Mixed culture table for vegetables: these types of vegetables get along well

Mixed culture is one of the most important factors in growing vegetables and herbs. Herbs and vegetables do not always go well with each other and this is the reason why mixed cultures arose. This puts good neighbors next to each other and sorts out bad ones so that they don't steal space, nutrients and light from each other. In addition, mixed cultures protect against leaching of the soil and the spread of weeds. You can find out which vegetables should be planted next to each other here.

Mixed culture

The mixed culture is understood to mean a use of the vegetable patch, in which you plant certain types of vegetables together in one patch in order to enable advantages for the growth. In nature, many plants grow together and many do not understand each other at all. This is also the case in your own garden, even if you take care of it. This form of culture brings many

advantageswhen planting good neighbors:

• larger selection of vegetables and herbs compared to monoculture
• Soil condition and quality are improving
• Soil tiredness is prevented
• Pest infestation is prevented
• Diseases spread more slowly or are stopped
• Weeds are prevented
• sufficient light, water and nutrients are available

As you can see, this type of culture can be used much better than the classic monoculture. With these combination options, you can not only provide variety in the bed, but also protect the plants. For example, garlic has ingredients that work against fungal attack if you plant them between strawberries. Kohlrabi and lettuce, on the other hand, keep pests away from each other and established dill plants improve the germination capacity of good neighbors such as peas, beetroot or lettuce. For this reason, the use of culture is worthwhile. You will find an overview of the vegetable varieties listed below in a handy table which you can also download free of charge as a PDF.

Other aspects

In addition to the mixed culture table listed below, there are other aspects to be considered when creating a mixed culture with vegetables and herbs. This includes:

Heavy, medium and weak consumers

When planning your mixed crops, it is essential to pay attention to the ratio of heavy to weak and medium consumers. Because these determine the nutrient requirements of the plant, which can quickly lead to a nutrient deficiency or excess if the planning is incorrect or not taken into account. Make sure you use a good combination of the different feed types to enable rich yields and healthy plants in the bed.

Root system

The root system is also important. However, deep and shallow roots rarely get in each other's way, which saves space in the bed and each plant receives sufficient nutrients and moisture. Never plant too many shallow roots like onions next to each other, otherwise space problems will quickly arise. Deep roots are less likely to get in each other's way, but it is not ideal for the soil to only use vegetables with deep roots. The advantage: soil permeability is improved through different types of roots and waterlogging is prevented.

Crop rotation

However, the crop rotation is even more important. No matter what kind of vegetables or herbs you are interested in, choose a new section in the bed the following year. The soil is completely depleted and with many plants within one or more seasons various substances are enriched, which then have a negative effect on the cultivation of the same variety impact. The crop rotations are different depending on the variety and should definitely be taken into account in order to optimize the yields and health of the plants.

Growth rate

The speed of growth of the plants is not to be disregarded. Tomatoes, for example, grow much more slowly than salads, but they reach excessive heights. If large plants grew faster than the low ones, they would steal the sun from the other plants. This can prevent an entire harvest, because the vegetables need sufficient light for their development.
Make sure you take your time when creating the mixed culture and, meanwhile, check the mixed culture table from time to time. This will give you the necessary information about your planned mixed culture within a short period of time.

tip: Of course, there is one important thing that you must not neglect in all of the planning: plant spacing. The plant spacing is necessary even with the ideal culture, because this is the only way for the plants to have enough space to grow healthily.

Mixed culture table

Here you can download the mixed culture table as a PDF:

Good neighbors

If you want to make your mixed crop productive and easy to care for, you have to rely on good neighbors. Because these are ideally compatible with each other and thus enable all of the advantages mentioned above. It is interesting to see that many types of vegetables and herbs get along particularly well if they do not belong to the same genus or even plant family. Examples include beans, peas, cabbage and lettuce.

Vegetables from A-K

Eggplant: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, lettuce, spinach

cauliflower: Eggplant, broccoli, peas, potatoes, celery

Beans: Savory, chicory, dill, strawberries, cucumber, potatoes, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, lettuce, radish, radishes, beetroot, salsify, celery, spinach and zucchini

Savory: Beans, lettuce, lettuce, beetroot

broccoli: Eggplant, cauliflower, peas, potatoes, celery

Chicory: Beans, fennel, lettuce, parsnips,

dill: Beans, peas, cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, lettuce, onions, beetroot

Endive: Cabbage, leek, beans

peas: Cauliflower, broccoli, dill, fennel, cucumber, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, corn, chard, parsnips, radishes, radishes, spinach and zucchini

Strawberries: Beans, lettuce, leek, garlic, radishes, radish, spinach, onions

Lamb's lettuce: Strawberries, cabbage, kohlrabi, leeks, beans, onions

fennel: Chicory, peas, cucumber, lettuce, lettuce

Cucumber: Beans, dill, peas, fennel, garlic, cabbage, lettuce, leek, corn, peppers, celery, spinach, onions

Nasturtiums: Potatoes

Carrots: Chicory, dill, peas, garlic, lettuce, leek, Swiss chard, paprika, peppermint, Radish, radishes, black salsify, tomatoes and zucchini

potatoes: Beans, cauliflower, broccoli, nasturtiums, kohlrabi, corn, peppermint, spinach

garlic: Strawberries, cucumber, carrots, beetroot, spinach, onions

Cabbage: Eggplant, beans, dill, peas, cucumber, lettuce, leek, Swiss chard, paprika, peppermint, radishes, radish, beetroot, celery, spinach, tomatoes

Kohlrabi: Beans, peas, potatoes, lettuce, beetroot, celery, spinach, tomatoes

Lettuce: Eggplant, beans, savory, chicory, dill, peas, strawberries, lamb's lettuce, fennel, cucumber, cabbage, Kohlrabi, leek, corn, carrots, radishes, radish, beetroot, black salsify, spinach, tomatoes, Onions

Vegetables from L-Z

leek: Strawberries, cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, parsnips, salsify, celery

Corn: Beans, peas, cucumber, potatoes, spinach, zucchini

Swiss chard: Cabbage, carrots, parsnips, radishes, radishes

paprika: Cucumber, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes

parsnip: Beans, chicory, peas, leeks, Swiss chard, lettuce, onions

parsley: Strawberries, radish, radishes, tomatoes

peppermint: Potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes

Pick salad: Eggplant, beans, savory, dill, fennel, parsnips, radishes, radishes, beetroot, salsify, spinach and also onions

Radicchio: Fennel, cabbage, leek, beans

radish: Beans, peas, strawberries, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, peppers, lettuce, radish, salsify, spinach

radish: Beans, peas, strawberries, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, peppers, lettuce, radishes, salsify, spinach

rhubarb: Beans, cabbage, lettuce, lettuce, spinach

RedFlower beds: Beans, savory, dill, garlic, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, lettuce, zucchini, onions

Salsify: Beans, lettuce, leek, carrots, lettuce, radish, radishes

celery: Beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, cabbage, kohlrabi, leek, spinach

spinach: Eggplant, beans, peas, strawberries, cucumber, potatoes, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, corn, lettuce, radishes, radish and also celery

tomatoes: Garlic, kohlrabi, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, paprika, peppermint, onions

zucchini: Beans, peas, corn, beetroot, onions

Onions: Dill, strawberries, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, carrots, parsnips, lettuce, beetroot, tomatoes and zucchini

A big advantage of the good neighbors is their variety. If you put sufficient planning into designing your mixed culture, species will turn out to be numerous and varieties of vegetables without having to struggle with low yields or depleted soil to have. This makes it easier to grow a wide variety of crops in advance and with exactly the vegetables you prefer.

tip: If you are planting different varieties of one of the herbs or vegetables mentioned, you do not have to worry about a possible bad neighbor. Vegetables and herbs of the same kind always thrive together, regardless of whether you choose high-yielding, resistant or particularly decorative varieties for the bed.

Bad neighbors

Bad neighbors, on the other hand, are exactly the opposite and do not allow the advantages mentioned above. The struggle for the necessities in plant life is not guaranteed by bad neighbors, which you will notice within a short period of time. In order not to make mistakes here, take a look at the mixed culture table to avoid combinations with bad neighbors.

Vegetables from A-K

Eggplant: Peas, potatoes, peppers, beetroot

cauliflower: Cabbage, rhubarb, onions

Beans: Peas, fennel, garlic, leek, onions

Savory: no bad neighbors

broccoli: Cabbage, onions

Chicory: no bad neighbors

dill: no bad neighbors

Endive: no bad neighbors

peas: Eggplant, beans, potatoes, garlic, leek, peppers and onions

Strawberries: Cabbage

Lamb's lettuce: no bad neighbors

fennel: Beans, kohlrabi, peppers, tomatoes

Cucumber: Radishes, radish, tomatoes

Nasturtiums: no bad neighbors

Carrots: no bad neighbors

potatoes: Eggplant, peas, cabbage, peppers, lettuce, beetroot, celery, tomatoes and onions

garlic: Beans, peas, cabbage

Cabbage: Cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, garlic, kohlrabi, onions

Kohlrabi: Fennel, cabbage

Lettuce: Celery

Vegetables from L-Z

leek: Beans, peas, beetroot, onions

Corn: Beetroot, celery

Swiss chard: Beetroot, black salsify, spinach

paprika: Eggplant, peas, fennel, potatoes, beetroot

parsnip: no bad neighbors

parsley: Lettuce

peppermint: no bad neighbors

Pick salad: Potatoes

Radicchio: no bad neighbors

radish: Cucumbers

radish: Cucumbers

rhubarb: no bad neighbors

Beetroot: Eggplant, potatoes, leek, corn, Swiss chard, paprika and also spinach

Salsify: Swiss chard

celery: Potatoes, lettuce, corn,

spinach: Swiss chard, beetroot

tomatoes: Fennel, cucumber, potatoes,

zucchini: Cucumbers

Onions: Beans, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, potatoes, cabbage, leeks

It is particularly interesting to see how many species of a genus or family do not get along. Bad neighbors are mainly species within the nightshade family (bot. Solanaceae) or legumes (bot. Fabaceae), which because of their way of life steal many nutrients and thus work against each other. There are also some plants that do not deal with vegetables of the genus Allium, i.e. leeks, tolerated. The reason for this is primarily the ingredients of the leek plants, which can be negatively compatible with other types of vegetables in the mixed culture. Bad neighbors are rarely found with herbs.