Companion Planting
I’ve been busy compiling a list of companion plants to help me better plan my garden this year. For those of you who are still very new to gardening, companion planting refers to planting different crops close to each other for the purpose of benefiting each other. Some plants give off nitrogen, and some require nitrogen, so these two types of plants would benefit each other. Some plants attract certain pests, and other plants repel that pest… catch my drift?
However, there are also planting combinations that you should avoid.
I thought it might be helpful to some of you (as well as myself for future reference) if I shared just a few companion planting tips.
You’re welcome.
Basil- goes well with tomatoes.
Bush Beans- do not plant near onions.
Pole Beans- work well growing with corn, uses the stalks like a trellis; do not plant with beets or onions.
Cabbage- plant near nasturtium, thyme or sage to keep cabbage moths away; do not plant near strawberries.
Carrots- plant with sage or rosemary to help keep carrot flies away; do not plant with dill.
Corn- benefits from the nitrogen-fixing bacteria hosted in beans. You may have heard of the “Three Sisters” which refers to the Native American practice of planting corn, pole beans, and squash together. The squash acts as a ground cover mulch to reduce weeds around the other two plants.
Cucumbers- Marigolds repel cucumber beetles; do not plant near sage.
Lettuce- is helped by carrots, and mint repels slugs.
Onion- do not plant near beans or peas.
Tomatoes- benefit from being planted near carrots; do not plant near a black walnut tree, fennel or corn.
Now I realize this is not a complete list, and I’m sure I’ll be adding stuff to it as I learn. If you see something important that I missed, please feel free to let me know!
There are two really good companion planting charts that you can check out HERE, and this one which also lists many herbs HERE. Also, a friend on Facebook recommended to me the book Carrots love Tomatoes. I’m anxious to check it out.
Hope that’s a little helpful!!
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Good tips! The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith has each vegetable with companion plantings and more for readers who want a complete list and handy reference tool. This book is a great investment!
I had heard of some of this during the past year and had already planned most of my garden along these lines, but you had a few that I didn’t know of! We just found out we are moving to a home with more space, so I hope to plant a bigger garden than I was planning…I guess it’s back to the drawing board!
Can’t wait to see how your garden does this year!! IT’s going to be great!
I’m really looking forward to what you learn about feeding the soil. I was talking with a friend who does organic gardening and she doesn’t use manure to feed it! I was shocked, but she explained that unless she raised the cow, she doesn’t know what’s in that poo! I never would have thought of that! She recommened a fertilizer that is organic and from beets or something like that…it is by a popular company…I’ll have to ask her again what the name was!
Don’t put garlic near anything, either. Especially beans. Trust me.
Onions/garlic/shallots can go near roses though.
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