Companion Planting

This year, with a little bit of experience under our belts, we decided to try out some different techniques (like the square foot beds we wrote on in the last post). We wanted to learn about complementary plants before we planned out what crops to plant where. Companion planting "...assist in the growth of others, be it attracting beneficial insects, naturally regulating pests, repelling harmful insects, providing nutrients, part of a biological pest control program, and in some cases simply a shaded microclimate or climbing support" (Wikipedia).

A little research on the web gave us an idea of what to plant with what and as was mentioned in the last post, the square foot beds would be perfect for mixing crops.


Here are some of the companions you might try:

* Lettuce & Carrots
* Onion & Lettuce
* Peas & Beans
* Cucumber & Beans
* Beans & Carrots
* Beets & Sage



This season, we started out planting some of the above companions.. but Mother Nature sometimes has other plans. As the season has progressed, we have noticed a few beds where our seeds were not germinating. Because of this, we were able to put into practice one of the big lessons we learned last year about growing a garden: If it doesn't grow, move on!

Last year, we ended up with a lot of empty spaces because we kept hoping plants would germinate--if only we gave them time. However, as we have learned, the season in central New Brunswick is short and sweet. When something is not growing, a gardener should get in there and replace it. You could call 2010 the Landless Gardeners' "year of being ruthless"--we give seeds the time they need to germinate but if nothing comes up, we put in a new crop! This type of ruthlessness has meant our companion planting plan has definitely strayed a bit. Perhaps next year when we have learned even more about our soil and sun exposures, we will be able to plan even better.