Johnny takes
great joy in being a bit overbearing.
Johnny is selfish and self-centered. If
there are two cookies left on the plate,
you know Johnny will take them both,
leaving little Jane with none. His report
card always reads, Johnny doesn’t
play well with others.
Plants can be that way
also. They just can’t get along.
With some vegetable plants this problem
is caused by their root systems. Not only
do their roots take in too much water for
their fellow garden companions to be able
to handle, but they also emit, without
getting technical here, bad stuff into
the surrounding soil. While Johnny can
always be disciplined and taught to
behave better, the only way to make sure
your plants flourish is to let some of
them play a perpetual game of, Keep Away.
Vegetables
that Need to Play Keep Away
Onions will keep your
asparagus, peas and green beans, from
reaching their full potential growth.
Beets and Green Beans
need to be kept away from each other
entirely as they will duke it out and
neither will grow properly.
Kohlrabi will stunt
your tomatoes growth.
Potatoes and pumpkins
are another pair that should never be
allowed near each other.
If you are planting
herbs in with your vegetables be aware
that dill shouldn’t be near carrots.
Sage is a bad
companion for cucumbers.
And just for the
record, keep your cabbage away from your
strawberries.
Some plants just eat
way too much for other plants to be able
to survive next to them. Plants that fall
into this category are: broccoli, Brussel
sprouts, cucumber, cabbage, pumpkins,
eggplant, watermelons and squash.
Never place the
aforementioned plants anywhere near each
other in the garden or else you will end
up with a lot of undergrown and
undernourished vegetables. Always provide
enough space between these hungry plants
and fertilize them well, at least twice
during the growing season. Planting any
vegetables too close for their comfort
will also create a situation where your
veggies might not get enough of the all
important sunlight that they need.
By seating your
vegetables properly in their garden
classroom, you will end up with a
happier, healthier garden. And your
harvest report card will always consist
of straight A’s.
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