Embarking on a gardening adventure can feel overwhelming! Join our Site Steward and Tool Librarian, Rob Ryan, as he shares his insights and experiences from the vibrant MUD garden this summer. Discover how you can cultivate your own green oasis with confidence!
Every new garden is an experiment in adapting to new things and new conditions. This was my first garden at MUD so I had to learn and adapt to the site conditions; and there were definitely some foibles along the way!
One thing I tried this year was companion planting, which is the practice of pairing crops that can benefit each other, or have different nutrient needs, to maximize the yield of limited soil. The most famous example of this is a three sisters garden of corn, beans, and squash. The corn acts as a trellis for the beans, which fix nitrogen for the corn, and the squash provides weed and ground cover, while not stealing any light from the corn or beans.
I tried 3 different companion planting combos. Here is how they went!
Corns, beans, squash (3 Sisters)
This combo requires lots of direct sun! I planted it near a tree, which blocked the sun and stunted the squash. The corn also fell over in a big windstorm. Next time, I would plant the corn in a square instead of a line for better wind protection, and definitely in full sun.
Cabbage and potatoes
The potatoes quickly overtook the cabbage, so the cabbage was stunted and did not grow very big. More space between the plants!
Onions and peppers
Onions are biennials, so they grow small shoots the first year, then grow into large onions next year. Peppers need warm, well drained soil, and they did not grow well in the dense soil at MUD. Next time, containers and amended soil for the peppers!
Tomatoes, chard, and herbs
Tomatoes and chard have different nutrient profiles, and don’t attract the same pests. Most herbs also deter pests, and we didn’t have any pest problems this year! Having never grown chard before, I didn’t know that chard grew so big, and unfortunately, chard blocked a lot of light from getting to the herbs. They didn’t block the light for the viney tomatoes, which were growing really well until we had a few days of rain and cold. Because of the restricted airflow from the large chard leaves, The bottom tomato leaves contracted a fungus, which took out a few tomato plants and hurt the yields towards the end of the growing season.
Overall, I’m a big fan of companion planting, but there is definitely a learning curve, and I got a bit too ambitious, planting many of the plants too close together. The purpose of companion planting is to make the most efficient use of sunlight and nutrients! After the plants were established, they covered the ground enough to suppress weed growth, with the interplanting of herbs and marigolds deterring pests. Unfortunately these conditions also contribute to fungal growth, so I’m still working towards getting the perfect balance.
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