Finally build a proper bed for this row of super productive rasberries & mulched them really well. Will put soil & compost on top, then seed some arugula-like species as a perennial ground cover, also grow some seasonal salads on the shaded side. Any tipps for perennial companion plants to add? 🌱 - ThreadSky

muenstem.bsky.social • 11 days ago

Finally build a proper bed for this row of super productive rasberries & mulched them really well. Will put soil & compost on top, then seed some arugula-like species as a perennial ground cover, also grow some seasonal salads on the shaded side. Any tipps for perennial companion plants to add? 🌱

Comments

cloudmir.bsky.social•11 days ago

Maybe some lavender and/or yarrow to attract pollinators and beneficial insects? A bit late in the season now but I like planting garlic with raspberries, and then I do cover crops (usually a mix of clovers) in the summer/fall

muenstem.bsky.social•11 days ago

Thanks for the reminder to add some flowers just for the polinators. We have lots of yarrow here naturally and it spreads quite agressively, so I'd rather not put more of it into the veggie beds 😀

cloudmir.bsky.social•11 days ago

Ah yeah yarrow can go crazy in the right conditions. I’ve grown lavender from seed several times and they don’t seem to spread once planted (in my climate, anyway) and the pollinators love them. Plus they stay green all winter and require very little care and watering.

shiralee.bsky.social•11 days ago

How about strawberries?

cloudmir.bsky.social•11 days ago

I’ve read that you want to avoid combining raspberries and strawberries because they’re subject to the same soil-based diseases. I do combine strawberries and blueberries and that has worked well so far

muenstem.bsky.social•11 days ago

We've put strawberries everywhere already, almost under each newly planted shrub or tree 😀

shiralee.bsky.social•11 days ago

same -- now we are over run with strawberry plants. Calendula or marigolds might be good? I've been planting 'grasspeas' and tremoço (giant lupin) a lot this year for nitrogenating and an edible crop

muenstem.bsky.social•11 days ago

Good idea, wanted to grow some white (edible) lupins also this year!

shiralee.bsky.social•11 days ago

They are super easy -- don't need watering and self seed happily if you forget to harvest. Also, they are one of the few things the voles seem to leave alone.

rachelmariepdx.bsky.social•10 days ago

Now you’ve got me thinking about planting some salad crops around mine, too!

muenstem.bsky.social•7 days ago

Seeded the shaded side between the rasberries with a mix of wild arugula species. The sunny side hosts a rosemary plant & a patch of knotroot, to be complemented with other perennials. For now, I've used the space to seed radishs, spinach & carrots. Garlic, bush beans & sweet peas coming in soon 🌱

muenstem.bsky.social•7 days ago

Will also seed some Roman chamomile inbetween. Chamomile is supposed to repell fungal and bacterial diseases which rasberries can catch quite easily... I was struggling to grow chamomile as a tea plant in our heavy clay soil, so hoping it'll like the fluffy soil in this new bed 🌱

muenstem.bsky.social•11 days ago

Thought about growing some really early snack peas 🫛up the mesh that holds the rasberries. The peas should be almost done by the time the rasberries are ripening, also providing them some extra nitrogen 🤔

coyotequeen.bsky.social•11 days ago

i like the early peas idea! violets grow naturally under my raspberries so i leave them and harvest the blossoms sometimes

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply