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How can you plant veg together that have different nutrient needs?

zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
in Fruit & veg
Hi, 
I'm new to growing vegetables and just learning about fertiliser etc. I've already got some carrots growing in a raised bed and just ordered some 'superphosphate' fertiliser for them as I read that's what they need for good root growth. I looked what to companion plant alongside carrots and read that lettuce was good. But if lettuce needs nitrogen fertiliser and carrots don't and they are planted together, how does that work? Do you water each row with different fertiliser or will it all mix up and end up making the carrots grow lots of leaves and poor roots or vice versa with the lettuce? Sorry if this is a silly question! Any advice appreciated.
Thanks very much 🙂
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  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited August 2023
    It's not a silly question at all - it's one of the trickiest things about growing veg - companion planting, rotation and succession are all important. Your soil condition will make a difference too - if you have very fertile soil, adding fertiliser will be more of a problem for veg that needs to be grown 'hard'. If your soil is very poor, you might need to add fertilisers even for ones that like low fertility.
    As a general rule it's better not to fertilise carrots - they tend to fork. It's better to grow them in the lowest fertility soil you have, which suits lettuce as well. They both like very sharp drainage. Lettuce likes it cool, carrots don't seem too bothered on that. So my advice for your specific question would be to not use your fertiliser, unless your soil is very very sandy and free draining. It would probably be better applied to your beans or tomatoes.

    You are correct in your speculation that you need to grow plants together that like the same conditions. The other companion planting to think about is things like growing garlic close to carrots to put the carrot fly off. Garlic may be happier with the fertiliser (I've not tried that), so it may be a better carrot companion for you if you need to add fertiliser to your carrots.

    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    onions and garlic like higher nitrogen levels than carrots. 
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    I did actually put manure in the bed, not knowing at the time that I'm not supposed to with carrots apparantly and yet they seem to be growing fine. However at the same time I planted some carrots in a container with no manure and lots of sand and soft compost/ coco coir as I thought that's what they prefer so they wouldn't fork. But the ones in the container have barely grown in 2 months, compared to those in the manure. So God knows! I mean the carrots in the bed arnt actually very big in terms of roots but the tops look nice and bushy! Perhaps that's because I gave them some multi purpose fertiliser! Perhaps I could just not fertilise the bed at all and see what happens.
    I've never grown garlic, don't know the first thing about it. Perhaps I'll have to look into that one as I do love garlic! Thank you 🙂raisingirl said:
    It's not a silly question at all - it's one of the trickiest things about growing veg - companion planting, rotation and succession are all important. Your soil condition will make a difference too - if you have very fertile soil, adding fertiliser will be more of a problem for veg that needs to be grown 'hard'. If your soil is very poor, you might need to add fertilisers even for ones that like low fertility.
    As a general rule it's better not to fertilise carrots - they tend to fork. It's better to grow them in the lowest fertility soil you have, which suits lettuce as well. They both like very sharp drainage. Lettuce likes it cool, carrots don't seem too bothered on that. So my advice for your specific question would be to not use your fertiliser, unless your soil is very very sandy and free draining. It would probably be better applied to your beans or tomatoes.

    You are correct in your speculation that you need to grow plants together that like the same conditions. The other companion planting to think about is things like growing garlic close to carrots to put the carrot fly off. Garlic may be happier with the fertiliser (I've not tried that), so it may be a better carrot companion for you if you need to add fertiliser to your carrots.

    I did actually put manure in the bed, not knowing at the time that I'm not supposed to with carrots apparantly and yet they seem to be growing fine. However at the same time I planted some carrots in a container with no manure and lots of sand and soft compost/ coco coir as I thought that's what they prefer so they wouldn't fork. But the ones in the container have barely grown in 10 weeks, compared to those in the manure. So God knows! 🤔
    I mean the carrots in the bed arnt actually very big in terms of roots but the tops look nice and bushy! Perhaps that's because I gave them some multi purpose fertiliser rather than phosphate! Perhaps I could just not fertilise the bed at all and see what happens.
    I've never grown garlic, don't know the first thing about it. I'll have to look into that one as I do love garlic! Thank you 🙂
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    war garden 572 said:
    onions and garlic like higher nitrogen levels than carrots. 
    Oh they're all so fussy and demanding! Yet the things you would assume you should plant with carrots, like other root veg, so they need the same nutrients. Is that not a good idea? When I looked up companion planting with carrots there was no mention of other root veg? 
    Thank you 🙂
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    Could I plant a couple of extra rows of a different variety of carrots inbetween my already growing carrots? Or is that too much of the same thing!? Excuse my ignorance! 🙂
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    zara.model said:
    I did actually put manure in the bed, not knowing at the time that I'm not supposed to with carrots apparantly and yet they seem to be growing fine. However at the same time I planted some carrots in a container with no manure and lots of sand and soft compost/ coco coir as I thought that's what they prefer so they wouldn't fork. But the ones in the container have barely grown in 2 months, compared to those in the manure. So God knows! I mean the carrots in the bed arnt actually very big in terms of roots but the tops look nice and bushy! Perhaps that's because I gave them some multi purpose fertiliser! Perhaps I could just not fertilise the bed at all and see what happens.
    I've never grown garlic, don't know the first thing about it. Perhaps I'll have to look into that one as I do love garlic! Thank you 🙂raisingirl said:
    It's not a silly question at all - it's one of the trickiest things about growing veg - companion planting, rotation and succession are all important. Your soil condition will make a difference too - if you have very fertile soil, adding fertiliser will be more of a problem for veg that needs to be grown 'hard'. If your soil is very poor, you might need to add fertilisers even for ones that like low fertility.
    As a general rule it's better not to fertilise carrots - they tend to fork. It's better to grow them in the lowest fertility soil you have, which suits lettuce as well. They both like very sharp drainage. Lettuce likes it cool, carrots don't seem too bothered on that. So my advice for your specific question would be to not use your fertiliser, unless your soil is very very sandy and free draining. It would probably be better applied to your beans or tomatoes.

    You are correct in your speculation that you need to grow plants together that like the same conditions. The other companion planting to think about is things like growing garlic close to carrots to put the carrot fly off. Garlic may be happier with the fertiliser (I've not tried that), so it may be a better carrot companion for you if you need to add fertiliser to your carrots.

    I did actually put manure in the bed, not knowing at the time that I'm not supposed to with carrots apparantly and yet they seem to be growing fine. However at the same time I planted some carrots in a container with no manure and lots of sand and soft compost/ coco coir as I thought that's what they prefer so they wouldn't fork. But the ones in the container have barely grown in 10 weeks, compared to those in the manure. So God knows! 🤔
    I mean the carrots in the bed arnt actually very big in terms of roots but the tops look nice and bushy! Perhaps that's because I gave them some multi purpose fertiliser rather than phosphate! Perhaps I could just not fertilise the bed at all and see what happens.
    I've never grown garlic, don't know the first thing about it. I'll have to look into that one as I do love garlic! Thank you 🙂
    Oh sorry I said the same thing twice! No idea how! 😁
  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    edited August 2023

    zara.model  Yet the things you would assume you should plant with carrots, like other root veg, so they need the same nutrients.
    and you would assume wrong

  • bullfinchbullfinch Posts: 692
    If you are able to watch any episodes of Beechgrove garden (it's on the BBC)  @zara.model  you might get some tips, there's a lovely guy called George on there, who often gives easy to follow advice about growing fruit and veg  :)
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    war garden 572 said:

    zara.model  Yet the things you would assume you should plant with carrots, like other root veg, so they need the same nutrients.

    and you would assume wrong
    Sorry I don't understand, do you mean you should or should not plant other root crops beside each other? Thanks 🙂
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    bullfinch said:
    If you are able to watch any episodes of Beechgrove garden (it's on the BBC)  @zara.model  you might get some tips, there's a lovely guy called George on there, who often gives easy to follow advice about growing fruit and veg  :)
    Great thanks, I've not heard of it, will have a look. 🙂
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