Tomato Cages

The garden plants are finally all in the ground! What was holding up the show was the construction of the tomato cages. The January Ice Storm brought down many trees around Louisville, including a Contorted Willow (Salix var. pekinensis 'Tortuosa'). I took the branches and joined them with wild vines (Wild Grape Vine and Ivy Vine). I am experimenting with jute twine and nylon twine to hold it all together. So far I like the jute better because it offered more friction. The sturdy cages will house tomatoe plants on the inside and will have pole beans running up the outside, thus maximizing the garden size. We will see how it all progresses.

Companion Planting in the vegetable garden

Companion planting is combining vegetables, herbs, and flowering plants for beneficial effects. The right mix of plants can deter or distract pests, attract the right kind of insects for polination/bug control, provide a better soil environment. One example is the use of beans/peas/clover can "fix" nitrogen which makes it available as a fertilizer in the soil for other plants. here are two charts that list what plants do well with others.

Seeds of Change (Organic Seed Supply) Companion Planting
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Companion Planting