Companion Planting with Beans

There are many plant companion settings. Plants that help one another out by promoting healthier growth, warding off certain pests, and helping keep the soil's pH at a healthy level for the plants around them. Today we are going to talk a little about using beans as companion plants:

Beans are a great companion for many different plants, just a few are strawberries, beets (view companion planting with beets), carrots, brassicas, radish, and corn. Beans repel California beetles and they fix nitrogen in soil, which is a fertilizer that other plants depend on.

When you harvest beans you might want to keep a basket or large bucket on hand as during good seasons bean plants can grow up to 50 beans per plant. 

When planting companion plants together, keep in mind that even plants that help one another in other climates, soil conditions, etc. don't always get along, as we post about companion plants, be sure to always know that each garden will vary slightly from another and what works for some may not work in your garden.

What experiences have you had in planting and/or growing beans?

Companion Planting with Borage

There are many plant companion settings. Plants that help one another out by promoting healthier growth, warding off certain pests, and helping keep the soil's pH at a healthy level for the plants around them. Today we are going to talk a little about using borage as companion plants:

Borage is a pretty blue flower with hairy leaves that can be used as a salad green. It makes a great companion plant with nearly any plant that you might grow in your garden. Borage attracts predator type insects and honey bees while repelling many different types of pests. So grab a garden trowel and add this helpful plant where you need it most.

When planting companion plants together, keep in mind that even plants that help one another in other climates, soil conditions, etc. don't always get along, as we post about companion plants, be sure to always know that each garden will vary slightly from another and what works for some may not work in your garden.

What experiences have you had in planting and/or growing Borage?

Companion Planting with Beets

There are many plant companion settings. Plants that help one another out by promoting healthier growth, warding off certain pests, and helping keep the soil's pH at a healthy level for the plants around them. Today we are going to talk a little about using beets as companion plants:

Beets are a great companion plant for Lettuce, Brassicas, Alliums, and Cucumbers (read more about cucumber companion planting). Beets add mineral to the soil which greatly help the before mentioned plants. However, beets should not be planted near runner or pole beans as these types of plants stunt each other's growth.

Beets also make a great container plant. Try using a large round washtub for a container, just be sure to drill holes in the bottom.

What experiences have you head in growing beets in your garden?

Companion Planting with Geraniums

There are many plant companion settings. Plants that help one another out by promoting healthier growth, warding off certain pests, and helping keep the soil's pH at a healthy level for the plants around them. Today we are going to talk a little about using geraniums as companion plants:

 Geraniums help brassicas, tomatoes, grapes, aubergines, roses and peppers by attracting pests such as leaf hoppers and Japanese beetles away from other plants. The Geranium is considered a trap crop when used in this manner.

Keep in mind, when you have your watering can out, that Geraniums do not need much water. In fact if over watered damage that can be hard to reverse will be caused to the plant.

Companion Planting with Alliums

There are many plant companion settings. Plants that help one another out by promoting healthier growth, warding off certain pests, and helping keep the soil's pH at a healthy level for the plants around them. Today we are going to talk a little about using alliums as companion plants:

When planting companion plants together, keep in mind that even plants that help one another in other climates, soil conditions, etc. don't always get along, as we post about companion plants, be sure to always know that each garden will vary slightly from another and what works for some may not work in your garden.

For planting alliums, you might find it easier to use a bulb planter.

First Time Container Gardener

Crystal, one of Red Hill General Store's employees, is trying her hand at gardening. She decided to keep it simple with a container garden and just two varieties of plants.

"Start small, learn from your mistakes, then expand."

She is hoping that this mantra and the fact that she isn't going all out her first year gardening will keep her from getting in over her head. We think she'll be just fine.

For her container, Crystal used a 17 gallon Round Wash Tub.

Her two plants of choice: Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes & Sweet Chocolate Bell Peppers.

Mortgage Lifter Tomato Starter Plants

The Mortgage Lifter Tomato plants that she got at Red Hill General Store in Hillsville, VA are an improved version of 'Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter' tomatoes. These have added disease resistance, a more uniform fruit, they are more red than pink when ripe, and produce a smaller (yet more productive) fruit at 10-14 oz. The Mortgage Lifter Tomato bears fruit until frost. For an interesting history on 'Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter' tomato visit: Tomato Geek.

Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper Starter Plants

The Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper is Crystal's experimental plant, while she's always loved tomatoes and definitely enjoys her share of bell peppers, she has never seen or tasted a Sweet Chocolate Bell. This is one pepper that, to Crystal, sounds too delicious to pass up trying to grow on her own.

The Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper has a sweet flavor, a hint of spiciness, produces a 2 oz., shiny brown, block shaped bell, with 3-or-4 lobes. These peppers can also be harvest in their green stage.

Crystal drilled holes in the bottom of the tub, and put about 1-inch of gravel in the bottom before filling with potting soil. She got the tomatoes and peppers planted just as a huge rainstorm started, so she lucked out on having to water them just yet. She's a little worried that her plants are too close together, but she is going to see what happens. Stakes will come into play as the plants get bigger. And we will keep track of how she is doing and keep you updated on this beginner's container garden. We hope she has a lot of tomatoes to share!

Need ideas for tomatoes? Read: Tomato Use Ideas

How to Keep Birds out of Fruit Trees

Yesterday, our sister blog, Bell Outlet Blog, wrote an interesting article with a few tips on keeping birds out of your fruit trees. We feel that this is a topic that our readers would gain a benefit from so we thought we would share one of their tips, but allow you to travel over to their blog to check out the rest.

• If birds have an even easier food supply to get food from they won't want to bother with the fruit trees. Distract them with bird feeders placed away from the trees (but close enough that they will visit the feeder instead) do a little research on the types of birds that are "visiting" your fruit trees and find out which seeds for your feeder will attract them the most.

 This tip is definitely one that can help to deter birds from eating your hard worked for fruits and possibly even vegetables if you are also having trouble with birds in your garden.

We would love to hear some of your personal tips on keeping birds out of your hard worked for fruits and vegetables!