Companion planting, the pairing of plants that benefit each other in close proximity, adds yet another dimension

to the juggling of rows and beds. Reports on certain vegetables sometimes vary widely; some authorities say that onions and beans do well together, while others warn that beans dont like onions. There is a firm scientific basis for the study od plant relationships, though: plants are known to produce root exudates that do, in many cases, affect soil life and roots of the other plants around them. A whole body of companion planting lore exists that is difficult to dismiss, but difficult also, so far, to prove conclusively. Some of these protective interplanting arrangements seem to work for some gardeners but not for others. A few sound to me like myths that have simply been repeated from one writer to another without serious trial. Others have been proven effective in published studies - for example, the nematode-suppressing effect of French marigolds. Catnip oil, too, has been shown to repel 17 species of insects, but unfortunately, like the mints, it is an invasive plant that can choke out flowers and vegetables. In my garden, I make only a few international plantings, usually radishes with cucurbits and marigolds for nematode control, but I do try to keep different plant varieties well mixed. Although I dont follow the lore closely in my garden, partly out of busyness and preoccupation with other matters, Im no more ready to dismiss it entirely than I am to endorse without reservation the various companion-planting combinations Ive heard of. One thing is certain: growing things relate and interact in amazingly complicated and subtle ways. Much study remains to be done, and close observation by gardeners continues to be a valid source of information about the success of companion planting. Marigolds Are Ancient Companions On vases and grave furniture unearthed in Equator and Peru, archaeologists have noted depictions of the marigold Tagetes minuta painted right next to pictures of crops on which the people depended for food. Farmers in these pre-Inca civilizations were, in fact, able to grow corn, tomatoes, beans, and potatoes on the same land, without any crop rotation, for more than 1,000 years by fertilizing with bird guano and fish waste and interplanting their crops with marigolds. Helpful Companions. According to traditional lore, certain herbs, weeds, flowers, and vegetables have the effect of deterring insects and encouraging plant growth when planted near compatible plants. Borage, chamomile, and lovage are supposed to enhance growth and flavor in nearby vegetables. Garlic planted near roses and raspberries should deter aphids. Horseradish has the reputation of repelling potato bugs. Marjoram is said to improve the flavor of nearby food plants. Mint, sage, and rosemary are the traditional enemies of cabbage moths. Nasturtiums, which actually attract aphids and thus are useful as a trap crop, are sometimes erroneously listed as an aphid repellent. Catnip is often planted to deter flea beetles. Yarrow planted near aromatic herbs is thought to enhance their production of essential oils. Companions for Garden Space. Another branch of companion planting pairs shallowrooted plant like onions and celery with others, like chard and carrots, whose roots delve deeply into the subsoil. This seems to me a sensible practice that makes good use of that third dimension of garden space - depth.

Interplanting. There seems to be no question that monoculture (planting large areas to a single plant species) encourages heavier insect infestation. In repeated studies, diversified plantings have suffered less insect damage than monocultured fields. Therefore, the practice of mixing aromatic herbs and flowers with vegetables, alternating rows of different species, and interplanting various species within the row should help, at least, to confuse the insects and, at best, to promote positive plant health. Harmful Companions. Some plants, in the companion-planting tradition, harm rather than help each other. Fennel, the most notorious outcast, is said to discourage growth of most garden plants. Dill and carrots, basil and rue, sage and cucumbers, cabbage and grapes, and chives and peas or beans are all plants that reputedly make poor companions because one or both are badly affected by close proximity. Allelopathy. The inhibition of seed germination and plant growth by certain plantproduced natural compounds is sometimes responsible for otherwise unexplained poor plant growth. Plant toxins are usually exuded by roots, but they are also generally present, in varying amounts, in stems, leaves, and fruits. Walnut Trees and Juglone. Walnut trees release juglone, which retards many plants. I found that out the hard way in my own garden when I planted a row of beets near an English walnut tree at the edge of the garden. Beets, I have since discovered, are particularly sensitive to toxin in the soil. The beet seeds didnt even germinate. Other plants -onions and marigolds - have grown fairly well in the same spot, but most things I plant near that tree produce rather halfheartedly. Shade and competing tree roots could also be a factor, but 200 species of plants are known to be susceptible to juglone. Black walnut trees produce more of the toxin than English walnuts or butternuts. Like beets, some crops are more vulnerable to the effect of toxins. Soybeans, tomatoes, okra, asparagus, alfalfa, lilacs, apples, peonies, and chrysanthemums, among others, have been shown to be seriously inhibited by juglone in the soil. Those plants that are resistant to juglone include red cedars, redbuds, quinces, black raspberries, corn, beans, carrots, and zinnias. Other Allelopathic Plants. Other notorious allelopathic plants are ailanthus, artemisia, absinthium, eucalyptus, sunflowers and sometimes sycamores. Some crops plants inhibit weeds. For example, Kentucky-31 fescue grass retards growth of black mustard and trefoil. Weeds can suppress crop plants, too. In some experiments, residues of lambs-quarters, pigweed, velvet lead, and yellow foxtail have inhibited the growth of corn and soybeans. Although published observations of the effect of plants on the growth of other plants date back hundreds of years, scientific study of the phenomenon has only begun to scratch the surface. So many plants and variable are involved that few sweeping generalizations can be made. Allelopathy can throw a wide card into some of your planting schemes, but keep an open mind and dont let it worry you. Just try to plant your sunflowers separately and keep your garden away from walnut trees. (A distance of 1 1/2 times the height of the tree should be safe). If the subject interests you, conduct your own experiments, and jot down what you planted and what you observed.

Taking Pollination into Account

When laying out rows and beds, remember that corn is wind pollinated and should therefore be planted at least four rows deep, preferably six to eight. If you plant only a small amount of corn, make a block of four or more short rows rather than planting a single long row. If you are planning to save seeds of wind-pollinated garden vegetables like corn and spinach, you will want to follow recommended spacing requirements to avoid crossing (see table 6).

Special Problems
Perhaps you have a spot in your garden that is poorly drained, a corner that is shady, a section with hardpan, or rocky area. Each of these special situations may be met and sometimes even partially solved by your choice of plants. Partial Shade. Plant summer lettuce, parsley, raspberries, or rhubarb. Hardpan. Treat the problem by planting deep-rooted vegetables like comfrey or Swiss chard to break up the impervious layer of subsoil. Poor Drainage. Avoid planting globe artichokes, sweet potatoes, or other lovers of warm, loose soil in that spot, until youre corrected the problem by trenching to divert water and/or digging in more humus or making raised beds. Rocks. Potatoes will do well, especially under mulch, but any crop that needs frequent hoeing and cultivating will be a challenge. If you use a tiller, get pointed tines for working around rocks. When your whole garden is rocky, you accept it and work around it (and often have as fringe benefits a lovely rock garden and several fine rock walls), but when only one part is rocky, you might as well minimize the wear and tear on your hoe by selecting crops to plant there that can be mulched early. Short of Space. If youre short of space, make some good management decisions to get the most out of the available ground. The Vegetable Garden. Consider some of the following criteria when deciding what to plant in your vegetable garden and how to plant it: Plant vegetables with the highest cash value. Grow vegetables that lose quality in shipping. Plant earlier, making use of hardy vegetables, early varieties, and plant protectors such as tunnels and cold frames. Stretch the harvest with continuous succession plantings. Grow high-yielding vegetables such as tomatoes, lead lettuce, turnips, summer squash, and edible-pod peas. The flower Garden. Efficient use of space allows you to grow more flowers, too. Consider the following suggestions: For more flowers in a small space, grow climbers like morning-glories. Use container planting on patios and porches. Plant flowers in windowboxes.

Planting Flowers with Vegetables

Theres no good reason, other than staid custom, for keeping vegetable and flower plantings segregated. More gardeners now feel free to mix flowers, herbs, and vegetables in the same plot with delightful results. Flowers brighten the patch in the backyard, and ornamental vegetables grow proudly in the front border. Not every vegetable plant assumes a pleasing form, but those that do - rhubarb chard, head lettuce, peppers, and many more - deserve their place in decorative planting. In a gorgeous display planting at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, vegetable and flower plants grow together in borders similar to conventional perennial beds. The plot is laid out as if it were someones backyard, with one-third of the area in lawn and a path separating a border bed along the fence from the main vegetable bed, which curves gracefully in a long sweep down and across the yard. Where youd expect to see masses of delphiniums ad lilies, escarole, beets, and beans thrive instead, interspersed with marigolds, nasturtiums, and portulaca. A low border of alyssum sets off the arrangement. The surprising effect is that the true beauty of well-grown vegetables stand out. Boundaries between vegetables and flowers fade even more when you remember that blossoms of some flowering plants - calendula, nasturtiums, and chives, for example - are edible. When planning an ornamental edible garden, keep in mind Kate Gesserts advice in her book The Beautiful Food Garden : Be playful, be flexible, take risks

14 Hardening Off

Your seedlings have been growing in the protected environment inside your home. The garden outdoors exists under a new and variable set of conditions: sunlight, wind, and cooler temperatures. Seedlings must be gradually introduced to their new environment, rather than plunged directly into the ground. This process is called hardening off, and consists of two parts.

Toughening Plants Indoors

The first part is to toughen the plants, quite literally to harden them, so that they will be less vulnerable to outside weather extremes. Sappy, succulent growth is easily damaged by sun, wind, and cold temperatures. what you want to do, then, is slow down the growth of your plants for about a week before you introduce them to the more extreme outside weather. To do this, water them less often and dont fertilize them during that final week indoors. Keep temperature on the cool side - if possible a few degrees lower than the temperature that prevailed up until now. The result will be shorter, more fibrous plant that will suffer less from the transition to the outdoors. At about the same time you begin hardening off plants indoors, block out any plants that are growing in flats. To do this, cut between the seedlings, across the flat from left to right and from top to bottom so that each plant will be centered in a cube of soil. Blocking out severs roots that would be broken in transplanting anyway. Thus, the root can, in effect, begin their recovery before transplanting. In addition, blocking out stimulates the plant roots within each block of soil.

Acclimating Plants to the Outdoors

When your seedlings have been toughened by enduring a cool, dry week without fertilizer, hey are ready to begin to become accustomed to outdoor conditions. Even the best-prepared seedlings will fold up if subjected immediately to a full day of direct sun and even gentle breeze, though, so proceed gradually, eager as you may be to get those flats planted out in the row. Sunlight . Begin with a few hours exposure to filtered sun - in the shade of a bush, porch railing, or improvised shelter. Gradually increase the amount of direct sun the plant receives until, at the end of a week or ten days, the seedling is able to take a full day of sunlight. Sunlight dries the plant and the soil, and in shallow flats it is important to keep the soil moist enough to avoid wilting. Most flats will need watering daily or at least every other day. In addition, the ultraviolet light given off by the sun, formerly filtered out by window glass or not present in significant amounts in fluorescent light, constitutes a stress for the plant. Only by gradual exposure can the seedling acclimate itself to new, higher levels of ultraviolet light. Wind. Wind, which is often strong and gusty in early spring, can damage plants in three ways. Its drying effect can increase transpiration in the plant to the wilting point. A badly wilted plant is often permanently impaired. Wind also breaks stems of taller, unstaked seedlings. In addition, it may whip even small seedlings about to the extent that their roots are loosened or torn from the growing medium. It is important, then, to choose a sheltered corner for the plants first week outdoors, one where you either have, or can arrange, protection from prevailing winds. Cold. Cold outdoor temperatures pose a less serious threat to your earliest seedlings - the cabbage, lettuce, endive, and so forth - than to the later tomatoes and peppers. Celery, eggplant,