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Read More May 8, 2017 | Blain's Farm & FleetCompanion Planting a Garden
We understand our impact on the world around us and how we relate to plants. We use them for shelter, building our homes, and we use fruits and vegetables to give us food to nourish our bodies. Have you ever given thought to how plants relate to each other? Companion planting vegetables and plants can help your vegetable garden thrive. Read below to learn more about companion planting from Blain’s Farm & Fleet.
Different Ways Companion Planting Works
- Companion plants help each other grow: Tall plants provide shade for plants that do not need much sunlight.
- Companion plants use garden space efficiently:
- Companion plants can help deter pests: Some plants, like onions, repel pests and insects. Other plants lure pests away from the more desirable plants.
- Companion plants can attract beneficial insects: Some plants may attract insects that you want to stick around such as honeybees. Because of the insects, more plants are likely to be pollinated. This is also useful to beekeepers for successful honey production.
Just as with people, plants need companionship in their lives in order to grow healthy. Plants that do not have a symbiotic relationship with one another can adversely affect the other, causing some plants’ growth to be inhibited or both plants can attract pests and insects that are harmful to one another.
For instance, it would a bad idea to plant your tomatoes next to cabbage and broccoli as your tomato plant’s growth would be hindered. Likewise, you should not plant tomatoes next to corn as they both attract harmful pests. On the other side of the spectrum, it is a good idea to plant your tomatoes next to carrots and asparagus. Carrot roots break up the soil around your tomatoes plants, allowing in nutrients from the air and soil. Tomatoes plants also help repel the asparagus beetle or Crioceris away from your asparagus.
| Vegetables | Good Companions | Bad Companions |
|---|---|---|
| Beans | Corn, Sunflowers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Strawberries | Onions, Garlic, Fennel |
| Beets | Beans, Onions, Garlic, Lettuce, Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale | |
| Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale | Dill, Sage, Rosemary, Potatoes, Beets, Celery, Garlic, Onions, Geraniums | Tomatoes, Poles Beans, Peppers |
| Carrots | Lettuce, Chives, Leeks, Rosemary, Sage, Peas | Strawberries, Cabbage |
| Corn | Sunflowers, Beans & Legumes, Pumpkins, Squash, Cucumbers, Melons | Cabbage, Tomatoes, Celery |
| Lettuce | Carrots, Radishes, Strawberries, Cucumbers, Beans | Celery, Parsley |
| Onions and Garlic | Carrots, Beets, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Cabbage | Peas, Beans, Parsley, Leeks |
| Peas | Carrots, Turnips, Radishes, Cucumbers, Corn, Beans | Onions and Garlic |
| Peppers | Tomatoes, Basil, Carrots, Onions | Beans, Kale, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale |
| Potatoes | Beans, Corn, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Eggplants | Pumpkins, Cucumbers, Squash, Melons, Sunflowers, Tomatoes |
| Pumpkins | Corn, Beans | Potatoes |
| Spinach | Strawberries, Beans, Peas | |
| Tomatoes | Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Chives, Onions, Carrots, Celery | Potatoes, Fennel, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale |
| Radishes | Squash, Eggplants, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Peas, Beans | Grapes |
| Soybeans | Corn, Snap Beans, Sunflowers |
It’s important to encorporate companion planting in your garden to ensure it grows to its fullest potential, but for more ways you can aide in your garden’s growth, check out Blain’s Farm & Fleet’s Gardening blog.
