Thursday, March 15, 2012

COMPANION PLANTING



Companion planting is the practice of growing plants next to each other for mutual benefit.  Companion's attract beneficial or repels harmful insect and it can also improve the flavor or growth.  I personally have planted sweet basil next to my tomato plants because it will repel flies and mosquitoes and improve growth and flavor of the tomato.  I have planted Marigolds next to beans, peas and tomatoes because it is a natural way to deter beetles and other harmful insects.  I also love to grow mint next to beans and carrots to help improve the growth and flavor.  I have made flower and vegetable arrangements in containers for customers keeping in mind companion planting.   There is a wealth of information on the internet related to this topic.  I have tried to simplify it here for you and try to get you thinking about the planning process of your gardern.   I have attached a chart to help you get started it is published by Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening for companion planting ideas.   
Plant
Companion(s) and Effects
Asparagus
Tomatoes, parsley, basil
Basil
Tomatoes (improves growth & flavor); said to dislike rue; repels flies & mosquitoes
Bean
Potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage, summer savory, most other veggies & herbs
Bean (bush)
Sunflowers (beans like partial shade, unless you live up north, sunflowers attract birds & bees for pollination), cucumbers (combination of heavy and light feeders), potatoes, corn, celery, summer savory
Bee Balm
Tomatoes (improves growth & flavor).
Beet
Onions, kohlrabi
Borage
Tomatoes (attracts bees, deters tomato worm, improves growth & flavor), squash, strawberries
Cabbage Family (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi)
Potatoes, celery, dill, chamomile, sage, thyme, mint, pennyroyal, rosemary, lavender, beets, onions; aromatic plants deter cabbage worms
Caraway
Loosens soil; plant here and there
Carrot
Peas, lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, rosemary, sage, tomatoes
Catnip
Plant in borders; protects against flea beetles
Celery
Leeks, tomatoes, bush beans, cauliflower, cabbage
Chamomile
Cabbage, onions
Chervil
Radishes (improves growth & flavor).
Chive
Carrots; plant around base of fruit trees to discourage insects from climbing trunk
Corn
Potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash
Cucumber
Beans, corn, peas, radishes, sunflowers
Dead Nettle
Potatoes (deters potato bugs)
Dill
Cabbage (improves growth & health), carrots
Eggplant
Beans
Fennel
Most plants are supposed to dislike it.
Flax
Carrots, potatoes
Garlic
Roses & raspberries (deters Japanese beetle); with herbs to enhance their production of essential oils; plant liberally throughout garden to deter pests
Horseradish
Potatoes (deters potato beetle); around plum trees to discourage curculios
Hyssop
Cabbage (deters cabbage moths), grapes; keep away from radishes
Lamb's Quarters
Nutritious edible weeds; allow to grow in modest amounts in the corn
Leek
Onions, celery, carrots
Lemon Balm
Here and there in the garden
Marigold
The workhorse of pest deterrents; keeps soil free of nematodes; discourages many insects; plant freely throughout the garden.
Marjoram
Here and there in the garden
Mint
Cabbage family; tomatoes; deters cabbage moth
Nasturtium
Tomatoes, radish, cabbage, cucumbers; plant under fruit trees; deters aphids & pests of curcurbits
Onion
Beets, strawberries, tomato, lettuce (protects against slugs), beans (protects against ants), summer savory
Parsley
Tomato, asparagus
Pea
Squash (when squash follows peas up trellis), plus grows well with almost any vegetable; adds nitrogen to the soil
Petunia
Protects beans; beneficial throughout garden
Potato
Horseradish, beans, corn, cabbage, marigold, limas, eggplant (as a trap crop for potato beetle)
Pot Marigold
Helps tomato, but plant throughout garden as deterrent to asparagus beetle, tomato worm & many other garden pests
Pumpkin
Corn
Radish
Peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumbers; a general aid in repelling insects
Rosemary
Carrots, beans, cabbage, sage; deters cabbage moth, bean beetles & carrot fly
Rue
Roses & raspberries; deters Japanese beetle; keep away from basil
Sage
Rosemary, carrots, cabbage, peas, beans; deters some insects
Soybean
Grows with anything; helps everything
Spinach
Strawberries
Squash
Nasturtium, corn
Strawberry
Bush beans, spinach, borage, lettuce (as a border)
Summer Savory
Beans, onions; deters bean beetles
Sunflower
Cucumber
Tansy
Plant under fruit trees; deters pests of roses & raspberries; deters flying insects, also Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs; deters ants
Tarragon
Good throughout garden
Thyme
Here and there in garden; deters cabbage worm
Tomato
Chives, onion, parsley, asparagus, marigold, nasturtium, carrot, limas
Valerian
Good anywhere in garden
Wormwood
As a border, keeps animals from the garden
Yarrow
Plant along borders, near paths, near aromatic herbs; enhances essential oil production of herbs




This link is also a free reference guide that I like to refer back to.



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