Vegetables
Do spinach plant and cucumbers belong planted together in the garden ? Do these two vegetable garden favorite go next to each other , or is it a bad idea ? In this article , gardening expert Melissa Strauss looks at if Cucumis sativus and spinach plant make full companion plant , or if there are better option for each plant .
Contents
If you ’re new to vegetable horticulture or expanding an existing garden , you may wonder whether cucumbers andspinachmake dear neighbors . Planting different crop together in the same space is calledcompanion planting , a practice session that has been done for nearly as long as humans have been growing their food .
To determine whether two works are safe fellow traveler , we need to look at both plant life ’ needs and growth substance abuse . The objective here is to determine the followers :
Let ’s depend at prickly-seeded spinach andcucumbers as companionsand determine whether these two can divvy up space in the garden .
The Quick Answer
Planting spinach with cucumbers is beneficial for the spinach . Cucumbers shelter the delicate putting green from the scorching heat , and the two wo n’t compete for space because of their different growth habits . These two veg make good companions , specially if the cucumbers are trellis upwardly .
The Detailed Answer
Advantages of Companion Planting
I want to briefly touch on this concept before comparing the two veggies . fellow traveller planting is not a new idea but a practice that has taken place for ages . When it is done right , it has anumber of advantages , such as :
Two or more crops with unlike but complementary growth habits can be planted together to save distance in the garden .
Some plants , such as rosemary or garlic , deter insects from the vicinity . These can help keep pests away from more vulnerable intellectual nourishment craw that are naturally more attractive to worm .
Some crops are reputed to better the flavor of others by propinquity in the garden . Planting tomatoes with basil is said to better the spirit of the tomatoes , throw this a enceinte partnership in the garden and on the plate . While this has not been scientifically proven , many the great unwashed swear this system works !
sure industrial plant , such as legumes , are called N - methadone hydrochloride . They imbibe N from the melodic phrase around them and process it through their beginning , enriching the ground for their fellow traveller . As their root systems decay in the soil after the top of the plant life is removed later , they release that nitrogen back into the surrounding soil , make it a capital plant to grow just ahead of a just harvest of putting surface or other nitrogen - hungry plants !
Some pairings only stick out one plant with a neutral effect on the other . Others put up significant benefits for all plant take .
For example , indigenous federation of tribes in the United States practiced a form of comrade planting call the “ three sister . ” these three industrial plant work together in a way that enable all three to benefit . The sisters are :
Disadvantages of Companion Planting
Not all crops solve together in a symbiotic fashion , though . In a bad company , there areseveral disadvantagesthat different crop can cause for each other .
flora that compete for resource such as sunlight , soil nutrients , and body of water will result in a smaller harvest time from one or both crops . Brassicas and nightshade are good examples of this . They are both heavy feeder and will compete for food .
If two plants are particularly attractive to the same pestilence , they could terminate up being a nuisance to each other by pull pests that stick around and pass over out both harvest .
While some society can be explain and back up scientifically , others are but a diachronic product of trial and error . claim of increased yield or flavor simply by planting two varieties in near law of proximity are often anecdotal .
Armed with the basic foundation of companion planting , let ’s take a look at our chosen vegetables and see if we can come to a determination on planting these two as companions .
Planting Spinach
bounce and fall are plant times for spinach seed . This cool - weather craw does n’t take long to mature , and it can suffer in the heating system of summertime . In hot climate , you may want to try outMalabar spinach plant – while not a true spinach plant , it has a very standardised flavor and is much more heat - tolerant . If you like to stupefy with a unfeigned prickly-seeded spinach variety , baby spinach leaves can be harvested about 20 - 30 day after sowing .
Spinach antecedent do n’t like to be disturbed , so it is unspoiled to orchestrate sow them in your garden beds . Sowing spinach germ should occur about a calendar month before your expect last spring icing . Seeds should bedirect - sown½ ” bass , 1 ” apart , in rows 6 ” aside . Thin out pullulate seedlings so plant are 6 ” apart .
Spinach is a heavy bird feeder of N , which means that it will need unconstipated approach to nitrogen . Before sowing , process about ½ loving cup of atomic number 7 - based plant food into a 10 ’ row . Then , fertilize every 2 week to keep your plants robust .
spinach plant plants need about 1 ” of pee per hebdomad and closer to 1½ ” as the conditions heats up . The plants have long rap roots and an elaborate organization of shallow source . Most of the feeder roots are close to the open of the soil , so Spinacia oleracea does n’t ask to be watered deep . It thrives better if it contract the piddle it needs on a regular basis .
This gullible appeals to pests , peculiarly aphid , which cohere to the bottom of the leaves and drain them of wet . They are also susceptible to leaf miners . This leafy green can gain fromdeterrent companions like garlic , scallions , or Allium cepa .
Planting Cucumbers
Early May is typically the best time to plant cucumber seed . unmediated sowing is also commend for these vegetable , but thesoil has to warm up to 60 ° Fin order for seeds to germinate . Cucumbers are a warm - weather craw ; they can not digest cold temperatures . They can handle quite a bit of heat and sunlight .
Cucumber seeds can be plant 1 ” deep , witheach plant spaced18”-36 ” asunder in all directions . cucumber are vining plantsthat prefer to go up . Cucumbers will be healthiest if they are trellis . While they can grow on the flat coat , they are more susceptible to pests and fungi .
Cucumbers are heavy feeders as well but postulate a balanced fertilizer . However , high nitrogen degree will fuel slew of vine development and leafy growth but not as much fruit development . Your cucumber plants will order you if they demand nutrients by folio coloration . chickenhearted cucumber leaves designate a atomic number 7 insufficiency , and bronze discoloration betoken a lack of atomic number 19 .
Cucumbers also necessitate about 1 ” of water system per calendar week . This is another cause why they make great spinach companions ! Watering a dual - planted bed is simpler because both crops have interchangeable needs .
A good rule for these veggie is to keep the territory equally moist , so if the weather is very hot and dry , do n’t hesitate to water them as needed . dribble irrigation or waterspout hoses are better than overhead sprinkler .
cucumber are also vulnerable to insects , but not as many of the same pest as Spinacia oleracea ( although there is one crossover ) . Cucumber beetles are the most prevalent . Aphids can also be an issue , specifically the melon aphid .
Our Conclusion: Cucumbers and Spinach Make A Great Pair
Spinach and cucumbers heap up as companion . Both veg like to be straight sow in , but spinach typically goes in the ground a month or two earlier . However , this is n’t necessarily a problem , as space can be bequeath for cuke plants that will proliferate in the warming weather . The cucumber industrial plant will supply shade for the spinach plants , which are less tolerant of heat .
Both vegetables are toilsome feeders but feed on unlike constituent of the same fertilizer blend . Using a balanced fertilizer will give both plants what they demand to pull round .
The spinach plant will feast on atomic number 7 , while the cuke will only postulate nitrogen for initial vine evolution and then will rely more heavy on morning star and K for fruiting , blossoming , and strong root reenforcement . too soon in the time of year , you may need to apply a minuscule extra atomic number 7 , but later in the time of year , coherent applications of a balanced fertilizer will give both plants what they need .
cucumber like to climb , while spinach plant stays close to the ground . In this way , they share space well . If spinach was bothered by the cucumber vine ’s shade , this could be an consequence . However , as the hotter months approach , spinach will appreciate the reprieve . Some light-headed shade keep spinach plant from bolting ( going to seed ) too soon .
Both vegetables need about the same amount of water , so they are compatible in this way as well . keep systematically moist ground and amend with compost to better the water - holding capacity . Mulch can forestall the soil from drying out and benefit both crop .
The only issuing with this conjugation is that the craw may attract similar pests . For this reasonableness , it ’s a great estimate to intersperse some marigolds among the cuke and spinach flora . marigold deter many harmful insects and draw pollinators like wasps which prey on those harmful insects .
Final Thoughts
Companion planting can be a blessing or a curse depending on which plants you choose to plant together . Examining each plant ’s demand and growth riding habit should offer sixth sense into whether or not the plant will thrive together or harm each other .
