Gertrud Franck Companion Planting Scheme

[VirginVegGrower]

How well have other people got on with this? I have to confess I needed to be more organised than I was.
I planted broad beans along the rows where my brassicas were to go, and interplanted them with the kale and sprouts. Then with the appalling weather I didn't get the broadies cut down because I'd covered the bed with environmesh and couldn't get it off on my own because of the high winds. The brassicas grew leggy, and the green sprouts have run to seed, the purple ones are laying down, but look as if I might get sprouts later. On the positive side, I found that martock beans damaged by bean weevil would germinate and produce healthy plants, and as they were covered by the mesh, the beans ultimately produced were not cross pollinated so I can save the seed for replanting.
Carrots between garlic and onions did work quite well, I've had a couple of root fly damaged ones, but on the whole good. However having to get my garlic up when the ground was sodden did mean disturbing some of the carrots as half of the lottie was stuck to the roots.
Onions between strawberries DID NOT work. The strawberry plants grew so lushly they completed carpeted the bed and the onions stood no chance of getting any light. I did get a good crop of berries, although the weather did mean more rotten ones than usual.
As I had beds set up I didn't really use the spinach as paths, but I did plant between rows of other veg and cut it to mulch (as well as eating a good amount too).
I am currently setting up my beds using the lasagne method as the weeds this year have been horrendous and I've struggled to keep them down. It didn't help that my compost spawned a load of bramble seedlings from blackberry pips. (Doh, never thought of that when I put the shredded prunings and mouldy fruit into the bin)
I'll consider experimenting more with Gertrud's methods modified to suit my circumstances next season.

Just read this and practically wet myself - Zazen pass the Tenas!

BS you should write a book as you are highly entertaining

[Thelma Sanders]

Anyone else struggle to see celeriac and parsnip as B crops (twice per year)? Am I missing something obvious?

There were a few that I didn't think were right tbh - can't remember them now
Though I'll find them again when I start planning

[VirginVegGrower]

To be Franck, Gertrude is giving me a headache. This is tricky!

[VirginVegGrower]

Another question - she talks of Rock Powder. Now is she referring to lime, my beloved Rockdust or summat else?

[VirginVegGrower]

Another question...how deep do you have your mustard rows?

[VirginVegGrower]

OK, so it's A C B C A C B C A! Correct? Mustard every 50cm?

[veggiechicken]

If you don't stop asking questions I'm going to have to go and find my book That may be more difficult that working out what goes in which row

[VirginVegGrower]

Go and get your book please! You started all this

[Thelma Sanders]

OK, so it's A C B C A C B C A! Correct? Mustard every 50cm?

She uses spinach - but yes look at pic op page 17 - spinach between the rows

[Thelma Sanders]

Where does she talk about rock powder - had a quick look but can't find it?

[VirginVegGrower]

I think Zazen had used mustard, which I will probably stick with as I have mustard seeds. Unless I can find cheap spinach seeds in bulk. Did you plant a row of this in between every A B and C? I had read it as every 50cm.
Do you feel it worked?

[Thelma Sanders]

Plant spinach/mustard whatever between all the rows.
page 14 sowing spinach........
"spinach is sown in spring in 50 cm row widths over the whole garden area."

I tried a small bed but the snugs and weather scuppered it all pretty quickly - so giving it another try this year.

[veggiechicken]

LIDl spinach seeds are cheap VVG but it depends on how much you need
My garden was a writeoff last year but I'll be sowing spinach in all the gaps this year. I'm a bit less enthusiastic about mustard - cos you can keep eating spinach

[VirginVegGrower]

Plant spinach/mustard whatever between all the rows.
page 14 sowing spinach........
"spinach is sown in spring in 50 cm row widths over the whole garden area."

I tried a small bed but the snugs and weather scuppered it all pretty quickly - so giving it another try this year.

OK thanks TS.

[zazen999]

Anyone else struggle to see celeriac and parsnip as B crops (twice per year)? Am I missing something obvious?

Yes, that's the problem I had.

I now just go:
ACBC ad infinitum
As - things you get one crop from or that take all summer
Bs - things you get two crops from, so when you do potatoes then leeks both count as a B as one replaces the other
Cs - things that are basically succession sown.

Mustard or spinach if you have the seeds, or any green manures - every 50cm and then the ACBCs just counted from one end in each space between. Wait til the mustard is up before labelling the ACBCs, makes it much easier.