Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Companion crops

BigladBiglad Posts: 3,265
in Fruit & veg
Just doing a bit of planning and research. I'm thinking of growing a blackberry bush in the same patch as strawberries and rhubarb. Also, sweetcorn, dwarf french beans and peas in another patch. Do these combinations sound ok?
East Lancs

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Blackberries form long canes which need training against a fence or wall really.  Sweetcorn are best grown in blocks. How big are these patches you have?
  • BigladBiglad Posts: 3,265
    The plan is for the blackberry to be against a fence with the rhubarb and strawberries filling in the rest of a border. It's about 2m x 0.8m.

    The other patch will be smaller (not sure of the exact dimensions at the moment) with a couple of 'wigwams' adjacent to each other for the sweetcorn, peas and french beans.
    East Lancs
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I can't see why you can't have a blackberry with either strawberries or rhubarb but I don't think strawberries and rhubarb will play nicely. the rhubarb will shade out everything under it.
    How are you going to pick french beans with sweetcorn all round it and the entire thing tangled together with peas? you could maybe have sweetcorn in the middle and beans round the edge, but I would put the peas somewhere else.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Blackberries and rhubarb are permanent plantings except when you lift and divide the rhubarb every 3 or 4 years so they are fine together.   Strawberries are best grown on a 3 year cycle - one year settling, 2nd year producing fruit and 3rd year still fruit but also runners to pot on and be year one the following year.  Fine if you can give them space along with the other two.

    Sweetcorn needs a lot of water and a good grid planting scheme rather than rows.   I wouldn't mix them with anything else. 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • BigladBiglad Posts: 3,265
    Thanks folks. Adjustments to the plans required  :)
    East Lancs
Sign In or Register to comment.