is this idea stupid?

[reisjdmd]

i have a small garden, about 20x40, close to the vineyard. this year i ran out of gardern space and so i decided to plant squash and cucumber near the end posts of each row, and let them grow on the bare soil under the grapes. stupid??
also, next year i would like to plant greens under the grapes, in addition to the zucchini type plants etc. stupid???
has anyone had bad results doing this [bad for the grapes]? does the spray program for the grapes [which i will start next year] cause problems for any vegetables nearby??

 

[grapeman]

If your vines are estabished it won't pose any major problems. One question I have is- how do you get the soil bare under the vines? If you spray in the spring with Roundup and then hoe the weeds, you should be OK if you spray before planting the veggies. If you use a weedkiller- it will probably kill the veggies also.


Next- problems with spray schedule? Possibly. You will have a variety of vegetables some need picking every couple days. Most sprays you will use have a much greater number of days to harvest. If you harvest too soon, you risk your well-being as well as others.


My suggestion- Make the garden a little bigger, or plant the running crops to the outside and train over the lawn.

 

[jwmaverick]

I agree with Appleman on his response to you.


I have had sucess blending my veggie garden with the grapes. But all my treatment is done with organic products. Sothe sprays and fertilizers I use on the grapevines (in Texas) benefit both the grapes and veggies. Another thing to keep in mind is to make sure the veggie plants do not rob the nutrients in the soil and deprive the grapes. I offset this by mulching, mulching and mulching. Keeps the soil nice and healthy and the grapes love it.


To keep the ground clean under the grapes, I use a ground cover mat and then apply about 8 to 12 inches of mulch on top. The mat is designed to allow water to flow through it plus it helps maintain moisture during our Summer months.

 

[reisjdmd]

thank you both