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Easter Weekend Gardening: Avoid Planting These Vegetables Near Your Strawberries
As the Easter weekend arrives, and spring firmly takes hold, many gardeners are turning their attention to cultivating summer fruits. For those dreaming of Wimbledon and quintessential British summer treats like strawberries and cream, now is the ideal time to consider planting. Strawberries, with their relatively short 60-day growing period, are a popular choice for home gardens. However, achieving a bountiful harvest of homegrown strawberries requires careful planning, particularly concerning companion planting. It is crucial to avoid positioning your strawberry plants near certain vegetables, despite their culinary appeal and versatility, to ensure healthy growth and fruit production.
The Potato Problem: Why Potatoes and Strawberries Don’t Mix
Potatoes, while a kitchen staple and a highly adaptable vegetable, can pose a significant threat to the health of your strawberry patch. Planting potatoes near strawberries can lead to problems, primarily due to their shared vulnerability to specific plant diseases.
According to Steven Bell of Ethan Mason Paving, speaking to Ideal Home, “Potatoes and strawberries should not be planted in close proximity due to a shared susceptibility to diseases, notably fungal infections such as verticillium wilt.” This fungal disease is a serious concern as it can readily spread between both potato and strawberry crops. Verticillium wilt can have devastating consequences, potentially destroying entire plantings of both vegetables and fruits.
Nightshade No-Nos: Tomatoes and Aubergines
Strawberry growers should also be aware that tomatoes and aubergines, belonging to the same nightshade family as potatoes, are also unsuitable companions for strawberries. To maximize your enjoyment of your strawberry harvest and summer events, it is best to keep these vegetables distant from your strawberry plants.
Cucurbit Caution: Squash, Cucumber, and Melon
Another group of plants to avoid planting near strawberries are cucurbits. You might be wondering, ‘What are cucurbits?’ Cucurbits are the family of plants that includes popular garden vegetables and fruits such as squash, cucumbers, and melons.
Nutrient Competition and Sunlight Blockage
Cucurbits can be detrimental to strawberries for several reasons. They are heavy feeders, meaning they extract substantial amounts of nutrients from the soil, potentially depriving nearby strawberry plants. Furthermore, as gardening expert Morris explains, “Plus, their big, long vines will grow over strawberry plants, shading them from essential sunlight.” This shading can hinder strawberry growth and fruit development.
Other Plants to Keep Away From Strawberries
For optimal strawberry cultivation, here’s a summary of other plants to avoid planting close by:
- Cabbages and Kale
- Fennel and Mint
- Onions and Garlic
- Carrots
- Brassicas (such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts)
While strawberries might seem somewhat sensitive in their planting requirements, providing them with the right conditions and avoiding incompatible neighbours will be worthwhile. Treat your strawberry plants well, and you’ll be rewarded with a plentiful crop of juicy, delicious berries, outshining the efforts of less informed gardeners.