Because Plants Work Better with Friends too!
Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a novice to the subject, companion plants can tremendously impact the success of your garden. Any gardener knows all too well that no two years are the same when it comes to growing your vegetables and fruits. As the years go by, our experience grows and thus we learn how to tackle disease, control pests and organize the plants for optimum growth. Companion planting is another gardener’s tool to help with all these issues in the garden.
To put it simply, companion plants are any plants that can benefit each other in some way. They assist in the growth of others by attracting beneficial insects, repelling pests, or providing nutrients, shade or support. For example, many people plant marigold flowers around the perimeter of their gardens. Marigolds have a strong floral odor which deters certain insects, bunnies and deer from getting too curious about your garden plot. Marigolds are especially complementary to the tomatoes, so make sure to plant some with your Cherokee Purples this year!
Another example is the classic Three Sisters planting of corn, pole beans and winter squash. The corn provides natural support for the bean plant to grow up and you don’t have to worry about making a support for your beans. The beans fix nitrogen to feed the hungry corn and squash. The squash trails throughout the patch to provide a natural shade and weed weed suppressant. Now you have three vegetables using the same space and you can harvest thrice as many vegetables at the end of the season.
Companion Planting Chart
Companion Planting Resources
There are great resources for companion planting. Check out these websites for ideas about companion plants:
http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-guide-companion-plants
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/companion-planting-guide-zmaz81mjzraw