Companion Planting
In nature, where plants grow without cultivation, there is always a mixture of plant types growing in an area. The selection of the plants living in an area depends on the soil type, local climatic conditions and horticultural history. With a few exceptions, the plants that grow together in the wild are mutually beneficial, in that they allow for maximum utilization of light, moisture and soil.
Plants needing less light live in the shade of those which must have full light, while the roots of some plants live close to the surface, and others send their roots far down into the subsoil. Some plants will hurry into bloom and flower early in the year before their neighbors have yet to produce leaves, which will cut off the light supply later in the year. This is known as companion planting when it is practiced in the garden. Companion planting enables the gardener to maximize use of sun, soil and moisture to grow mixed crops in one area.
Gardening with Companion Plants
In planting a moon phase garden, you should use plants that are mutually compatible and make demands on the environment at different times. Vegetables may be divided into heavy feeders, light feeders, soil-conserving and soil-improving crops. The heavy feeders should be planted in soil that has been newly fertilized. Among the heavy-feeding vegetables are cabbage, cauliflower, all leaf vegetables as chard, head lettuce, endive, spinach, and celery, celeriac, leeks, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn, and tomatoes. The heavy-feeding vegetables should be followed by such light feeders as pole beans, bush beans and other legumes.
Light-feeding vegetables are great lovers of compost. Also, better than other kinds of plants, they seem to use the finely pulverized raw rocks and make phosphorus, potassium and many trace elements available to other plants. Other light feeders are such root crops as carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, and rutabagas. Most herbs are light feeders.
Beneficial Companion Plants
Some plants have a beneficial effect upon the garden by virtue of some peculiar character of their growth, their scent or their root formation and soil demands.
Among these plants are sunflower, hemp, blossoming hyssop, thyme, savory, borage, and other good bee-pasture plants. Odoriferous plants, including those with aromatic oils, play an important part in determining just which insects visit the garden. Hemp, for instance, is said to repel the cabbage butterfly.
However, there is more to companion planting than just arranging the physical needs of plants for optimum use of your garden space. Although the hard scientific evidence is often lacking, there is a whole host of insect repellent properties attributed to different combinations of plants. In addition, there are combinations of plants that seem to be natural enemies.
When planted too close together, the result is often depressed yields of one or both plants. In most cases, plant scientists still do not know all the why's of these relationships. Many theorize that it is root exudates, or leaf secretions. The odor of one plant may be desirable to an insect, but the odor of a neighboring plant may overpower the attractive scent and send the insect packing.
Experiment with Companion Plants
The listing of companion plants and antagonist plants presented here is based on scientific evidence as well as on folklore. What is reported as working in one garden may not work in yours. Then too, you may hit on a beneficial pairing not yet reported. The main thing is not to plant your garden in strict mono-cropped rows. Diversity of plants is the easiest and most effective pesticide and fertilizer the garden has, so use it liberally. There are many combinations of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and weeds that are mutually beneficial to each other, according to reports of organic gardeners and companion planting traditions.
See the Companion Planting Chart @ moonGROW.com
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moonGROW.com (http://www.moonGROW.com) is a website delving into Moon Phase and Zodiac Sign Organic gardening. By Gene DeFazzio, this site provides the basics of both astrological and organic growing for the home gardener. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_DeFazzio |
Planning a Summer Tomato Garden Preparation for a bountiful harvest of tomatoes begins while snow still covers the ground. Before you can plant a beautiful row of seedlings, you must take several planning steps. Consulting a comprehensive cultivation guide on growing tomatoes will aid your planning process and help ensure you end up with a bountiful disease free crop.
Choose Your Tomato Varieties
Hundreds of choice tomato varieties abound--enough to confuse gardeners. Tomatoes come in every shape, size and color. Huge tomatoes that take two hands to carry are related to tiny grape tomatoes no larger than the top of a thumb. Purple, yellow, orange and red tomatoes all spring from the same gene pool. Perfect round tomatoes, oblong tomatoes, little marble-sized tomatoes, and huge scrunchy looking tomatoes grow around the world. Tomatoes that grow as a never-ending vine share space with tomato plants that grow in a compact, shrub form. For your summer tomato garden, choose several tomato varieties, as each variety is best suited for its own culinary responsibility, and each takes specific care and tending.
For summer-long harvesting, choose tomato plants that are "indeterminate," or keep growing and growing and growing. These tomatoes will continue to set new fruit throughout the entire summer. These varieties are best for small cherry or grape sized tomatoes, as getting large fruit from these types of plants requires more work.
For shorter harvesting periods and larger tomatoes, choose "determinate" varieties, which grow to a certain size and stop. These plants put more energy into producing each fruit, resulting in larger, juicier fruit.
Pre-Order Seedlings or Sow Seeds
Tomatoes are fragile in the beginning. Growing a tomato from a seed and harvesting fruit in the same growing season takes advance preparation. If you prefer not to gamble with starting your own seeds, many companies offer mail-order seedlings of endless varieties. Plan for your seedlings to arrive for planting once the danger of frost is completely past. Tomato plants are tropical in origin and have little tolerance for cold.
For adventurous gardeners, harvesting a tomato grown from seed to fruit is a rewarding experience. Start seeds at least eight weeks before you wish to plant. Sow seeds thinly on a bed of light potting mix inside. Keep the seeds moist, but not overly wet. Misting daily does the trick. Once the seedlings have their second set of leaves, "prick out" the seedlings (gently remove seedlings one at a time, while holding the leaves) and plant into small pots of their own. Once frost danger has passed, "harden off" your plants by putting them outside during the day, and bringing them in at night. After a week or two of "hardening off," you may plant outside.
Prepare the Garden Soil
While your tomato seeds are germinating on their warm and comfy windowsill, use the time to prep the garden soil. Tomatoes need an organically rich, yet well-draining soil. If you have extremely wet and heavy soil, avoid walking on it during the winter, as excessive walking with compact the soil. Add organic matter on top of the soil to help prevent winter erosion. Once the soil warms enough to be workable, double-dig the soil (Dig all of the soil out, mix in some organic matter, and put soil back in) to break up hardened areas and allow for good root penetration.
Plant the Garden
Once the soil is prepared, seedlings are hardened-off, and temperatures are warm (or warming), plant your tomato garden, and prepare for a summer of delicious harvests.
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If you want more detailed tomato garden advice and tips from a world horticultural expert, visit http://www.bestjuicytomatoes.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Welsford |
