Catch cropping

[Florence Fennel]

Hi All, I have just potted most of my toms into very large builders buckets. Would it be feasible to put some radishes (maybe not the German blue freebies from GYO because they look quite big) around the edges of the buckets, or would that inhibit the growth or steal nutrients from the toms? If I don't find some more space soon, even more of the lawn will have to be sacrificed.

[valmarg]

You don't say whether your toms are indoors or outdoors.

If they are indoors I would suggest you plant some marigolds (not the gloves) in with the tomatoes to prevent white fly. As companion planting goes, we find it really does work.

With regard to radishes, spring onions, cut-and-come again lettuce, etc we grow them in containers. The containers being old square washing up bowls. OH drills a few drainage holes in the bottom, and they can be placed around the garden. We keep a succession going.

When you consider that the bowls cost about 99p, they are much cheaper than plant pots.

valmarg

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hi All, I have just potted most of my toms into very large builders buckets. Would it be feasible to put some radishes (maybe not the German blue freebies from GYO because they look quite big) around the edges of the buckets...

yes

...or would that inhibit the growth or steal nutrients from the toms?

not that you'd notice

If I don't find some more space soon, even more of the lawn will have to be sacrificed.

Do it!

[ann-the-nan]

Catch cropping

Good idea with the marigolds. I put tagates with my carrots, but with my toms are in pots as well as some outside ones. So, which marigolds? Is it the pot marigolds in the greenhouse, and are there any needed for the outside ones? Do the marigolds go in the same pot as the toms or by the side? Thanks everyone: this is the first time I have ever grown more than 2 tomato plants.

[Florence Fennel]

Val - the toms are outdoors and I already have loads of full containers! Are African gloves ok?
Hazel - thanks very much, I must have the courage of my convictions and you've helped. If it's fine this weekend and my back holds out then more grass goes!

[Maddie106]

I'm the queen of sneaking in quick crops between slow growing veg, because I have a very small garden!
At the moment, I'm harvesting lettuce and rocket in the middle of the runner bean frame work, all of which will be eaten before the beans are halfway up their canes. I've also got short rows of raddish between the sprout plants.....when one little row germinates, I sow another.

Sow a circle or semi-circle of raddish seed in your builders buckets and they will be up and eaten before your toms even notice.
I've tried lots of different sorts of raddish but my fav. is the old fashined variety "French Breakfast"

[Florence Fennel]

I'm the queen of sneaking in quick crops between slow growing veg, because I have a very small garden!
At the moment, I'm harvesting lettuce and rocket in the middle of the runner bean frame work, all of which will be eaten before the beans are halfway up their canes. I've also got short rows of raddish between the sprout plants.....when one little row germinates, I sow another.

Sow a circle or semi-circle of raddish seed in your builders buckets and they will be up and eaten before your toms even notice.
I've tried lots of different sorts of raddish but my fav. is the old fashined variety "French Breakfast"

Thanks Maddie. I have an expanding garden (I keep pinching more lawn), but I've got radishes and spring onions between every row of veg I've got and courgettes in the middle of the bean wigwam, so I thought I'd use the edges of the buckets as well!