TIPS FROM A MASTER GARDENER

BY SUE MORRIS Master Gardener

Companion planting is something to consider, no matter the size of your garden. The University of Minnesota says there are many benefits from using companion plants in your garden.

If you plant early, short-season crops in the same bed as later maturing crops you will conserve space and grow multiple succession of plants in the same space, e.g., lettuce, spinach, radish and then transplanting peppers or tomatoes into the same area as the early crops mature. This saves space and helps with controlling weeds.

Plants with taproots or tubers like carrots and potatoes can help break up compaction in the soil. Deep rooted crops like melons and tomatoes pull water and nutrients from deeper in the soil. Legumes (peas and beans) fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and reduce fertilizer needs.

The three sisters way of companion planting has been used by indigenous communities for hundreds of years.

This is planting corn, squash and beans together. Corn provides a stalk for beans to climb and also is a deterrent squash vine borer. Beans provide nitrogen and squash can be a deterrent to raccoons in the sweet corn.

Companion planting works in three ways to help manage insects.

1. Plants that emit odors can either repel insects, attract them or mask odors of other plants.

2. By attracting predator insects that will eat other insects, it will help manage pests.

3. Flowers can be visually distracting. If you have a garden full of the same plant, insects may find it more easily than if you have a variety of plants with different heights, colors, and textures.

We have all heard how planting marigolds among your vegetables will keep insects away. However, the University of Minnesota tells us that this is not always accurate or backed by research. (But, if it works for you, keep planting them — they are beautiful to look at.)

The University does say that there are some studies that show basil and marigolds can be effective at reducing thrips in tomatoes and intercropping with basil may even help promote tomato growth. However, they tell us that studies have shown that marigolds do not deter Colorado potato beetles.

Squash and pumpkins are insect pollinated so by providing habitat and flowers throughout the season you can support bumblebees and other pollinators in your garden which will help improve pollination. Planting nasturtium and marigolds next to your squash plants can help reduce squash bug and cucumber beetle damage.

Reminder not to start working in your garden until you can pick up a handful of dirt and when you squeeze it, it doesn’t stay in a ball. Many years ago I tilled my garden too early and dealt with hardpan all year. After that, I had Keith bring in peat soil from the field, mixed in leaves and grass, and never made the mistake of working the soil too early again.

Early season crops can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked but wait until toward the end of May to set out tomatoes, peppers, squash or until all danger of frost is gone. Twenty years ago Wall O’Water was invented so we could get an earlier start on tomatoes and other late season crops. I used them successfully for many years but have gotten lazy and just plant later now. The theory is the sun warms the water in the cells of the Wall O’Water and protects the plant from overnight frost. And it does work.

Cold frames and milk jugs are a good way to harden off seedlings. A cold frame is a shallow unheated box with a storm window on top that you keep open during heat of day.

Milk jugs work but plants can grow out of them quickly. I have a bunch of five gallon pails with the bottoms taken out that I put around tomatoes and annuals to harden them off. They aren’t very attractive to look at but only need to be used for a couple weeks and protects them from spring winds. If you have limited storage, they aren’t practical but I have a lot of room on the farm.

Milk jugs can be recycled and the Wall O’ Water l flatten out for easy storage. Whatever works for your situation.

I would like to share a tip I gleaned from a zoom meeting this spring concerning lettuce and spinach.

To prevent bitterness — choose varieties suited to the season — heat tolerant, cold tolerant, spring variety, fall variety, etc. Stress can cause bitterness so provide adequate fertility and water and mulch to keep the soil cool.

Harvest in the morning, keep it cool and bring to the fridge right away or even cool it with water. Pick when plants are relatively young as younger leaves tend to be sweeter. Discard outer/older leaves. For continuous harvest, plant every 7-10 days for lettuce, spinach and radish.

Reminder – it’s now too late to prune or cut on oak trees. You should now wait until later in the fall in order to prevent disease from entering the oaks. Fruit trees should be pruned in late winter as well.