Last night Lucy the garden dog helped me get a little companion planting done in the raised garden beds. Typically I bring the squirt bottle out with me and zap her with it if she walks in the garden beds, {and it works!} but she is still on the mend and I didn’t want to startle her.
Luckily she didn’t munch on any of the vegetable plants, so I was okay with it.
The other day my neighbor Hudla and I planted 66 tomato plants in 6 garden boxes {11 in each}. I was able to get 4 of the boxes planted with companion vegetables, 2 with onions and 2 with carrots.
If you have kids and you have never grown purple carrots before, you should give them a try. Your little monkeys will think they’ve got the coolest vegetables on the planet when they pull those babies up.
I think in the other two garden boxes I will plant a flat of leeks in one of them and maybe some fancy lettuce in the other. We’ll see. I have to go through my seed packets and see what I have.
Right now it looks like there are a bunch of string beans laying on the ground between the tomato plants, but no worries. In a few days they should perk right up and the garden beds will be looking in tip top shape.
How about you? Have you planted your tomatoes yet? Do you plan on doing any companion planting? If so, what will you plant beneath your tomato plants?
~Mavis
Is this your first year gardening? Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens
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Jennifer H. says
I will be planting carrots with mine this wknd!!! I absolutely love your site here and your garden is amazing!!! I am container gardening due to limited space here in the seattle area!!!! But I am making due and love it!!! Thanks for your awesome pics of you rgarden!!!!
Gardenpat says
What size are your raised beds?
Mavis says
4×8. 🙂
Cecily says
I planted 30 tomatoes in 2 4×10 beds. I plan to plant basil on the edges of the beds and red onions between the tomato plants. Did you know that growing basil in close proximity to tomatoes actually makes the tomatoes taste richer and sweeter?! Gardening is cool beans!!!
Mavis says
Cool beans is right Cecily!
Charla Echlin says
Still a little too chilly for me to put them out here- even though we are only 2 hours north of you! Am heading out to the MG plant sale this weekend where I will pick up a couple more heirloom varieties- I saved seed from my Black Krim last year, and those are coming up nicely- They are the BEST tasting tomatoes too.
I will need to get them all set up this weekend as I am heading home to Hawaii for 10 days- my husband does a great job watering for me, but tomatoes are so picky- I hate to put a lot of rules on his watering job-Bottom watering works best for him!
Will plant basil, nasturtium and marigolds for companions!
Susan says
Hi Mavis, i notice you dont tend to use mulch. I have to use several layers of newspaper and then a good 5-10 cm of pea straw or sugarcane mulch to stop the ground drying out and to suppress the weeds.
Are you planning on using any sort of mulch?