Grower's Guide: Companion planting
/Mapping out your garden will remind you where things were in seasons past so you can properly rotate your crops
; give you a handy guide for where things are now; and help you in planning your garden for the future.
But there's another reason to sit down and brainstorm where plants should go, and that's a little process called "companion planting".
For those of you, like us, unwilling to utilize harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides, companion planting is a great, organic way to promote healthy growth and ward off disease. This method encourages the planting of certain plants together because of their complementary properties (repelling certain bugs or illness; or absorbing different nutrients from the ground so there's a healthy balance); and discourages putting other plants in the same space.
For example, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower should be surrounded by tansy and thyme to ward off cabbage worms; while nasturtiums will repel beetles and aphids. Conversely, aster flowers can transmit disease to celery so they need to be kept away from each other.
Below is a chart to help get you started with companion planting.
COMMON NAME
COMPANIONS
ANTAGONISTS
Alliums
Fruit trees, Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc), Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, etc) Carrots
Beans, Peas, Parsley
Asparagus
Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil
Onion, Garlic, Potatoes
Potatoes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Radishes, Rosemary, Peas, Corn, Cucumbers, Brassicas, Summer Savory, most other vegetables and herbs
Tomatoes, chili peppers, sunflowers, alliums (onions, garlic, etc), kales (cabbage, broccoli, etc) Gladiola
Pole Beans
Corn (see
, Summer Savory, Sunflowers
Onions, Beets, Kohlrabi, Cabbage
Bush Beans
Potatoes, Cucumbers, Corn,Strawberries, Celery, Summer Savory
Onions
Beets
Lettuce, Onions, Brassicas, Kohlrabi
Pole beans
(
Cabbage, Cauliflower,Kale, Kohlrabi, Broccoli
)
Aromatic Herbs, Potatoes, Celery, Chamomile, Dill Peppermint, Sage, Rosemary, Beets, Onions, Spinach
Pole beans, strawberries, tomatoes
Carrots
Chives, Rosemary, Sage, Radishes, Lettuce, Peas, Onions, Leeks, Tomatoes
Dill
Celery
Leeks, Tomatoes, Bush Beans, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Cosmos, Daisies, Snapdragons
corn, Aster flowers, these can transmit the aster yellows disease
Chives
Carrots, tomatoes
Peas, beans
Corn
Sunflowers, Pumpkins, Beans, Potatoes, Peas, Cucumbers, Pumpkin, Squash
Tomatoes, Celery
Beans, Carrots, Beets, Onions, Radishes, Corn, Peas, Lettuce, Dill, Sunflowers, Nasturniums, Marigolds
Potatoes, aromatic herbs
Dill
Cabbage, Onions, Cucumbers
Tomato
Eggplant
Beans, Peppers, Potatoes
Leek
Onions, celery, carrots
Legumes (beans, peas, etc)
Carrots with radishes, Strawberries, Cucumbers, Onions
Marigold
Plant throughout the garden
Oregano
Good to all Vegetables
Onion (and
)
Beets, Strawberries, Tomatoes,Lettuce, Summer Savory, Chamomile, Leeks, Parsley
Peas, Beans, Parsley
Parsley
Tomatoes, Asparagus
Peas
Carrots, Turnips, Radishes, Cucumbers, Corn, Beans, Lettuce, most vegetables and herbs
Onions, Garlic, Chives, Gladiola, Potatoes
Roses
Garlic
Potato
Beans, Corn, Cabbage,
Horseradish
,Marigold, Eggplant (as a lure for the Colorado potato beetle)
Pumpkin Squash, Cucumber, Sunflowers, Tomatoes, Raspberry
Pumpkin
Corn, Beans
Potato
Radish
Peas, Nasturtium, Lettuce, Cucumber
Sage
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Rosemary, Cabbage, Carrots
Kohlrabi, Corn, Potatoes, Fennel, Cabbage
Soybeans
Grows/helps with everything
Spinach
Strawberries
Squash
Nasturtiums, Corn
Potatoes
Strawberries
BUSH Bean, Spinach, Borage, Lettuce (as a border), Onions
Cabbage
Sunflower
Cucumbers
Potato
Basil, Chives, Onions, Parsley, Asparagus,Marigold, Nasturtiums, Carrots
Black Walnut, Kohlrabi, Corn, Potatoes, Fennel, Brassicas
Turnip
Peas
(
)
Please contact us at info@betterfarm.org with any questions, ideas, or stories about your experiences with this planting method.
