Companion Gardening?/Planning a bed

[cynicalbrat79]

Hey all, I have all my little plants getting ready to go into the ground as soon as the Chicago weather decides it's spring time. What can I plant together to get the best effect? and what shouldn't I plant together (I know some plants are not very compatable ) I will have Tomatoes, Corn, Spinach, 2 types of Lettuce (romaine & butter crunch) Cucumber, Spaghetti Squash, Acorn Squash, Zuchinni, Green beans, Broccoli, Celery, Green onion, Green pepper, and hopefully Carrots. I also have heard that putting squash with corn is a good idea but am worried the squash may strangle the corn and pfft there goes my corn. Although I do have alot of items listed, there is not too many of each one so any suggestions on how way far away certain plants have to be from others would be great.

On a side note I am thinking about putting some zinnias and sunflowers around the vegis and am wondering if the will have an adverse effect or not.
Thanks a bunch!

[Lupinus]

Corn and squash go very well together. As a matter of fact you may want to try a "three sisters" section in your garden.

You plant your corn, your green beans, and winter squash all together. The corn grows, the beans use the corn stalks as their terrace, and the squash vines act as a living mulch. It's been used by some Native American tribes for centuries.

No corn this year and bush type beans. But I do plan on giving the mulch thing a try with my pumpkins

[rainbowgardener]

The flowers with veggies is fine except that sunflowers get very tall with big heads and might tend to shade your veggies out some. Try not to have them between the main direction of the sun and the other plants. Or do a succession thing. It wasn't clear to me if you are starting from seeds or plants or what. The spinach, lettuce, broccoli, onions, carrots are cold weather plants. My season is a little ahead of yours, but I planted all of the above, except the broccoli, as seeds direct sown in the garden several weeks ago and planted broccoli plants I started from seed indoors out in the garden at least three weeks ago. Most of them can be bought as plants, but carrots don't transplant well and are usually just started from seeds directly in the ground. The packet will say "as soon as the ground can be worked," which here in ohio was maybe mid March.

The lettuce and spinach (and a little later the broccoli) bolt (go to seed) when it gets hot and are done. Then you could move something else, like sunflowers in to that spot. As noted the corn, squash and beans grow well together. Carrots and tomatoes are good companion plants. I usually plant a row of carrot seeds around the outside of a bed, as soon as the ground can be worked. Then later when the weather and soil are warmer, plant tomatoes into the middle. It's okay, except eventually the tomatoes tend to shade the carrots out some. Tomatoes and peppers grow well together, having similar requirements, but again you have to put the peppers on the outside edge and space them enough that the tomatoes when they get big don't shade them out. Hot peppers are very good to plant with tomatoes, because supposedly they emit a substance that helps prevent root rot and fusarium wilt.

[kylie77]

Sorry to butt in but I'm curious about that technique you mentioned. I have limited space and will be growing as much as I possible can fit in and this sounds like something worth trying. How exactly would I plant corn, squash (zucchini in my case, would this be ok?), and beans together?

[rainbowgardener]

corn, bean, winter squash (or pumpkins) was the traditional native american Three Sisters that they taught the early settlers. Here's three sites with detailed instructions. Each is slightly different, this isn't chemistry after all, but together it should give you a good idea.


https://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/PROJECTS/MARCH02/mar02-pg1.htm
https://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html

[cgiglio01]

Hi,

Another flower to try is Nasturtium. They do very well near the cucumbers, they help keep the cucumber beetles away. Plus the bees love them and they are edible too!

Good luck!

[stvfarmboy]

A question for anyone who has tried the “three sistersâ€

[rainbowgardener]

If you check the links I gave just above your post, it gives DETAILED instructions including:

Plant bean seeds 2 weeks later or after the corn reaches 5 to 7 inches high. Pole beans use the corn stalks for support.

Then plant the squash 1-2 weeks after the beans.

[stvfarmboy]

Thanks for pointing that out. I thought I had looked at the links but was thinking of a different thread I guess. Maybe I've just spent too much time in the sun.