Gardeners often use companion planting. This technique means they plant different crops near each other for mutual benefit.
This method keeps pests away from your garden. It also maximizes space, attracts helpful insects, boosts plant growth, offers shade, and more.
This guide outlines good companion plants for vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. We’ll also highlight those that you should avoid planting near each other.
The Benefits of Companion Planting
The best part about this gardening technique is the numerous advantages it provides. The soil, natural predators, and plants in your garden will all benefit.
When everything works together properly, everything flourishes, which is the goal. The benefits are as follows:
- Improved soil quality and plant health.
- Companion plants provide food for or attract helpful insects and other natural enemies.
- A better chance of pollination for crops that require it.
- Repels pests.
- It helps prevent soil erosion.
- Maximize garden space.
- Improves the flavor of the crops.
Continue reading to learn more about companion planting combinations. This practice will help you plan and start a thriving garden.
Plants to Grow Together
Companion planting is essential in farming. However, it requires taking the time to study your main crops and how they interact with each other.
Here is a list of plants that grow well together.
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are everyone’s go-to for adding to salads and sandwiches or satisfying a bout of hunger at snack time.
To keep tomato plants healthy, consider companion vegetables that grow well with them. These tomato companion plants include onions, sage, borage, lettuce, parsley, and carrots.
Other planting companions include mint, asparagus, rosemary, and basil. Marigold also works wonders [1]. However, be sure to keep tomatoes away from the potatoes.
2. Spinach
Spinach is a nutrient-dense leafy vegetable that can be used in various culinary dishes. It thrives when grown near squash and onions.
You can also plant it beneath taller vegetables like beans, radishes, and celery. Doing so will help protect it from the harsh rays of direct sunlight.
3. Raspberries
Raspberries are a sweet treat on a summer night. Unfortunately, they are susceptible to various pests and fungal diseases [2].
To help prevent this, plant marigolds, garlic, nasturtiums, and turnips among your raspberry bushes. However, keep them away from eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, blackberries, and potatoes.
4. Strawberries
Strawberries are a delight in any garden.
Beans, onions, and sage are great companion plants for strawberries. Horseradish, rhubarb, spinach, chives, lettuce, and marigolds are also suitable.
Moreover, growing thyme near the strawberry patch will help keep worms away.
5. Corn
Fresh corn from the garden is a favorite at picnics and barbecues. Luckily, it pairs well with many other garden vegetables.
Crops such as melons, cucumbers, peas, beans, lettuce, potatoes, and squash make good neighbors.
6. Squash
Squash neighbors such as radishes, beets, beans, corn, peas, and carrots do well together. However, please do not put them near brassicas or potatoes.
7. Cucumbers
Try planting marigolds, sunflowers, and nasturtiums with cucumbers to repel pests. However, bad cucumber companion plants include potatoes, fennel, melons, and sage.
8. Carrots
Carrots make for a healthy snack and a colorful addition to various dishes.
Many crops can be planted together with carrots. The most popular pairs are lettuce and radishes.
Planting leeks nearby will also keep away flies. However, avoid putting carrots with celery, parsnips, potatoes, and dill.
9. Broccoli
Consider planting broccoli with other crops, like sage and celery. Basil, garlic, dill, and onions are good, too.
Other companion vegetables include cucumbers, potatoes, beans, lettuce, radishes, and beets. However, do not grow them next to tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and mustard greens.
10. Peppers
Pepper is another vegetable that thrives well with a variety of other plants.
Good companion plants for peppers are radishes, spinach, lettuce, garlic, leeks, and onions. Also, geraniums, petunias, marigolds, basil, and chives will repel some pests.
Do not plant peppers next to fennel, beans, potatoes, and brassicas.
11. Zucchini
Consider companion planting zucchini with beans, corn, radishes, parsley, spinach, nasturtiums, and marigolds. However, please keep it away from potatoes and pumpkins.
12. Potatoes
Peas, beans, and various cruciferous vegetables pair well with potatoes in the garden.
Plant marigolds, basil, and sweet alyssum to keep garden pests away. However, avoid combining potatoes with pumpkins and tomatoes.
Potatoes also have many other unfriendly companions, as seen in this article.
Herbs and Flowers
Herbs and flowers, like sunflowers, marigolds, and sage, are great companions. So are zinnias, parsley, nasturtiums, dill, borage, sedum, lavender, and cosmos.
They are renowned for their insecticidal properties and ability to attract pollinators. Some also provide shelter and protection for delicate plants.
More Companions?
Check this category to see what else you can plant together in your vegetable garden.
Takeaway
Planting certain veggies, herbs, or flowers together is one of the many pest control methods in gardening.
People have practiced it for centuries in different areas of the world and still practice it today. Feel free to use the information from this list to make a chart for yourself.
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