What is companion planting? It is the planting of different plants close to each other so that they enhance each other’s growth and protect each other from pests.
Companion Planting
Why do I need to know about companion planting?
When planting a garden, it is a good idea to know what to plant and where to plant. Companion planting helps you to grow a healthier garden by paring certain plants together.
Because, by paring plants that work together for several of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial creatures, maximizing use of space, and to otherwise increase your crop productivity you will be able to grow a more bountiful, healthy, thriving garden.
Polyculture vs. Monoculture
Companion planting is a form of Polyculture and Polyculture is a form of agriculture in which more than one species is grown at the same time and in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems.
Polyculture is the opposite of Monoculture n which only members of one plant are cultivated together. An example of monopoly planting may include corn, alfalfa, wheat, or cotton fields.
Companion Planting Systems
When companion planting there are several different ways or systems you can use. The three main systems are square foot gardening, forest gardening, and organic gardening.
- Square foot gardening-This system or companion planting attempts to protect plants from normal gardening problems, such as weed infestation, by packing them as closely together as possible, which is facilitated by using companion plants, which can be closer together than normal plantings.
- Forrest gardening-Is another system where companion plants are intermingled to create an actual ecosystem, emulating the interaction of up to seven levels of plants in a forest or woodland.
- Organic gardening-The organic gardening system makes use of companion planting since many synthetic means of fertilizing, weed reduction and pest control are forbidden. These problems are naturally kept under control with companion planting.
Flying Insects
Companion planting can help keep the flying insects under control in your garden. There are certain plants that insects feed on and ones they won’t feed on.
Studies have proven that if a host-plant is surrounded by any other plant or even a decoy plant such as green plastic, cardboard, or any other green material the flying pests are far less likely to damage a plant. The flying pests need to have a host plant. This is called the host finding phase.
For more information on flying insects and to see which ones are beneficial and which are pests see these posts:
Host Finding Phase
When a plant is more isolated and surrounded by bare soil, the insects will not land on the brown soil surrounding the plant, they want to land on the only green thing around.
For the insect this is called an appropriate landing. That is the insect has landed on the plant it will feed on.
If there are other green materials surrounding the plant the inscet may land on them. This is called an inappropriate landing because the insect landed on a plant that was not its target plant.
After a few inappropriate landings the insect will move on to another green patch elsewhere.
The Appropriate Host
The insect will look for the appropriate host to lay its eggs on. It accumulates an adequate amount of stimuli from the host plant to lay eggs.
So, if the insect makes a few inappropriate landings on the decoy plants around the host plant it will assess the plant as negative and start the process on another plant.
A good example of this is a study done with clover and cabbage. The experiment showed that 36% of cabbage root flies laid eggs beside cabbages growing in bare soil, which resulted in producing no crop.
When planting cabbage and clover together the experiment proved only 7% of cabbages growing in clover was affected by the root flies. Which, in turn, resulted in producing a good crop. This is a good example of how companion planting can benefit your garden.
Benefits of Companion Planting
There are many benefits of companion planting. Some of these benefits are listed below:
- Hedged Investment-When you grow different crops in the same space this increases your odds of yielding produce from one crop even if another crop fails.
- Increased Level Interaction-The overall yield of your plot may be increased by having different levels in the same space. An example would be by having ground cover or one crop working as a a trellis for another.
- Protective Shelter-This is when one plant may provide a windbreak or provide shade for another.
- Pest Suppression-Some plants, through chemical means, help prevent pest insects or pathogenic fungi from damaging the crops.
- Predator Recruitment and Positive Hosting-Many plants produce nectar or pollen in a vegetable garden and may encourage beneficial insects that help to control the pest insects. This happens because some beneficial insects consume the pests in their larval form and are nectar and pollen feeders in their adult form.
- Trap Crop-Some companion plant will attract pests away from other plants. They trap the pests so the companion plant will not be infested.
- Pattern Disruption-By surrounding companion plants of different types you can slow down the process of spreading the pests because the pest insects do not spread easily from one plant to another.
Know Which Plants go Together
Knowing which plants to plant together can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. When companion planting in your garden it is a good idea to have a planting guide to help you to choose the appropriate plants that will thrive together.
By using a guide, you can learn which plants may support or inhibit the growth of other plants as well as which plants will deter pest insects from your garden.
With the right combination of companion plants, you will increase your odds of producing a thriving successful garden.
I have provided below a list of companion plants. You will find out which plants can be planted together for the best crop production and which ones should be planted separately.
You will also learn what some of the pest insects that may be attracted or repelled by your choice of plants.
Knowing the Basics
Now that you understand the basics of companion planting and why it is important system to follow you will want to know which plants to choose as your companion plants.
Below is a list of Vegetable and Flowering plants to choose from.
Vegetable Garden
Tomatoes
Plants that tomatoes help:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Roses
- Peppers
Plants that are helpful to tomatoes:
- Asparagus
- Basil
- Celery
- Beans
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Marigolds
The tomato plant repels:
- asparagus beetle
Plants that you should avoid planting tomatoes near:
- Black Walnuts-inhibits tomato growth
- Alfalfa
- Beetroot
- Brassicas
- Chili Peppers-may increase tomato whitefly
- Corn
- Dill-attracts tomato hornworm
- Fennel
- Peas
- Rosemary
Just A Note
Studies have shown that growing Basil near your tomatoes can increase the yield of tomatoes by about 20%.
Carrots
Plants that carrots help:
- Alliums
- Beans
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Passion fruits
- Tomatoes
Plants that are helpful to carrots:
- Alliums
- Beans
- Chives
- Flax
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Shallots
The carrot plant attracts:
- Assassin bug
- Lacewing
- Parasitic wasp
- Yellow jackets
- Other predatory wasps
The carrot repels:
- Leek moth
- Onion fly
Plants to avoid planting near carrots:
- Dill
- Parsnips
- Radishes
Just A Note
- Tomatoes grow better with carrots but may stunt the carrots growth.
- Beans provide nitrogen that is needed by the carrots.
- Alliums planted among your carrots will confuse onion and carrot flies.
- Flax produces an oil that may protect root vegetables like carrots from some pests.
Cucumber
Plants that cucumbers help:
- Beans
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
Plants that are helpful to cucumber:
- Beets
- Carrots
- Celery
- Chamomile
- Dill
- Garlic
- Onions
- Spinach
The cucumber plant attracts:
- Ground beetles
The cucumber plant repels:
- Raccoons
- Ants
Plants to avoid planting near cucumbers:
- Potatoes
- Aromatic Herbs
Just A Note
Sowing a few radish seeds with cucumbers will repel cucumber beetles.
Also, one study showed a 75% reduction in cucumber beetles with the concurrent seeding of Amaranth (a plant of the Amaranthus, typically having small green, red, or purple tinted flowers. Certain varieties are grown for food).
Lettuce
Plants that lettuce helps:
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Passion fruit
- Radishes
Plants that are helpful to lettuce:
- Alyssum
- Beans
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Carrots
Carrots - Cilantro
- Cucumber
- Dill
- Kohlrabi
- Nasturtiums
- Onions
- Radish
- Strawberries
- Thyme
The lettuce plant attracts:
- Slugs
- Snails
You should avoid planting lettuce anywhere near:
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Cress
- Parsley
Just A Note
- Broccoli when intercropped with lettuce was shown to produce more than either crop alone.
- Planting mints (including hyssop, sage, and various balms) repel slugs which can be deadly to lettuce and cabbage.
Okra
Plants that Okra helps:
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
Peppers
Plants that are helpful to Okra:
- Beans
- Lettuce
- Peppers
- Squash
- Sweet potatoes
Just A Note
- Okra and Sweet potatoes are mutually beneficial when planted simultaneously.
Onion
Plants that onions help:
- Beets
- Beans
- Brassicas
- Brocoli
- Cabbage
- Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Passion Fruit
- Peppers
- Strawberries
Plants that are helpful to onions:
- Beets
- Brassicas
- Carrots
- Chamomile
- Dill
- Lettuce
- Marigolds
- Mints
- Pansy
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
Onions attract:
- Thrips-a minute black winged insect that sucks plant sap and can be a serious pest to plants.
Onions repel:
- Aphids
- Cabbage loopers
- Carrot fly
- Cabbage maggots
- Cabbage worms
- Japanese beetles
- Rabbits
- Slugs
You should avoid planting onions near:
- Bean/Lentils
- Peas
Peppers
Plants that peppers help:
- Okra
Plants that are helpful to peppers:
- Basil
- Crimson clover
- Field Mustard
- Marjoram
- Okra
- Onion
- Petunias
- Sunflowers
- Tomatoes
You should avoid planting Peppers near:
- Beans
- Brussel Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Kale
Just A Note
- Planting a dense-leaf, or ground cover companion, like marjoram and basil helps to increase the humidity that pepper plants love.
- Planting pepper plants with tomato plants can help shelter your pepper plants from to much sunlight as well as raising humidity levels.
Potatoes
Plants that potatoes help:
- Beans
- Brassicas
- Corn
- Passion Fruit
- Peas
Plants that are helpful to potatoes:
- Beans
- Clover
- Dead nettle
- Horseradish
Fresh Horseradish - Garlic
- Marigolds
- Onions
- Peas
- Thyme
Potatoes repel:
- Mexican bean beetle
You should avoid planting potatoes near:
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Pumpkin
- Raspberries
Garlic - Squash
- Sunflower
- Tomato
Just A Note
- Horseradish increases the disease resistance of potatoes. It also repels the potato bug.
- Garlic was shown to be more effective than fungicides on late potato blight.
- Peas were shown to reduce the density of Colorado potato beetles.
Radishes
Plants that radishes help:
- Beans
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Letttuce
- Peas
- Pole beans
- Squash
Plants that are helpful to radishes:
- Chervil
- Lettuce
- Nasturtiums
Radishes repel:
- Flea beetles
- Cucumber beetles
You should avoid planting radishes anywhere near:
- Grapes
Just A Note
- Radishes can be used as a trap crop against flea beetles.
- When radishes are grown with lettuce they taste better.
Squash
Plants that are helpful to squash:
- Beans
- Borage
- Buckwheat
- Catnip
- Marigolds
- Nasturtiums
- Radishes
Squash attracts:
- Spiders
- Ground Beetles
Just A Note
- Radishes can be used as a trap crop against flea beetles.
- Marigolds and Nasturtiums repel squash bugs.
- Marigolds repel cucumber beetles.
Flower Garden
Alyssum
Plants that the Alyssum helps:
- Grapes
- Lettuce
Alyssum attracts:
- Syrphidae-an insect family made up of Hoverflies, sometimes called flower flies, or syrphid flies, often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers.
- Most beneficial insects.
Alyssums repel:
- Aphids
Just A Note
- Because they attract syrphidae they help reduce aphids through predation. Otherwise the hoverflies prey on the aphids.
Dianthus
Plants that Dianthus helps:
- Aster
- Echinacea
- Foxglove
- Lavender
- Roses
Dianthus repels:
- Slugs
Geraniums
Plants that Geraniums help:
- Corn
- Grapes
- Peppers
- Roses
Geraniums repel:
- Leaf hoppers
- Japanese beetles
You should avoid planting Geraniums near:
- Eggplant
- Tobacco
- Tomatoes
Just A Note
- Geraniums act as a trap crop, attracting pests away from roses and grape vines.
- They distract beet leafhoppers, carrier of the curly top virus (a pathogenic plant virus of the family, Geminiviridae. This virus can affect hundreds of plants.
- Keep away from solanaceous plans or nightshades like eggplant and tobacco.
Marigold
Plants that Marigolds help:
- Alliums
- Brassicas
- Cucumber
- Cucurbit
- Gourds
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Roses
- Tomatoes
Plants that are helpful to Marigolds:
- Roses
Marigolds attract:
- Snails
- Slugs
Marigolds repel:
- Beet leaf hoppers
- Cabbage root fly
- Cucumber beetles
- Onion fly
- Root-knot nematodes
- Squash bugs
Just A Note
- Marigolds are a wonder-drug of the companion plant world, invoking the saying “plant them everywhere in your garden”.
- French Marigolds produce a pesticidal chemical from their roots so strong it lasts years after they are gone.
Nasturtiums
Plants that Nasturtiums help:
- Beans
- Brassicas
- Cucumbers
- Fruit trees
- Radishes
- Squash
- Tomatoes
Nasturtium attract:
- Predatory insects
Nasturtium repels:
- Aphids
- Asparagus beetle
- Cabbage Looper
- Carrot fly
- Cabbage worm
- Cabbage weevil
- Colorado potato beetle
- Cucumber beetle
- Flea beetle
- Japanese beetle
- Mexican bean beetle
- Squash bug
- Striped pumpkin beetle
- Whitefly
You should avoid planting Nasturtium near:
- Cauliflower
Just A Note
- Nasturtiums are a trap crop for aphids.
- They are among the best at attracting predatory insects.
Pansy
Plants that Pansies help:
- Alliums
- Onions
- Roses
Plants that are helpful to Pansies:
- Roses
Pansies repel:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Ant
Just A Note
- A nice smelling flower.
- Really attracts ants.
- Helps alliums and onions which repels the white butterfly.
Petunia
Plants that Petunias help:
- Cucurbits (cucumber, squash, and pumpkin)
- Asparagus
- Plants that are prone to aphids, especially
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Roses
Petunias repel:
- Asparagus beetle
- Aphids
- Japanese beetle
- Leafhoppers
Just A Note
- Petunias act as a trap crop almost identical to geraniums in function.
Sunflowers
Plants that Sunflowers help:
- Corn
- Cucumber’Peppers
- Soybeans
- Swan Plant
- Tomatoes
Plants that are helpful to Sunflowers:
- Swan Plant
Sunflowers attract:
- Aphids
You should avoid planting Sunflowers near:
- Pole Beans
Just A Note
- Sunflowers grown as a companion to corn supposedly increases its production.
- Ants herd aphids onto sunflowers, keeping them off of neighboring plants.
- Sunflowers work as a trap crop for thrips keeping them off of bell peppers.
- Planting near swan plants help Sunflowers grow rapidly.
Swan Plant
Plants that the Swan Plant helps:
- Sunflowers
Plants helpful to the Swan Plant:
- Sunflower
- Basil
The Swan Plant attracts:
- Monarch Butterflies
The Swan Plant repels:
- Aphids
You should avoid planting near:
- Plants that attract aphids and spider mites.
Just A Note
- Swan plants attract Monarch Butterflies in the Spring and Summer.
Zinnia
Plants that Zinnias help:
- Beans
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
Zinnias repel:
- Whiteflies
Just A Note
- Zinnias attract hummingbirds that eat whiteflies.
- Zinnias attract pollinators to your garden.
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Concluding
Companion planting is a good way to improve your chances of success in the garden. Companion planting attracts beneficial insects and bugs and repels pest insects, provides shade for certain plants, cross polination, and improves the overall health of plants.
So, with the information above you will be able to find a combination of plants that are best suited to your garden.
Have fun gardening,
jackie@Daisies-n-dollars.com