Companion Planting for Vegetables, Herbs and other Garden Flowers and Plants

Companion Planting for vegetables, herbs and flowers is the idea that some plants have a beneficial effect on others growing nearby and other plants have a detrimental influence. This is an ancient idea that was seen during the times of the Romans, and perhaps even before then.

One only has to look at the old-age tradition of North American agriculture of planting corn, beans and squash together. Corn grows tall, trying to steal as much sun as possible and taking out a lot of nitrogen from the soil. Beans grow up the stalks of the corn looking for the sun too, but putting nitrogen back into the soil. Planting squash at the same time does well on the conditions and grows and spreads on the ground growing and harvested long after the harvest of the beans and the corn. Therefore, by intercropping, or companion planting, you have been able to grow 3 different vegetables in the same space as you would one.

Companion Planting for Deterring Insects

Although many will disregard companion planting and see it as old wives' tales, many plants, flowers and herbs do defend themselves against insects by being poisonous to them or developing a strong scent that frightens them away, and it is possible that a plant growing close by might benefit from being in this bug-free zone. So, although companion planting is also mixed up in folklore, there is also an element of fact and this method can be happily adopted by those who practice organic gardening.

For example, French marigolds (Tagetes patula) secrete an enzyme or a hormone into the soil that deters nematodes from infesting their roots, and it does seem that tomatoes or other nematode susceptible plants growing as neighbours will be protected. It may be significant that most of these beneficent plants are strongly aromatic. Planting dill with your tomatoes will attract the tomato worm for you.

Planting nasturtiums will take care of cabbage white butterfly caterpillars and great for repelling white fly. They are also good for planting under apple trees to get  rid of colding moth. Nasturtims are planted among cucumbers for protection against the cucumber beetle and the Mexican bean beetle. Nasturtiums and tansy help get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, and catnip and nasturtiums for repelling the green peach aphids.

If you want to get rid of aphids then you will need to interplant with sow thistle, stinging nettles or broadbeans. Sunflowers will help trap harlequin bugs, and potatoes, calendula daisies are good for earwigs.

Companion Planting for Benefiting other Plants

Many times, planting certain plants together is also for practical reasons. Planting lettuce next to corn means that the lettuces can be shaded during hot summers.

When you plant cabbages in the late summer, at the same time, and in the same bed, you can also plant garlic. Where cabbages will use of a lot of nutrients, and where the cabbages will be harvested in the autumn, the garlic will continue growing until the following summer resulting in good crops for both.

Chives and onions planted near carrots will help also deter the presence of carrot rust flies.

Radishes when planted next to Chervil benefit from the shade the herb casts, and the result is lovely juicy radishes that are not woody at all.

Beans are heavy feeders and therefore it is advisable to companion plant it with something less greedy. Therefore mustard is a perfect companion.

Companion Planting for Attracting good Insects

The common dandelion that some see as a scourge in the garden should think again. It is now known that dandelions attract pollinating insects. Furthermore, they also release ethylene which is a gas that encourages fruit setting and fruit ripening.

Daisies, dill, corriander and parsley are all good for attracting beneficial insects into the garden. The pollen they provide make them wonderful bee plants, but in addition they also attract parasitic wasps that prey on insect pests. These plants should be planted throughout the garden at regular intervals as many of these wasps are tiny and fly only over short distances.

Larger predatorial insects like lacewings and hoverflies also feed on the pollen. By allowing these plants to go to seed, not only are you keeping the insect population in check, but you can save seeds at the same time for next planting season.

Herbs too have been known to repel certain insects. Southernwood is good for repelling the cabbage butterfly and tobacco for flea beetles.

COMPANION PLANTING BENEFITS	HOW IT ALL WORKS	EXAMPLES
Having Deep Roots	Brings nutrients to the surface, benefiting other plants.	Comfrey, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion.
Enriching the Soil	Build up of minerals in leaves. Excrete material from their roots. Plants add nitrogen to the soil.	Comfrey, dandelion and stinging nettles. Marigolds’ root exudate is fatal to nematodes. Beans excrete mycorrhiza, which benefits plant roots. Peas & peas ‘fix nitrogen’.
Strong-Smelling Plants	Oil in some plants has fragrance that repels insects.	Garlic, pyrethrum and rosemary
Attracting Pollinators	Flowers attract pollinators, increasing yields.	Yellow and blue flowers attract bees eg. blue borage.
Attracting Other Predators	Plants attract other predators to the pests that attack them.	Parsley, celery and carrot family attract hover flies. Their larvae consume aphids, when in seed.
Confusing Pests	Planting close together causes camouflage of odourand appearance.	Pennyroyal camouflages cabbage smell and celery camouflages cabbage shape.

GOOD COMPANION PLANTING for VEGETABLES and HERBS

• Asparagus with tomatoes and parsley

• Basil with tomatoes, asparagus, beans, grapes, apricots and fuchsias

• Beans with carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, cabbage, celery, potatoes and sweet    corn

• Beets with onion, beans and kohlrabi

• Borage with strawberries

• Broccoli and Cabbage with dill, potatoes, sage, rosemary and mint

• Celery with beans

• Chives with carrots, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. Onions and chives when

   interplanted with carrots repel both onion and carrot fly without competing for 

   nutrients below the soil.

• Citrus with guavas

• Cucumbers with corn, cabbages, potatoes and radishes

• Fruit Trees with chives, nasturtiums and garlic

• Garlic with roses, apples, apricots and peaches

• Geraniums with grapes

• Grapes with mulberries and mustard greens

• Horseradish with almost any fruit tree

• Hyssop with cabbages and grapes

• Irises with roses

• Leeks with celery

• Lettuce with carrots, onions, radishes and strawberries

• Marigolds (French) with tomatoes, roses, potatoes, daffodils and beans

• Melons with sweetcorn

• Mint with cabbages and other brassicas, and peas

• Nasturtiums with cucumbers, zucchini, squash

• Onions with beets, carrots, kohlrabi and turnips

• Parsley with roses, asparagus and tomatoes

• Peas with carrots

• Potatoes with beans, sweet corn, cabbage, peas, marigolds and horseradish

• Pumpkins with beans, sweet corn, cabbage, peas, marigolds and horseradish

• Radishes with peas, lettuce, nasturtiums and cucumbers

• Roses with grapevines, garlic, onions, chives and marigolds

• Sage with cabbages

• Spinach with strawberries

• Strawberries with beans, lettuce and spinach

• Sunflowers with squash and sweetcorn

• Tomatoes with basil, cabbage, parsley, marigolds, potatoes and cucumbers.

    When you plant tomatoes with brassicas (cabbages, broccoli, etc.)  they help

    reduce the pest numbers for both types of vegetables.

• Thyme with any Brassica

• Wallflowers with apples

BAD COMPANION PLANTING FOR VEGETABLES

• Apples with potatoes

• Beans with beets

• Beans with garlic

• Cabbages with strawberries

• Gladioli with strawberries, beans and peas

• Hyacinths with carnations

• Mint with parsley

• Sunflowers with any vegetable but squash

• Wormwood with just about everything

So next time you are planting your vegetables and flowers choose their neighbours carefully. When looking at people some neighbours are helpful, beneficial and nice to have around. Others are spawned in Hell and do untold damage. Make sure that the next time you plant out, you choose good neighbours for your flowers and vegetables!

Visit our Country Corner Store for books on companion planting, as well as a plethora of books on every subject imaginable if you are into gardening, arts and crafts, homesteading, frugal living and being generally self-sufficient.

And if you are looking to plant your own herbs, seeds and plants or would like some growing kits, visit our Online Country Store for more details. You will also find health products and herbs to buy through our Naturally Organic section.

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Here's a video on Companion Planting for Vegetables

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