How to Optimize Your Garden with Companion Planting
5 August 2024
Senior Exercise senior living The Birches on Maple GA
Companion planting is a savvy gardening technique where you grow beneficial herbs and flowers alongside your fruits and vegetables. This method helps repel pests, improve harvests and promote a healthier garden environment. Below, we’ll explore the benefits of companion planting, how to begin and common herbs and flowers you can use to make your garden more productive and pest-free.
Benefits of companion planting
- Pest control: Natural repellents reduce the need for chemical pesticides.
- Improved growth: Certain plants can enhance growth or flavor when planted together.
- Biodiversity: A diverse garden attracts beneficial insects and improves pollination.
- Efficient use of space: Maximize limited garden space with strategic plant pairings.
How to start companion planting
- Assess your space: Identify available garden space — raised beds, pots or traditional plots.
- Choose your plants: Select plants based on their compatibility and benefits.
- Plan your layout: Arrange your plants to maximize their mutual benefits.
- Monitor and adjust: Observe plant health and pest activity, adjusting as needed.
Below is a handy guide to some companion plants and their benefits:
Herb/Flower
Plant With
Benefits
Basil
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onions, asparagus, chamomile, oregano
Repels flies, mosquitoes, carrot flies, asparagus beetles, whiteflies and tomato hornworms
Mint
Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, kale, cauliflower, tomatoes, eggplant, peas, beans
Repels aphids, cabbage moths, carrot flies, spider mites and ants. Grow in pots to control spread.
Rosemary
Carrots, beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, radishes
Repels cabbage worms, Mexican bean beetles, carrot flies and mosquitoes.
Parsley
Tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, asparagus
Attracts beneficial insects; repels asparagus beetles; enhances asparagus growth.
Lavender
Fruit trees, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, garlic
Repels moths; attracts pollinators, enhancing fruit tree pollination.
Oregano
Pumpkins, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, rutabaga, radishes
Acts as ground cover; attracts hover flies; repels mosquitoes and cabbage worms.
Thyme
Strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, roses, shallots
Repels harmful insects like cabbage worms, flea beetles and aphids. Attracts ladybugs.
Sage
Carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, rosemary
Repels cabbage moths, loopers, maggots, worms, black flea beetles and carrot rust flies.
Cilantro
Leafy greens, broccoli, legumes, tomatoes
Attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and hoverflies; repels aphids.
Lemongrass
Tomatoes, cucumbers, tomatillos, peppers, fruit trees, ginger, turmeric
Repels mosquitoes.
Dill
Lettuce, cucumbers, corn, asparagus, onions, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli
Repels cabbage worms, moths, loopers, spider mites, squash bugs and aphids.
Lemon Balm
Summer squash, winter squash, melons, tomatoes, apples, kiwi, onions, cabbage
Repels mosquitoes and fleas.
Chives
Apple trees, carrots, strawberries, tomatoes, onions, leeks, scallions, garlic
Repels flies, mosquitoes, carrot flies, asparagus beetles, whiteflies and tomato hornworms
Chamomile
Cabbage, onions, beans, cucumbers, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mint, basil
Repels mosquitoes; attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees.
Chrysanthemum
Almost all garden veggies, roses, grapes
Produces pyrethrin that kills insects but is safe for mammals and birds.
Petunias
Tomatoes, beans, peppers, asparagus, basil
Repels aphids, tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers and squash bugs.
Alliums
Cabbage, carrots, strawberries, hostas, ornamental grasses, lavender, geranium, peony, carnation, columbine, daylily, foxglove
Repels cabbage worms, aphids, carrot flies and slugs.
Geranium
Corn, rose, tomatoes, grapes, cabbage, lettuce
Repels cabbage worms, mosquitoes, aphids and leafhoppers.
Practical tips for companion planting
- Container gardening: If space is limited, plant herbs like mint and oregano in pots around your vegetables.
- Intercropping: Fill gaps between slow-growing plants like asparagus with faster- growing herbs like parsley.
- Border plants: Use flowers like marigolds and chrysanthemums as borders to repel pests naturally.
Companion planting offers a natural way to optimize your garden, boost plant growth and keep pests at bay. Whether you have a small backyard plot or a series of containers on a balcony, you can enjoy the benefits of this age-old gardening technique. Start experimenting with the plant pairings listed above to see what works best for your garden.
Remember, gardening is as much about learning as it is about growing. Share your experiences and tips with fellow gardeners to cultivate a thriving community. Happy planting!
