Kilei zera'im: Are weeds subject to the kilei zera'im prohibition?
Question
I have planting pots on my porch. I want to know if I can plant different seeds in one pot:
Two different vegetable seeds
A vegetable and a flower seed
I also like to plant wild plants which I guess you would call weeds so can different weeds be in the same pot (nettle and chickweed).
Can I plant a weed with a vegetable or a flower in the same pot?
If the weed grows by itself in the same pot with a vegetable or a flower, do I need to pull it up?
I just had a basil seedling come up on its own in a pot with weeds do I need to transplant it?
Answer
Great questions!
1. Edible annuals (vegetables, grains, and legumes, annual herbs - including basil) must be distanced by at least 12 cm from non-similar species (or 15 cm, if you want to be stringent like the Chazon Ish).
2. Weeds do not fall under the kilei zera'im prohibition, so it is possible to grow weeds together (even if they are used for medicinal purposes), or a weed next to a vegetable. Similarly, they do not need to be uprooted if they sprout up next to an annual.
3. Flowers, too, do not fall under the kilei zera'im prohibition, so they can be planted next to your weeds and next to each other in the same pot
4. In general, if an edible annual sprouts on its own too close to a different annual—like your basil—uproot one of the plants and transplant in a place that is at least 12 cm away.
5. However, since the basil came up next to a weed, you can leave both.