Topic: Intercropping

[Looby Loo]

I'm not even sure if "intercropping" is the correct phrase or not. :-[

I'm looking for some information on what veggies can be grown in amongst others:

For example, we had a marvelous crop of sweetcorn this year, but they do take up an awful lot of room. I was wondering if I could grown something in between the plants. I was thinking about patty pans or other squashes.

Any advice, links to helpful sites or books I can buy on the subject would be greatly appreciated.


Looby Loo's OH.

[MikeB]

Try
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html

Scroll down

MikeB

[Obelixx]

American indians grew squash between corn and they do well.  I haven't done that but did construct a support made by screwing a 4metre strip of wire mesh - the sort builders use for concrete reinforcement - to 3 upright 2 metre posts.  I grew lots of small red pumpkins up those and they only took up a 4 metre by 30cm bed, ripened well from being up in the warm air and full sun, got no mildew thanks to the breezes and no slug damage either.

Other than that I've grown radishes between slower crops such as carrots and parsnips - nothing adventurous really.  I'll be interested to see what other people have done.

[wardy]

With my corn I grew two varieties of runner bean, french beans, butternut squash (no fruits though unfortunately), sweet peas and calendula.  All in manure.  The beans cropped fantastically and the corn was delicious.  Plenty of sweet peas too.  The pic shows the immature corn  :)

[Looby Loo]

Blimey, thanks for the quick replies. I should be able to get my hands on some free re-mesh, so I'll try that.

I've another question. Down our lottie we have an Italian neighbour, during the summer he gave us some Tromba d'Albenga; on his plot he has them sprawled all over the place, he has the room, we don't. Seeing as the matured tromba can grow to three to four foot long would it be possible to grow them up some kind of structure?

I would ask our italian neighbour, but unfortunatly his english is nearly as bad as my italian and we'd just end up pointing at things and laughing rather than have any kind of understandable converstion.


I should add I really recommend trying Tromba d'Albenga, if you haven't already, definately one of my favourite new thing from the plot this year. You can buy the seeds from Seeds of Italy.


Edit to add.

Thank you for the links MikeB....I'll have a good gander through that.

I'll try the runners in with the corn Wardy. Thx.
 :)

[Doris_Pinks]

I try and grow all my squash up supports, they take up less room that way, having said that a few got away from me this year! ;D
The ones I let roam are the pumpkins, they grow under my sweetcorn! ;D

[flowerlady]

This year I planted nasturtiums around the base of my sweet corn with french beans in between them.   Plus two wigwams on the edge,with butternuts  crawling everywhere.

The corn was in a block 6' x 12' and the spacings were nearly two foot.  Whilst these gaps were wider than most would use, it was easy to get to the beans!  I have had a brilliant crop of corn.  And beans.  Both runner beans and french beans.

The nasturtiums deterred the black filly from the beans and certainly added the bubbles and friendlies in their pollination  process.

I will most definitely do this again.

[wardy]

I intercrop with mixed lettuce seed and a successful partnership for me was overwintering Japanese onion sets with Little Gem lettuce.  Good crop of both  :)Spring onions are good little in between plants or seeds too

[flowerlady]

Wardy I read some where in here that you sow flowers with you carrots?

What else do you sow like this?

I put in a row of marigolds next to my beans, but have never actually put them in the same trench!

Have you noticed a beneficial effect produce wise with whatever you sow like that?

[Mrs Ava]

I sow squashes up supports and intercrop those with sweetcorn also.  When I sow parsnips, as they are so slow to get going, I also sow radish seed in the drill - they are gone before the snips are of any size.  I planted brussel sprouts in and around my strawberry plants this year - they go up whilst the strawbs go around!  Lettuce and other salads along the middle of my runner bean row.  I found that even if they aren't all harvested once the runners, or climbing french reach the tops of the poles, the lettuce seem to like the cool shade which slows the urge to bolt!  Spring onions all over!  They are so slim that I can normally fit a row in along the edge of something else that I am sowing, again, they are usually going or gone before the 'other' veg is mature.  Every inch of my plot needs to be productive, 12 months of the year, so I pack it in!

[wardy]

Like EJ says pack it in.  Flowers, weeds etc are all packed in in nature and I thinkg this is the best policy to keep pests at bay and maximise space.  No plants in nature are in straight rows :)

I grow nigella Love in a Mist with my carrots and as well as looking pretty are supposed to deter carrot fly.  My carrots did very well and without fleece which blew away  :)

This is my raised bed with beetroot, spring onion, carrots. nigella love in a mist 'Jekyll Blue' and red onions.  Everything cropped wonderfully well.  I did notice though that as the season lengthened I got white rot on the carrots  :(