Tag Archives: beans

Companion Planting Sweet Potatoes

Despite their name, sweet potatoes are not really potatoes at all, they are in fact members of the same family as morning glory and bindweed. The leaves and tubers of sweet potatoes are edible and they are relatively easy to grow. Companion planting sweet potatoes not only saves space but can also be beneficial to both plants. Unlike conventional potatoes, sweet potatoes do not grow from a tuber, but from the roots of a “slip”. A slip is a small plant with roots that can be purchased from all good suppliers. Alternatively you can grow your own from shop bought… → Read More

Companion Planting Leeks

A popular member of the allium family, the leek can be useful as a companion plant. By companion planting leeks you can help to protect many plants from pests. Read on to discover all the benefits of companion planting leeks. Companion Planting Leeks The plants that do best when companion planted with leeks to keep pests away include:- Apple Trees and Leeks By planting leeks under apple trees you will help prevent scab on the apples. For more information on companion planting apple trees click here. Strawberries and Leeks Strawberries do well with any member of the allium family, and… → Read More

Companion Planting Celery [What To Grow With Celery]

Not the easiest of vegetables to grow, but so satisfying when you get it right and the taste of home grown is far superior. As with most crops, celery will benefit from being grown with helpful neighbours. Companion planting celery with the following will be good for one or both of them. Companion Planting Celery As with all plants when looking for suitable companion plants we need to look at plants that are compatible. Not only with each other, but also with the sunlight and soil conditions needed for growing celery successfully. So what does celery prefer? Celery originated in… → Read More

Vegtrug Planting Guide

If you’ve been following my posts for a while you’ll probably be aware that I had a brain bleed a few years ago. What I haven’t told you is last year I had a quintuple heart by-pass and it’s left me very weak. I can’t manage my allotment so my son set me up a vegtrug and here’s my vegtrug planting guide. We went for the medium vegtrug which is actually the largest one they do? It’s 1.8 metres (6 foot) long, 76 cms (30 inches) wide and 80 cms (31.5 inches) high. That’s an area roughly 6 foot by… → Read More

Companion Planting Lettuce

Lettuce come in all shapes and sizes from long to round, tight heads to cut and come again leaves. By companion planting lettuce you can save space and improve the quality of your lettuce whatever variety you grow. Lettuce do best in cooler conditions it’s worth considering growing with taller plants and take advantage of the shade. Companion Planting Lettuce Taking advantage of taller plants is one consideration but it’s also worth remembering that lettuce require lots of water. Some of the companion plants listed below do not need lots of water so keep that in mind. Lettuce make a… → Read More

Companion Planting Parsnips

The benefits of growing plants together are well documented and have been used for thousands of years. Companion planting parsnips will improve the health and flavour of your parsnips and save space. Companion Planting Parsnips All of the following plants will enhance the health of your parsnips if grown in companionship with them. Parsnip companion plants include:- Onions and Parsnips Due to their strong aroma, onions help to disguise parsnips from the so called carrot root fly. The root fly maggot attacks the roots of carrots, parsnips, and celery and in the case of parsnips and carrots renders them inedible…. → Read More

Radish Companion Planting

Such a small and often thought insignificant plant, the radish is a very useful companion plant. Radish companion planting is all about continuity, one of the fastest growing plants that I know of, from seed to table in 6 weeks. Sow every month for a near constant supply of these tasty salad vegetables. It’s worth remembering that radishes are members of the brassica family and need to be rotated with other crops accordingly. Having said that, they make a good catch crop between rows and as markers for slower developing seeds. Radish Companion Plants There are two main companions to… → Read More

Winter Squash Companion Plants

All plants benefit from growing in companion with others, and winter squash are no exception. Below are the best winter squash companion plants I have found to increase yield, health and vigour of your plants. Although they are called winter squash, this relates to their storage ability and not to when they should be grown. Winter squash are grown at the same time as summer squash ( zucchini, patty pans, courgettes etc…) but can be saved to consume during the winter. Whereas summer squash will not store because their skin does not harden enough to keep the inside fresh. So… → Read More

Zucchini Companion Plants (Courgettes)

Whether you call them zucchini or courgettes, this summer favourite is easy to grow. As long as they are picked regularly summer squashes including zucchini, marrows, and patty pans will continue producing until the first frosts. There are many zucchini companion plants and all will benefit your plants. The key to healthy plants is as always, soil preparation. Add plenty of compost or well rotted manure to the soil to give these hungry plants a boost. Once they flower feed weekly with comfrey plant food or a good tomato fertiliser. Zucchini Companion Plants Good companion plants for zucchini (courgettes) are… → Read More

What Grows Well With Strawberries

Strawberries are the very epitome of summer, the taste, the look and nothing is as nice as picking a ripe strawberry from your own garden. Most of us have limited space, so companion planting is always going to be the best option. So let’s find out what grows well with strawberries. What Are Strawberries? The fruit of the strawberry plant is probably one of the most recognised fruits in the world. They are grown in most temperate zones and are used to flavour many sweets, ices and shakes. Their name is a misnomer, they are not actually berries at all…. → Read More