Companion planting is the practice of growing different plants close each other for mutual benefit or to benefit one of the plants. This can include attracting pollinating insects, confusing or repelling pests, preventing or protecting plants from pests and diseases, enhancing nutrient uptake, improving flavour and increasing crop production. Companion planting can create a balanced ecosystem in the garden.
There are as many companion plant combinations as there are plants, so to try and implement everything would be a nightmare. However, there are some herbs which are great companions to most vegetables, so it is worth growing them in your veggie patch. You will also have the benefit of fresh herbs on hand for cooking and making your herbal medicines. I recommend planting rosemary, sage, origanum, borage, thyme, yarrow, hyssop and basil.
Although companion planting will improve the health of your garden, please don’t get too hung up on getting it right. It is very unlikely that anything will die from not having the right neighbours. I have grown poor companions next to each other, like peas and onions, and both have survived. They probably would have performed better if they had been apart, but I got a harvest of both. Next time I’ll try and remember to keep them separate!
Some examples of good companions are:
• Planting radishes with carrots deters carrot fly.
• Planting corn, beans, and squash together provides physical support. nitrogen fixation, and to supress weeds. Although this is a traditional planting, known as the three sisters or trinity, it is difficult to harvest the beans without being scratched by the squash leaves.
• Basil will enhance the flavour of tomatoes and repel pests, especially aphids.
• Plant marigolds near crops to ward off nematodes and repel beetles.
• Plant hyssop to attract hoverflies and beneficial wasps – these are the insects you want in your garden to eat the ‘bad’ bugs.
• Plant rosemary close to cabbages to attract the cabbage moth.
• Plant nasturtiums in the vegetable garden, or under roses to attract aphids. Aphids prefer nasturtiums to beans or roses.
• Plant yarrow to attract ladybirds and predatory wasps.
• Dill will enhance the flavour of corn.
• Asparagus improves the flavour of tomatoes, and the tomatoes repel asparagus beetle.
• Borage enhances the taste of strawberries, plus gives them some protection from birds.
And then we come to the poor companions. These are plants that are detrimental to each other, mostly affecting growth. Fortunately, there are not too many. Most plants get along just fine.
• Broad beans are poor companions for broccoli and leeks
• Potatoes are poor companions to tomatoes, squash and apples. This is easy to get around as it is better to grow potatoes in a bag to save space
• Fennel is a poor companion to beans, peppers, tomato, caraway and coriander
• Basil and rue are poor companions – Basil loses this battle, it becomes spindly and tasteless. Rue isn’t great with sage either
• Garlic is a poor companion to beans, peas and strawberries.
If you would like a quick guide to Vegetables and Their Companions, you can download it here