Strawberries are a non-conflict culture. It can grow in a variety of soils and tolerates the proximity of different plants well. Small summer cottages suggest mixed planting, since you have to save space and resort to combining crops in the beds.
I recommend reading: Iron vitriol - brought health to the garden
Good neighbors
When planting strawberries, it must be borne in mind that they like neutral or slightly acidic soil, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium with a good level of water and air permeability.
When making joint plantings with other crops, you should consider:
- Berry bushes should not be placed next to crops that consume the same nutrients from the soil as strawberries - competition will reduce yields.
- Neighboring plants should not create shade for the strawberry.
- Plants located nearby should have the same watering frequency.
- You can not plant nearby plants that have common pests and diseases.
Ideal neighbors for strawberries are:
- Legumes - beans, peas, soybeans, lentils. Their root system loosens the soil, and the height of the plants creates diffused light. Legumes saturate the soil well with nitrogen, which increases the fruiting of berry bushes.
- Garlic, onions - their pungent smell scares away slugs and snails. Garlic prevents the development of late blight, white and gray rot on berry bushes. The minimum distance between planting onions, garlic and berries should be observed - 15 cm.
- Parsley - the plant can be planted in the aisles, the specific smell of parsley scares away harmful insects.
- Greens - cucumber grass, spinach, salads, sorrel, basil get along well with berry bushes and stimulate the formation of whiskers and peduncles in them.
- Spicy herbs - coriander, tarragon, thyme - the aroma of essential oils of these crops repels pests.
- Vegetable crops - such root crops as carrots, beets, radishes, radishes - are good companions for berry bushes, the distance between crops should be 60 cm.
- Flowers - contribute to the abundant fruiting of strawberries. Marigolds can be planted between bushes. They protect against weevils, bears, onion flies, nematodes. Tulip and iris bulbs protect berry bushes from freezing in winter. Good flower neighbors are peony, nasturtium, rhododendron, delphinium, sage, clematis. The flower scent attracts pollinating insects and repels pests.
- Trees and shrubs - among the good neighbors are apple, grapes, jasmine, sea buckthorn.
Bad neighbors
Neighborhood with other crops can reduce the yield and lead to the death of berry bushes.
Unwanted neighbors for strawberries:
- Solanaceae - potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers - require the same nutrients as strawberries. They have a common disease - late blight.
- Sunflowers and Jerusalem artichoke - due to their high growth, they create a shade for strawberries, sunflower husks are poisonous for berry bushes.
- Raspberry - its powerful root system absorbs water both in its own and in neighboring areas. The height of the raspberry bushes shades the strawberries.
- Cabbage - likes frequent watering, which is undesirable for strawberries, since it can provoke berry rotting.
When planting berry bushes mixed with other plants, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of their joint growth, so that this neighborhood is beneficial and stimulates growth and fruiting.
I recommend reading: Iron vitriol - brought health to the garden
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
Read also: The best mulch for raspberry trees in the autumn-spring period