Companion planting is a technique which has been practiced since the ancient Greek and Roman times. It is the method of growing different plants close to each other to improve flavor, and deter pests and disease. One of the best known examples of this practice is the Native American “Three Sisters Garden” where corn, beans and squash were grown together. The corn helped to provide stability for the beans stalks to grow up and squash was planted to grow along the ground to retain soil moisture and discouraged weeds. It is said that chives improve the flavor of carrots, while basil does the same for tomatoes. But the same is true in reverse. Some plants seem to dislike each other often stunting the others growth. For instance, it’s advised not to plant garlic near beans or asparagus. 

What to Plant: 

Beans enrich and improve the soil with nitrogen. They are good for carrots, celery, chards, corn, eggplant, peas, potatoes, beets, radish, strawberry and cucumbers. Keep beans away from onions and garlic. Carrots are friends of lettuce, onions and tomato, but keep dill and parsnips away. Tomatoes can stunt the growth of carrots.

Collard greens should be planted with lettuce, potato, radish, basil, cucumber, dill, garlic, marigold, beans, mint, and onion. Keep them away from grapes. Plant corn with beans, cucumber, melons, parsley, peanuts, peas, potato, pumpkin, soybeans, and squash. Keep corn away from celery and tomato. Cucumbers are great with corn and beans. They also do well with peas, beets, radishes and carrots. Keep sage, and potatoes away. Plant eggplant with beans, peas, peppers, spinach, tarragon, thyme and marigold. Avoid planting fennel near eggplant. Garlic near cucumbers, peas, lettuce and celery. Lettuce does well with beets, bush beans, pole beans, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, onion, radish and strawberries. It grows happily in the shade under taller plants. Plant lettuce around your okra plants to offer shade in the summer giving you a little extra growing time. Okra also does well with peppers and gets along with basil, cucumbers, melons, and black eyed peas. Planting chamomile and summer savory with onions improves their flavor. Other companions are carrot, leek, beets, kohlrabi, strawberries, cabbages, dill, lettuce and tomatoes. Onions planted with strawberries help the berries fight disease. Keep onions away from peas and asparagus.

Companions for peas are bush beans, Pole Beans, Carrots, Celery, Corn Cucumber, Eggplant, Parsley, Potato, Radish, Spinach, Strawberry, Sweet pepper, Tomatoes and Turnips. Do not plant peas with chives, garlic, grapes or onions. Plant peppers near tomatoes, parsley, basil, and carrots. Onions make an excellent companion plant for peppers. Good potato companions are bush bean, cabbage, carrot, celery, corn, marigold, peas, and onion. Protect them from scab by putting comfrey leaves in with your potato sets at planting time. Horseradish, planted at the corners of the potatoes provides general protection. Keep potatoes and tomatoes apart they both get blight contaminating each other. Squash likes beans, corn, cucumbers, melon, mint, onions and pumpkin. Strawberries are friends with beans, borage, lettuce, onions, spinach and thyme. Foes: Cabbage and broccoli.

Pests:

Even weeds can be good as they enrich the soil and provide food for wildlife. Clover pulls nitrogen from the air and places it in the soil, where other plants use it. Clover makes an excellent cover crop. Chickweed tilled beneath the soil before it sets seed is a good source of green manure. If the plants do set seed, they are nourishing to wild birds. Dandelions are not only edible but delicious’s and rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a great addition to salads and the roots can be used as a coffee substitute. The flower seeds provide food for finches and attract butterflies. Borage deters worms. Marigolds deters beetle. Nasturtium deters squash bugs and beetles. Chili pepper roots prevent root rot and other root diseases. Radishes are a good deterrent against cucumber beetles. Plant dill with cucumbers to attract beneficial predators. Sprinkle fresh leaf bay in garden as natural insecticide garlic planted under peach trees help repel borers. Garlic accumulates sulfur a naturally occurring fungicide which helps with disease prevention. Concentrated garlic spray has been observed to repel and kill whiteflies, aphids and fungus gnats among others. Lemon balm has citronella compounds and repels many pests. Rub the leaves on your skin to keep mosquitoes away

For Fun:

Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of commitment to a community.  When people plant corn they are saying let’s stay here.  And by their connection to the land they are connected to one another. ~ Anne Raver

Written by :

purplemartin

 

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