Intercropping

[VirginVegGrower]

I grew raddish between my parsnips a couple of years ago but to be honest although very good for radish production, they were a bit of a pain in that when my then lottie partner's kids pulled up the radish they often ended up damaging the parsnips which was a bit of a pain as I ended up with bald patches. I tend to now sow in the same bed as my cabbages / caulis etc before they need all the space.

Sounds good - think I will go with that - it also covers the rotational issue.

[VirginVegGrower]

Slightly off-topic but a wee safety thing; Swiss chard kinda looks like rhubarb, at least to kids.
If you have any on site, make sure they know the difference as you can only eat stems of the rhubarb as leaves are poisonous. Sorry maybe being a wee bit over the top here but better safe than sorry. I encourage my kids to graze the veg plot but well informed. Chard is delicious.

My children are older so not too much of a problem. Not allowed to go picking anyhow as that's my domain. They help with seed sowing/planting but mostly they amuse and are amused by their chooks! But good safety advice for those who might grow them in a similar patch of ground.
Thanks

[chris]

I planted my radish seeds along side my 'nip seeds to save damage. That didn't stop my weeding this perfectly straight line of weed seedlings.. then a few weeks later wondering where some of my parnsips were

[Two_Sheds]

Might try chard then - I am right in thinking it is the rainbow stemmed stuff I see at the lottie site?

That would be Bright Lights, or Rainbow chard - you can get Ruby chard on its own (red), plain green chard (aka leafbeet) and the big thick white stemmed White/Silver chard (eg. Lucullus)

They are a brassica, ... and don't stay in the ground long enough to cause a problem.

I can't grow them, because they always get tunnelled by cabbage root fly (this year I'm sowing them in cell trays at home)

[VirginVegGrower]

I planted my radish seeds along side my 'nip seeds to save damage. That didn't stop my weeding this perfectly straight line of weed seedlings.. then a few weeks later wondering where some of my parnsips were

Oops!I'll bear that in mind.

[VirginVegGrower]

That would be Bright Lights, or Rainbow chard - you can get Ruby chard on its own (red), plain green chard (aka leafbeet) and the big thick white stemmed White/Silver chard (eg. Lucullus)


I can't grow them, because they always get tunnelled by cabbage root fly (this year I'm sowing them in cell trays at home)

Thanks I will look for seed.

[A Life Less Simple]

Ok, I want to do this too but hate radish. How do you think salad would work with garlic and leeks? And maybe spring onions with parsnips?

Also (this is sort of different but sort of the same) I was thinking about trying carrots in with my rasberries? I will have a sort of wig-wam of them as well as rows

[Two_Sheds]

carrots in with my rasberries? I will have a sort of wig-wam of them

Raspberries are shallow rooted and don't like to be disturbed (apparently - although I weed around mine and they don't complain).

The mind boggles ... a wigwam of carrots?

[A Life Less Simple]

The mind boggles ... a wigwam of carrots?

It is a wigwam of raspberries that I want to try growing carrots in. I'm not expecting too much from the raspberries, people just keep giving them to me and I can never say no These raspberries looked like willow withes so are a wigwam to see what they do

[Sylvan]

Is chard a brassica?
I've been googling for ages without finding a definitive answer

[Shadylane]

I don't think so, isn't it a beet leaf or something? Or is it a stem veg?

[Bren In Pots]

Is chard a brassica?
I've been googling for ages without finding a definitive answer

My book says its part of the beetroot family.

heres a link with some plant family info :-

http://www.growveg.com/growguides/crop-rotation.aspx

[Sylvan]

Phew, that's a relief! Thanks

(I know kale and pak choi are, so I was worrying.)

Is spinach?

[Shadylane]

Ah now that one... I have no idea. Though if pushed I'd say no, not a brassica as at seedling stage it has long thin leaves (I think) as opposed to the clover type leaves that bras do

[Sylvan]

I've never actually grown it. Was wondering where to put it in the rotation.