If your greenhouse is small but you want to plant more, you might wonder: can you plant cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers together in a greenhouse? Will this reduce the yield? Will this proximity harm the plants? After digging through our knowledge and talking with experienced gardeners, we'll try to answer this very important question.
We recommend watching: Tomato varieties with photos and descriptions for the Moscow region.
Isn't a cucumber a brother to a tomato?
There's a popular saying: if you can't do something, but you really want to, you can. So it is here: if there's no other way out, try it; many succeed. But the result can be disastrous, and we'll explain why.
Different plants require their own microclimate, soil moisture, fertilizers, ventilation requirements, and so on. Cucumbers, for example, thrive in a humid environment and don't like frequent airing; they prefer the soil to be constantly moist. Tomatoes, on the other hand, thrive in a greenhouse where the air is dry and the air is frequently ventilated—and that's where the mismatches begin. What's good for a Russian is bad for a German, as the saying goes, and that's precisely what happens when tomatoes and cucumbers are planted side by side in a greenhouse.
Moreover, the high humidity so beloved by cucumbers can result in late blight and fungal diseases for tomatoes. For cucumbers, the dry air so beloved by tomatoes will result in fruit drop and, consequently, a decline in yield.
Peppers fall somewhere in between, and can blend in seamlessly with both groups; they don't require drastic differences in conditions compared to tomatoes and cucumbers. Peppers can coexist with both cucumbers and tomatoes. Let's explore the possible options for planting all the plants together in a greenhouse to avoid damaging the harvest. Incidentally, onions and lettuce also coexist well with cucumbers.
How to reconcile neighbors?
Our people will always find a way out, even from seemingly the most difficult situations, which is why our summer residents have come up with such options.
Divide the space
Plant tomatoes under one wall of the greenhouse, cucumbers under the other, and hang transparent film in the middle, creating different microclimates for the cucumbers and tomatoes. If the greenhouse is small and they're located next to each other, even separated by film, you should also separate the soil by digging a sheet of iron or slate between them.
The second option is without a separating film (for a larger greenhouse)
Orient the greenhouse so that you can plant cucumbers along the shadier side, facing northwest, tomatoes in the middle, and peppers on the sides, facing southwest. Next, arrange drip irrigation for the cucumbers and peppers (at least by placing empty bottles between the plants) – see details. How can I set up drip irrigation in a greenhouse? Water the tomatoes under the bush once a week until they are full, and that will be enough for them.
Advice: Move cucumbers away from drafts, and place tomatoes in the most ventilated area.
So, if you follow these recommendations and don't risk your harvest, your plants will thrive in the greenhouse and delight you with abundant fruiting.
This is interesting - Low-growing tomatoes for open ground without pinching.
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Igor
I have two greenhouses at my dacha: one for tomatoes, the other for peppers. Cucumbers are "guests" in one or the other. They get along well together, but I have a few tricks. First, I only grow early cucumbers in the greenhouses, so by the time the peppers and tomatoes are at their peak fruit development, the cucumbers are gone. Second, if they're going to be together for a long time, I plant the cucumbers in a narrow strip along the north or west side of the greenhouse (where they get less sun) and let them grow vertically. This makes it very convenient to regulate watering and ventilation.
As for physically dividing the space in a single greenhouse, frankly, I haven't seen much of an effect. A simple path is quite sufficient. After all, there are essentially two criteria: watering and ventilation.
Sofia
I also grow tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers together in my greenhouse. But I never even considered that they don't do well together. That's how bad of a gardener I am. And yet, they've always grown well for me. I don't divide the space; I plant them however I find most convenient. Perhaps my convenience is actually the most agronomically correct one. I divide the greenhouse into two beds. On one side, I plant tomatoes, mostly early, low-growing, and sun-resistant varieties. And on the other side, I have peppers and cucumbers, which grow near the greenhouse wall and climb up supports along the wall.