Vegetable Friends and Foes

My mom was an avid gardener.  She did an incredible amount of planning each year, when deciding what crops to put where.  I used to watch her design layouts and put them in her binder.  I thought she was nuts.  But as it turned out, she knew what she was doing.  She not only had to rotate crops, but she had to know which plants worked together, and which plants did not.  I learned a thing or two from watching her.  Today, I'll share a few tips about vegetables that go good together and combinations to avoid.

1.  Beans like celery and cucumber, but don't plant them near onions or beets.

2.  Beets like lettuce and onions.

3.  Cabbage, celery, dill, onions, and potatoes work well together.

4.  Carrots, lettuce, radish, onions, and tomatoes also work well together.

5.  Cucumbers like corn, peas, radishes, beans, and sunflowers, but don't plant them near herbs or potatoes.

6.  Lettuce is a friendly plant.  It grows well with onions, strawberries, carrots, radishes, and cucumbers.

7.  As stated above, onions can be planted near lettuce, but keep onions away from peas and beans.

8.  Squash can be planted with cucumbers and corn.

9.  Tomatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley are buddies, but they don't get along with cabbage and cauliflower, so keep them separated.

If you keep these tips in mind when you plant your garden next year, you will have a  happy garden that will grow well (provided it has plenty of sun, water, and no pests!).