My mom’s garden was never in neat tidy rows instead she interplanted flowers, herbs and vegetables together. I always thought this was because we didn’t have much space for a garden. It wasn’t until I was an adult I realized she was actually using the principles of companion planting.
Companion gardening has been practiced for thousands of years, so what is it and how does it benefit you?
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Companion Planting Table of Contents
What is Companion Gardening?
Simply put companion gardening is planting two specific plants near each other with the intention they mutually benefit one another.
On the flip side, growth can also be hindered if some plants are planted near certain plants.
Many plants have a symbiotic relationship with other plants. Meaning they help each other. Native Americans used the principles of interplanting with the Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash. When planted together the three help each other grow.
What are the benefits of Companion Planting?
Now that we discussed what companion planting is, you might be wondering what the benefits are to this garden arrangement?
- natural pest control
- maximize crops
- promote pollination
- suppresses weeds
- improves soil
- enhances flavor
- physical support
How does Companion Planting Benefit Plants?
You may wonder how one plant can affect the growth of another. All living things are connected and plants are no exception.
Plants can do this through a process called allelopathy. Allelopathy is a chemical interaction in which plants can either inhibit or stimulate the growth of another plant. One way they can do this is by releasing allelochemicals into the soil.
Pest Control, Crop Yields & Pollination
Maximize crop yields, deter pests, and improve pollination. When it comes to companion planting these three go hand in hand. Planting pollinator friendly flowers near vegetables can increase the production of food and create a habitat for beneficial insects.
Gardeners looking to create an organic garden without the use of pesticides can utilize companionship planting to deter pests.
Weed Suppression
Planting crops close together reduces the amount of available space for weeds to grow. It can also produce shade making it difficult for weeds to grow.
Soil Improvement
Beans and peas are two examples of vegetables can be grown to improve soil fertility. These cover crops provide nitrogen to plants through their roots.
Plants with taproots can alleviate issues with soil compaction and deeper rooting plants can pull nutrients up from the soil. Planting plants with two different root systems can mutually benefit one another.
Enhances Flavor of Crops
Some say herbs planted near vegetables or fruit can improve the taste of the vegetable or fruit. For example, many believe planting tomatoes near basil creates better tasting tomatoes or borage near strawberries results in sweeter berries. Try it out and see if you think the flavors are enhanced.
Physical Support & Shade
One plant can physically support another serving as a trellis like corn provides support for beans to climb. Taller plants can also provide shade.
Plant Families
To better understand companionship planting it helps to know the basics of how plants are classified or plant taxonomy. Plants with similar characteristics are grouped by family.
Solanaceae Family of Plants
The Solanaceae Family, also called the nightshade family, have more than 2,000 species of plants, shrubs, herbs, and trees. Very few of the species are in the United States, as this plant family prefers to live in Latin America and South America.
The most popular plants in your garden from this family are tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers and petunias. All of these plants have taproots.
In general, plants in the following families: Asteraceae, Apiaceae, and Lamiaceare are beneficial to the Solanaceae family of plants. Plant your tomatoes and peppers near carrots, mint, basil, oregano, alliums, garlic, cucumbers, and chives. Eggplants can also benefit from nearby green beans.
What can I plant near Peppers?
Peppers love carrots, basil, tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers. They don’t like to share the same space with cauliflower, green beans, cabbage or broccoli.
Companion Plants for Tomatoes
Plant tomatoes near carrots, onions, chives, marigolds, nasturtiums, and parsley. Keep them away from the Brassica family such as kale and cabbage. Despite being in the same family tomatoes dislike potatoes.
What can I plant near Eggplants?
Eggplants do well near aromatic herbs, green beans and peppers.
Brassicaceae Plant Family
The Brassicaceae are the family of flowering mustard plants. Plants that belong to this family include: Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, turnips, sweet alyssum flowers, white mustard, kohlrabi, collard greens, kale, and rutabagas.
Plants in the Brassicaceae family benefit if onions, potatoes, celery, and beets are interplanted with them. They also like aromatic herbs such as rosemary, mint, and sage.
You may want to avoid planting tomatoes and peppers near the Brassicaceae family. If planted near the nightshade family of plants they compete for the same nutrients.
What can I plant near Broccoli?
Apiaceae Family
Plants in the Apiaceae family are also known as umbellifer plants. They are aromatic, often have flat top flowers and tap roots. Some plants in this family include: cilantro, dill, parsley and carrots.
Plants in the Apiaceae family benefit if tomatoes and chives are planted near them. Dill likes to be planted near cabbage.
Companion Plants for Carrots
Lamiaceae Plant Family
Plants in the lamiaceae family are aromatic such as mint, lemon balm, bee balm, lamb’s ear, rosemary, oregano, sage, basil, thyme, lavender, and catnip to name a few.
Rosemary Companion Plants
What grows well with Rosemary? Companion plants include: sage, radishes, beans, carrots, broccoli, and cabbage.
Rosaceae Family
Fruits such as apples, strawberries, peaches, cherries and plums are part of the rosaceae plant family. Roses are also part of this family. Plant garlic near roses. Strawberries like green beans, spinach and lettuce. Some say growing borage near strawberries increases the sweetness of the berry.
Cucurbitaceae Plant Family
Cucurbitaceae plants are more commonly known as gourds. Cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, watermelon, These ornamental plants have trailing vines.
Plants in the gourd family do well when interplanted with plants from the Fabaceae family such as peas and beans.
Asteraceae Family
The largest number of flowering plants are part of the Asteraceae plant family, also called the Daisy family. Flowers such as zinnias, asters, cosmos, and marigolds are part of this group. Interplant these flowers with vegetables in the Solanaceae family. Plant near peppers and tomatoes.
Many of the plants are medicinal in nature. Others are popular vegetable crops such as lettuce and artichokes.
Beans and tomatoes can benefit from nearby marigolds.
Fabaceae Family
Plants that belong to the Fabaceae plant are from the legume or bean family of plants. These include snap and snow peas, beans, and Hardenbergia violacea
Plants in the Fabaceae family benefit if Cucurbitaceae plants or plants from the gourd family are planted near them.
Companion Planting Chart
Many plants can grow near each other with no negative effect, so go ahead and experiment with colors and plants in your own garden.
Companion planting is about grouping plants together that mutually benefit each other. It is also about avoiding grouping plants that repel each other. Growing plants in the same family near each other means they will complete for the same nutrients. On the flip side they have similar soil, sun and water requirements so this is a plus if you have a small space.
Grow these plants side by side.