Companion planting is the careful placement of plants, which have shown to have beneficial effects on one another.
By following this practice, it will boost plant growth, repel pests and improve the flavour for each other and ultimately uses the space more efficiently, allowing you to harvest more.
The benefits
- Saves space
- Keeps the soil moist and helps present erosion
- Keeps weeds out
- Can decrease pest issues
- Can help with disease issues
- Can attract pollinators and beneficial insects
- Can eliminate the need for trellises
Examples of companion planting:
- Asparagus, Parsley & Tomatoes – plant together for better harvest
- Beans and Marigold – marigold deters Mexican bean beetles
- Cabbage and Buckwheat – the buckwheat attracts parasitic wasps that kill cabbage worms
- Carrot & Rosemary – rosemary deter carrot flies
- Letter & Chives – chives can help deter aphids
- Melon & Radishes – dual harvest as the radishes can be harvested before the melon spreads
- Radish & Spinach – radish attract leaf miners which don’t harm the radish bulbs, but will potentially destroy a spinach drop
- Beets & Garlic – intercropping garlic improves the health of the beets
- Peas & Fruit Trees – peas will use the tree to trellis before the tree shades them fully
