Crop Rotation vs Companion gardening and confusions

[Peggy Sue]

I'm just about taking over an allotment- for the first time (really excited).

I really want to do this right. When iread about companion gardening I like that idea, but it seems not to fit with crop rotation and I don't want to encourage diseases. There seems to be several ways to group the crops for rotations some of which seem to contradict companion 'rules' and some companion information that contradict too- like cabbages and onion, good or bad?? Leeks and beans are another combiation some say are good and some bad. Companion guides say never beans and onions but some crop rotations group them together- so how far apart do they need to be?

I realise there are lots of choices and it's not a perfect science but it's giving me a headache now!!

One more thing....I found organic slug pellets which are ferric sulphate, is it really OK with dogs and does it work?

[nessnco]

I personally do square foot gardening with companion gardening so I don't do crop rotation as everything is mixed. I use scrunched up newspaper for my slugs.

[Jack]

Gidday

Well mate, do you see crop rotation anywhere in nature? I prefer natural gardening and nature is very much like me, untidy.

Of course that could just be an excuse but it's a goodun I reckon.

[flower]

I think that crop rotation is very useful when growing large amounts of the same thing.
eg brassicas which include many crops of the same family and therefore, prone to the same pests and diseases (namely clubroot and whitefly) both of which are vastly reduced by crop rotation.

Companion planting is very effective where you are growing a wider variety of crops with not too many of any one thing. It is pleasing to the eye and particularly beneficial for crops that require insect pollination.
A good 'bean rig' for example, a wigwam of runner beans provide shade for lettuces insde the frame, sweetpeas interplanted with the beans lure in beans which will also pollinate tomatilloes and squashes around the perimiter and so on.....

personally, I use a combination of both methods (although I am certainly no expert).
My brassicas, roots and potatoes grow in strict, three year rotation (roots are companion planted with onions and nigella)
my leeks always follow my broadbeans (cos they like that nitrogen boost)
runners, squashes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, peppers, tomatilloes, salads etc are companion planted, all mixed up and prettiness and scent feature heavily in their placement

[Peggy Sue]

Thanks guys, maybe I should worry a bit less....I certainly identify with the 'untidy' nature!! I do have to apease the nice man who is letting me take over his allotment who is very keen on straight lines, no weeds and crop rotation. My dear husband did an apprenticeship on a farm so he too has to get a bit if string out to make sure the line is exactly straight and measure the distance between plants with a scale rule.

I thinkk if it wasn't for the fear of them ,and possibly not being able to identify the plants I would take handfuks of seed and scatter them around whilst dancing in the rain- but it is really close to the road so I would get laughed at lots during and after!!

I guess I know brassicas and potatoes are two that you have to be careful with, and will both have a fair sized patch, but the rest will be bits and pieces- perhaps one or two rows so is there anything I need to be really careful about? I can certainly sneak companions next to eachother without my husband noticing!!

[ina]

Made me laugh, your description... I always start out with straight lines and a careful rotation. Oh well. By now I'm planting the stuff I have left (and forgotten to get in ) wherever there's space. It's important not to grow your brassicas or tatties in the same place for a few years, to avoid diseases. But apart from that, I think a healthy mix isn't all that bad...

[red]

hmm yeh - the best laid plans an all that...

we only got our beds in in time to plant.. in fact himself was still digging one end and i was planting plants out at the other.. - said we would organise proper rotation etc next year... but now i have planted things in where this is spaces... etc

eg - I have put in rows and rows of leeks where the potatoes have just come out.. cos that was where there was space...

[ohareward]

Hi Peggy Sue. Here is a short list of good and bad companions.

Good;
Beans- carrots, cucumbers, cabbages, lettuce, peas, cauliflowers, spinach
Broad beans- potatoes, sweetcorn.
Leeks- carrots, celery.
Onions- carrots, beetroot, silverbeet, lettuce,

Bad;
Beans- Onions, garlic, fennel,
Cabbages- rue, strawberries, tomatoes, garlic.
Tomatoes- rosemary, potatoes, fennel, strawberries, dill.

Robin

[flower]

gosh!

I always interplant onions with carrots (and nigella) to confuse the carrot fly.
I thought they were great companions!

[glenniedragon]

I tend to go along the same lines as Jack, a bit untidy is ok, this year I've had a bumper infestation of Ladybird larva for the first time (I hope they tell their children about my place!) going as natural as possible, but straight rows are easier for weeding and hoeing though. Survival of the fittest is also the rule of the day! You'll find you'll mix and match as you find your own style. Ask around your allotment and see what the others do as there are probably an army of 'ole boys quite happy to share their wisdom. Enjoy your plot

kind thoughts
Deb

[Peggy Sue]

Yes the old boys are happy to chat for hours about it, but they do seem firm believers in straight lines (they inspect eachothers lines for accuracy!!), no weeds, and slug pellets. I can see a few plots which show signs of companion gardening (including marrows round the base of apple trees?) but htose owners are never about.

Hubby was left confused last night. 'What do you want planted tomorrow' he said, so I replied carrots and onions to keep the carrot fly off. 'So what do you want in this row, carrots or onions?' !

By the way what is silverbeet Robin?

[burek]

peggy sue - I can completely identify with you. I too went through a couple of months of that "companion planting-VS-crop rotation" headache earlier in the year!
It's like doing a very complicated mathematical problem but I have to say that I eventually got there and in my humble opinion I have actually managed to combine the two. I have grown a fair selection this year but haven't gone mad since it is my first year. Everything has done well, apart from blight on the potatoes. And I think I will replicate the combinations but in a different layout next year, if that makes any sense?
What are you planning to plant? Maybe I can share this year's plan with you if they are roughly the same plants?

[Peggy Sue]

Well having just got the plot ofcourse I want to grow everything I can plant NOW!

Generally we want brassicas (but not sprouts as apparently they don't grow well on our allotment soil)
Carrots, onions, beetroot, maybe parsnips,possibly leeks, garlic, lots of salady stuff (am trying winter lettuce, pak choi, chinese cabbage, turnip greens and land cress), radish, winter radish
Peas, broad & runner beans, maybe french beans
Will have to do potatoes at tiny home garden as the plot was covered in spuds when we got it- the advantage is its already nicely dug!
Fancy having a bash at pumpkin/squash as the courgettes went well this year in growbags.

I like everything except possibly fennel (I think I probably haven't given that a fair chance). I've managed to put brassicas all up one end with a rows of Pak choi & radish on the end; down the other end are broad beans and peas with some spinach, radish and lettuce. In the middle so far I have beetroot with a rough plan for carrots, onions and landcress to go in shortly. Be nice to have a plan for spring that mixes them a bit more..

Any suggestions welcome!!!

[ohareward]

Hi flower. You were looking in the Good part as being the Bad. Onions and carrots do go together.

Peggy Sue. Here in NZ we call swiss chard- silverbeet.

Robin

[Peggy Sue]

Robin, I will remember that if one day I am lucky enough to visit the islands!