Crop rotation vs companion planting

[patandchickens]

I am totally keeping an eye on this thread. I grew tomatoes in our raised bed last summer, and right now it has snow peas and radish, but I was thinking it would need a nitrogen fix or something, so I was planning to plant a "living screen" of peas (or beans, whichever survives in summer heat better) to shade the kitchen window in late spring/summer, and then plant bush beans at their feet.

If you're going to do that, definitely use BEANS not peas -- peas are not heat tolerant and also do not get as tall or dense as beans. Scarlet runner beans are nice (and yes, the beans are edible), but any pole bean will perform similarly in terms of screening.

HOWEVER if it is a really hot location against the house there, beans may not be as amused as tomatoes would be; and they won't provide any real shade/screening until late in the season, by which time not all but MUCH of the hot days will be already past. Also be careful with the "bush beans at their feet" thing; beans don't enjoy root disturbance, also you will probably want to be able to get in TO the pole beans to harvest them.

I do not think it makes much sense at a small-raised-beds level to use rotation thru legumes to try to replenish soil nitrogen, though. It is infinitely easier and more effective to simply add some composted manure or other high-N high-nutrient material. You get much more effect that way.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Beekissed]

You could sew white dutch clover in your rows and at the base of your veggies to replenish nutrients. The clover works in all kinds of wonderful ways...fixes nitrogen in the soil, provides ground cover that encourages earthworms to inhabit the area and leave their castings, crowds out weeds, can be plowed into and under to provide green "manure", attracts bees to your garden, keeps the soil cool and moist...also give you a clean, soft path on which to walk, doesn't grow high enough to need mowing and looks lovely.