How to build a raised vegetable garden

Raised vegetable planting or association crops is one of the easiest and most natural ways to set up your raised vegetable garden for success. There are many things that contribute to success, such as good soil, adequate sunlight, and timely watering. But one of the things that is often overlooked is the practice of company planting. Today we will see what joint planting is and how to combine crops to obtain better harvests.

The good thing about raised bed planting

What is grown in one raised vegetable garden or vegetable garden location can have a major impact on the health and performance of another plant. When horticultural plants are grown close to plants with which they are compatible, good things happen.

Some plants benefit from the nutrients that their companion plants contribute to the soil. Others benefit because their companions help deter and drive away pests.

Additionally, companion plants can also provide support or shade for a companion variety grown in close proximity. For example, grow a lettuce mix under tomato plants in midsummer.

Tomato plants help shade lettuce during the summer heat. Meanwhile, the lettuce crop acts as a living mulch. Not only does it conserve soil moisture for tomato plants, it also helps keep weeds out.

The unsupported side of raised bed seeding

Unfortunately, some plants can also have a negative effect on others when planted nearby. And this can be a big problem for your well-being and productivity.

What kind of problems? Well, for starters, some can stunt the root and foliage growth of other horticultural plants when grown nearby.

Others, meanwhile, can attract unwanted pests to a nearby plant that can severely limit yields.

Companion raised bed plant basics

Where do you start when it comes to the basics of raised bed seeding? It all starts with taking stock of everything you are going to grow.

Next, you have to have a little knowledge about which plants are best close to each other and which ones are not. (Further down in this article we have included basic information on how to associate plants).

From there, you can create a growing plan using the basics of partner planting. These basic principles can prepare the ground for healthier plants, better growth, and higher yields.

And those fundamentals go far beyond just planting accompanying horticultural plants. Many herbs and flowers can and should be grown in the garden as well for their positive benefits to nearby vegetable plants.

How to associate crops in the garden

Marigolds are one of the best companion plants in the garden. They repel a wide range of garden pests, and can be easily planted and cultivated between rows in your garden for simple, care-free protection.

It turns out that many annuals and herbs are not only beautiful and fragrant, but they are also great at repelling common garden pests.

With all of this in mind, here's a look at some of the best associations between common vegetable plants.

Tomatoes and peppers

These two garden favorites are wonderful to grow raised bed  to or with cabbages, carrots, onions, garlic, lettuce, and asparagus. But if you really want to help your tomatoes grow, plant basil nearby.

Basil is well known to be a natural deterrent against tomato worms, aphids, and beetles. Additionally, growing basil near tomatoes is believed to help enhance their flavor as well. Another advantage of growing basil is that it can help repel mosquitoes.

Always avoid planting peppers and tomatoes near potato plants as pests and diseases can easily be shared and spread between plants.

Peas, corn, cucumbers, and squash

Peas do very well when planted with corn. Native Americans used it as part of the "Three Sisters" planting method, planting corn, beans, and squash together.

Part of the Three Sisters planting technique, here the corn stalks provide a living trellis for the climbing peas. Meanwhile, these help fix nitrogen levels in the soil for the corn. All this while pumpkin vines help keep raccoons and other pests away, and their leaves shade the ground, protecting it from the sun and better conserving moisture.

Cucumbers and zucchini are also great crops that can be planted alongside peas and corn. Other crops that will go well nearby are potatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli.

When growing peas, avoid garlic and onion. Unfortunately, these two crops stunt bean growth and can severely limit the harvest.

Cucumbers

Grow near legumes, corn, and radishes. Corn works very well as it provides some shade protection to the cucumbers and allows the vines to grow and have support. 

Avoid planting cucumbers around potatoes, as they can promote blight on potato crops.

Garlic and onion

Garlic and onion not only go well with bell peppers and tomatoes in the kitchen, but they also grow well together in the garden.

Plant the onions and garlic near or next to the tomatoes, peppers, cabbages, carrots, lettuce, and basil. Avoid planting near peas and strawberries.

Broccoli

Members of the broccoli family do well when planted near carrots, and near vegetables such as lettuce, kale, and spinach.

Broccoli and carrots are two plants that work great when grown close to each other. Keeping marigolds close to broccoli can also help reduce pests that often hide in the leaves.

Green peas

Plant peas with corn, carrots, celery, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, and turnips. Avoid planting them with onions, garlic, and shallots.

Don't plant directly near plants in the nightshade family, such as potatoes, peppers, or tomatoes.

Do not grow plants of the same species together

Growing plants of the same species very closely, such as tomatoes with cherry tomatoes, or squash and zuchinni, can cause problems in harvests.

What generally happens in these cases is cross pollination, this means that they can be "crossed" obtaining a hybrid fruit, a mixture between two plants.

This happens because pollinating insects carry pollen from one flower to another, regardless of which species it is, so when the flowers are very close, this mixture is produced, resulting in a harvest that is somewhat different than expected.

Planting marigolds in the garden

There are many annual flowers that can help repel pests. The first on the list are marigolds. But others, like alder, zinias, and nasturtiums, also work wonders.

Marigolds can help protect against a whole host of garden pests. This includes aphids, roundworms, tomato worms, squash bugs, and even cabbage worms.

Best of all, they also help keep rabbits, deer, and squirrels away thanks to their strong scent. But if that's not enough, consider that marigolds also attract all kinds of beneficial pollinators with their beautiful blooms.

Honey bees, butterflies, and wasps love the showy flowers and sweet nectar that marigolds produce. And marigolds are one of the easiest annual flowers to grow.

For trying joint planting in your garden this year. And for cultivating the best garden of all time.