Companion planting is a safe, natural way to garden organically and is the relationship between plants and insects.
Planting companion plants in your garden can also attract beneficial insects that feed on harmful pests. For example, Ladybugs are attracted to perennial yarrow, which consumes large amounts of aphids. Also, for shelter and food, lacewings feed on aphids, mealybugs, mites, and scale.
Gardeners also benefit from wasps and bees. A praying mantis looks prehistoric, but it is a friend. You won’t need to worry about damaging the environment when you create a natural balance in your garden.
Combine Plants With Different Root Depths
Your garden bed will be competing for exactly the same nutrients if all vegetables, herbs, and flowers are planted the same depth. In order to prevent plants from searching for nutrients in the same area, plant plants with different root depths next to each other. You can reduce competition between lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes if you plant a row of lettuce followed by a row of carrots and a row of tomatoes.
Nutrients From Deep Rooted Plants
Several types of nutrients are found in the leaves of deep-rooted herbs like comfrey, borage, and dandelion. For your nearby plants, you can chop off the leaves and lightly dig them back into the soil as a natural fertilizer.
Nitrogen From Some Plant Roots
In root nodules, peas, beans, and clover convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms. Leafy vegetables require a lot of nitrogen, so planting these nitrogen fixers next to them is a great idea.
Companion Planting Vegetables Together
Vegetables can also be companion planted. This list indicates which vegetables make good planting partners and which don’t. Also, you’ll learn which veggies shouldn’t be planted together.
Beans
Celery, cucumbers, and onion are favorites of beans, but fennel and onion are disliked by beans.
Beets
All members of the cabbage family, including bush beans, lettuce, onions, and Kohl Rabi, can be grown with beets. Pole beans and mustard should be kept away from them.
Potatoes
Potatoes, cabbage, celery, dill, and onions make good companion plants. Don’t plant them with strawberry, tomato, and pole bean are among the dislikes.
There are several plants that like every other, but dill is the only one that does not, so plant it on the other side of your garden from carrots, lettuce, radish, onions, and tomatoes.
Squash, cucumbers, potatoes, and pumpkins are good companion plants for corn, but tomato plants should be kept away from them.
Cucumber
Sweet corn, peas, radishes, beans, sunflowers, and aromatic herbs are cucumber favorites, but aromatic herbs and potatoes are cucumber dislikes.
Lettuce
Strawberry, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and onions grow well with lettuce.
Peas and beans should not be planted near onions, lettuce, beets, strawberries, or tomatoes.
Sweet Corn
Sweet corn, turnips, radishes, beans, potatoes, carrots, and cucumbers are all good companions. Onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots should not be eaten with peas.
Radish
There are a lot of vegetables that grow well with radish, including beetroot, carrots, spinach, parsnips, cucumbers, and beans. The following plants are not recommended for planting near them: cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and turnips.
Squash
Cucumbers and corn can be planted with squash.
Basil
The companion plants that grow well together are tomatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley. Growth and flavor are improved by basil. They should be kept away from cabbage and cauliflower.
Companion Planting Confuses Pests
Food is recognized by pests based on its shape or scent. Gardening is like a supermarket to pests for most of us. You will have pests wandering up and down your vegetables and herbs if you plant them in neat weedless rows. Pests need to be confused. Food shouldn’t be planted in straight rows. Plant a variety of shapes and scents so you don’t have blocks of the same shape or scent.
Vegetables and flowers should be planted together. You will have a beautiful and productive pest-deceiving garden as a result of this. In addition to planting strong-smelling plants nearby such as lavender, nasturtiums, wormwood, and rosemary, you can also confuse your pests by planting plants with strong scents.
Companion Shading
Shade can be created by our plants. For example, lettuce and celery don’t like our long summer afternoon sun. The summer afternoon sun is ideal for eggplant and capsicums, however. The lettuce will therefore benefit from the shade provided by eggplants and capsicums, which will benefit from the full sun.
The Marigold
In addition to being easy to grow, marigolds keep away aphids. Tomatoes, potatoes, roses, and strawberries are all attacked by soil-dwelling nematodes but are protected by the pungent foliage of these plants. As nematodes enter the soil, marigold roots produce a chemical that kills them. After the season, turn the Marigolds under so that their roots will decay in the soil if the whole area is infested. There is no need to worry about planting there again in the spring.
A thick layer of marigolds can also suppress couch grass.
Comfrey
Kikuyu can also be kept out with a thick hedge of comfrey. As Kikuyu stops growing in the winter, the comfrey dies down as well. In addition to slashing comfrey three or four times each summer, you can use it as a wonderful mulch. Never dig around comfrey because it will spread.