[leerthorp]

Hi
Just wondering if anybody has ever tried growing peas, potatoes and sweetcorn together in a raised bed. In Bob Flowerdew's book 'Organic Bible', he says that by growing three beds with all 3 crops in each that you get higher yields overall than if you grew the 3 crops on their own. Apparently, you put the peas in a thin row down the middle and flank them on either side with alternate sweet corn and potato plants. The peas provide shelter for the young tender shoots, the potatoes keep the soil covered and moist which the sweet corn and peas enjoy, while non shades the other.

Has anybody tried this and had any success? I'm not sure about the spacing of the potatoes and sweet corn plants - can anybody help? My raised beds are 1.2m x 3m if that helps.

Cheers

[peapod]

Not something Ive tried, and to be honest, wouldnt, (though I dont grow in raised beds). Spuds and sweetcorn are both very hungry, and I cant see how you can feed them both happily and enough to get a larger yield. Peas are easy to grow, and give their own (huge) benefits after they are harvested so its worth giving them a bed (or 3 or 4!) of their own for crop rotation benefits alone

[azubah]

If I put peas in without netting they get eaten by pigeons very quickly. I think it would be difficult to protect them with the spuds and sweet corn nearby.

[shaun]

never trust a man with a pony tail 

[peapod]

Hes a bit away with the fairies IMO!