Williams1
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:43 pm

Carrots, corn and strawberries together

Can carrots, corn and strawberries grow in the same garden bed?

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Strawberries won't work because they are perennial. You want to grow perennial crops in their own bed.

Last year in early spring, I sowed peas in raised mounded rows with extra-wide space between them, then sowed carrots along the center of the mounded rows. I planted corn later at appropriate time at the base of the mounded rows along the edge of the paths and as the peas finished, used the soil from edge of the mounds to hill the corn.

This worked very well and I was able to harvest lovely carrots before the corn took over the mounded rows.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Agree about the strawberries and other perennials not getting mixed in with annuals. Carrots are very much smaller and shorter plants than corn. For me planting a row of carrots down the outside of other beds works well. They don't interfere much with whatever is in the middle. Other things that go well down the outsides of beds are onions and garlic, which also help repel pests from your crops.

Williams1
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:43 pm

Does it have to do because of nutrients?

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

If you are asking about perennials vs. -- it's more practical issues -- you want to be able to dig and work the annual beds. You will be replenishing the vast amount of nutrients and removing plant debris, etc.

Trust me, you will not want to do the heavy work while tiptoeing around the strawberry plants so as not to damage their roots, accidentally dig them up, etc. When corn are finished, at some point, you will need to clean up. You could easily end up killing the strawberries in the process. Yes I HAVE had strawberries overrun some beds where corn was planted. I cut the corn stalks at soil level and let the roots decay over the winter, then it was less troublesome to remove. But I lost patience and ripped out some of the strawberries that were too much trouble to save.

Schedule and types of work for taking care of perennials are different from annuals, too, and each perennial plant will have own set of requirements. So you want to be aware of what works together, and what doesn't.

In terms of just for this one season, strawberries are shallow-rooted short plants and corn are tall heavy feeders. Corn need to be hilled so you don't want anything growing under/around them to get in the way -- its easiest if you can just pull the soil from nearby, though yes, I have done the haul soil from elsewhere and carefully shovel along the corn so as not to bury the other stuff growing way too close by.... Corn needs more nitrogen at time of the season when strawberries need less, etc. they just are not good match at all.

If you want, you CAN grow carrots and strawberries together in the same bed THIS YEAR, as long as you provide sufficient space between the strawberries so that the carrots which grow rather slowly at first don't get crowded and shaded.

Williams1
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:43 pm

Awesome thank you so much!

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

I have always said, "Give each plant its own space and enough space and it will do well."

I am sorry, I am not one to do companion planting. Its good to plant corn where the beans were last year, but not beans with corn.

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

carrots like cool weather and corn likes warm. It may be cool enough where you are but corn likes long warm days and carrots are done once the temperature rises much above 70. Better companions for strawberries are citrus trees, thyme, oregano lettuce.
Carrots can be grown during the cooler parts of the year. I will alternate rows of carrots, daikon, or beets with shallow rooted Asian greens or lettuce. I can plant beets and lettuce under very young tomato and eggplant. They will be harvested before the tomato or eggplant need the space.

Corn is a heavy feeder that likes warm weather. Beans are the usually rotational crop with corn they can be planted after the corn has grown some and after the corn is harvested, the corn stalks will be stakes for the beans. You can plant bush beans under corn if you space your corn wide enough so they both can get enough light. Corn, squash, and beans are the three sisters planting. I did try it but I agree with James. Corn and beans are o.k., but squash takes over everything. I have had success growing tall sunflowers on the perimeter of the corn just fine and I have been able to plant some fast growing lettuce and asian greens like bok choy between young corn plants that are harvested before the corn gets too big.

I plant strawberrries under my citrus trees since they need shade in summer. I found out the hard way you don't plant cabbages near strawberries or near solanaceous family.

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Image

Royal Chantenay



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”