Companion Plants: Plants and Herbs

Before Planting - Planning


So, again before you plant one seed, you have to look, listen, and think about some things.

First of all you need to know where the Sun comes up and how it hits your garden. If you have rows you need to plant them north to south.

So, the rows get Sun all day long.
If you are going to patio garden, container, or garden box, you should plant your plants so that receive the most Sun.

Once you have noticed where the Sun comes up and goes down, it will be easier to visualize where plants will go.

The placement of plants is up to you.


When you have the list of veggies you like to eat, before you buy the seeds, think about these helpful hints:

There are some plants that help you in the garden, they repell insects, add nutrients and you'll find in time, insects love your "predatory plants" more than your vegetable plants. We call them predatory because predators and parasites like them.

Dill, Mint, Yarrow, Lavender, these repell bugs and should be on the margins so you can keep them from spreading.  Marigold, Nasturtium  Cosmos, Sunflowers, Asters, Dahlias, Coreposis, Coneflowers, Chives, White, Red, and Sweet Clover, Chyrsanthamums, Vetch, Oats,  these can be planted with your plants and they help with pollenation of fruit flowers from insects and they help keep bugs off your food. Four O' Clocks are poisonous and should be placed outside the garden to warn animals to back off.
You can use morning glories and moonflowers, which I call the timer flowers, because four o'clocks, morning glories, and moonflowers all go off at a certain time. Four O'Clocks at 4pm, morning glories in the morning, and the moonflowers during the full moon.


Now, on to companion planting.  I created the following chart you can download for future reference.

Here is an example of how the plants will be planted this year in my garden.

Now,  you have all the information you need to begin buying seeds and planting them.

Getting Prepared - The How-To Guide to Planning and Beginning Your Vegetable Garden

Being raised by a Ph.D in Plant Physiology and a Horticulturist, I learned how to garden in New Jersey, The Garden State.

I also have had a wonderful experience learning to garden in the intensive Texas heat and the high altitudes and June-uary type weather, here in Montana. 

With this said, I have read hundreds of books on companion planting, drought agriculture, GMO seeds and hybrid vegetable plants, heritage and organic seeds, and organic gardening methods. 

Let me assure you this is easy stuff! It seems intimidating because we think we have to juggle a million things including our children, work, and relationships, in today's age, no one has time for a garden. I laugh when I hear this, because I wouldn't be alive without one! It keeps me in shape, in keeps me in touch with the weather patterns, and it keeps me fed all year long. 

So, first things are first. 

We have to think location is everything. I think back to when I had a little apartment in Dallas and I had just a tiny little balcony, and I only had sun from 11am-sunset, but not the entire morning to evening sun. I was thinking, I would really like to grow an garden but I don't have a house with a backyard. And then one day, it struck me! You know what I have Sun... Container Gardening is an easy no mess way to have herbs and vegetables on a patio. I have known people to grow lemon trees and orange trees, even avocado trees on their apartment balconies. If you must container garden, then find a Sunny place that gets more than 6 hours of sunlight. 

If you do have a backyard, and you have a sunny place that gets more than 6 - 8 hours of sunlight, then you have a location for a garden. If you are worried about digging up the ground, or about the earth and soil in general, you can test it yourself, with a cheap soil testing kit from Home Depot or Lowe's. If you are lazy and do not want to test the soil or dig up the dirt or you feel like there are plumbing and electrical lines below you, then do not worry. You can do the no mess super gratifying lasagna gardening. In which you can create wooden box using, 2 X 4s or any size really to create a frame to make a garden. You line the frame with Newspaper, non glossy, black and white, cause they use vegetable oil based ink, and then layer the entire box with straw, and then garden soil, preferably organic garden soil, or top soil. Then sprinkle Bone and Blood Meal a cup or so and continue to layer until box is filled. Top with soil. 

That probably takes about 50 - 120$ to make, but it lasts and depending on how big your boxes are you can still do crop rotation which we will talk about later. 

If you have land and it is anywhere between 12ft or more by 12ft or more, then you should test your soil.

If it has not had a garden on it, and it is grass, you need to lay some black plastic down and kill the grass there, for a week or so. Then, go in and rototill it, you can rent one of these from Lowe's or Home Depot. 

If not you can get a shovel, and turn the dirt over. I would add, straw and Bone and Blood Meal to your soil and break it up. 

If you would like manure or fertilizer, like chicken poo, go to your local organic store look on the package of eggs and go to the farm. Odds are they will give you some for free! Follow the source! Or you can purchase this at a garden store. 

My garden this year, is a second year expanded garden. I have added top soil and fertilizer and then went through with a rototiller and hand rowed with a hoe. The garden this year is 32 ft  X 48 ft. 

If you have land and are looking to make a substantial garden, more than 5 acres, I suggest you read several books about gardening and have at least 5 to 8 people helping you maintain the plants. One of the books I recommend is by Elliot Coleman, The New Organic Grower. 

If you have gotten this far, then you should take a moment and have a cup of tea. Yay! You are close. 

Because now goes the planning phase. 

What do you want to grow? What grows well in your area? What veggies do you like to eat or people? 

After you have answered these questions, one should start dividing the garden into sections. This is because not everything grows well together. Like they say never grow Dill by carrots or tomatoes. And basil can add flavor to your bell peppers and tomotaoes. 

With this said, one should make a list of veggies they would like to grow and then make another list next to it, what grows with what...

Next: Planning and Beginning the Garden 

 So, we have begun this season, the garden has been tiled and rowed and manured.

 This year we are growing Romanesco Fractal Broccoli, along with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Squash, Pumpkins, Corn, Regualr Broccoli, Cauliflower and Snow Peas. We will also have Carrots, Beets, Onions, Kale, Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Spinach, Artichoke, and Cabbage.

 All of our vegetables are organic, hertiage seeds selected from the best Sustainable Seed Co. and Fisher's Garden Store, in Belgrade, Montana has to offer. Our methods of fertilization are organic, happy chicken poo and fish mixture is used in the summer months.

 Here are the Roma and Early Girl Varieties of Tomatoes sprouting up.

Here is one of the happy homes of early veggies that will be transplanted once the weather allows.

Here is Rocky, the Cat, who likes to guard the seedlings and sleep in the Sun in the afternoon.

Next Week, we will have updates on when we will be

at the Gallatin Valley Farmer's Markets this Summer Season!