And while there are countless positive pairings of plants-entire books are devoted to the topic-some combinations rise to the top more often than others. The Old Farmer’s Almanac cites numerous benefits to planting certain crops together, among them deterring pests, attracting beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies, providing shade and natural support, improving soil fertility-some crops, like beans and peas, add nitrogen to soil-and suppressing weeds. Yes, plants flourish with friendships too. Companion planting, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is “the close planting of different plants that enhance each other's growth or protect each other from pests.” Taller plants, for example, can provide shade for ones closer to the ground, and some plants (hello, marigolds and nasturtiums!) can repel pests for their neighbors. The pungent smell of French marigolds deters whitefly.īasil reportedly improves tomato flavour and the strong scent of their leaves also deters aphids.Strategic planning is part of any good garden design, and companion planting is one of the best strategies to help gardeners do more with any space, no matter how big or how small. The smell of mint deters aphids and other pests. Sweet peas will attract pollinating insects which will in turn help to pollinate your bean flowers. The strong scent of these herbs deters aphids and blackfly. The smell of garlic helps to deter aphids. The aromatic leaves of mint help to confuse and deter onion fly. Plant Nasturtiums as a sacrificial crop - aphids love them and this will lure them away from your runner beans/French beans. The aromatic leaves of mint help confuse carrot root fly, who find their host through scent. The smell of carrots also helps deter leek moth from leeks. The smell of leeks deters carrot root fly. The smell of carrots also deters onion fly from onions. Sow spring onions amongst your carrots - the smell of onion deters carrot root fly. Summer savory helps to repel blackfly, a common pest of broads beans.
Mint helps to deter flea beetles, which chew irregular holes in the leaves.Ĭalendula flowers are highly attractive to pollinating insects which will in turn pollinate your courgette flowers. Cabbage white butterflies will lay their eggs on Nasturtium plants, keeping caterpillars away from your Brassicas. Grow mint in containers to keep it under control.Ĭompanion planting chart Companion plant 1 Take care with some companion plants such as mint - these are fast-growing plants and will quickly smother your crop.For a list of wildlife-friendly plants click here. They attract natural predators such as birds which eat slugs, hoverflies which eat aphids and bees which pollinate your crops. Plant lots of insect-friendly or bird-friendly plants, either amongst your crops or nearby.It utilises the space available and helps prevent weeds growing (weeds take nutrients, light and water, and spread disease). This is where fast-growing crops such as lettuce or radishes are sown between widely spaced rows of slower-growing crops such as Brussels Sprouts or parsnips. Plant herbs throughout the garden and vegetable plot, as most have strongly scented leaves which help repel insects.Use tall plants such as peas or sweet corn to create partially shaded conditions for crops prone to bolting, such as coriander, lettuce and spinach.Monoculture makes it much easier for pests and diseases to find their favourite plants and then spread quickly. This is where the same type of plant is grown en masse or in rows.
Take a look at our companion planting chart below. In this article we've put together the best known partnerships in flowers, herbs and vegetables to help you improve the health of your garden plants without needing to resort to pesticides.
Although there is limited scientific research surrounding companion gardening, many gardeners find it extremely beneficial to their plant’s performance. It can be an organic way to protect your crops from pests or it could help improve pollination of fruit and vegetable crops. Companion planting is all about creating plant communities which have mutual benefits to each other.
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