Companion planting is the secret to having a beautifully landscaped garden, and there are plenty of combinations that work well together.
Companion planting helps to take nutrient uptake, crop protection and pest management into consideration. It also has a positive hosting effect that attracts beneficial insects which help control harmful pests in your garden!
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is the practice of growing two or more plants together for mutual benefit. For example, certain vegetables might be grown with legumes to help each other meet their nutrient requirements and/or pest-repelling abilities in order make them stronger as a crop!
Benefits of Companion Planting
The practice of companion planting is a bold way to make nutrients available for other plants and thus improve their taste. It’s also successful in achieving the following:
1. Minimizes Risk
If one crop fails or is affected by harsh weather, pests and disease your overall yield may be increased. To minimize risk you’ll want to focus on creating the best natural growth patterns with a variety in mind–avoiding large monocultures for instance. Mimicking how plants grow naturally will help reduce chances of losing an entire harvest.
2. Crop Protection
Companion planting offers protection for plants that need it. Growing delicate ones next to sturdy friends will make sure they have the strength and support from their environment, ensuring healthy growth in your garden!
3. Trap Cropping
Companion planting is a great way to protect vulnerable plants from pests. If one crop becomes more susceptible, try plantings of beneficials like garlic and marigolds near them so you can keep the bad bugs at bay!
4. Positive Hosting
By planting your fruit and veggies next to plants (like certain flowers) that produce a surplus of nectar and pollen, you can increase the population of beneficial insects while also helping manage harmful pest populations.
Companion Planting Chart
Here’s the best chart to help you choose companion plants and make your garden thrive:
Amaranth is a plant that needs to be planted in soil next to corn, where it will shade and retain water. It also helps attract predatory ground beetles!
It’s not just a matter of taste, asparagus and tomatoes are natural allies. They both attract beneficial insects to help keep pests like nematodes under control!
Apples and Apricots surprisingly love to be planted next to garlic, but it makes sense. Garlic helps repel pests like the fruit tree bore; aphids and mites while also repelling fungal infections such as mold or black spot on its leaves that can ruin a beautiful specimen’s appearance!
Marigolds are another winner for fruit trees, as they help attract pollinators (which then pollinate the flowers of your favorite fruits). These bright-colored blooms also discourage nematodes in soil which is beneficial to have when growing apples or berries.
Basil is a great herb to grow next to tomatoes because it helps make the flavor of this fruit even better. It also repels many insects, such as aphids and other bugs that love devouring plants in your garden! Also, we recommend planting basil near oregano or peppers for best results too.
Beans are all nitrogen fixers of the soil, so they should be planted next to plants that crave high yields in order for your garden’s harvest not only taste great but also look impressive. Avoid planting beans near chives or garlic as these two vegetable varieties don’t get along well with one another and will likely compete over space while trying their best to outgrow each other!
Beets can be planted next to bush beans, Brassicas and corn. Avoid planting them near pole beans as their roots will compete for nutrients causing the beet plants’ leaf size and quality of produce to suffer in comparison!
Borage is a flower with many benefits for the gardener. It can be planted next to tomatoes or cabbages, and will deter tomato hornworm caterpillars from eating them! The plant also attracts pollinators which are important in helping out around plants that need pollination like squash, melons cucumbers.
Bok Choy may experience improved growth and health if planted alongside beets, carrots, chamomile flowers (such as Roman basil), cucumbers. It also benefits from being grown in the lawn near dill weed or mint leaves for an herbaceous flavor profile that provides aromas while discouraging weeds!
Broccoli, brussels sprouts and other brassicas love to be planted near potatoes for an improved flavor. These foods all benefit from the herbs rosemary or sage in addition with cilantro dill mint or thyme depending on their preferences. Cauliflower also likes to be planted next to celery, because the strong scent of what celery helps repel Brassica butterflies that can often destroy an entire cauliflower crop!
Carrots are an excellent companion plant to beans, Brassicas (such as broccoli and cauliflower), chives, leeks, lettuce, onions, peppers, pole beans, radishes, rosemary, sage, tomatoes. Avoid planting alongside dill, parsnips, or potatoes, though, because they will compete for nutrients in your soil which can result smaller carrots.
Cherries love garlic just like apples and apricots (and for the same reasons). Garlic helps repel pests like bore, aphids or mites. The tree roots also absorb sulfur produced by this herb, which makes them more resistant to fungus mold black spot! Marigolds plant well with cherries attracting pollinators too.
Chives are perfect for planting next to tomatoes and carrots because they help bring out the flavor of these veggies. They work well with brassicas (such as brussels sprouts), but aren’t so great if you put them near beans, or peas since those plants attract aphids, carrot rust flies, and Japanese beetles instead!
Cilantro is great at repelling potato beetles, aphids, and spider mites.
Corn is a companion to beans, beets, cucumber and many other veggies. It shouldn’t be planted next to celery or tomatoes though because they’re competing for nutrients in your garden soil! Amaranth can also help mulch around corn plants while reducing weeds.
Cucumbers love to be planted next to asparagus, beans, Brassicas such as kale and Brussel sprouts. They also like celery when they grow vertically on top of it! Corn is a great trellis for cucumbers because the vines will help support your garden produce in addition tp providing shade from hot sun or heavy rain showers. Dill attracts predatory insects which helps keep away pests while improving the growth rates.
Dill is a great companion for most plants, but it should be avoided next to tomatoes! The dill attracts lady bugs and other beneficial insects that love gardens.
Eggplant has a wide range of companions, including amaranth and beans. But be careful not to plant next too fennel!
Garlic is a great companion plant for roses to help repel aphids and other pests. It’s high in sulfur, so it also helps get rid of bugs like whiteflies, Japanese beetles root maggots carrot rust fly as well! So put some around your garden if you want an even healthier environment without any pesky critters ruining everything.
Lettuce likes to be planted near beets, Brassicas (such as broccoli), carrots and celery. It also loves cucumbers, strawberries, dill, radish, spinach, etc.
Marigolds produce chemicals that repel whiteflies, Mexican bean beetles, root knot nematodes and even some kinds of diseases. They are a great way to keep your plants healthy around fruit trees but not so much for beans!