Hi- I'm preparing to plant a vegetable garden this weekend- some from seed, mostly from already sprouted plants- I've been forced to get a late start on a late season. Haha. Anyway- I've been relying mostly on guides for companion plants to advise me on what to plant together, and that left me with a few questions that I can't find the answers to easily online. A) Peas and Onions aren't supposed to be planted together, but I would like to have them both in the garden. How much space should there be between them before they don't impact eachother negatively? B) I want to plant a Japanese eggplant, but I'm going to have to grow it in a container so I can position it in the sunniest spot in the garden. What size container should I use? How big do eggplants get? C) How much sun DOES an eggplant, need, exactly? If I put it where I put my tomatoes every year (but in front of the tomatoes so it's not shaded by them) will that do it? Or does it need even more sun than tomatoes? D) What should/shouldn't be planted with mint? Some of it has set itself up in my back yard and I'm fine with encouraging it, but I know some things don't like it. E) Same question as D, but change 'mint' to 'chives'. Thanks for all your help- these forums are pretty invaluable to a beginner with questions. Haha.
A) 6ft. B) med. container. Eggplants get to 2ft. I was force fed this as a kid. I saw them in the garden all summer getting huge. Trust me, huge. C) same as tomatoes D) mint is invasive. I have yet to see mint die with the winter. You can grow lots around it. I suggest containers for mint. E) Chives are similar to onions with guidelines. You can grow chives in perimeter patch methods. They deter many hostile insects.
A) Thanks! B) 2 feet tall!? ...I am going to sit staring at the little plant very confusedly, right now. Will it stretch from side to side much, or just upward? C) Excellent! Thanks again. D) Digging mint into containers will be my job for today, haha. E) Duly noted- thanks one last time!
For the eggplant, if you go with it outdoors at this time of year, it will grow well like squash. Germinate them indoors, then transplant to the garden pot once the first set of true leaves appear. Be gentle with transplant, veges don't like their roots beat up, it shows, and delays the true growth.