Grow onions or sweetcorn with potatoes

lizhanley1969

This year I am going to try to grow potatoes. They will be in a raised bed and was wondering as space is a premium (as I  only a small space for growing veg) can I put in onions around the edge and possibly grow sweetcorn inbetween? Also what can I grown with beetroot? Thank you for your help. 

fidgetbones

Potatoes take up so much room and the top growth sprawls so much it suppresses all weeds, and will also kill anything like sweetcorn  planted next to them in a raised bed.  Potatoes are so cheap, they are good for clearing ground if you have lots, but as space is at a premium, save it for things that are difficult to get or are far better than you get in the shops.  Sweetcorn grown yourself and picked and cooked within ten minutes is so superior to that bought in shops, you will never buy it again once you have grown your own.

Fairygirl

I don't grow sweetcorn @lizhanley1969, but I doubt very much that it would be happy with all that competition. The onions might be ok. The size of the space will be a factor, so the dimensions of your bed would be helpful. A 2 foot by 1 foot bed would be very different from an 8 foot by 3 foot one. 
Can't advise on beetroot, but someone else might be able to help @Dovefromabove and @BobTheGardener might look in and see my tag.

Uff

There's a method of planting up using a square foot block planting ie putting a plant in every foot. A member mentioned it the other week. I've seen it in production and it seems to work. It would need a bit more looking after but if space is a premium then I think it's a good idea.   

fidgetbones

An average potato plant needs to be two feet apart from the next to get a decent crop.

Uff

Yes so they wouldn't be suitable for that type of growing I should think.

lizhanley1969

Thank you to everyone for your help

BobTheGardener

I agree with others concerning small areas, and would use the raised beds for your other veg, and grow the potatoes in bags instead, if you have already purchased the tubers.

war garden 572

you could grow beets and bush beans at base of sweet corn. I have
seen onions on edge of beds where you are growing potatoes. potatoes
need a lot room if you growing main crop varieties. 

war garden 572

Uff S the spacing method is called  "square foot gardening" an
it a bit more complicated than one plant per foot. for it to
work you need read the book on the subject. 
the book is called "square foot gardening " by mel bartholomew.
you can find several copies on sale on ebay for less than  £7 and
free shipping. 

Uff

Yes that's the method war garden and as I said it takes more looking after than conventional growing but is worth the effort if space is short.